title: 536 Defendants Charged with Federal Crimes Since January 2021 Through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Program

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-004_OCDETF Program

body_text: PHOENIX and TUCSON, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced the results of the last four years of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . In the District of Arizona, the OCDETF program is a collaboration between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The collaboration has resulted in 536 defendants being charged in 174 separate indictments since January 2021. Representative cases from the OCDETF program over the past four years include: United States v. Nestor Hernandez-Morales : Hernandez-Morales pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Activity, and Attempted Smuggling of Firearms to Promote Drug Trafficking Activity on June 18, 2024, for his role in buying and arranging delivery of high-caliber weapons and ammunition to Mexican drug cartel members. On November 19, 2024, Hernandez-Morales was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. United States v. Jose Raul Diaz-Acedo : In January 2024, Homeland Security Investigations interdicted an arsenal of weapons and ammunition set to be smuggled into Mexico, including: AR-15 rifles, over 25,000 rounds of military caliber ammunition (including 1,800 rounds of .50 BMG), and 50 auto sears designed to convert rifles into fully automatic machine guns. Diaz-Acedo, the driver of this load, was sentenced to 37 months in prison on December 5, 2024. United States v. Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes et. al : Three co-conspirators admitted that they delivered approximately 400,000 blue fentanyl pills, approximately 20,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills (“skittles”), and approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers on September 22, 2022. Law enforcement officers also seized an AK-47-style pistol, a .45 caliber Kimber 1911 semi-automatic pistol with two magazines, and a .45 caliber FN semi-automatic pistol. See October 11, 2022 press release. Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes was sentenced to 17 years in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. Carlos Alberto Castro-Ruiz was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison and Alexander Ortega-Islas was sentenced to 12 years in prison. United States v. Maria Mendoza-Mendoza : Maria Mendoza-Mendoza, aka “La Guera,” was a high-level, Honduran-based human smuggling coordinator who, along with co-conspirators throughout Central America, Mexico, and the United States, was responsible for facilitating the illegal entry, transport, and harboring of numerous undocumented noncitizens. Mendoza-Mendoza was extradited from Honduras to the United States to face charges in June 2023. After pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Mendoza-Mendoza was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2024. United States v. Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero : A federal jury convicted Dessens-Romero for his role as a human smuggling foot guide in an incident involving a migrant death. Dessens-Romero led a group of migrants on a perilous route through the mountains. When the victim became extremely ill, Dessens-Romero left her behind and continued with the other migrants until they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators. The victim died; her remains were not discovered until nine months later. Dessens-Romero was convicted at trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2024. United States v. Peter Vega : A federal grand jury indicted Vega for his role as a leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the United States. Vega coordinated the shipping of methamphetamine and transportation of fentanyl and the laundering of the proceeds from the drug sales. After being indicted, Vega fled to Mexico. Through international cooperation, Vega was apprehended in Mexico and deported back to the United States in January 2023. Vega pleaded guilty to drug and laundering charges and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in June 2024. United States v. Luis Salvador Flores : In October 2022, Luis Salvador Flores was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. Law enforcement officers from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department stopped Flores for a suspected traffic code infraction as he was driving to oversee a methamphetamine sale in Tucson. Inside of Flores’s vehicle, officers found numerous weapons, as well as magazines and ammunition. Flores intended to provide “security” for the drug deal, which was anticipated to involve approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine. The intended transaction never occurred because Flores was intercepted by the law enforcement officers as he was enroute to the drug deal location. United States v. Hector Francisco Ramirez-Roman : Ramirez-Roman, a commercial truck driver, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine. He had attempted to transport 332 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine in the gas tank of his tractor-trailer, but U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered the methamphetamine when he was stopped for inspection as he was crossing from Mexico into the United States. In July 2023, he was sentenced to 108 months in prison, followed by 48 months of supervised release. United States v. Martin Garcia-Velazquez, et al. : Garcia-Velazquez was convicted of Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens for Profit for his leadership role in organizing the transportation of at least 1,000 undocumented noncitizens from the Mexico border to houses in and around Phoenix over several years. In March 2024, he was sentenced to 90 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. As a result of this multi-year investigation, federal agents seized and forfeited over $1 million, numerous firearms, with accompanying magazines and ammunition, and five vehicles. United States v. Enrique Flores-Diaz, et al. :Flores-Diaz pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl for his part in a plan to sell approximately 90,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl with three other persons. In February 2023, Flores-Diaz was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. In December 2023, one co-conspirator was sentenced to 144 months in prison, for his role in the plan to distribute the counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and his unlawful possession of a firearm. United States v Dennis Kelly, et al. : A federal grand jury indicted Kelly and multiple co-conspirators for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, and International Money Laundering in May of 2022. Kelly supervised and directed several co-conspirators to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl on his behalf between November 2020 and August 2021. Kelly pleaded guilty to all three charges and received a sentence of 14 years in prison in June 2024. United States v Jesus Hector Lagarda-Gil : Lagarda-Gil was sentenced to 11 years in prison in January of 2024 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Lagarda-Gil negotiated and coordinated the delivery of over 300 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover agents during a four-month period in 2022. United States v. Charles Corey McCoy : In June 2023, McCoy was sentenced to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release. McCoy had previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams of More of Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in November 2022. United States v. Oscar Martinez-Miranda et al .: A federal grand jury indicted Martinez-Miranda and Jesus Ruiz-Reyes in March 2023 for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Heroin. Investigators seized over 52 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.3 kilograms of cocaine, and 1 kilogram of heroin. Both defendants pleaded guilty in 2023. Martinez-Miranda was sentenced to 108 months in prison in January 2024 and Ruiz-Reyes was sentenced to 96 months in prison in May 2024. United States v. Yvette Porras-Ochoa : Porras-Ochoa was indicted by a federal grand jury for her role as a supervisor of a drug trafficking and money laundering organization involved in the distribution of cocaine and prescription drugs. Porras-Ochoa pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Cocaine, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Prescription Controlled Substances Oxycodone and Promethazine-Codeine, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in August 2024. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison in December 2024. United States v. Gabriel Vejar-Cota : A federal grand jury indicted Vejar-Cota who was involved in the operation of a stash house in Phoenix where investigators recovered 49.855 kilograms of cocaine, 14.82 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately two kilograms of fentanyl, approximately one kilogram of heroin, $19,970, and two firearms. Vejar-Cota pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of a Mixture or Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine and 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine in October 2023. He was sentenced to over 10 years in prison in April 2024. United States v. Jose Angel Rodriguez : A federal grand jury indicted Rodriguez for his role as a supervisor of a drug trafficking and money laundering organization involved in the cross-country distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of a Mixture or Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl and 50 Grams or More of a Mixture or Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in December 2023. He was sentenced to 108 months in prison in October 2024. United States v. Sally Joyce Nyemba : Nyemba – who was a practicing defense attorney – was indicted by a federal grand jury for her role in negotiating the purchase of two pounds of methamphetamine and 4,000 fentanyl-laced pills. Nyemba pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in August 2023. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April 2024. United States v. Heriberto Lopez-Landeros : Lopez-Landeros was responsible for importing large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin from Mexico and transporting these drugs across the United States. He recruited semi-truck drivers to transport the drugs. During the investigation, agents seized 83 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 kilograms of fentanyl, and 645 grams of heroin. Lopez-Landeros pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine in August 2024. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison in November 2024. RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-004_OCDETF Program # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Radford, 33, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers seized Radford’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed approximately 22 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Radford admitted to downloading the images from the internet. Radford further admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct. Radford is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Radford must also register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Julie M. White have prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-61. ###


title: New Mexican Business Owner Settles Allegations of COVID-19 Relief Fund Misuse with U.S. Attorney's Office

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A New Mexico business owner has agreed to pay $3.2 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds received through the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was expanded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The United States contends that Leonard Vandenberg , who owns and operates several restaurants in New Mexico and Texas, applied for and received three EIDL loans totaling $2,795,700.00 for his businesses. These loans were intended to be used for working capital and expenditures necessary to alleviate economic injury resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after receiving the funds, Vandenberg allegedly moved the majority of the money into his personal investment accounts. As part of the settlement, Vandenberg will pay $3,281,825.62, of which $2,731,750.26 is restitution. This amount will be applied to the balances of the EIDL loans and associated advances. Additionally, Vandenberg has agreed not to seek any assistance or support from or participate in any Small Business Administration program for a period of five years. The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella. The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED TO 105 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG AND GUN CONVICTIONS

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Damond Reynard Lockett, age 51, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 105 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Lockett to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited. According to admissions made during his plea, on May 6, 2020, narcotic detectives with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sherriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Lockett’s Bayou Fountain apartment. During the search of the residence, detectives located three bags containing over 100 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl in Lockett’s bathroom and a loaded firearm in his bedroom closet. Lockett committed this offense while he was on supervised release for his 2015 federal conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and unlawful use of communication facilities, in the Middle District of Louisiana. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eli Abad and Jessica Thornhill, who also serves as the Deputy Chief of Economic Crimes.


title: Johnstown Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 96 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on George Mazey, 53, on January 13, 2025. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around February 2021 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Mazey conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing heroin, and quantities of mixtures and substances containing cocaine and cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack. Further, in and around April 2021, Mazey possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and fentanyl. Mazey was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Mazey. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: New Jersey Pharmacy Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Billing for Drugs Not Dispensed

component: Civil Division

body_text: Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC, doing business as Farmacia San Antonio (Medsinbox), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000.00 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed. The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2019, through Jan. 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all of the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs. “Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.” “Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey. “The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.” The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll for the District of New Jersey handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: KC Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for sharing child pornography over the internet and possessing more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography. Dennis Bruce Bean II, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bean to serve 15 years of supervised release following incarceration and to pay $16,000 in restitution to his victims. Bean has been in federal custody since his arrest. On July 17, 2024, Bean pleaded guilty to one count of transporting child pornography across state lines and one count of possessing child pornography. Bean has a prior felony conviction for criminal sexual conduct and has been required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received three CyberTipline reports associated with Bean. In one of those reports, Google reported on Jan. 31, 2024, that approximately 1,442 files of child pornography had been uploaded to Bean’s Google Photos account during the prior two months. On April 5, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bean’s residence. Bean was arrested after he was found hiding in the back yard. Officers seized two cell phones and a one terabyte thumb drive. Investigators found at least 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse or child erotica on the phones. The thumb drive had more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse and child erotica. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Drug Trafficking Marcus Sather , 30, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced to 10 month’s imprisonment with three years of supervised release, for drug trafficking and aiding and abetting. According to court documents, in January of 2024, agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were conducting controlled purchases of illegal substances from known and suspected drug dealers on the Wind River Reservation. On Jan. 17, 2024, agents successfully purchased fentanyl from Sather and a co-defendant. Sather was indicted on July 17, 2024, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2024, and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 6, in Cheyenne. DCI and the FBI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00120 Sarah Elizabeth Ward , 36, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 60 months with three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to court documents, on March 9, 2024, the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) conducted a traffic stop in Natrona County to execute a search warrant on Ward’s vehicle for suspected illegal drug activity. Law enforcement located approximately 430 fentanyl pills and 140 grams of methamphetamine along with a scale and small bags consistent with drug distribution. Ward was indicted on May 16, 2024, pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2024, and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 8, in Cheyenne. DCI and the WHP investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00066 Marlon Forrest , 29, of Port Maria, Jamaica, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine. According to court documents, in November of 2023, DCI Southwest Enforcement Team began an investigation into a cocaine drug trafficking organization that was operating in and around Jackson, Wyoming. Agents arranged for several controlled buys through Forrest over the course of a month, who sent another individual to deliver the cocaine on his behalf. Forrest ultimately admitted to redistributing ten or more kilograms of cocaine in Wyoming. Forrest was indicted on March 13, 2024, pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024, and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 9, in Cheyenne. DCI investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien Juan Antonio Cortez-Chavez, 32, of Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on March 5, 2024, Cortez-Chavez was arrested by WHP in Converse County for driving while under the influence. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was notified when Cortez-Chavez admitted to being a citizen of Mexico. On March 21, 2024, ICE agents obtained fingerprints that matched an existing immigration record for Cortez-Chavez who was removed from the U.S. in 2014 and had not applied for permission to reenter. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 8, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00073 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Environmental Justice The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Pharmacy Agrees To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations For Billing For Drugs Not Dispensed

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Medsinbox Pharmacy LTC LLC d/b/a Farmacia San Antonio (“Medsinbox”), a pharmacy located in Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that it never dispensed, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today. According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement: The United States alleged that, from January 1, 2019, through January 24, 2022, Medsinbox caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. The government contends that inventory records showed that Medsinbox did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesalers to fill all the prescriptions billed to these federal health care programs. “Pharmacies play an important role in maintaining the safety and accuracy of prescribed medications, and allegedly billing for medications not actually dispensed undermines that role and defrauds our healthcare programs. The government will continue to pursue entities that engage in fraud and abuse at the taxpayers’ expense.” Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna “Health care providers defraud federal health care programs when they bill for goods or services that they did not provide,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who improperly seek to profit from taxpayer funded programs.” The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Toll and Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section). The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. medsinbox.settlement_agreement.pdf


title: Leader Of Drug Trafficking Organization That Distributed Fentanyl Linked To Eight Overdose Deaths In The Bronx Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JESUS CABRERA, a/k/a “Gee,” was sentenced today to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald for leading a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that sold deadly fentanyl in the Bronx. CABRERA previously pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, and to a related firearms count. As part of his guilty plea, CABRERA admitted that the DTO’s drug trafficking resulted in the August 2021 death of Malik Rahman, and that the DTO’s product was recovered from the scenes of seven other fatal fentanyl poisonings in 2021. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Jesus Cabrera led a drug trafficking organization that sold enormous amounts of deadly fentanyl in New York City, which led to the deaths of at least eight victims in the Bronx in 2021, and affected countless others in our community. Today’s sentence and those imposed to date on Cabrera’s co-conspirators send a loud message to fentanyl traffickers that their actions will be met with dire consequences in this District. I commend the work of the DEA, NYPD, and the career prosecutors and investigators of this Office who have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those who seek to flood our community with this deadly drug and to profit from addiction and tragedy.” As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record: Between approximately 2019 and February 2022, the DTO operated principally from a block on 142 nd Street between Brook Avenue and St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx (the “Set”), where its members sold glassines of fentanyl in bulk to dealers who then re-distributed the DTO’s product on the Set and in other areas of the Bronx. Members of the DTO also sold individual glassines to users struggling with addiction who lined up on the Set on an almost daily basis. CABRERA was the undisputed leader of the DTO, and co-defendant MICHAEL AMAYA, a/k/a “Miz,” worked as CABRERA’s second in command, managing and overseeing the DTO’s various street-level dealers, baggers, and lookouts, including the other defendants charged in this case. Every day, members of the DTO, at CABRERA’s direction and often in his presence, packaged the DTO’s product in residential apartments for distribution on the Set. The DTO then relied on a roster of street-level dealers to push massive amounts of its deadly product into the community. Indeed, in the fall and winter of 2021 alone, the DTO distributed an estimated five to six kilograms of fentanyl per month, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit for the DTO. The DTO frequently used a signature “stamp” on the glassines of fentanyl it sold—a step CABRERA took to continue making money at the expense of the victims and families affected by the DTO’s drug dealing and the opioid epidemic in this country. For many months, the DTO stamped its glassines with a “Supreme” logo. Starting in or around December 2021, the DTO began using an “Off White” logo, and then switched to a “Thriller” logo. Despite CABRERA’s awareness of the potential deadly impact of fentanyl, he and the other DTO members continued pushing the DTO’s product. Indeed, when CABRERA was asked by another DTO member whether people were overdosing from the DTO’s product, Cabrera laughed it off and said, “na man, people hating, they don’t want us making money.” On or about August 25, 2021, one of CABRERA and AMAYA’s co-defendants, Alberto Concepcion, sold a quantity of loose “Supreme”-stamped glassines to an individual on the Set (“Individual-1”), who subsequently provided one of those glassines to Rahman. Rahman died from an overdose shortly after ingesting the substances in the “Supreme”-stamped glassine, the residue of which later tested positive for, among other things, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. Both CABRERA and AMAYA were directly involved in overseeing Concepcion’s narcotics sales at that time. Indeed, in the days leading up to Rahman’s fatal overdose, CABRERA and AMAYA exchanged text messages referencing certain quantities of narcotics that were going to Concepcion for resale on the Set, as well as the cut of the over $110,000 in recent DTO proceeds they were going to provide to Concepcion. Including Rahman’s fatal overdose, between in or around March 2021 and in or around December 2021, there were at least eight confirmed fatal overdoses in the Bronx at which the DTO’s “Supreme”-stamped glassines were found on the scene. * * * In addition to the prison term, CABRERA, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Many of CABRERA’s co-defendants, who were also members of the DTO, have also been sentenced after having been convicted of participating in the same fentanyl trafficking conspiracy to which CABRERA pled guilty. AMAYA, who managed the DTO’s daily operations and reported to CABRERA, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. WILLIE HARRIS, a/k/a “Light,” who was one of the DTO’s armed lookouts and dealers, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. FRANKIE CAPELLAN, a/k/a “Nitty,” who helped package the DTO’s product with CABRERA and others, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and JOSE FIGUEROA, a/k/a “Chelo,” one of the DTO’s street-level dealers, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for support and assistance in this matter. He also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the case. The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. King, Kaylan E. Lasky, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger Announces Resignation from the District of Minnesota

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger officially announced his resignation as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, effective 11:59 p.m. on January 15, 2025. His resignation marks the close of U.S. Attorney Luger’s second stint as the top prosecutor and federal law enforcement executive in the state of Minnesota. He was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden and sworn in on March 30, 2022, as the 37th United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. He was previously appointed by President Barack Obama and served as Minnesota’s United States Attorney from 2014 until 2017. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said: “I have been honored to lead this office for the second time. In March 2022, I set us on the path to address violent crime to meet the challenge our community faced. I am so grateful to the people of this Office and our many law enforcement partners for the work we have done to bring violent criminals to justice. We have also taken aggressive action against child predators, for which I am proud.” Under U.S. Attorney Luger’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized the prosecution of crimes related to gun and gang violence, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation online, human trafficking and smuggling, and financial fraud and public corruption. Carrying out the U.S. Attorney’s violent crime initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office charged over 100 gang members, brought first ever RICO cases against Minneapolis gangs , charged 70 defendants in the Feeding Our Future scandal and charged 5 people with attempting to bribe a juror in the first Feeding Our Future trial. The Office brought charges against a defendant for an attempted arson at a Mosque, won a conviction in the sex trafficking case against Tony Lazzaro , and indicted a woman for s straw purchasing firearms used in fatal shooting of three first responders in Burnsville , Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Luger’s direction, the Office also revamped and expanded its work in Indian Country, opened an office in Duluth with the first-ever full-time federal prosecutor outside of the Metro and expanded its civil enforcement and investigation of civil rights cases. U.S. Attorney Luger’s vision and innovative approach to combatting violent crime in the Twin Cities and beyond recently earned him commendation from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minneapolis Police Department. Last September, U.S. Attorney Luger received an Honorary Award of Appreciation from the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for his “innovative strategy of both targeting those who are committing firearm violence and disrupting the supply of firearms to criminals in Minnesota” and support of the overall mission of the ATF. U.S. Attorney Luger was also appointed by Attorney General Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, and he chaired its Violent Crime Subcommittee, leading over 30 U.S. Attorney’s in developing and implementing innovative strategies to address violent crime around the nation. Upon Mr. Luger’s resignation, Lisa D. Kirkpatrick, who currently serves as First Assistant United States Attorney, will become the Acting United States Attorney. Ms. Kirkpatrick is a veteran federal prosecutor who previously served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and Appellate Chief. “I thank President Biden for nominating me as United States Attorney, and Attorney General Garland for leading the Department and supporting the District of Minnesota during my tenure. I was privileged to work closely with Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. It has been an honor to serve the American people,” U.S. Attorney Luger commented in closing.


title: High-Ranking MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Seven Murders, Multiple Attempted Murders, Arson and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Jairo Saenz, also known as “Funny,” a high-ranking member of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in seven murders, namely, the January 28, 2016 murder of Michael Johnson; the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta; the September 13, 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens; the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo; the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks; and the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla. Saenz also pleaded guilty to his participation in three attempted murders, arson, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses and a conspiracy to kill Marcus Bohannon, who was murdered on September 5, 2016 by other members of the MS-13. Today’s guilty plea proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Jairo Saenz faces up to 60 years in prison, and a minimum sentence of 40 years in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea. “Today, Jairo Saenz pleaded guilty to seven murders that can only be described as barbaric, and multiple acts of senseless gang violence that had turned parts of Long Island into a war zone, with MS-13 gang members wielding guns, machetes, bats and fire that threatened the safety of our communities,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny. “I commend my Office’s prosecutors and the Long Island Gang Task Force who are committed to holding MS-13 gang members accountable for the crimes they have committed and harm they have caused. It is my sincere hope that today’s guilty plea brings some measure of solace and closure to the families of the defendant’s victims who continue to mourn the deaths of their loved ones.” According to court filings and statements made during today’s guilty plea proceeding, Jairo Saenz was a high-ranking member of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 – one of the more powerful, violent and well-established cliques on the East Coast of the United States. At the time, he was second in command to his brother, Alexi Saenz, who pleaded guilty to the same crimes on July 10, 2024. Jairo Saenz committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status within the gang, and to further the mission of the MS-13: January 28, 2016 Murder of Michael Johnson On January 28, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members and associates were at the Jocorena Deli in Brentwood, where they saw 29-year-old Michael Johnson, and claimed to recognize him as a member of the rival Bloods street gang. At that point, Johnson was marked as their “food” – a reference to their intention to kill him. After receiving the requisite approval from the New York leader of the Sailors clique to commit this murder, Alexi Saenz contacted Jairo Saenz and several other MS-13 members, informed them of the plan to kill Johnson and instructed them to bring weapons, including a machete and a baseball bat, to a wooded area in Brentwood. Alexi Saenz then lured Johnson to that secluded meeting location under the guise of smoking marijuana. The MS-13 members and associates, including Jairo Saenz, ambushed Johnson from behind – striking Johnson with the baseball bat, stabbing him with a knife and taking turns hacking him with the machete. They fled after hearing police sirens in the area. Johnson was reported missing by family members. Less than one week after his murder, on February 2, 2016, members of the SCPD responded to a 911 call about a body found in the woods by a passerby and recovered Johnson’s body. An autopsy determined Johnson’s cause of death to be sharp and blunt force injuries. April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta In early 2016, Alexi Saenz, Jairo Saenz and their fellow Sailors clique members decided to “green light,” or approve, the murder of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta because they suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13. The New York Sailors clique leader assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder. On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana. They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise and summoned other MS-13 members, including Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, who arrived together. The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of the Saenz brothers’ car, and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. At the direction of Alexi Saenz, the MS-13 members removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete. The murder was supervised by the Saenz brothers. The MS-13 members then buried Acosta’s body in a shallow grave. Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim. His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso. July 18, 2016 Attempted Murders of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 On July 18, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at the Saenz brothers’ house in Central Islip, Alexi Saenz instructed the group to hunt for rival gang members who had been disrespectful to the MS-13, in order to attack and kill them. Later that evening, Jairo Saenz and other members of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood armed with firearms and a machete, spotted a group of men on Apple Street. Believing these men to be members of a rival gang, three MS-13 members got out of the car driven by Jairo Saenz and attacked the group, firing rounds from two different guns, and then using a machete to hack at one of the men who had fallen to the ground. Two individuals were injured as a result of this attack. John Doe #1 was struck with a bullet, but survived. John Doe #2 was attacked with a machete, and was permanently disfigured. August 10, 2016 Attempted Murders of Suspected Rival Gang Members In 2016, members of the MS-13 were engaged in a series of disputes with members of the Goon Squad, a rival gang in Brentwood. On August 10, 2016, Alexi Saenz and another MS-13 member drove through the neighborhood around Lukens Avenue in Brentwood, and spotted several men who they believed were members of the Goon Squad. They then rallied other members of the Sailors clique, including Jairo Saenz, to come kill the rivals. The MS-13 members divided into two vehicles and drove towards the house where the suspected Goon Squad members had been spotted. The Saenz brothers’ car kept watch for the police, while two other MS-13 members, each armed with a gun, approached the group of suspected rivals and fired numerous shots in their direction. No one was hit, although a stray bullet entered a neighbor’s house and struck the headboard of a bed in which the neighbor was sleeping. September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon On September 4, 2016, after a Sailors clique meeting at the Saenz brothers’ house in Central Islip, Jairo Saenz, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members went out hunting for rival gang members to kill. The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until Alexi Saenz’s group spotted 27-year old Marcus Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5. Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him and started shooting. Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds. September 12, 2016 Arson During the summer of 2016, Sailors clique members of the MS-13 were regularly having altercations with local gang members based in a neighborhood on Freeman Avenue in Brentwood. On September 12, 2016, the MS-13 members retaliated by setting fire to a car parked in the driveway of one of the houses in that rival gang neighborhood. Alexi Saenz directed other gang members to purchase gasoline and carry out the arson, while he drove around watching for police. Jairo Saenz drove the other MS-13 gang members to that house, where they poured gasoline on a car parked in the driveway, and set it on fire. The car exploded and set another parked car on fire. September 13, 2016 Murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens On September 13, 2016, Sailors clique members brutally murdered 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, both students at Brentwood High School. In the months leading up to the murders, Cuevas was involved in a series of disputes with members and associates of the MS-13. Approximately one week before the murders, these disputes escalated when Cuevas and several friends were involved in an altercation with MS-13 members at Brentwood High School. After that incident, the MS-13 members vowed to seek revenge against Cuevas. On the evening of September 13, 2016, the Saenz brothers and other members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 were driving in separate cars around Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill. One group of MS-13 members spotted Cuevas and Mickens walking down residential Stahley Street. Recognizing Cuevas, they called the Saenz brothers and were granted permission to kill the girls. Several MS-13 members then chased down and attacked both Cuevas and Mickens, wielding baseball bats and a machete, striking each of the girls numerous times in their heads and bodies, while the Saenz brothers’ car drove around watching for police. After the murders, the group retreated to the Saenz brothers’ home in Central Islip, where they changed clothes and hid the weapons. Mickens, whose body was discovered later that evening on Stahley Street, not far from Cuevas’s home, sustained significant sharp force trauma to her face and blunt force trauma to her head. Cuevas, whose body was discovered the following day behind a house adjacent to where Mickens’s body was found, sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head and body and multiple lacerations. October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted 15-year-old Javier Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang, one of MS-13’s principal rivals. On October 10, 2016, Jairo Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to drive with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana. Once there, they met Alexi Saenz and other Sailors clique members. The group then lured Castillo to an isolated marsh area in Cow Meadow Park, where they attacked him, taking turns hacking him to death with a machete. Afterwards, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in late October 2017. Castillo was determined to have suffered multiple sharp force injuries to his head, neck, torso and extremities. October 13, 2016 Murder of Dewann Stacks On the evening of October 13, 2016, the Saenz brothers and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 were driving around Central Islip and Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill. That night, they spotted 34-year-old Dewann Stacks and, believing him to be a rival gang member, Alexi Saenz authorized his murder. While Alexi Saenz drove around watching for police presence, Jairo Saenz drove three MS-13 members, armed with two machetes and a baseball bat, to attack Stacks. The three armed MS-13 members got out of the car, and beat and hacked Stacks to death on American Boulevard, a residential street in Brentwood. Stacks sustained severe sharp and blunt force trauma to his face and head, leaving his body nearly unrecognizable. January 30, 2017 Murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla On the morning of January 30, 2017, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 spotted 29-year-old Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla inside El Campesino Deli in Central Islip. Alvarado-Bonilla was wearing a football jersey bearing the number “18,” which led the MS-13 to conclude that he was a member of a rival gang, and they plotted to kill him. After Alvarado-Bonilla was observed in the Deli, Jairo Saenz drove MS-13 members to get a mask and another vehicle, both of which would be used when committing the murder. Alexi Saenz provided the clique’s 9-millimeter handgun for use in the murder. At approximately 10:30 a.m., a masked MS-13 member entered the deli, approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind, and shot him multiple times, killing him. One of the bullets pierced through Alvarado-Bonilla’s head and struck the chest of a female employee of the deli, who was standing directly in front of him. The deli employee survived the gunshot wound. Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracy For a year and a half, from approximately April 2016 through March 2017, in order to finance the illegal operations of the Sailors clique, the Saenz brothers obtained wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana, which they distributed to other Sailors clique members and associates for street-level sales in Brentwood and its surrounding areas. After the sales, the profits were turned over to the Saenz brothers, for use in, among other things, purchasing firearms for use by clique members, wiring money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador and buying additional narcotics for further distribution. Today’s guilty plea is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello. The Defendant : JAIRO SAENZ (also known as “Funny”) Age: 28 El Divisadero, Morazán, El Salvador; and Central Islip, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8)(GRB)


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Other Narcotics

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Youngstown, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 45 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on William McCree, 21, also ordering McCree to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that McCree was responsible for trafficking 35 grams of fentanyl, five grams of fluorofentanyl, 50 grams of cocaine, and 30 grams of methamphetamine between May 2021 and October 2022. McCree was on bond with a pending state drug trafficking charge in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, during part of that time period. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McCree.


title: Boulder Man Sentenced For Transportation Of A Minor

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that James Wendell Dean, 54, Boulder, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of transportation of a minor across state lines with the intention of engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor. “Crimes against children are the most despicable in our society,” said United States Attorney Matt Kirsch. “Our office will aggressively prosecute anyone who harms a minor.” “This sentence serves as a reminder that protecting children from predators is a top priority for the FBI,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “We will continue to support victims of child sexual exploitation and work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who prey upon children.” United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alison Connaughty handled the prosecution. Case Number: 2023-cr-00440-DDD


title: New Haven Gang Member Involved in 2021 Murder Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: QUAYMAR SUGGS, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 250 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent New Haven street gang and his murder of an associate of a rival gang in May 2021. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020. The investigation revealed that Suggs and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. On July 1, 2024, Suggs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on May 19, 2021, he shot and killed an 18-year-old associate of a rival gang. Suggs also admitted that in 2021, he and other Exit 8 members broke into a Connecticut state trooper’s car and stole the trooper’s duty bag. Suggs has been detained since March 24, 2023. This investigation has been conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn . Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Charge

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Perry JaQuan Jackson, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 3, 2022, Jackson was wanted on outstanding state bench warrants related to weapons and narcotics violations. Law enforcement located Jackson and arrested him at the Northwoods Mall in North Charleston. Jackson told officers he had a gun under his vehicle’s driver seat. Officers searched the car and located the gun, another gun in the glovebox, marijuana, and cash. Later testing confirmed Jackson’s DNA was located on the gun under the driver seat. Jackson has multiple felony convictions on his record including previous state weapon convictions. United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Jackson to seven years imprisonment to be followed by three years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Crips Gang Member Charged With March 2021 Murder

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ALIEU JARJOU, a/k/a “Scally,” a/k/a “Lu Scally,” with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense. The charges relate to JARJOU’s membership in the “Rollin 20s” set of the Crips gang and the March 9, 2021 murder of 30-year-old Jadon Robinson. JARJOU, who was in New York City Department of Correction custody, was transferred to federal custody earlier today and made his initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “As alleged, Alieu Jarjou shot and killed Jadon Robinson on a busy Bronx street in the middle of the day. He committed this cold-blooded murder to enhance his status within the Rollin 20s Crips, a violent street gang that traffics in illegal drugs. Let this be a reminder that this Office and our law enforcement partners will catch and prosecute those who commit acts of violence in our streets.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least January 2021 through at least January 2022, JARJOU was a member of the Rollin 20s Crips, which is based in the Bronx, New York. In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the Rollin 20s Crips engaged in, among other things, murders, assaults, threats of violence, and narcotics trafficking. On March 9, 2021, JARJOU murdered Jadon Robinson in the vicinity of 1268 Morrison Avenue in the Bronx, New York. Jadon Robinson was 30 years old. * * * JARJOU, 30, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a sentence of mandatory life in prison or death; one count of murder through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christy Slavik and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Littleton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Littleton man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his involvement with a conspiracy to traffic cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area. Alan Robinson, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2025. Robinson was arrested on Nov. 3, 2023. Robinson engaged in a controlled purchase with a cooperating witness to sell four firearms – which included two ghost guns, one of which was an assault rifle, knowing that the cooperating witness was a prohibited individual. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Robinson’s residence, where approximately 3.3 kilograms of powdered cocaine was recovered, as well as several firearms and accessories including a ghost gun assault rifle. The charge possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, The charge of knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Orchestrating $1.5 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme in Chicago

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme in Chicago that bilked multiple financial institutions out of more than $1.5 million. LEE HOLLIDAY, 66, of Schererville, Ind., pleaded guilty last year to a federal bank fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis on Friday sentenced Holliday to three years and three months in federal prison. Holliday admitted in a plea agreement that he engaged in mortgage fraud in 2011 and 2012 in connection with the purchase of multiple properties on the West and South Sides of Chicago. Holliday recruited buyers and provided them with funds for the down payments, which were only 3.5% of the purchase price since the loans were insured by the Federal Housing Authority. Holliday worked with the buyers to purchase homes at inflated prices and then split the proceeds with both the buyers and sellers. Although Holliday promised the buyers that the properties would provide rental income, the promises proved to be false and most buyers eventually fell behind on their mortgage payments. Seven properties went into foreclosure proceedings. In all, Holliday caused the lenders to lose a total of approximately $1.53 million through the submission of false and fraudulent loan applications. In addition to the mortgage fraud scheme, Holliday also admitted in his plea agreement that he engaged in Covid-relief fraud in 2020 and 2021, fraudulently obtaining $391,869 in Paycheck Protection Program funds to which he was not entitled. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Chicago Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Stern and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Mulaney. “FHA loans are intended to help people who could not otherwise afford a home,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “In this case, the money that was supposed to help those people and improve their neighborhoods instead went into the defendant’s pockets.” “Lee Holliday repeatedly engaged in an egregious mortgage fraud scheme causing borrowers to falsely represent critical income and asset information to qualify them for loans they would not have otherwise qualified for,” said HUD-OIG SAC Jindra. “When people take advantage of HUD-insured mortgage programs, it limits opportunities for hard-working individuals trying to achieve the American dream of homeownership. HUD-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who jeopardize the integrity of FHA mortgage programs.”


title: Lynchburg Store Owner Arrested on Federal Food Stamp Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: LYNCHBURG, Va. – The owner of the Taste of India, a medium-sized grocery store in Lynchburg, Virginia, was arrested today on criminal charges related to his alleged fraud regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. SNAP was established by the United States Government to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among low- and middle-income families by increasing their food purchasing power and ability. In a criminal complaint filed today, Rajan Babbar, 59, of Lynchburg, is charged with food stamp fraud and wire fraud. Babbar was arrested earlier today without incident. According to court documents, in 2016 Babbar filed paperwork with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for Taste of India to become a SNAP retailer. In approximately December 2016, FNS approved Babbar’s application. In approximately September 2018, FNS noticed that Taste of India had some unusual activity with its food stamp redemptions. Subsequently, FNS placed Taste of India on their “watch list” to further monitor the store’s activities. Scrutiny of Taste of India led to a civil investigation and penalty in 2020. On four out of five separate encounters between March 2019 and February 2020, undercover investigators with FNS made unauthorized purchases of ineligible items using SNAP EBT cards, primarily for cosmetic and hygiene products. Based on that, FNS determined that Taste of India was in violation of program rules. Babbar ultimately paid a $1,932 civil penalty in lieu of a six-month disqualification. However, he was allowed to continue to operate as a SNAP retailer. According to the criminal complaint filed today, USDA-OIG agents began to review the food stamp redemptions for Taste of India and noticed the redemptions seemed unusually high for this type of store and location. The dollar amount of SNAP redemptions skyrocketed at Taste of India during a relatively short span. In January 2018, the store completed approximately $2,500 in monthly SNAP transactions; that figure was more than $30,000 by May 2021. By February 2023, Taste of India was redeeming more than $104,000 in SNAP funds. Throughout this period, Taste of India remained at the same location and in the same sized building. USDA-OIG, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lynchburg Police Department, proceeded to conduct undercover operations at Taste of India in the spring of 2023. On three occasions between April and September 2023, an undercover source entered Taste of India and another store then operated by Babbar and attempted to exchange SNAP benefits for cash. On all three occasions, Babbar agreed to the exchange and provided cash to the undercover source. No product or merchandise was sold. Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the USDA-OIG, and Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today. The USDA-OIG, FBI, and Lynchburg Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Gladstone Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gladstone, Mo., man who is a prior sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography. Shawn D. Clutts, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Clutts to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $10,000 in restitution to his victims and a $5,000 assessment. Clutts was sentenced as a prior sex offender due to his prior felony conviction for statutory rape and statutory sodomy for the sexual abuse of a teenage girl he met on the internet. Approximately a year after completing his state sentence in that case, Clutts was arrested in this case. On Aug. 8, 2024, Clutts pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Clutts admitted that he had images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone when he was stopped by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper for an expired registration on his Honda Accord on June 22, 2023. Investigators found 131 videos and 49 images of child pornography on Clutts’s cell phone. These included depictions of sadomasochistic behavior, infants, and toddlers. Clutts also had previously downloaded hundreds of files of child pornography utilizing the MEGA application; some of those videos were still on his cell phone. MEGA is an internet-based file-sharing application whereby users can share “links” with other users to files they have saved within MEGA. The link allows the other user access to the MEGA folder of the sender and files located within that folder. Clutts also admitted that he engaged in chats with another user over the internet on the Kik application, in which he discussed purchasing child pornography from this user through MEGA links. Clutts had purchased child pornography from this individual before. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Employee Reach Settlement to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A former employee of Los Alamos National Laboratory has agreed to pay the United States a total of $67,500 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment for time allegedly worked and expenses allegedly incurred during business trips. The settlement resolves allegations that William Monford Wood submitted 23 false claims between July 12, 2016, and December 20, 2017, for trips to various locations in California, including Oakland, Livermore, and Santa Barbara. The United States contends that these claims were for time not actually worked and expenses not actually incurred or without a legitimate business purpose during the period from June 19, 2016, to December 9, 2017. As part of the settlement, Wood has agreed to pay $67,500, of which $38,549.83 is restitution. In addition to the monetary settlement, Wood has agreed to never seek employment with, or work for, the federal government, its contractors or subcontractors in any capacity funded by or through the federal government, and to never seek a federal government security clearance. The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra C. Currie and Auditor Phillip Stella. The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: Fugitive Arrested After More Than Three Years on the Run

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man was taken into custody on Jan. 10, 2025 after he was discovered inside a Lowell residence and identified as a person wanted for his role in alleged drug trafficking conspiracy. Darasy Chhim, a/k/a “Mystickal,” a/k/a “Rizzus,” 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine base, fentanyl, MDMA, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chhim was charged by indictment along with 14 co-conspirators in June 2021 and evaded apprehension until his arrest on Jan. 10, 2025. According to court documents, it is alleged that Chhim was a member of the One Family Clique street gang. From approximately February 2019 to June 2021, it is alleged that Chhim and a dozen co-defendants conspired to distribute drugs in and around Lowell, elsewhere in Massachusetts, and in other parts of the country, including Virginia and California. It is alleged that the group trafficked various different substances in large amounts, including especially dangerous drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine. Chhim was alleged to be part of the leadership of One Family Clique, whose members were engaged in firearm trafficking, money laundering, acts of violence against rival gangs and other criminal activity. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine base, fentanyl, MDMA, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge also includes forfeiture of assets traceable to or involved in the alleged drug distribution offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Superintendent Greg Hudon of the Lowell Police Department; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Belen Couple for Theft from Isleta Pueblo Business

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen couple were sentenced for stealing $10,420.63 from a general store on the Isleta Pueblo, after pleading guilty to federal theft charges involving a coordinated burglary captured on surveillance footage. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on February 3, 2023, Frank Hernandez , 44, entered the business office of Chical Haystack, a general store located within the Isleta Pueblo, and stole $7,285.75 in cash and a check for $3,134.88 from the store’s safe. Frank in the store’s safe His wife, Eva Hernandez , 46, acted as a lookout during the incident. Eva (highlighted) acting as lookout Surveillance footage showed Frank ’s distinctive neck tattoo, which aided in his identification. Frank’s neck tattoo, visible in another mugshot. Following an anonymous tip on February 7, 2023, an Isleta Pueblo Criminal Investigator identified the suspects through social media and vehicle-registration searches. Frank and Eva Hernandez were arrested on February 13, 2024. During police interviews, Frank Hernandez admitted to the theft, stating he used the money to purchase drugs. Eva Hernandez denied knowledge of the theft but admitted opiate use. Frank Hernandez was sentenced to 257 days incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Mandatory conditions of Frank’s supervised release include substance-abuse treatment, mental-health treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. He cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo. Eva Hernandez was sentenced to six months of home confinement with GPS monitoring. She will thereafter be under supervision for 2.5 years, with mandatory conditions to include substance-abuse treatment, community service, and full restitution to Chical Haystack. She cannot return to the Isleta Pueblo. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Isleta Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Belen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting these cases. # # #


title: Member of 5-9 Brims Street Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Retaliatory Gang Murder

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marvin Pippins, also known as “Mukk,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to life imprisonment for murdering a rival gang member by shooting at him six times. Following a three-week trial in April 2023, Pippins was convicted by a federal jury of racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy, murder in-aid-of racketeering, drug conspiracy and related firearms charges. Pippins was also sentenced today to a concurrent term of 30 years for racketeering conspiracy and to a consecutive term of five years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, among other things. Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence. “Marvin Pippins will deservedly spend the rest of his life in prison for this cold-blooded murder, undertaken in service of a years-long gang war,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny. “Pippins committed predatory and deadly crimes on behalf of a violent street gang that, for years, polluted the streets with drugs, preyed on unsuspecting victims of financial fraud and subjected rivals and innocent civilians alike to acts of violence. My Office is focused on dismantling violent criminal organizations, and today’s sentence should send a message that the most serious of crimes will be met with the most serious of consequences.” Ms. Pokorny expressed her appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on this investigation. “In 2015, Marvin Pippins, a 5-9 Brims gang member, ruthlessly murdered a rival associate in a twisted attempt to restore the gang’s honor and thwart future attacks,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Pippins’ myriad of crimes strengthened the gang’s presence across Brooklyn and fueled persisting territorial disputes. May today’s lifelong sentence reflect the FBI’s renowned commitment to disrupting all criminal enterprises plaguing our city with violence and illicit substances.” Between 2012 and 2020, Pippins was a member of the 5-9 Brims—a violent set of the Bloods street gang, responsible for sophisticated fraud schemes, prolific narcotics trafficking and violent crimes, including gunpoint robberies, shootings and murders. This crew of 5-9 Brims was also known as “Breadgang.” Pippins and his fellow members operated principally in and around the Marlboro Houses in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn. Pippins personally engaged in a broad array of criminal activity and earned a reputation as a “shooter” and as someone who generated money for the gang. He participated in financial fraud on behalf of the gang, sold drugs and carried guns to protect the gang’s criminal rackets. Pippins was also convicted of several crimes related to the gang’s violent rivalry with “Real Ryte,” a Canarsie-based rival crew. In September 2015, the defendant’s brother Melvin Pippins, also known as “Melly,” was murdered. The defendant and his fellow gang members blamed Real Ryte for the murder, and there was an “expectation” that members of the 5-9 Brims would retaliate against Real Ryte with violence. On December 19, 2015, Pippins murdered Sean Peart, a member of Real Ryte, while the victim was alone and unarmed in his parked car on Dean Street outside the Weeksville Gardens housing development. Peart tried to speed away but crashed his car before succumbing to his injuries. After the murder, Pippins bragged to fellow members and associates of the gang admitting that he “did boy dirty.” In rap lyrics, the defendant described Peart’s murder in detail, including references to the victim “hanging out the window” and giving him “shot after shot.” The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey R. Oken and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Moscow and Drew G. Rolle. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The Defendant : MARVIN PIPPINS (also known as “Mukk”) Age: 34 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-378 (PKC)


title: Franklin Certified Public Accountant Indicted on Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Tax Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – A federal indictment unsealed today charges Jason Alexander Jerkins, 36, of Franklin, Tennessee, with wire fraud, money laundering and tax fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire. According to the indictment, Jerkins, a Certified Public Accountant, owned Jerkins Business Solutions (“JBS”) which provided tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services, among other accounting and financial services, for individuals and businesses since 2015. JBS was a sole proprietorship, and Jerkins controlled its bank accounts. JBS had office locations in Fairview and Nashville, Tennessee. To facilitate his scheme, between March 2020 and October 2024, Jerkins obtained and maintained bank account and online banking information of his clients at JBS. Using Intuit QuickBooks software, Jerkins would initiate wire transfers out of his clients’ bank accounts and into bank accounts that he controlled or could access. Jerkins used Intuit QuickBooks so that these withdrawals appeared on clients’ bank statements with descriptions including “Intuit,” “Jerkins Business Sol,” or “Jerkins Business Sale,” which concealed the nature of these fraudulent transactions from his clients and made them appear as though they were for legitimate business purposes. Jerkins would initiate these withdrawals from his clients’ accounts within days of initiating legitimate payroll or tax payments from his clients’ accounts to make it appear as if the legitimate payments were split between multiple withdrawals by Intuit. Jerkins would then withdraw funds from his clients’ accounts as if he were paying over business expenses owed by his clients, but instead of paying the expense owed by the business, Jerkins would deposit the funds into his own bank accounts or use the funds for his personal benefit. When clients confronted him about fraudulent withdrawals, Jerkins provided those clients with fraudulent documentation that made the withdrawals appear to be legitimate. And at least one time, Jerkins repaid a client the amount of a fraudulent withdrawal using funds from a second fraudulent withdrawal from another client’s account. Throughout his scheme, Jerkins initiated over four hundred wire transfers totaling over $3,900,000, from his Intuit account to transfer the unauthorized client funds to one of his bank accounts. On at least one occasion, in September 2023, Jerkins used these stolen client funds to purchase residential real property. Finally, as part of his plan to take his clients’ money, Jerkins prepared and filed materially false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for at least two clients. These tax returns reported false deductions and false business expenses, which the taxpayers did not incur, to the IRS. If convicted, Jerkins faces up to twenty years in federal prison for the wire fraud count, up to ten years in federal prison for the money laundering count, and up to three years in federal prison for each count of preparing false tax returns. The United States is also seeking forfeiture of real property purchased with the proceeds of Jerkins’ fraud scheme. This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell T. Galloway is prosecuting the case. A federal indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. # # # # #