title: Cartersville Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. – Ian Alicea Prewett has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. In connection with his guilty plea, Prewett admitted he engaged in sex acts with minors under the age of 18 and enticed a child under the age of eight to produce sexually explicit images. "Prewett preyed upon innocent children by enticing them to send him sexually explicit images and then victimized two minors, including during an out-of-state trip, by sexually assaulting those children,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This office remains steadfast in our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute child sexual predators attempting to lurk behind the anonymity of the internet.” “Due to the dedication of our special agents and law enforcement partners, Prewett is no longer able to victimize children within our communities,” said Anthony J. Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to seek justice for victims and hold child predators accountable.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On various dates between 2020 and 2022, Ian Alicea Prewett uploaded sexually explicit digital images of minors to Instagram. While he tried to conceal his online identity, in May 2023, federal agents identified him as the individual who uploaded the images and obtained a warrant to search his home. During the search, agents discovered a cell phone associated with the Instagram accounts that Prewett used to distribute child pornography. Additionally, at the time agents executed the search warrant, Prewett was awaiting trial in Cobb County, Georgia, for statutory rape, child molestation, and child enticement. Those charges resulted from Prewett chatting with a 14-year-old girl on Instagram, asking her to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself, meeting her at her school bus stop, engaging in sexual intercourse with her, and then dropping her off at her school. Prior to his arrest in May 2023, Prewett used social media to entice numerous minors to create sexually explicit material and engage in sexual acts. One of his victims was a minor under eight years old living in the United Kingdom. Prewett directed her to send him pictures and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Prewett also instructed a minor from Mobile, Alabama to do the same. Prewett later traveled to Alabama to meet, photograph, and engage in sex acts with the minor. Sentencing for Ian Alicea Prewett, 30, of Cartersville, Georgia, is scheduled for September 3, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II in Rome, Georgia. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Wiltshire Police (United Kingdom). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Calvin A. Leipold, III are prosecuting the case. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 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: Former Wise County man sentenced for income tax-related fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: PLANO, Texas – A former Decatur man, now living in California, has been sentenced to federal prison for tax fraud in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Kenneth Edward Jackson, 47, pleaded guilty to false statements on income tax return and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III on May 1, 2024. Jackson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $484,187.57 to the IRS and several of his small-business clients. According to information presented in court, Jackson was the president and owner of Employer Tools and Solutions (ETS), a payroll service provider that operated in Denton County, Texas. ETS filed Forms 940 and 941 on its clients’ behalf and made payroll and payroll tax payments using funds provided by its clients. Part of ETS’s function in processing its clients’ payroll was holding and remitting employment tax to the Internal Revenue Service for its clients. Employment tax consists of trust fund taxes, which are items withheld from employees’ paychecks, and the employer portion of taxes. From 2017 to 2019, Jackson embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his small-business clients. He took funds provided by various clients for employment taxes and failed to pay the money over to the IRS. Instead, he kept this money and used it to pay bills—including payments on his home—and to fund his lifestyle—including a European vacation. Jackson also failed to report the client funds he embezzled as income on his U.S. Individual Income Tax return. “As a payroll service provider, Jackson’s clients trusted him to honestly handle their finances,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “But Jackson allowed his greed to overtake his fiduciary duties. In addition to defrauding the United States, he also preyed upon his own clients to support his opulent lifestyle. We are grateful for our partners at the IRS, who not only protect our nation’s treasury, but also victims of financial fraud.” “The failure to pay employment tax has a pernicious effect on the American public. It results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and the loss of future social security or Medicare benefits for the employees,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “Instead of paying over the employment taxes received from his clients as part of his payroll business, Mr. Jackson embezzled those funds. He has been held accountable for his actions and sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $484,187.57 in restitution.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Frisco Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Taylor. ###


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DOMINICK ANTHONY VALOTTA (“VALOTTA”) (a/k/a joncimpo#8015) , age 38, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, to Count Two of a four-count indictment pending again him, charging VALOTTA with sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). According to court documents, acting on a complaint made by a minor resident in Rhode Island, law enforcement executed several lawful search warrants. These warrants were focused on social media accounts, electronic devices, and a residence in Harahan, La. belonging to VALOTTA for various dates beginning around January 2023. A review of the items seized and searched revealed that throughout 2022 and early 2023, VALOTTA met at least three (3) minor females on social media applications. Thereafter, VALOTTA created a false persona. When chatting with the minors, VALOTTA typically engaged in sexually charged correspondence that culminated in VALOTTA attempting to arrange in-person sexual liaisons, requesting sexually explicit images and videos, and, to encourage minors to send him sexually explicit depictions, offered to take and transmit sexually explicit pictures of himself. VALOTTA’s victims included a North Carolina resident born in August 2007 (Victim 1), an Ohio resident born in July 2008 (Victim 2), and a North Carolina resident born in March 2008 (Victim 3). VALOTTA faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum of thirty (30) years imprisonment. He also faces a minimum of five (5) years and a maximum of a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Zainey has been scheduled for August 6, 2024. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – JOSE SANCHEZ-MORADEL , age 36, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on April 30, 2024 for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. He was sentenced to three years probation. Based on SANCHEZ-MORADEL’s immigration status, SANCHEZ-MORADEL shall not reenter the United States without the prior written permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security if deported. According to court documents, on April 26, 2023, the Mandeville Police Department responded to a call by an individual who advised them that her ex-boyfriend, SANCHEZ-MORADEL , was trying to enter her residence in Mandeville, Louisiana. Police observed a white 2016 Chevrolet Silverado bearing a Texas plate leaving the apartment complex. Mandeville Police stopped the vehicle and detained the driver who was identified as SANCHEZ-MORADEL . The complaining witness advised police that the defendant forcibly entered her residence through her sliding glass door on the side of the building. Police confirmed that SANCHEZ-MORDAEL was the individual in the truck stopped by other police officers on Monroe Street. SANCHEZ-MORADEL was placed under arrest. A handgun magazine containing ten 22LR rounds was located in his shorts pocket. Officers also located on SANCHEZ-MORADEL a Husky multi tool knife with a damaged blade tip. Officers conducted a search of his vehicle incidental to arrest and located inside the center console a Glock Model G44, 22LR caliber handgun, which was manufactured in another state and shipped in interstate commerce to Louisiana. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the Mandeville Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Strengthens Efforts to  Build Partnerships that Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – The Northern District of Oklahoma joins the Justice Department and its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day. In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced stepped up efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crisis in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges like the fentanyl crisis which have had a disproportionate impact on Native Americans, exacerbating violence and addiction in already vulnerable communities. “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.” “The Northern District of Oklahoma is committed to combatting violent crime in Indian Country, especially when it results in Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “We will use every available resource to hold violent offenders accountable, support Indian Country victims, and ensure MMIP remains a priority.” Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the MMIP Regional Outreach Program , which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. This program will dedicate an MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator (Coordinator) and an MMIP Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The AUSA will support and assist in MMIP cases and related crimes. The Coordinator will assist in promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. Our victim services staff and support personnel will assist the AUSA and Coordinator's dedication to investigating and prosecuting violent crimes, organized crimes, and sex crimes in Indian Country. The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian Country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 4053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People , and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System In 2005, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System ( NamUs ) was created. NamUs is the only national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. Currently, there are 16 missing indigenous persons within the Northern District of Oklahoma. Rhonda Anderson – American Indian/Alaska Native, Tribe Unknown Lauria Jaylene Bible – Member of the Cherokee Nation Tina Brashear – Member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Roley Butler – Member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Coolidge Cochran – American Indian/Alaska Native, Tribe Unknown David Allen Crabtree – Member of the Cherokee Nation Lee Andrew Davis – Member of the Cherokee Nation Aubrey Dameron – Member of the Cherokee Nation Stephanie Jean Fuller – American Indian/Alaska Native, Tribe Unknown Anthony Hardy-Bear – Member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Robert Livers – Member of the Cherokee Nation Kimberly Doreen Mullens – Member of the Cherokee Nation Danielle Lea Prost – Member of the Cherokee Nation Tracy Michelle Samuels – Member of the Cherokee Nation Jonas Albert Summers – Member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Crystal Dawn Wiggins – American Indian/Alaska Native, Tribe Unknown Accessing Department of Justice Resources Over the past year, the Justice Department awarded $2.8 million to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses in the Northern District of Oklahoma. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities. For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website . Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.


title: Violent criminals sentenced to federal prison for 2020 crime spree

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – Three men were sentenced yesterday by Judge Jeremy Kernodle to federal prison for violent crimes committed in Grayson and Tarrant Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. According to information presented in court, on Oct. 3, 2020, Brian Deboris Black, 33, Jason Von Brown, 44, and Kenneth Holt, 44, robbed a Dollar General store in Tom Bean, Texas. During the robbery, Black brandished a firearm and threatened to kill the three employees in the store if they did not comply with his demands. As Black exited the store, he pointed the firearm at individuals standing outside the door of the convenience store, threatening to shoot them as well. On Oct. 13, 2020, Black and Brown committed a home invasion robbery in Mansfield, Texas. They entered the home at gunpoint, kidnapped three family members and restrained them with zip ties, and demanded money while threatening to kill them if they did not comply. Black shot the homeowners’ son in the stomach and his right arm after he was able to free himself from the zip ties. The victim, who testified at trial, survived the shooting but sustained permanent injuries. During the investigation, it was determined that Brandol Abram, 42, orchestrated the entire home invasion based on his belief that the family was in possession of $10 million at their residence. Black proceeded to trial on May 16, 2023. Co-defendant testimony, DNA, home security video, and cell phone analysis were instrumental in securing Black’s conviction for robbery, carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and kidnapping. Black was sentenced to 489 months. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 180 months. Abram pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 200 months. Holt pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to rob the Dollar General and was sentenced to 96 months on October 25, 2022. Restitution was ordered to be paid to the victims of the offenses. “The commission of violent crimes such as these—threatening, shooting, and injuring innocent people will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Diggs. “The sentences that these defendants received demonstrates that justice for the victims was served and our communities will be safer as a result. Black, who was the most violent member of the crew, effectively received a life sentence and ensures that he will no longer be a threat to society.” This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Sherman Resident Agency, Tom Bean Police Department, Whitewright Police Department, Sherman Police Department, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey M. Batson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. ###


title: Gonzales Man Sentenced for Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering and Drug Trafficking Facilitation

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – VIET NGUYEN (“NGUYEN”) , age 30, a resident of Gonzales , Louisiana, was sentenced on May 1, 2024 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to one (1) year and one (1) day of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $500.00 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to four counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3), and one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, in July 2019, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office agents learned that Vinh Nguyen and others, participated in a drug and money trafficking network that spanned from California to Louisiana. Text messages confirmed that Vinh Nguyen worked with a supplier in California, who negotiated the cost and strains of marijuana with growers in San Francisco on his behalf. Vinh Nguyen paid for the marijuana by having others, including NGUYEN , fly the cash to the supplier in San Francisco. Another co-conspirator owned a shipping company that shipped the marijuana from San Francisco to a warehouse in Kenner from which another co-conspirator would pick up the marijuana shipments and drop them off at various unknown locations in New Orleans and various other cities. On April 15, May 7, June 26, and August 15, 2019, NGUYEN , at the direction of Vinh Nguyen, flew from New Orleans to California to deliver money for the purchase of marijuana This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This case was investigated by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Mafia Criminal Gang Founder Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

body_text: MACON, Ga. – The founder of the Mafia criminal street gang who has a lengthy criminal history in the Middle Georgia community is facing up to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Alphonzo Clyde, 45, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 10 before Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Clyde is facing a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Clyde’s sentencing is scheduled for July 3. There is no parole in the federal system. “The Mafia criminal gang is tied to violent crime and large-scale fentanyl distribution in Macon and Middle Georgia, causing grave harm to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Federal, state and local law enforcement is focused on dismantling all violent criminal enterprises and holding their associates accountable in our collaborative effort to keep people safe.” According to court documents and statements made in court, Clyde is the documented founder of the Mafia, a criminal street gang operating in Middle Georgia and West Virginia. Clyde was wanted on an outstanding probation violation warrant when officers from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody on Oct. 8, 2023. At the time of his arrest, officers spotted a digital scale with a white powdery substance located on the front passenger seat of the SUV that Clyde was driving. Officers also detected a marijuana odor emanating from his vehicle. Officers found a Taurus G2S 9-millimeter handgun inside the glovebox. Clyde has multiple prior felony convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Lexington Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Conspiracy

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leopoldo Ramirez, 25, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced May 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ramirez to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Operating from at least June 2021 until October 2022, Ramirez and others were responsible for trafficking meth into the state. Officers from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies pieced the conspiracy together using electronic evidence, surveillance, and search warrants. Together, the conspirators distributed over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing meth. As part of the investigation into this conspiracy, Ramirez’s cell phone was seized and searched. Multiple text messages were located between Ramirez and other co-conspirators discussing drugs and narcotic distribution. In addition, Ramirez kept a list of pay/owe status for drugs he distributed. His records indicated approximately 50 additional grams of meth that he had personally distributed in the course of the conspiracy. This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Man Indicted for Threatening Fulton County District Attorney

body_text: ATLANTA – Marc Shultz has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because of her prosecution of Former President Donald Trump. Shultz made his initial appearance in federal court in San Diego, California on May 2, 2024, and will be formally arraigned in Atlanta in June. “Sending death threats to a public official is a criminal offense that will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office will continue to diligently coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to help protect public officials while performing their duties and who deserve to do so free from threats of harm and intimidation.” “Threats against any individual, credible or not, is a very serious crime that the FBI will not tolerate,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Threats of violence against government officials, specifically, threaten the very fabric of our democracy. We want everyone to know that if you engage in such behavior, you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: On October 4, 2023, and again on October 5, 2023, Shultz allegedly posted multiple comments to two separate YouTube live stream videos. His comments threatened District Attorney Willis with violence and murder including a statement that she “will be killed like a dog.” Marc Shultz, 66, of Chula Vista, California was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 24, 2024. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting 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: Metairie Man Sentenced for Presenting a Materially Altered Postal Money Order

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JASON CAREY, age 43, of Metairie, was sentenced for presenting a materially altered postal money order, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500. According to court documents, beginning on or about November 4, 2020 and continuing until on or about November 20, 2020, CAREY executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $20,000 from Hancock Whitney Bank by depositing altered United States Postal Money Orders into his minor daughter’s bank account. CAREY then withdrew these funds from Hancock Whitney Bank before the fund transfers cleared. United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced CAREY to 3 years of probation. Judge Africk also ordered CAREY to pay $18,183.99 in restitution to Hancock Whitney Bank along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service on this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Paul Hubbell.


title: Marrero Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARY B. KATICICH , age 64, of Marrero, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024, to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). According to court documents, KATICICH used her position as bookkeeper with Belle Chase, Louisiana based J&J Diving Corporation to fraudulently divert funds to her benefit from the company’s Regions Bank account. Further, KATICICH willfully filed a tax return for tax year 2016 that she did not believe to be true and correct because it failed to report approximately $120,190.58 of income. KATICICH faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years imprisonment for the wire fraud count and a maximum term of three (3) years imprisonment as to the tax charge. As to each count, KATICICH also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.00 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person resulting from the offense, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, KATICICH faces a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years on the wire fraud count and up to one (1) year on the tax count. Each count also carries a $100 mandatory special assessment. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Chicago Health Care Company and Its Owner To Pay $1 Million To Settle False Claims Act Lawsuit

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago health care company and its owner will pay $1 million to the United States to resolve a civil lawsuit arising from the submission of false claims to Medicare. BRIAN J. WEINSTEIN and APOLLO HEALTH INC. violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for care plan oversight services that were not actually performed, according to a consent judgment and settlement agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Care plan oversight services (“CPO”) involve a physician’s supervision of a patient receiving complex or multidisciplinary medical care. At Weinstein’s direction, Apollo’s billers submitted 12,592 claims for CPO services on behalf of 25 providers purportedly employed by Apollo. Weinstein knew that the providers had not actually provided CPO services to Medicare patients and that CPO services had not been documented in the patients’ medical records. As part of the consent judgment and settlement agreement entered this week by U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, Weinstein and Apollo agreed to pay $1 million to the United States. The consent judgment and settlement agreement resolve a civil lawsuit filed under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act . The Act permits private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States for false claims, and to share in any recovery. The United States intervened in the lawsuit prior to the settlement. The consent judgment and settlement were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Hancock. In a separate criminal prosecution, Weinstein pleaded guilty last year to a federal health care fraud charge and was sentenced to three years of probation. Consent Judgment and Settlement Agreement


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from CVS in Southwest

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, Calvin Miler, 25, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 2, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Miler will be arraigned on May 20, 2024 before a Superior Court judge. According to the government’s evidence, on February 2, 2024, Miler went inside the CVS store located in Southwest Washington D.C. and took store merchandise for sale from the shelves. He then walked out of the CVS store without paying for the items. Miler was arrested after investigation by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Miler has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted. Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 42 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Yee Yee Myint. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. miler_indictment_redacted.pdf


title: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Miami-Dade County, Florida, Tax Return Preparer

component: Tax Division

body_text: The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today to permanently bar Dieuseul Jean-Louis, both individually and doing business as DJL Multiservices, from preparing federal tax returns for others. The United States also seeks an order requiring Jean-Louis disgorge to the United States his ill-gotten preparation fees. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Jean-Louis prepared over 2,000 federal income tax returns from 2019 through 2023 that intentionally understated customers’ tax liabilities and overstated the refunds to which they were entitled. According to the complaint, Jean-Louis used a variety of schemes claim false deductions and credits, including falsifying itemized deductions, knowingly reporting fake or inflated business expenses and fraudulently claiming various credits like the Fuel Tax Credit and American Opportunity Credit, all without customers’ knowledge. The complaint alleges that Jean-Louis falsified customers’ income and filing statuses to increase the amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The complaint also asserts that Jean-Louis furnished to customers copies of returns that are different from those filed with the IRS, where the returns filed with the IRS claim a higher refund. Jean-Louis allegedly retained the additional refunds for himself without the customers’ knowledge. According to the complaint, the United States has been harmed by Jean-Louis’s conduct, resulting in the significant loss in tax revenue of more than $2.3 million for the 2021 and 2022 tax years alone. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against dishonest tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details. Jean-Louis Complaint.pdf


title: Mandan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime by a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on May 3, 2024, Kyle William Johnson, age 35, from Mandan, North Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor and was sentenced to serve 16 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after he pled guilty to two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), and one count of Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. On November 1, 2022, a Burleigh County Deputy conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of 52nd Street Southeast and Fettig Drive in Bismarck. The driver was identified as Kyle William Johnson. He was placed under arrest for having a suspended driver’s license and an outstanding arrest warrant. After a Bismarck Police Department K9 gave a positive indication on the vehicle, it was searched and law enforcement officers located methamphetamine and a handgun. The firearm was located under the driver’s seat of the vehicle and was loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber and a thirteen [13] round magazine. Johnson was charged with various offenses in Burleigh County District Court and was released on bond. He subsequently failed to appear for a hearing and an arrest warrant was issued. On April 22, 2023, Johnson was identified driving a vehicle eastbound on I-94 just east of Bismarck. When law enforcement attempted to stop Johnson to arrest him on outstanding warrants, he fled – starting on the interstate (upwards of 120 mph) and eventually into Bismarck. While within Bismarck city limits, Johnson fired multiple rounds from his vehicle. Law enforcement engaged spike strips and the vehicle became disabled on South Washington Street near the Bismarck Expressway intersection. After Johnson was arrested, officers located methamphetamine and a handgun in the vehicle. Johnson was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple felony convictions from 2012 – 2023. “This is a fitting sentence for someone who violently put the lives of law enforcement officers and Bismarck residents at risk,” Schneider said. “Our partners at the Bismarck Police Department and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office deserve the credit for bringing this individual to justice before he hurt anyone. Violent felons like Mr. Johnson who use illegally possessed firearms to threaten public safety can count on becoming defendants in federal court in the District of North Dakota.” “Kyle Johnson, through his actions displayed a deliberate and violent disregard for the law,” said Sheriff Kelly Leben, Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office. “I commend the law enforcement officers involved for their actions in ending this violent and dangerous situation and truly appreciate the efforts of the US Attorney’s Office for holding Johnson accountable to the citizens of our county”. Bismarck, ND Police Chief Dave Draovitch said, “Kyle Johnson is being held accountable for aimlessly shooting out of a moving vehicle, which could have had significant consequences to innocent bystanders in the city that my department protects and serves. We are grateful for the outcome, and this shows how you can’t outrun the collaboration of local, county, state and federal law enforcement when they work together.” This case was investigated by the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Bismarck Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney David Hagler assigned to the case. # # #


title: Opioid Manufacturer Endo Health Solutions Inc. Ordered to Pay $1.536B In Criminal Fines and Forfeiture for Distributing Misbranded Opioid Medication

component: Civil Division

body_text: Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered today to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication Opana ER with INTAC (Opana ER). EHSI pleaded guilty on April 18 to one misdemeanor count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that from April 2012 through May 2013, certain EHSI sales representatives marketed Opana ER to prescribers by touting the drug’s purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance, despite a lack of clinical data supporting those claims. EHSI’s corporate affiliates emerged from bankruptcy on April 23. EHSI will cease to operate in its current form and will not emerge from bankruptcy. Payment of the criminal fine imposed at sentencing is addressed as a component of the broader resolution resolving all monetary claims held by the United States against the corporate entities. In addition, as part of the confirmed bankruptcy plan, the new company has funded voluntary trusts in settlement of opioid-relating claims, including public trusts that will pay over $450 million to state, municipal and Tribal entities to help fund programs to abate the opioid crisis. The department is crediting up to $450 million of such payments against the agreed forfeiture amount. The EHSI affiliates that have emerged from bankruptcy are subject to an injunction restraining future opioid sales and marketing and requiring the publication of millions of documents relating to its role in the opioid crisis. “The opioid epidemic has caused substantial harm to the American people, and the companies whose unlawful tactics contributed to it must be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “EHSI’s criminal guilty plea, and the sentence imposed upon it, further emphasizes the department’s commitment to prosecuting companies whose illegal conduct contributed to the opioid crisis.” “The opioid crisis we continue to face today originated, in part, from companies like EHSI building their business on false claims and deceptive business practices,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “By intentionally misrepresenting opioid medications, EHSI prioritized profits over the health and well-being of the American people. Today’s settlement reflects DEA’s commitment to keep Americans safe and holding companies like EHSI accountable.” “The sentencing in this case demonstrates the level of commitment FDA shares with our Department of Justice colleagues to address the opioid overdose crisis in the United States,” said Associate Commissioner Michael Rogers of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. “ENDO Health Solutions did not provide accurate information about the safety and abuse potential of their product, putting patients at additional risk of abuse and addiction. Such conduct undermines the agency’s public health mission and will not be tolerated. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who knowingly endanger the nation’s public health.” “The opioid epidemic is a plague on our country,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch for the Department of Defense (DoD). “Our warfighters and their families sacrifice greatly for us, and we owe them a quality healthcare system free from corrupt corporate practices such as the ones perpetrated by this company. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice and the investigative team from the DoD OIG’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their tenacious pursuit of justice in this case. This settlement sends a clear message to companies who place profits above the health and welfare of our warfighters, their families, and our retirees.” “Today’s sentencing holds the defendants accountable for their role in the long-term deceptive practice of making false statements related to the safety of the opioids they were marketing,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “The VA Office of Inspector General thanks the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.” “The successful resolution of this case is a testament to the professionalism and teamwork displayed by our agents, our fellow investigative agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Inspector General Kevin H. Winters for Amtrak. “We remain committed to protecting Amtrak employees, retirees, and their families by investigating any acts that could put them at risk, such as the misbranding of potentially dangerous drugs.” “Through extensive false advertising efforts to conceal oxymorphone’s deleterious effects, Endo Health Solutions Inc. EHSI demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the people who were prescribed this highly addictive drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “But thanks to the hard work of our partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Veteran’s Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, we are holding EHSI responsible for their significant contribution to the opioid epidemic.” “Putting people first is at the core of our mission and our agency will continue to be relentless in investigating companies that endanger people in order to boost profits through aggressive, unlawful marketing and misbranding of products,” said Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our partners across several agencies, HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting federal health care programs and the health and safety of people served by those programs.” In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that certain sales managers were aware that the sales representatives were making claims of purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance when marketing Opana ER to prescribers, and that certain sales representatives were striking non-medicated sample pills with hammers and conducting other demonstrations to convey the message that Opana ER was, in fact, crush proof and tamper resistant. The approved labeling for Opana ER did not provide adequate information for healthcare providers to safely prescribe Opana ER for use as an opioid that is abuse deterrent. According to the plea agreement, EHSI was responsible for the misbranding of Opana ER by marketing the drug with a label that failed to include adequate directions for its claimed abuse deterrence use, in violation of the FDCA. EHSI withdrew Opana ER from the market in 2017. The FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, FDA-OCI, VA-OIG, OPM-OIG, DCIS and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General conducted the criminal investigation. Assistant Director Gabriel H. Scannapieco and Trial Attorneys Ben Cornfeld, Brant Cook, Tara M. Shinnick and Colin Trundle of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).


title: Justice Department sues TDCJ for religious discrimination

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) related to its denial of a religious accommodation for a former administrative employee. The complaint alleges a woman worked as a non-uniformed clerk in an administrative building at the Pam Lychner Unit of TDCJ and requested to wear a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith. The complaint asserts that rather than accommodating her request, TDCJ indefinitely suspended her without pay when she would not remove her head covering, impermissibly questioned the sincerity of her faith and ultimately terminated her employment. The suit alleges TDCJ’s refusal to accommodate her religious practice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “Religious discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated in our district,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “TDCJ, like any other employer, must reasonably accommodate employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” “Employers cannot require employees to forfeit their religious beliefs or improperly question the sincerity of those beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is a reminder to all employers of their clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations. In our country, employers cannot force an employee to choose between their faith and their job.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati is handling the matter along with Trial Attorney Vendarryl Jenkins of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against employees who have made a charge, assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing under Title VII. Employees with complaints of religious discrimination can report them to their local EEOC office or their state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office . The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section . The claims asserted in this case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: West Virginia Ambulance Services Business Owner Convicted of Tax Crimes

body_text: A federal jury in Beckley, West Virginia, convicted a man yesterday for failing to pay the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and for obstructing the IRS. According to evidence presented at trial, from 2012 through part of 2017, Christopher Jason Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville, West Virginia. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before. At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS. For two quarters in 2016, Smyth, however, did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes. Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts. The jury found Smyth guilty of two counts of failing to pay over taxes for two quarters in 2016 and one count of obstructing the IRS related to its efforts to collect the unpaid taxes from Smyth. It found Smyth not guilty on the failure to pay over taxes counts related to two quarters in 2017. Smyth is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4 and faces up to up to five years in prison for each failure to pay taxes count and three years in prison for obstructing the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant Chief David Zisserson, Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.


title: Sending Thousands of Fentanyl Pills through the Mail Leads to Federal Prison for Arizona Man

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Arizona man who sent thousands of fentanyl pills to Marion, Iowa, in the mail was sentenced May 1, 2024, to more than seven years in federal prison. Dominique Holliday, age 28, from Tempe, Arizona, received the prison term after a December 28, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, starting in April 2021 and continuing until December 21, 2021, Holliday sent packages containing 200 to 300 fentanyl pills to an individual in Marion through the mail every two weeks, totaling approximately 3,200 pills. The Marion man utilized a financial application to pay Holliday for the fentanyl pills, disguising the nature and source of the payments. On two separation occasions in December 2021, an individual suffered non‑fatal overdoses after ingesting fentanyl pills that Holliday had sent to Iowa. Holliday was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Holliday was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Holliday is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Marion Police Department; and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-00021-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Yvette Wang Pleads Guilty To Over $1 Billion Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Yvette Wang played a leadership role in a broad and complex scheme to defraud thousands. Through false promises and lies, this scheme collected more than $1 billion from innocent victims located throughout the country and the world. Wang inflicted pain and loss on so many, and she will now be held to account for the harm she and others caused. I want to thank our partners in the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office for their persistent work investigating and prosecuting this pernicious scheme.” * * * WANG, 45, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which together carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison. As part of her guilty plea, WANG agreed to pay restitution of $1,400,000,000 and to forfeit $1,400,000,000 to the United States. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. WANG will be sentenced on September 10, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah F. Fergenson, Ryan B. Finkel, Justin Horton, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Sues Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Religious Discrimination

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for denying an employee’s religious accommodation request to wear a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges that TDCJ’s refusal to accommodate the employee’s religious practice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). “Employers cannot require employees to forfeit their religious beliefs or improperly question the sincerity of those beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is a reminder to all employers of their clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations. In our country, employers cannot force an employee to choose between their faith and their job.” “Religious discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated in our district,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “TDCJ, like any other employer, must reasonably accommodate employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” The department’s complaint alleges that Franches Spears, who worked as a non-uniformed clerk in an administrative building, requested to wear a head covering in accordance with the tenets of her religion. The complaint alleges that even though TDCJ allowed other employees to wear hats and other non-religious head coverings and could have accommodated Spears’ request it refused to do so. Instead, TDCJ indefinitely suspended Spears without pay when she would not remove her head covering, impermissibly questioned the sincerity of her faith and ultimately terminated her employment. The department’s lawsuit seeks to require TDCJ to implement lawful religious accommodation policies and compensate Spears for lost wages and other damages. Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against employees who have made a charge, or assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing under Title VII. Employees with complaints of religious discrimination or retaliation can report them to their local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) office or their state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office . The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and its work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section . Trial Attorneys Vendarryl Jenkins and Cheyenne Chambers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati for the Southern District of Texas are handling the case.


title: Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Remote video URL The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day . In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities. “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.” “The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.” “DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.” Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program , which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions are the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. U.S. Attorneys and MMIP personnel engaged in events with Tribal and law enforcement partners, communities, and stakeholders today across the United States, and will continue to do so in the days to come. The MMIP Regional Outreach Program dedicates five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to U.S. Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement, and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People , and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. Not Invisible Act Commission Response The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-Department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC)’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crises. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States. The Department is in the process of implementing its response now, addressing several areas in the near term, including: Improving coordination, funding, and operations of efforts to combat MMIP and human trafficking; Enhancing research to better trace the underlying causes of MMIP and human trafficking, to reduce barriers to accessing resources, and to identify data sharing opportunities with healthcare systems; Improving access to funding aligned with Tribes’ needs; Developing guidance on the effective use of the media and social media to engage the public when someone is reported missing; Improving communications with families of victims or missing people; and Working with a multi-jurisdictional working group to address factors that lead people, particularly young people, to voluntarily go missing. Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities — including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance use; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking — can influence the rates of missing American Indian and Alaska Native people. Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate. Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm. For instance: In January, the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska announced that 53 people were charged following an investigation by a multi-jurisdictional task force into a transnational organized crime ring that targeted Alaska, allegedly trafficking kilograms of deadly drugs including fentanyl to rural Alaska Native communities and villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, two communities with populations of under 200 people. Last year, the Justice Department increased funding to the FBI Safe Trails Task Forces to build on the success they have had in bringing together agencies, including Tribal police departments, to combat public safety threats, violent crime, and drug trafficking. The FBI has increased its investigative resources in some of the Indian Country field offices that were in most need of personnel. Last year, the FBI undertook Operation Not Forgotten, which surged more than 40 personnel, including agents, intelligence analysts, tactical specialists, and victim specialists, to 10 field offices, where they were able to supplement more than 200 pending investigations related to violence against indigenous women and children, with a focus on homicide, serious bodily injury, and physical and sexual child abuse. To date, there have been seven successful indictments. Special Agents identified four previously unidentified child victims and recovered one child victim. Numerous other cases were referred for federal or Tribal prosecutions based on these efforts. This year, the DEA has established liaisons with each of the FBI-led Safe Trails Task Forces. In addition, DEA is expanding Operation Overdrive to include partnering with Tribal law enforcement and community outreach specialists to reduce the harm caused by drugs and drug-related violence. Operation Overdrive utilizes a data-driven approach to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and drug-poisoning deaths across the country, in order to concentrate resources where criminal drug networks are causing the most harm. DEA’s Operation Engage has facilitated programs for Tribal youth, focusing on increasing drug prevention and awareness. This coming August, the DEA will be holding their 7th annual training in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on drug enforcement in Tribal communities. This upcoming training will include a specific focus on fentanyl and certifying meeting participants in administering Narcan. The U.S. Marshals Service has developed a legislative proposal to formalize its role in enforcing Tribal violent felony arrest warrants that would expand a pilot launched last year where the Marshals served Tribal warrants at the request of, and in close coordination with, Tribal law enforcement and the Department’s Office of Tribal Justice. This effort has successfully targeted extremely dangerous offenders. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently assigned a Special Agent/Certified Fire Investigator to the MMIP Initiative to conduct case reviews for each of the five regions. ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGIC) are used as an investigative resource for MMIP cases involving the criminal use of a firearm. In addition to coordinating our enforcement efforts, the Justice Department is also focused on supporting education and awareness efforts, as well as prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Bureau of Justice Assistance has provided training sessions for Tribal law enforcement, judges, and public safety personnel on our shared work to address fentanyl poisoning, including on the use of Narcan for fentanyl overdoses. Accessing Justice Department Resources Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities. For additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the MMIP section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website . Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.


title: Justice Department strengthens efforts, builds partnerships to address the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons

component: Department of Justice

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout Alaska Native and American Indian communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day. In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities. “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.” Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program , which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska is pleased to announce that Ingrid Goodyear was appointed as the permanent MMIP Coordinator for the Great Plains Region, with includes Alaska, on April 5, 2024, after serving nearly four years as the contracted MMIP coordinator for Alaska. Since her initial appointment in July 2020, she has worked collaboratively with Federal, State, local and Tribal law enforcement, victim services and Tribal agencies to address MMIP in Alaska. For MMIP Awareness Day, Mrs. Goodyear will be joining the Nome community for an awareness walk and speaking event on May 5. Most recently, Mrs. Goodyear supported the Tanana Chiefs Conference and Fairbanks Native Association in developing and adopting the First Urban MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan (TCRP) for the Fairbanks and TCC region, which provides a unified plan to prevent and respond to MMIP situations for the region’s 39 villages. For roughly four years, Mrs. Goodyear has also worked with partners to create a multidisciplinary working group in Alaska solely focused on working collaboratively to address the MMIP issue through trainings, education and consultations in all regions of the state. The district also recently hired three Tribal Assistant U.S. Attorneys who will focus solely on prosecuting cases in rural Alaska that address public safety threats impacting rural villages, including drug trafficking or firearm offenses. In January, the district announced that 53 people were charged following an investigation by a multi-jurisdictional task force into a transnational organized crime ring that targeted Alaska, allegedly trafficking kilograms of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, to rural Alaska Native communities and villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, two communities with populations of under 200 people. “Mrs. Goodyear’s permanent appointment and the hiring of our new Tribal AUSAs are additional steps in my office’s unwavering commitment to address MMIP and violent crime in Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Tucker. “In the over three years that Mrs. Goodyear has been with our office as the district MMIP coordinator, she has had a tremendous impact on bringing partners and communities together to have crucial conversations about an issue that is gripping our state. Moving forward, we are excited to have our full team of dedicated professionals working toward progress for MMIP and Tribal justice in Alaska.” The MMIP Regional Outreach Program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People , and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. Not Invisible Act Commission Response The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States. Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities—including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons. Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate. Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm. Accessing Department of Justice Resources Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities. For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website . Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons. ###


title: Florida man sentenced for stealing people’s identities and selling their homes

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man was sentenced today to three years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. According to court documents, beginning around February 2020, at the start of the pandemic lockdown, Jose Manuel Santiago, 43, of Sarasota, identified unoccupied homes in Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and other states and stole the identities of the homeowners, then sold their homes out from under them to unsuspecting buyers. Santiago and Rosson Dwayne Hamilton, 40, opened and controlled bank accounts in the names of the property owners. Santiago recruited other people, including Vernon Lavoie, 59, whom Santiago instructed to appear before mobile notaries with high-quality false identification, fraudulently represent themselves as the property owners, and forge the owners’ signatures on closing documents. After money from the sales of the homes was deposited in the accounts, the recruits withdrew the money and provided it to Santiago and Hamilton. Santiago paid recruits with small amounts of cash or illegal drugs. Santiago and Hamilton also wired money from those bank accounts to various retailers. Though some purchases were reversed, in at least one case the third-party purchaser refused to return the home to the rightful owner despite acknowledging the fraudulent nature of the sale. In another case, the rightful owner lost his irreplaceable military memorabilia and other personal belongings as a result of the fraudulent sale of his home. During the conspiracy, Santiago and his co-conspirators attempted to fraudulently sell at least 10 properties and stole the identities of at least 10 people. They successfully obtained $581,808 and attempted to obtain an additional $768,175. Santiago pled guilty on Feb. 20. Hamilton pled guilty on Feb. 6 and was sentenced to one day in prison. Lavoie, who charged separately, pled guilty on July 28, 2021, and was sentenced to two years seven months in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Christopher Hood prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina Cuellar prosecuted Lavoie and significantly contributed to the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-193. This release was revised on May 7, 2024, to correct the sentence of Vernon Lavoie. The original version showed a sentence of seven months in prison.


title: Two Extradited British Citizens Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Defraud Investors In Fraudulent Co-Working Space Business

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMES ROBINSON and DAVID KENNEDY, both citizens of the United Kingdom, pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud victims by making material misrepresentations about the management and operations of a company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”). ROBINSON and KENNEDY were arrested in Spain on November 30, 2022, and were subsequently extradited. ROBINSON pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. KENNEDY pled guilty on October 13, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Valerie Figueredo, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024, before Judge Kaplan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “James Robinson and David Kennedy partnered with notorious fraudster Renwick Haddow and used their agent network in Spain to launch a massive Ponzi scheme that lured hundreds of unsuspecting investors from around the world, all in exchange for massive commissions. Today’s plea signifies this Office’s commitment to hold accountable every perpetrator of fraudulent investment schemes, no matter where they operate.” According to the Indictments and other court documents: ROBINSON, KENNEDY, and co-conspirators Renwick Haddow and James Moore are citizens of the United Kingdom. At all times relevant to the Indictment, United Property Group and related entities (collectively, “UPG”) constituted a company based in Spain that was controlled in part by ROBINSON and KENNEDY. UPG sold real estate and other investing opportunities to potential investors. Bar Works was a private co-working space company controlled by Haddow, which operated locations in New York City and elsewhere between in or about 2015 through 2017 and accepted millions of dollars in investments from investors recruited through UPG, among others. Prior to launching Bar Works, Haddow had been disqualified as a director of any UK company for eight years and was later sued by the Financial Conduct Authority, a British regulator, for operating investment schemes through misrepresentations that lost investors substantially all of their money. These sanctions and lawsuit were publicized online. In exchange for millions of dollars in commissions, ROBINSON, KENNEDY, and Moore partnered with Haddow in soliciting investments into workspace leases in Bar Works through material misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the identity of Bar Works’ management and the operations of Bar Works. Specifically, as ROBINSON and KENNEDY knew, notwithstanding Haddow’s control over Bar Works, Haddow caused the Bar Works offering materials to omit his name entirely, list a fictitious individual named “Jonathan Black” as the Chief Executive Officer of Bar Works, and claim that “Black” had an extensive background in finance and past success with start-up companies. Through UPG, ROBINSON and KENNEDY recruited agents to sell workspace leases in Bar Works and knowingly provided them with fraudulent offering documents and other information. In marketing Bar Works to investors attempting to do due diligence, UPG agents supervised by ROBINSON and KENNEDY represented that ROBINSON and KENNEDY had met “Jonathan Black” in New York as part of UPG’s own due diligence. An account controlled in whole or in part by ROBINSON and KENNEDY received over $2 million in commissions from Bar Works in exchange for soliciting victims to invest at least approximately $7.5 million in this scheme. Separately, Moore received another approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works. Overall, prior to its collapse in or about June 2017, Bar Works obtained over $57 million from over 800 investors worldwide. * * * ROBINSON, 47, and KENNEDY, 48, both residents of the UK, each pled guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Renwick Haddow, 55, pled guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement, on May 23, 2019, to one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to the Bar Works scheme, and one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to a separate Bitcoin-related investment scheme. Haddow’s sentencing is currently scheduled for November 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. James Moore, 63, was found guilty on June 7, 2019, of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following a week-long jury trial before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. On February 1, 2022, Moore was sentenced to 140 months in prison by Judge Berman. Savraj Gata-Aura, 37, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his participation in the scheme and was sentenced to four years in prison on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Jed. S. Rakoff. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the Government of Spain for arresting and extraditing ROBINSON and KENNEDY and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately brought civil actions against ROBINSON, KENNEDY, Moore, Haddow, and Gata-Aura. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing ROBINSON and KENNEDY’s arrest and extradition. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former School Bus Driver Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former school bus driver from St. Peters, Missouri, has been indicted and accused of recording the sexual abuse of minors. Robert W. Stillwell, 66, of St. Peters, Missouri, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis with two counts of production of child pornography. The indictment accuses Stillwell of recording his sexual abuse of two minor victims between Dec. 1, 2020, and Jan. 5, 2024. Stillwell is currently in custody in the St. Charles County Detention Center. If convicted, each charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI, the St. Peters Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


component: USAO - Montana

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day. In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities. “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.” “On Sunday, May 5, we recognize and honor American Indian and Alaska Native persons who have gone missing or have been murdered and renew our commitment to address this crisis. Every person deserves to feel safe in their home and community. The loss of even one Indigenous man, woman or child through disappearance or murder is unacceptable, and we acknowledge the pain and suffering these losses cause families and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, for the District of Montana. “We also acknowledge that Indigenous women and children face disproportionally higher rates of violence and sexual abuse. And we reaffirm our commitment to do everything we can to find the missing, hold killers accountable and seek justice for the missing or murdered by continuing to work with all our federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners. And while we are not perfect, we are making progress. We meet regularly with tribal leadership for the Blackfeet, Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes about the issues they’re facing. We are determined to do the hard work of reducing violence and improving public safety for all Indigenous persons.” “The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.” “DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.” Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program , which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. The MMIP Regional Outreach Program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People , and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. Not Invisible Act Commission Response The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation in Montana, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States. Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities—including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons. Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate. Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm. For instance: In the District of Montana, federal, local and tribal law enforcement, through a collaborative investigation, dismantled a large-scale, multi-state methamphetamine and narcotics trafficking conspiracy that ran from January 2022 until March 2023 and was based on two properties on the Crow Reservation, including one known as Spear Siding. The investigation determined that while based on the Crow Reservation, trafficking operations reached across Montana, including to the Northern Cheyenne, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy’s reservations. The investigation into Spear Siding activities has led to federal charges against more than two dozen defendants, 13 of whom have been convicted and sentenced. Accessing Department of Justice Resource Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities. For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website . Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons. # # #