title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Adam Bartram, 31, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Bartram in Huntington. Officers searched Bartram’s vehicle and arrested him. Bartram admitted that when he was taken to the Huntington Police Department, a bag containing approximately 172 grams of methamphetamine fell out of his shorts as he got out of the police cruiser. Officers later searched Bartram in a holding cell and found approximately 10.4 grams of fentanyl hidden in his person. Bartram admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine and the fentanyl. Bartram is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-86. ###


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sylvester Roosevelt McNeil, also known as “Juan,” 50, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 27, 2022, McNeil sold approximately 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a location on Nickel Plate Road in Huntington. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-165. ###


title: Suburban Chicago Physician Sentenced to Federal Prison for Prescribing Opioids Without a Medical Exam

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago physician has been sentenced to a federal prison term for prescribing opioids to patients without a medical examination and then billing Medicare for the purported treatment. ELIZA DIACONESCU, 74, of Lake Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal health care fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Wednesday sentenced Diaconescu to six months in federal prison and ordered her to pay $84,031 in restitution to Medicare. Diaconescu admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2021, she pre-signed prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl for patients of her pain clinic in Gurnee, Ill., so that the prescriptions could be provided to patients when Diaconescu was not at the clinic. Diaconescu and others at the clinic created false paperwork indicating that Diaconescu had face-to-face exams with the patients, when, in fact, the patients had only come to pick up the pre-signed prescriptions and had not visited with Diaconescu. Diaconescu then knowingly submitted false claims seeking reimbursement from Medicare for the purported exams, knowing that such exams did not occur. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the DEA, Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Task Force, which was formed in 2019 for the purpose of combatting the unlawful distributions of controlled substances. “The defendant’s fraudulent conduct was a gross abuse of the trust that Medicare places on medical providers to accurately bill for the work they have done,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “All of the money paid by Medicare should have gone towards providing medical services to beneficiaries.”


title: Manchester Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO COLON, 34, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2022, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made a controlled purchase of 1,000 wax sleeves of fentanyl from Colon in front of his Manchester residence on Buckland Hills Road. Later that day, a court-authorized search of Colon’s residence revealed a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun, approximately 2,100 sleeves of fentanyl, approximately 230 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, a money counter, and approximately $11,000 in cash. Colon’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Colon has been detained since June 3, 2022. On March 27, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Manchester Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime and Violating Supervised Release

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Zachary Scott Whitmore, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and violating his supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 19, 2022, Whitmore sold 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant near 25th Street in Huntington for $700. Whitmore also admitted to arranging the sale of 7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant at a 9th Avenue residence in Huntington on October 24, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substances from both transactions was fentanyl. At the time of this offense, Whitmore was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 12, 2019. Today’s prison sentence includes two years for committing a crime while on supervised release. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-1 and 3:19-cr-137. ###


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Jefferson Womack, 45, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2022, Womack stole a Kel-Tec, model P-32, .32-caliber pistol from a Kanawha County pawn shop. Womack admitted to the theft when he was arrested by law enforcement officers on April 4, 2023. Womack is scheduled to be sentenced on October 18, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Albans Police Department. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-45. ###


title: Farmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Oxycodone Pills

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY HARRIS, 53, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally distributing oxycodone. According to court documents and the evidence disclosed during a trial in this matter, Harris, who was prescribed oxycodone for a medical condition, unlawfully sold hundreds of oxycodone pills to another individual approximately every three weeks over the course of more than three years. The individual who purchased the pills sold them to customers in the Bristol area. The investigation revealed that Harris sold a total of approximately 9,000 oxycodone pills prescribed to him in exchange for approximately $200,000. Harris was arrested on June 3, 2021. On November 9, 2022, a jury found him guilty of four counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone, and not guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone. Harris has been detained since November 17, 2022. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Bristol Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad included officers from the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Nathaniel J. Gentile.


title: Canadian National Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in ‘Operation Denial’

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, along with United States Attorney Natalie K. Wight, District of Oregon, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, announced that Xuan Cahn Nguyen, age 43, Point-Au-Tremble, Quebec, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Peter Welte, to 22 years imprisonment for his role in ‘Operation Denial’ and 3 years of supervised release. Nguyen was extradited from Canada to the United States on January 6, 2021, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. On May 31, 2022, Nguyen pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Import Controlled Substances and Controlled Substance Analogues Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Death and Money Laundering Conspiracy. As part of that plea, Nguyen acknowledged assisting Daniel Vivas Ceron and Jason Berry with their international fentanyl and fentanyl analogue distribution operation that they were running from inside Drummond Correctional Institution in Drummondville, Quebec. Jason Berry is scheduled for sentencing on July 24, 2023, in Fargo. Daniel Vivas Ceron is scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2023, in Fargo. This case is part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington, DC, as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on January 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks, ND, of Bailey Henke. Operation Denial has led to thirty-one (31) defendants charged in North Dakota and three (3) defendants charged in Oregon. The investigation has resulted in nearly one million in cash and property forfeited from members of the organization. On August 31, 2021, the U.S. Department of State offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of People’s Republic of China (PRC) national Jian Zhang, a fugitive in this transnational investigation. This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; IRS Criminal Investigation – Fargo Field Office; Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Portland Oregon Police Bureau – Drugs and Vice Division, Portland HIDTA Interdiction Task Force; Oregon State Police; and the Grand Forks Police Department. The prosecutors for this case are Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, District of North Dakota; Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin, District of Oregon and as a Special Assistant U.S Attorney in North Dakota; and Kaitlin Sahni, Assistant Deputy Chief, and Imani Hutty, Trial Attorney, Criminal Division Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Justice Department. # # #


title: St. Louis County Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for New Child Pornography Case

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who used fake social media accounts to bait people into sending him sexual images to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. Christopher D. Gruebbel, then 37, pleaded guilty in February to one count of possession of child pornography and admitted being caught with child pornography by probation officers. Gruebbel was on supervised release at the time because in 2013, he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. Part of his sentence included a provision that after his release from prison, he would be on supervised release for life. On multiple occasions in 2021, Gruebbel’s probation officer was unable to find him at his approved residence, later learning that Gruebbel had been evicted and was living with his mother without permission. Probation officers then discovered that Gruebbel was in possession of multiple electronic devices without permission, including a laptop, a cell phone, an iPad and an iPod. A total of 50 images and 14 videos containing child pornography were found on the iPad, as well as 251 images and 117 videos that contained exploitative and/or suspected child pornography on Gruebbel’s electronic devices. An analysis of the devices also showed that Gruebbel was using fake social media accounts and posing as a young female named “Hannah” to bait people into sending nude pictures and videos of themselves, his plea agreement says. Gruebbel also participated in chat rooms devoted to “baiting” others into providing sexual images. After his release from the new prison term, Gruebbel will be on supervised release for life. The case was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Colorado Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization

body_text: Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, of Castle Rock is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and made his initial appearance in federal court today. According to court documents, Meyer was arrested on Friday, July 14, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS, and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq. The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Nashua Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for Attempted Bank Robbery

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Nashua man was sentenced in federal court for attempting to rob Bank of America and East Hollis Variety in Nashua, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Shawn Soucy, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty to 89 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On March 9, 2023, Soucy pleaded guilty to attempted bank robbery and interference with commerce by threats or violence. “People who threaten others and attempt to steal from businesses in our communities will be held accountable and significantly punished for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritizes working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe. No one should have to go to work and have their safety and security jeopardized by another person.” “Shawn Soucy is a dangerous criminal who threatened innocent victims, bank tellers and bystanders, during the commission of his violent crimes,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case should be a warning to others that if you commit a bank robbery or any other violent crime in New Hampshire, you will face serious consequences. The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force is committed to taking violent criminals off the street and stopping them from continuing to victimize others.” On January 18, 2022, Soucy entered Bank of America and threatened to shoot the teller if that individual did not give him money. He then went to East Hollis Variety, where he held his hand in the shape of a gun and demanded money from the clerk. He did not take any money from either establishment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Cherniske and Anna Dronzek prosecuted the case. ###


title: Convicted Felon Indicted and Behind Bars for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City , Utah – A federal grand jury in Southern Utah returned an indictment charging a Washington County man, and convicted felon, with possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, Daniel Demetrio Vigil, 62, of Hurricane, Utah, was taken into custody on June 27, 2023, after Hurricane Police Officers responded to a 911 call at the defendant’s residence. Upon officers’ arrival, Vigil, a convicted felon, was allegedly found in possession of a fully loaded firearm, intoxicated, and was noncompliant with officers. Additionally, as Vigil was being handcuffed, an officer retrieved a fully loaded and cocked Smith & Wesson revolver, which could have been easily discharged from Vigil’s back pocket. Hurricane City Police Department (Hurricane, Utah) On Monday July 17, 2023, Vigil was ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah in St. George. He was arraigned on the indictment on July 13, 2023. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Washington County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brady Wilson for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin, Fentanyl, Firearms, And Ammunition

body_text: CONCORD – A Lebanon man pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and firearms crimes, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Marshall Dimick, 32, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2023. The defendant was previously charged on March 9, 2021. On July 9, 2020, an officer of the Lebanon Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by the defendant. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a handgun in the center console with a loaded magazine, 540 small bags containing approximately 10g of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, over $2,000 in cash, and a cell phone. The phone contained texts of drug activity between the defendant and others, as well as a conversation between the defendant and his mother referencing the gun in the car. The defendant is a convicted felon and cannot legally possess a gun. The charging statute for the drug offense provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The charging statute for the felon in possession offense provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charging statute for offense of carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking provides a sentence of up to life in prison, and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a term of supervised release of not more than five years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Lebanon Police Department led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande. ###


title: Texas Lawyer Convicted of Conspiracy and Perjury

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas – A Houston lawyer has been found guilty of federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Peter J. Bennett, 48, was found guilty by a jury of money laundering conspiracy, money transmitting conspiracy, and perjury. The verdict was reached on July 14, 2023, following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. “Lawyers swear an oath to support and uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “This defendant abandoned his oath and used his bar license to launder and transmit the proceeds of a healthcare kickback conspiracy. Let this case serve as a cautionary tale to those who think they can hide criminal conduct behind professional licenses.” “By facilitating kickbacks, this defendant knowingly enabled theft from Medicare and Medicaid, putting personal profit before legitimate patient needs and ultimately costing taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Thanks to the strong partnership between federal and state law enforcement agencies, those who attempt to defraud federal health care programs will be held accountable.” “The Department of Defense Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael C. Mentavlos, DCIS. “Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates our commitment to partner with the United States Attorney's Office and investigate fraudulent schemes that impact TRICARE and put its beneficiaries at risk.” According to information presented in court, Bennett created sham trusts and shell corporations through which he laundered at least $2,724,080.41 in healthcare kickback proceeds. Bennett used his law firm’s Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA), operating account, and a personal bank account to launder and transmit the kickback proceeds. The perjury charges arose out of false statements Bennett made in response to interrogatories propounded in Civil Investigative Demands issued by the Department of Justice as part of a False Claims Act (FCA) investigation. Bennett was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS) with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian Garcia, Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld, and Betty Young, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Kevin McClendon. ###


title: Former Aroostook County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A man formerly from Aroostook County was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Andrew Adams , 31, to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Adams, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. His participation in the conspiracy resulted in contacts with local law enforcement that led to the seizure of drugs, firearms, drug paraphernalia and other items. Adams is the sixth participant involved in the northern Maine conspiracy to be sentenced. To date, nine of the remaining 15 defendants related to the case have pleaded guilty. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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: Former Employee of Taste of Brazil Restaurant in Woburn Sentenced for Transferring False Identification Documents

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Salvadoran man and former employee of the Taste of Brazil – Tudo Na Brasa restaurant in Woburn was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for providing false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization. Marcos Chacon Gil, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served (approximately 10 months in prison) and two years of supervised release. On May 23, 2023, Chacon Gil pleaded guilty to one count of transferring false identification documents. Chacon Gil worked at Taste of Brazil for three years beginning in 2014. Beginning in approximately 2018, Chacon Gil provided false identification documents to Brazilian employees of the restaurant who lacked work authorization in the United States. Chacon Gil did so in order for the employees to secure work authorization. In one instance, on Feb. 20, 2020, Chacon Gil met with an employee and provided the employee with a fake green card and a fake social security card. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael Krol, Acting Special Agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr. made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Janesville Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Multiple Armed Robberies & Brandishing a Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Devonti Wilson, 38, Janesville, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 13 years in federal prison for armed robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This prison term will be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Wilson pleaded guilty to these charges on March 21, 2023. On September 8, 2020, Wilson robbed a Lion’s Quick Mart in Janesville. During the robbery, Wilson pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money and cigarettes; he also told the clerk to “hurry up or you’ll die.” Wilson then left the store with money and cigarettes. Over the next three hours, Wilson committed similar armed robberies at a Kelley Williamson Mobil in Fitchburg, Wisconsin and a 7-Eleven in Madison, Wisconsin. He also attempted a fourth armed robbery at a BP in Madison. On September 10, 2020, Wilson committed four more armed robberies in Janesville. Within one hour, he robbed a Kwik Trip, a second Lion’s Quick Mart, a Tigermart Exxon, and a Walgreens. In each robbery, Wilson brandished a gun at an employee. Shortly after the last robbery, police found Wilson in a vehicle near his home and arrested him. Inside the vehicle officers found bait bills from one of the convenience stores, cash, cartons of cigarettes, and a loaded 9mm firearm. At the time of these offenses, Wilson had been convicted of multiple felony offenses and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was also on active state supervision in connection to a 2018 conviction for committing a robbery with use of force. In sentencing Wilson, Judge Conley remarked that the amount of money Wilson took from each store paled in comparison to the terrorism he imposed on each employee. Judge Conley stated a significant sentence was warranted in this case as no prior sentence had deterred Wilson from committing additional crimes. The charges against Wilson were the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville, Fitchburg, and Madison Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Connecticut Dentist Admits Evading Taxes

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that BOULOS HANNA, also known as “Paul Hanna,” 66, of East Lyme, waved his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to tax evasion. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hanna is the sole owner of Paul Hanna DMD PC, a dental practice in New London. Hanna takes fees from dental patients in the form personal checks, cash, and credit card payments. Hanna owns the building where his dental practice is located and the practice pays rent to Hanna individually. For each of the 2000 through 2009 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for himself and his wife, and paid the tax due and owing for those years, typically by having withholdings during the year sufficient to cover his tax liability. For the 2010 through 2012 tax years, Hanna filed a Form 1040 for himself and his wife, but did not pay the tax due and owing. As a result, from approximately April 2012 through 2017, Hanna was subject to IRS collections enforcement for the 2010 through 2012 tax years, including forced collection activity, such as liens placed on property and seized payments taken by way of levy. From 2013 through 2020, Hanna earned approximately $1.6 million in taxable income from his work as a dentist and from rental income. However, he failed to file tax returns for any of those years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $244,541. In addition to failing to file personal federal income tax returns, Hanna attempted to evade the assessment of tax by paying himself “management fees” instead of a reasonable wage, operating in cash by self-endorsing business checks to himself and cashing these checks to keep money out of his personal bank accounts, and paying personal expenses directly from his business accounts without reflecting those payments as income. Judge Williams scheduled sentencing for October 18, at which time Hanna faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Hanna is released pending sentencing. This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Wines.


title: Rumford Man Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Rumford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to willfully evading the payment of employment taxes. According to court records, between 2013 and 2017, Jeffrey Richard , 48, willfully attempted to evade payment of employment withholding taxes owed by his company, Black Bear Industrial , Inc. Despite being aware of the company’s unpaid employment tax liability, Richard took a variety of steps to evade payment. He regularly used funds from Black Bear’s business bank account to make business and personal purchases, all while making no payments toward Black Bear’s tax liability. He also created two nominee companies and took steps to disguise his ownership of the companies. He falsely represented to an IRS revenue officer that he had anything to do with one of the companies. The other company did business and had over $174,000 of business income in 2017, but none of the money was used to pay the IRS. Richard never informed the IRS about the company, and the company never filed any corporate or employment tax returns. Richard faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. ###


title: Vicksburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Vicksburg man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Maurice Duff, 44, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg. According to court records, on January 11, 2021, Duff sold 83.62 grams of pure methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source in Hattiesburg. Duff was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 19, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pled guilty on February 16, 2023. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Rose and Shundral Cole.


title: Hartford Man Who Possessed Loaded Guns and Drugs While on State Parole Sentenced to 32 Months in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ, 25, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to approximately 32 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms. According to court documents and statements made, on November 19, 2020, Rodriguez’s state parole officer, with the assistance of Hartford Police, conducted an unannounced search of Rodriguez’s Hartford residence and found distribution quantities of crack cocaine and fentanyl, two loaded semi-automatic handguns, and $9,436 in cash. One for the handguns had been reported stolen in Springfield, Massachusetts. Rodriguez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for larceny and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Rodriguez has been detained since November 19, 2020. On May 9, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Correction Division of Parole and Community Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gresham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Brandon Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Brandon man was sentenced to 195 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Michael E. Patton, 36, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Jackson. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Patton was ordered to pay $30,000 in court assessments. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to court records, on June 29, 2021, agents with the Jackson FBI received information that Michael E. Patton was producing images of child pornography in Brandon, Mississippi. On March 4, 2022, FBI agents arrested Patton and found several images of child pornography on his cellular telephone. Patton had actively been uploading and sharing images of child pornography via the internet to receive more images. Patton was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 22, 2022. He pled guilty on March 13, 2023, to attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Orange County Man Sentenced to 4.25 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin in Bakersfield and Fresno

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Luis Noe Hernandez Rojo, 34, of Orange, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Hernandez participated in a well-established heroin and methamphetamine drug trafficking organization based in Mexico by agreeing to deliver fentanyl and heroin on two occasions in Bakersfield on behalf of the organization. On Aug. 7, 2019, Hernandez delivered approximately 2,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to an undercover agent. On Dec. 13, 2019, Hernandez was arrested while transporting to the same undercover agent in Fresno approximately 60,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, 4.2 pounds of fentanyl powder, and 17.6 pounds of black tar heroin. Co-defendant Donis Ariel Maldonado, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was arrested last year for his involvement in the drug conspiracy and is scheduled for a status conference in federal court in Fresno on Sept. 20, 2023. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the High Impact Investigation Team (HITT) with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. HIIT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Initiative, which consists of personnel from the FBI, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to $67M Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Two Florida men pleaded guilty last week for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $67 million in false claims for genetic testing and durable medical equipment that patients did not need and that the defendants procured with kickbacks. The pleas came after four days of trial in the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, Daniel M. Carver, 36, of Boca Raton, owned and managed call centers that he used to conduct deceptive telemarketing campaigns targeting Medicare beneficiaries to solicit them for unnecessary genetic testing and durable medical equipment. Louis “Gino” Carver, 32, of Delray Beach, worked for these call centers and acted as a straw owner for a laboratory that submitted false genetic testing claims. The Carvers and their co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies in exchange for completed doctors’ orders, sold doctors’ orders to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies in exchange for kickbacks, forged doctors’ and patients’ signatures, and tricked medical providers into ordering medically unnecessary genetic testing. Between January 2020 and July 2021, the scheme resulted in the submission of over $67 million in false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests and durable medical equipment. Daniel Carver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive kickbacks. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Louis Carver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition to last week’s guilty pleas, five other defendants in this case have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Three defendants are scheduled for a trial set to commence on Sept. 26. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Patrick Queenan, Reginald Cuyler Jr., and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . An indictment and an information are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On Intention To File For Contempt And Seek A Court-Appointed Receiver To Address Conditions On Rikers Island

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced his Office’s intention to seek the appointment of a receiver to address the ongoing risk of harm to both incarcerated individuals and Department of Correction (“DOC”) Staff. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Rikers Island has been in crisis for years. This is a collective failure with deep roots, spanning multiple mayoral administrations and DOC commissioners. But after eight years of trying every tool in the toolkit, we cannot wait any longer for substantial progress to materialize. That is why my Office will seek a court-appointed receiver to address the conditions on Rikers Island.” * * * In 2015, the United States entered into a consent decree with the City of New York and the DOC to address violations of the constitutional rights of incarcerated individuals at Rikers Island (the “Consent Decree”). The Consent Decree required DOC to develop and implement a wide range of reforms to reduce the level of violence in the jails and ensure the safety and well-being of people in custody as well as corrections officers. Over the past eight years, this Office has worked diligently with the Monitor appointed pursuant to the Consent Decree and all parties to address the ongoing unsafe conditions on Rikers Island. After multiple remedial orders and an Action Plan that has been in place for over a year, on July 10, 2023, the Monitor found that despite some progress in certain areas, DOC has not made “substantial and demonstrable progress in implementing the reforms, initiatives, plans, systems, and practices as outlined in the Action Plan” and “there has not been a substantial reduction in the risk of harm currently facing incarcerated individuals and Department staff.” In light of these findings, this Office has decided to pursue contempt proceedings and seek additional relief from the Court, including the appointment of a receiver, to address the ongoing risk of harm to both incarcerated individuals and DOC staff. If appointed, the receiver would report to the Court and have independent authority to take necessary steps to comply with core provisions of the Consent Decree and other Court-ordered relief.


title: Beaumont Man Sentenced for Federal Violations in Animal Cruelty Case

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for animal cruelty violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Decorius Mire, 24, pleaded guilty to animal crushing and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.” According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Mire and a co-defendant encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. The co-defendant, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others. Mire was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 28, 2022, and prosecuted under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. Signed into law in November 2019, the PACT Act bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement or other serious harm to “living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians.” The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty. This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte. ###


title: Two Laplace Residents Charged with Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial Assistance

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – LYNN SCHOFIELD , age 60, and BASHIR SCHOFIELD , age 23, residents of LaPlace, Louisiana, were federally charged on July 13, 2023 for preparing and filing false loan applications related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. LYNN SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. BASHIR SCHOFIELD was charged in a one-count bill of information with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. According to the bills of information, LYNN SCHOFIELD and BASHIR SCHOFIELD worked together with another, unnamed individual to submit applications to fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster loans (EIDL). Each defendant submitted at least one loan, and all applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by falsely overinflating gross receipts. They also misrepresented that the loan proceeds were for business purposes. Instead, the defendants intended to use the money for personal purposes. More specifically, the entities either did not exist or earned far less money than LYNN SCHOFIELD, BASHIR SCHOFIELD , and the unnamed individual represented. LYNN SCHOFIELD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. BASHIR SCHOFIELD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 11, 2023, RICHARD LUDWIG II , age 74, of Independence pleaded guilty for dealing firearms without a license in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(a)(1)(D), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans . LUDWIG faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He will be sentenced on October 17, 2023. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Honduran National Sentenced   for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN , a/k/a “Jose Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “Jose G. Hernandez,” a/k/a “Daniel Enrique-Polanco,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Enrique,” age 50, was sentenced on July 13, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) on July 13, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents , MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN (“ HERNANDEZ-MARIN ”) admitted reentering the United States after being previously deported on June 23, 2011. HERNANDEZ-MARIN was sentenced by Judge Wendy B. Vitter to (3) three years of probation with eight (8) months home curfew with location monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Local Men Sentenced in Connection with Jung Hotel Shooting

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TREJON HOWARD, age 20, of New Orleans, and TIQUAN EVERSON , age 26, of Avondale, were sentenced on July 12, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. HOWARD was sentenced to 330 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. EVERSON was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, HOWARD and EVERSON previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Co-defendant, CHRIS ROSS, age 22, of St. Bernard Parish, was sentenced on June 5, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. ROSS was sentenced to 355 months imprisonment. In addition, ROSS received five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, ROSS previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This prosecution stems from a shootout that occurred at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans, on December 28, 2020. HOWARD and EVERSON, along with four other co-defendants, entered the Jung Hotel and attempted to rob drug dealers (hotel occupants) of significant amounts of marijuana. During the attempted robbery, a shootout ensued during which over 80 shots were fired and three people wounded. These events were documented by Jung Hotel security cameras footage that was introduced as evidence at the sentencing hearing for co-defendants DARIUS DANNEL and TERRELL MOORE . DARIUS DANNEL, age 28 , and TERRELL MOORE, age 25, both of New Orleans, were sentenced on June 28, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. DANNEL was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment, while MOORE received a 330-month sentence. In addition, both defendants received five years of supervised release following imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, DANNEL and MOORE previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Three of the marijuana distributors involved in the shootout, CLARENCE SANTIAGO, BRIAN JACOB, and MALIK FERNANDEZ , pled guilty to similar crimes before United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry sentenced SANTIAGO to 360 months in prison and on July 11, 2023, he sentenced FERNANDEZ to 350 months in prison. BRIAN JACOB will be sentenced on October 31, 2023. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecutions. * * *


title: Buffalo Man Charged With Assaulting A Federal Officer

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jenay Cepeda-Nieves, 22, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 6, 2023, United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a parcel containing approximately 463 grams of cocaine mailed from the U.S. Virgin Islands to a residence on Koons Avenue in Buffalo, bearing both a fictious sender and receiver. On July 11, 2023, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel, replacing the cocaine with “sham” cocaine. After the parcel was accepted and taken inside the residence, a federal search warrant was executed, during which Cepeda-Nieves refused to follow commands and attempted to fight with investigators and abscond. When he was taken into custody, Cepeda-Nieves bit a Customs and Border Protection Taskforce Officer, on the leg, causing pain and bruising. The complaint plea is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Border Enforcement Security Taskforce, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: San Diego Couple Charged with Stealing Stimulus Payments During Pandemic and Purchasing Luxury Mercedes-Benz and Jewelry

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 17, 2023 SAN DIEGO – An indictment unsealed in federal court today charges Alexandra Crystal McFarland and Demetrius Montre McFarland, a married couple, with participating in a scheme to steal IRS stimulus payments during the COVID-19 pandemic from destitute and vulnerable victims and using the proceeds to purchase a luxury vehicle, jewelry and furniture. The indictment alleges that between April 2020 and at least September 2020, Mrs. McFarland approached homeless and low-income individuals throughout Southern California for the purpose of soliciting and collecting their personal identifying information (“PII”). Mrs. McFarland then allegedly used that information—along with the PII of detainees at two local detention facilities—to submit applications for Economic Impact Payments (EIP) from the IRS, which are commonly referred to as “stimulus payments.” For his part, Mr. McFarland allegedly provided Mrs. McFarland with the PII of his fellow detainees at the Vista Detention Center. Mr. McFarland is presently serving a state prison term for attempted murder. Mrs. McFarland allegedly made false representations to obtain the PII, including that those providing their PII to her could expect to receive an EIP in the mail, when in fact Mrs. McFarland directed payment of the EIP to a bank account that she controlled. Similarly, Mrs. McFarland also allegedly claimed she would assist with the application in exchange for an agreed-upon portion of the EIP, but in fact would keep more than the agreed-upon amount—and sometimes the entire EIP. The indictment further alleges that Mrs. McFarland also used victims’ PII without lawful authority to apply for benefit payments from the State of California Employment Development Department. The indictment states that Mrs. McFarland used various EDD debit cards to purchase thousands of dollars of jewelry, nearly $9,000 in furniture that she shipped to her Spring Valley residence, and to cover part of a $60,000 down payment for a Mercedes-Benz G-Class 550 SUV that she purchased in the name “Alexa McFarland.” In addition to the conspiracy count, the indictment charges Mrs. McFarland with money laundering based on her purchase of the luxury vehicle, which the IRS has seized. Mrs. McFarland entered a not guilty plea on July 17, 2023. A detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael S. Berg is scheduled for July 20, 2023, and a motion hearing and trial setting before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel is scheduled for August 7, 2023. Mr. McFarland is expected to make his initial appearance on July 18, 2023. Mr. McFarland will be arraigned on both the indictment and on allegations that he violated the terms of supervised release imposed in his prior federal conviction for Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity (RICO) in Criminal Case No. 17-CR-270-JAH. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-1098-GPC Alexandra Crystal McFarland Age: 32 San Diego, CA Demetrius Montre McFarland Age: 30 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy–Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine Money Laundering–Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine AGENCY Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: North Carolina man charged with abusive sexual contact on Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A- 69-year-0ld Andrews, North Carolina resident is in federal custody tonight charged with abusive sexual contact on board an aircraft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jack Allen Roberson was arrested at Sea-Tac airport Sunday evening and will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. According to records filed in the case, Roberson was seated next to the 15-year-old victim who was traveling with her guardian. According to the criminal complaint, while Roberson appeared to be sleeping, he allegedly slipped his hand onto the victim’s thigh and ran in up under her skirt and towards her genitals. The victim reported the unwanted touching to her guardian who contacted the flight attendant. Roberson was moved to a different seat. Law enforcement was contacted and met the plane on arrival. Roberson was arrested and taken to the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. Abusive sexual contact on an aircraft is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sanaa Nagi.


title: 18-Year-Old Castle Rock Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: DENVER – A Castle Rock man was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2339B, and made his initial appearance in federal court today. Davin Daniel Meyer, 18, was arrested on Friday, July 14, 2023, as he attempted to board an international flight at the Denver International Airport. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman of the District of Colorado is prosecuting on behalf of the government with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The case is being investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office with assistance provided by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The charge in the complaint is an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case number: 23-mj-00121


title: Mobile Man Sentenced in Firearms Case

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, Frederick Oneal Knight, Jr., 34, was arrested by Mobile police officers on August 12, 2022, following a traffic stop of a car that he was driving. Knight admitted that there was a personal-use amount of marijuana in the car, which officers could smell. In a holster on Knight’s waistband, police recovered a Glock .40-caliber pistol equipped with a loaded extended magazine. Officers also removed two loaded magazines from Knight’s pocket. Knight admitted to police that he was a convicted felon, having previously pled down a first-degree murder charge to a felony reckless manslaughter conviction in Mobile County Circuit Court in November 2021. Knight also admitted that he was on probation for the manslaughter conviction at the time he possessed the pistol and ammunition in August 2022. Knight’s prior conviction rendered his possession of any firearms or ammunition illegal under federal law. In addition to the 37-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Knight to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Knight to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited his pistol and ammunition to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Felon in Possession of Gun Sentenced in Federal Court

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Robertsdale, Alabama, man was sentenced to 25 months in prison for his illegal possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony. According to court documents, Justin Shea Ulrich, 44, was implicated in a drug investigation when an informant reported that Ulrich was selling methamphetamine. Agents from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arranged to make a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Ulrich at his residence. Agents conducted surveillance to document the drug deal. Agents then obtained a search warrant for Ulrich’s house. They seized additional methamphetamine and a firearm, described as a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Ulrich pled guilty to the drug charges in state court, and the gun charge was brought against him in federal court in Mobile. Ulrich pled guilty to the gun charge in March of 2023. United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 25-month sentence and ordered that Ulrich would also serve three years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Ulrich will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Ulrich pay $100 in special assessments. The firearm used during the commission of the offense was ordered forfeited to the United States. The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Florida Man Sentenced To 78 Months In Prison For Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Chester Randall Dunican, 69, of Fort Pierce, Florida, has been sentenced to 78 months months in prison for his role as the leader of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud causing losses to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of over $1.1 million. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker also ordered Dunican to spend three years on supervised release, to pay restitution of $1,124,290 and to forfeit $430,350, representing proceeds he personally received from his fraud. “Every member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians was impacted by this fraudulent scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “Instead of using the funds for the benefit of all tribal members, Dunican and his co-defendant, attorney Britan Douglas Groom, lied to the tribe and used the money for their personal benefit. Mr. Dunican’s conduct is particularly egregious given that he served in a fiduciary capacity as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tribe’s economic development corporation. My office is committed to holding fraudsters fully accountable for their crimes, especially those that exploit a position of public trust.” Dunican pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From December 2015 to December 2016, Dunican served as the CEO of GTB LLC, a tribal entity focused on the development of economic opportunities for the benefit of all members of the Tribe. Dunican represented to the Tribe that he obtained exclusive distributorship rights with a proprietary water filtration company, R.O. Distributors, and that the Tribe would benefit by investing in R.O. Distributors and leasing water coolers that used this proprietary technology to various businesses in Michigan and Florida. In reality, R.O. Distributors was a shell company created and controlled by Dunican and Groom. The Tribe invested nearly a million dollars in R.O. Distributors. Dunican directed other individuals to send most of the Tribe’s investment to another shell company, Evergreen Distributors LLC, before that entity transferred over $700,000.00 of the proceeds to the personal bank accounts of Dunican and Groom. Dunican then told the Tribe that he expected the business to grow and needed additional funding to continue acquiring inventory. When the Tribe resisted, Dunican told the Tribe that a company named High Sierra Distributors, LLC, acquired R.O. Distributors and that High Sierra was a multi-billion-dollar business that could expand the water filtration business nationwide. Dunican asked Groom to recruit someone to pretend to be a corporate representative of High Sierra at a meeting with the Tribe to pitch the additional $2 million in funding. Groom recruited a friend from Illinois who did attend the meeting pretending to be a corporate official of High Sierra. Shortly after the meeting, and before any additional funds were distributed, the Tribe discovered that this individual was actually a schoolteacher form Illinois, uncovered the fraud scheme and fired Dunican. “Mr. Dunican and his co-defendant stole money earmarked for investment opportunities, the income from which is designed to provide various forms of assistance to members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “His behavior was an affront to those who trusted him to act in the Tribe’s best interest and is precisely why the FBI works with our partners to investigate those who knowingly defrauds organizations and bring them to justice.” “Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and our law enforcement partners are diligent in unraveling the fraudulent actions of those, such as Chester Dunican, who scheme to defraud victims,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office . “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that there are detrimental consequences for this type of criminal behavior.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Lansing, and Traverse City offices. The FBI was assisted by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Tribal Police Department and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Stella prosecuted the case. ###


title: Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to uploading videos of child pornography to his online storage accounts. Joshua M. Rodgers, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of transporting child pornography. Rodgers uploaded hundreds of images and videos of child pornography to his cloud storage online Google account, particularly in his Google Drive file, as well as to Dropbox, an online cloud file storage program, from Dec. 4, 2017, to Feb. 27, 2019. In particular, on November 23, 2018, Rodgers uploaded two videos depicting child pornography to Dropbox through the internet. During the course of the investigation, the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received four CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a total of 548 videos of child pornography uploaded to Rodgers’s Google accounts. Investigators then identified 728 images and 771 videos of child pornography in Rodgers’s Google account. Of those, roughly 101 files involved infants or toddlers. An additional 1,022 images and 124 videos depicted “age difficult” persons and child erotica. On Oct. 22, 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Rodgers’s residence. They seized his computer, which contained 658 videos and 139 images of suspected child pornography, including prepubescent victims, sadomasochistic behaviors, and bestiality. Rodgers also admitted to previously communicating with a female from Ohio, beginning when she was 15 years old, and he admitted to sharing images and videos with her. Rodgers repeatedly asked her to send him pornographic images and videos of herself. He even bought her a sex toy, and had it sent to her to use in videos she could create for him. Rodgers also sent her videos of child pornography. Under federal statutes, Rodgers is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. 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: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Matthew Staton, age 28, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges arose from investigations by the Muskogee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). On July 28, 2022, Staton pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On May 17, 2022, the Muskogee Police Department attempted to stop Staton when he took off running and threw a backpack he was carrying. When the backpack was recovered, a loaded handgun was found on the ground next to the backpack. At the time Staton possessed the firearm, Staton was a convicted felon. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Jacob Matthew Staton will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Former Oklahoma Undersheriff Sentenced For Using Excessive Force And Violating Civil Rights of Detainee

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former Oklahoma undersheriff was sentenced to 22 months in prison and three months of supervised release for violating the civil rights of a handcuffed detainee by using excessive force. On Nov. 8, 2022, Kendall Bryan Morgan, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. At the plea hearing, Morgan, the former undersheriff in the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Department, admitted that on Jan. 25, 2017, he repeatedly struck a person under arrest and in handcuffs, causing the victim bodily injury. At the time of the assault, the individual was not resisting arrest and posed no threat to officers or the public. Morgan’s excessive force furthered no legitimate law enforcement purpose and violated the victim’s constitutional right to be free from unreasonable force by law enforcement. “This defendant abused his authority as a law enforcement officer and violated the public’s trust by repeatedly assaulting and injuring a handcuffed arrestee,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those officers who abuse their authority, wherever such abuses occur.” “The reputation of the entire law enforcement profession is tarnished when an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The sentencing of Mr. Morgan sends a clear message that the FBI will not tolerate anyone who dishonors the badge by using excessive force.” “Law enforcement officers are bound by oath to serve and protect all citizens equally – this requires consistency, compassion, and respect for the dignity of all,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “The defendant violated that oath, and justice demands he pay the price for blatantly disregarding the law and the civil rights of others.” Morgan will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Wilson and Special Agent in Charge Gray made the announcement. The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarrod Leaman for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Harrisburg Man Charged With Hobbs Act Robberies

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clarence Bernard Mitchell, age 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of robberies of businesses engaged in interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery). According to United States Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on June 5, 2023, Mitchell entered the Agate Smoke Shop in Dauphin County, approached the cash register, pointed a paper bag at the employee in a manner indicating Mitchell had a gun in the bag, instructed the employee to open the register, and took money by means of threatened force. The indictment further alleges that on June 8, 2023, Mitchell returned to the Agate Smoke Shop and robbed the store in a similar manner as on June 5, 2023. The indictment also alleges that on June 14, 2023, Mitchell entered a Cricket Wireless, LLC authorized retailer in Dauphin County, approached the sales counter, pointed a paper bag at the employee in a manner indicating Mitchell had a gun in the bag, and took money by means of threatened force. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for the charged offense is up to 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Former Woonsocket Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A former Woonsocket man who, according to court documents, operated a significant drug dealing business in the Woonsocket area has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. David Kennedy, 33, pleaded guilty on October 1, 2019, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, admitting that, on at least three occasions while under law enforcement surveillance, he supplied a total of 44.25 grams of crack cocaine to customers brought to him by an individual who acted as a “broker.” At the time of his arrest in July 2019, Kennedy was found by members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force to be in possession of 119 grams of crack cocaine, 895 grams of powder cocaine, and $3,000 in cash. At sentencing on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Kennedy to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. Christian Nieves, 37, formerly of Woonsocket, identified during the investigation as the “broker” working with Kennedy, pleaded guilty on October 1, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. He was sentenced by Chief Judge McConnell, Jr., in January 2020 to five years in federal prison to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Christine D. Lowell. The Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, United States Marshals Service, Central Falls Police Department, Cranston Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Providence Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, and Rhode Island State Police. This was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. ###