title: King Kong tools settles claims of customs fraud for $1.9 million

body_text: ATLANTA – A German company, KingKong-Tools GmbH & Co KG, and its American subsidiary, King Kong Tools, LLC (collectively “King Kong”), will pay $1.9 million to settle allegations of customs fraud under the False Claims Act. The government alleged that King Kong was falsely labelling its tools as “made in Germany” when, in fact, the tools were made in China. By misrepresenting the origin of the tools, King Kong avoided paying higher tariffs. “Companies cannot avoid paying tariffs by misrepresenting product manufacturing information,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The Department of Justice will work diligently to uncover these schemes, and those companies involved in such misconduct will be compelled to pay tariffs owed, as well as penalties.” “Stopping businesses from cheating the customs system not only prevents them from defrauding our government, but also prevents unfair competitive advantages that harm the labor market,” said Acting Special Agent in charge Travis Pickard who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Hopefully, the result of this case sends a clear message that HSI and its partners are watching and will hold you accountable for your actions.” “Customs fraud in international trade of manufacturing goods result in an unfair advantage of legitimate businesses,” said Gregory Alvarez, Customs and Border Protection’s Director of Field Operations, Atlanta. “This enforcement action is another example of how CBPs trade specialists safeguard the economic security of the United States.” This case began when a competitor of King Kong filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that King Kong was manufacturing cutting tools in a Chinese factory. The tools were then shipped to Germany, where some additional processing was performed on some (but not all) of the tools. The tools were then shipped to the United States and declared to be “German” products. If the products had been correctly described as Chinese products, King Kong would have been required to pay a 25% tariff on Chinese goods. By falsely describing the tools as “German,” King Kong improperly avoided paying these tariffs. This civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia under the False Claims Act, U.S. ex rel. China Pacificarbide, Inc. v. King Kong Tools, LLC, et al. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government. Here, the relator will receive $286,861 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations. The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony DeCinque and Akash Desai. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Bosnian War Criminal Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Sinisa Djurdjic, 50, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Bosnia”) and a Tucson resident, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 70 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On May 19, 2023, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Djurdjic guilty of Visa Fraud and two separate counts of Attempted Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship. The evidence at trial revealed that Djurdjic emigrated to Tucson under the United States refugee program in 2000. Nine years later, Homeland Security Investigations launched an investigation after receiving a roster of a Serbian police brigade suspected of various wartime atrocities during the 1990s. Djurdjic was listed as a member of the brigade. The multi-year international investigation, and the evidence presented at trial, showed that Djurdjic was indeed a member of that police brigade and other Bosnian-Serb military units and that he was a prison guard at two separate prison camps north of Sarajevo. Both prison camps were established by the “Republika Srpska,” the Bosnian-Serb military unit that espoused the idea of “ethnic cleansing” during the civil war. During that war, Bosnian Serbs sought to exclude all Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats to create a nation of only one ethnicity – Serbian. During the trial, five Bosnian Muslims who were held at the prison camps testified that, as a prison guard, Djurdjic tortured prisoners in his custody for months in 1992. At trial extensive evidence demonstrated that Djurdjic obtained refugee status and permanent residence in the United States for two decades by lying about his prior military and police service. His lies prevented immigration authorities from making a fully informed decision regarding his applications for immigration benefits. As a result, Djurdjic secured a safe haven for himself in the United States to which he was not entitled and thereby escaped justice for his war crimes in Bosnia for over thirty years. “Our lives were ruined by people like Sinisa but we managed to rebuild them and his conviction is one of the final bricks in our house of peace,” said one of the victims in his statement to the Court. At sentencing, the judge found by clear and convincing evidence that Djurdjic committed the offenses to conceal his torture of prisoners of war as a prison guard in Bosnia and that he concealed his war crimes from immigration authorities. Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson Field Office, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Liza Granoff and Kevin Schiff, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-17-1658-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-188_Djurdiic # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Pearl River Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a Habitual Offender of Domestic Violence

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. –A Pearl River man was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and for being a Habitual Offender of Domestic Violence. According to court documents, Lee Garrick McMillan, 31, admitted to assaulting his wife while in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. McMillan fractured his wife’s ribs by kicking her with steel toed boots on May 20, 2023. This assault marked the third domestic violence incident perpetrated by McMillan against an intimate partner. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, American Indian women residing on Indian reservations suffer domestic violence and physical assault at rates far exceeding women of other ethnicities and locations. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, from at least 2020 through March 2023, Thomas Cervantes, 24, used social media applications, to manipulate and coerce minors to create sexually explicit images that he could then distribute over the internet. In one instance, Cervantes offered money to a minor to initially induce her to create a sexually explicit video of her. When she expressed reluctance to create more sexually explicit material for Cervantes, he threatened to send the images to her family members if she did not comply. Cervantes was also have found to have enticed and coerced other minors and even in one instance shared a video on social media of himself assaulting a minor. Cervantes is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2024. Although he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-93.


title: Maryland Man Charged With Committing $11.5 Million In Covid-19 Pandemic Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Creed White, age 65, of Freeland, Maryland, was charged in a criminal information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that White owned Aluminum Alloys MFG, LLC, an aluminum smelting and processing business located in Yoe, York County, Pennsylvania, and additionally owned or controlled 18 other sham corporate entities that did not have any employees or business operations. The information alleges that White, conspiring with others, including several of his employees, filed more than 120 applications on behalf of White’s non-operational businesses for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The information alleges that 42 of these loan applications were approved and funded with more than $11.5 million into bank accounts that White controlled. The information also alleges that the applications White and his co-conspirators filed contained numerous material misrepresentations about who controlled and operated the non-operational businesses. It is alleged that the PPP and EIDL applications included fraudulent supporting documentation, including false information about the number of employees who purportedly worked at the non-operational businesses, fabricated bank records and financial statements, forged and falsified IRS documents, and material misrepresentations regarding wages paid, taxes withheld and paid, gross receipts, and other expenses allegedly incurred by the applicant businesses. White and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained more than $11.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds through filing the fraudulent applications. It is also alleged that White misused the loan proceeds to make unauthorized expenditures for his benefit and the benefit of his businesses. “Fraudulently obtaining over $11.5 million in federal pandemic relief funds that are meant to provide assistance to eligible small businesses will not be tolerated as shown by today’s charging of Defendant White,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “My office will continue to diligently work with our law enforcement partners to pursue fraud against federal relief programs.” “Individuals making false statements to fraudulently obtain pandemic funds for personal gain will face justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.” “The charges announced today show IRS-CI’s ongoing commitment to defend the integrity of the pandemic relief programs,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who schemed to defraud these programs that were intended to help struggling individuals and businesses.” “Treasury OIG is working closely with its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute criminals who cheat and steal funds meant to help individuals and businesses harmed by the pandemic,” said Rich Delmar, Treasury Deputy Inspector General. The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligations. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case. The combined maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and money laundering is 30 years of 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. Criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. 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: El Paso Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempted Coercion of a Minor

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. According to court documents, James Forrest Williams Kidd, 33, initiated a conversation with a social media profile depicting a teenage girl in late October 2022. Under the belief that he was chatting with a 13-year-old, Kidd requested nude photos of the user and invited her to his apartment to engage in various sexual acts. Additionally, Kidd sent a pornographic photo and video over the app. On the night of Dec. 29, 2022, Kidd arranged for the minor to be picked up and taken to his residence via a rideshare app using his account. FBI agents announced themselves at Kidd’s door and arrested him. Kidd pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2023 to one count of attempted coercion and enticement and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. “This defendant intended to lure a 13-year-old girl to his home for sexual activity using a social networking app and will now spend a decade in prison for it,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I commend the FBI for their efforts in identifying and apprehending a dangerous predator before he could harm a child in our community.” “The FBI El Paso's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force is committed to protecting the children of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge John S. Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “This defendant will spend the next 10 years in federal prison for criminal intentions he fully intended to act on to meet a minor for a sexual encounter and sharing obscene material with the minor in the process. Our community can rest easy knowing this man will be behind bars in a federal prison.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Osterberg 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Queens Pharmacist Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Illegally Distributing Oxycodone and Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, Daniel E. Russo was sentenced to 60 months in prison by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution and possession of oxycodone, and nine counts of filing false personal and corporate tax returns. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Irizarry ordered Russo to serve three years of supervised release. Immediately prior to the sentencing, the defendant paid over $400,000 in restitution. Russo pleaded guilty in February 2023. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, David A. Hubbert, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the charges. “From pharmacist to pill pusher, Daniel Russo betrayed his years of medical training to pocket dirty money in return for illegally selling enormous amounts of oxycodone, which was invariably later sold on the streets,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence sends a message to all would-be drug dealers, especially healthcare professionals, that the illegal distribution of drugs will be punished.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, “Through today’s sentencing and prior plea, it is apparent that Daniel Russo will spend the next five years contemplating his ill-fated decision to use his business to illegally distribute prescription medication while enabling opioid addiction throughout New York. The investigation and prosecution meticulously brought to justice Russo’s tax fraud and his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy. I commend our partners in the DEA’s Long Island Division Office Tactical Diversion Squad, the IRS-CI New York, and the US Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York for their diligent work.” “Russo distributed highly addictive drugs to the community he served, completely disregarding his sworn code of ethics as a pharmacist. And while using his position to commit criminal acts, he then failed to report and pay taxes on the proceeds of his illicit sales. It is with strong law enforcement partnerships that we were able to ensure Russo is now facing justice for his actions,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. As set forth in the indictment, court filings and during court proceedings, Russo owned and operated Russo’s Pharmacy in Far Rockaway, Queens. Between March 2011 and June 2014, Russo conspired with others, including medical professionals and employees, to fill fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and dispense thousands of oxycodone pills in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Over the course of the conspiracy, Russo’s co-conspirators delivered hundreds of fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions to Russo’s Pharmacy and would then retrieve the filled prescriptions—written out in various patients’ names—so that they could be dispensed elsewhere. Oxycodone illegally distributed by Russo led to at least one non-fatal overdose. Russo accepted payment mostly in cash for the prescriptions. Russo then hid the proceeds from the scheme and filed false corporate income tax returns for his pharmacy for the years 2013 through 2016, omitting the illegal proceeds. Russo also filed false individual income tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016. In total, Russo failed to report over $1 million in earnings, much of it generated from his oxycodone distribution scheme. As a result, Russo fraudulently underreported his tax obligations on those earnings by over $400,000. More than a dozen physicians for whom Russo filled prescriptions have since been convicted of crimes related to the distribution of oxycodone. The government’s investigation was led by the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Port Washington Police Department and Rockville Centre Police Department. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad also worked in conjunction with officers and agents of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General and New York City Department of Investigation. This case is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this district, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police and other key federal, state and local government partners launched the initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. To date, the initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions including the prosecution of 20 health care professionals; taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy and pharmacy chain; removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Nomi D. Berenson and Andrew D. Wang and Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : DANIEL E. RUSSO Age: 44 Cedarhurst, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-23 (DLI)


title: Four Members of Armed Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Convicted Following Federal Jury Trial

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found four men guilty for their roles in a multi-state drug trafficking ring that dealt large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Indianapolis. Seventeen other members of the conspiracy entered guilty pleas prior to trial. Keith Jones, aka “Keybo” 57, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs and engage in money laundering, leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and illegally possessing multiple handguns and an assault rifle, among other charges. Jones’s convictions carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Kevin Backstrom, 57, of Los Angeles, California, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs and engage in money laundering. Backstrom’s convictions carry a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison. Anthony Moore, 37, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs, among other charges. Moore’s convictions carry a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison. Herman Wesley Tavorn, 42, of Indianapolis, was found guilty of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Tavorn’s conviction carries a potential sentence of no less than 10 years up to life in prison. The jury acquitted a fifth defendant, Charles Davis, 38, of Indianapolis, who was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. These individuals were charged along with seventeen others in a series of federal indictments beginning in July of 2022 , for their roles in this drug trafficking ring. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Jones orchestrated other co-defendants, including Moore and Tavorn, to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout Indianapolis. Jones obtained the drugs from Backstrom in California, which were sent to Jones in parcels using fictitious names. The evidence showed that Jones received the parcels, repackaged them, and distributed them to others for them to redistribute to others. At one point, Jones enlisted his twelve-year-old daughter to assist him in the distribution of the controlled substances. The evidence also showed that Jones and his co-defendants disguised the money they received from drug trafficking as Jones sent a portion of it to Backstrom in California. During the execution of search warrants in this case, law enforcement seized approximately forty-three firearms, $300,000 in U.S. currency, four ounces of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, and two kilograms of fentanyl. The seventeen other defendants have plead guilty and will be sentenced at a later date. The Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigations, Indianapolis Metropolitan Drug Task Force, Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presided over the trial and will sentence the defendants at a later date. Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, Chief Randal Taylor, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Major Charles Harting, Hamilton-Boone County Drug Task Force, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division, and Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigations made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Blackington and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case. 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: Louisville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for CARES Act Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 6 months in prison for charges related to his submission of twelve fraudulent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act applications. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Kelly K. Moening, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration, Great Lakes Field Division, made the announcement. According to court documents, Blake Patterson, 38, was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 6 months years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for twelve counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. There is no parole in the federal system. Patterson filed six fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and six applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between August 7, 2020, and May 11, 2021, seeking more than $740,000 and resulting in the theft of $133,802. Patterson utilized the entities et Propellente, LLC, Darke Rose LLC, and Link, LLC. Patterson organized all three entities after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He then exaggerated the number of employees, revenue, cost of goods sold, and payroll expenses of those entities in the fraudulent applications. Further, every EIDL and PPP application included a question asking whether any individual owning 20% or more of the equity of the applicant was subject to an indictment or other means by which formal criminal charges are brought in any jurisdiction at the time of the application. Patterson’s applications falsely omitted that he had criminal charges pending against him in Jefferson County Circuit Court at the time he submitted the applications. Patterson was also ordered to pay $133,802 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for the Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Elver and Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. ###


title: Bridgeport man sentenced for taking nearly $650,000 in COVID Relief funds

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Nolte, 52, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Nolte fraudulently applied for and received CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $645,717. To obtain these loans, Nolte falsely represented an interest in business or created the business and submitted fraudulent documents to obtain the loans. The loans were for PGO Veterans Services, PG Health, RJS Catering and Dental Care Plus. Nolte also obtained forgiveness from the Small Business Administration for these loans, falsely certifying that he used the money for payroll expenses. Nolte instead spent the money on personal expenses. Nolte was also ordered to pay $684,154.44 to the Small Business Administration which includes the initial loan amounts, interest on the loans prior to forgiveness, and processing fees. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided. Anyone aware of COVID fraud can report it via email to wvfraud@fbi.gov , by telephone to 304-234-0100, or via regular mail to the U.S. Attorney, P.O. Box 591, Wheeling, WV 26003, Attn: COVID Fraud Unit.


title: Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Crime Spree in Which He Used a BB Gun to Rob Businesses and Carjack a Motorist

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for committing a carjacking and used a BB gun to commit eight armed robberies of gas stations and convenience stores in Los Angeles County earlier this year. Namir Malik Ali Greene, 23, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also ordered him to pay $17,084 in restitution. Greene pleaded guilty on September 23 to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. On the morning of April 4, Greene robbed a gas station in Marina del Rey. Greene made a purchase and remained inside of the store until all other customers left the business. After all the customers inside of the business left, Greene placed a brown paper bag on the counter and told the clerk, “Put everything in there,” according to his plea agreement. Greene pointed what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun, but what in fact was a BB gun, at the clerk while demanding the money. In fear, the clerk emptied the cash register and placed $700 into the brown paper bag. Greene then fled the store. Greene committed seven additional armed robberies from April 4 to April 8 of gas stations and convenience stores in Long Beach, Whittier, South Los Angeles, Pomona, and Culver City. On April 15, Greene – while armed with a BB gun – carjacked the owner of a 2010 Honda Accord. On April 17, while driving the car that he had carjacked, Greene led officers on a pursuit during which he drove over 90 miles per hour, almost crashed into a bystander motorist, drove against oncoming traffic, and crashed into a curb, according to court documents. Greene has been in federal custody since April 18. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crime Task Force (OCVCTF) investigated this matter, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division and the Ontario Police Department. The OCVCTF is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the ATF, the Brea Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fullerton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Texas Man to Spend 14 Years in Prison After Exchanging Nude Images with Minor He Met in Online Video Game

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 168 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography. According to court documents, Jonathan Travis Flora, 35, met a Canadian minor in July 2018 while playing an online video game. Knowing each other’s ages, the two held conversations that were often sexual in nature and exchanged nude photos and videos of themselves through gaming communication features as well as a phone messaging application. In March 2019, Flora purchased a cell phone with a Canadian area code in order to continue communicating with the child victim under the guise that Flora was a classmate. The following month, the victim’s father received an unusually high phone bill and found that the child had exchanged more than 2,000 phone messages in a 15-day period. The victim then disclosed her interactions with Flora and the Ontario Provincial Police initiated an investigation. “Preying on children will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This case reminds us that sexual predators can be found lurking in a multitude of places, including online video games, but it also shows the dedication shared by federal, state and international law enforcement to protect children and aggressively pursue those predators who manipulate them and prey upon their innocence.” “Individuals who commit crimes against children will be investigated and brought to justice by Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio Division. “This case highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement entities, domestically and globally, to pursue criminals who target children.” HSI, the New Braunfels Police Department and the Ontario Provincial Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Central Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Central Georgia resident pleaded guilty to illegally possessing an assault weapon he used during a 2022 shoot-out in Twiggs County, Georgia. Jayvon Latrez Anthony, 30, of Jeffersonville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a person under felony indictment before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Nov. 28. Anthony faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing will occur at a date determined by the Court. The defendant is not eligible for parole. “It’s fortunate no one was killed during this highly volatile shoot-out where the defendant was armed with an assault-style weapon, firing off at least 17 rounds,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Through Project Safe Neighborhoods and our strong partnership with law enforcement at every level, violent convicted criminals caught illegally with assault weapons and other firearms will see their local cases get federal attention here in the Middle District of Georgia.” “As a result of this guilty plea, Mr. Anthony will be off the streets and unable to possess or use firearms,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF takes it very seriously when offenders illegally possess firearms, putting our community at risk.” “I’m pleased to know that another violent offender is off the streets and is no longer a threat to our community,” said Twiggs County Sheriff Darren Mitchum. “I commend my deputies and investigators for the thorough job they did with this investigation. It was only by the grace of God that no lives were lost due to such a careless act.” According to court documents, Anthony was armed with an AK-47 style pistol when he exchanged gunfire with Tre’Vonte Tharpe on July 22, 2022, on Shine Road in Jeffersonville (Twiggs County). Both Anthony and his mother were struck by bullets in the shoot-out; Anthony was treated and released by a hospital for his injuries. Officers recovered 17 spent rounds from Anthony’s assault pistol and one 9mm round fired by Tharpe. Officers executed a search warrant at the Shine Road residence and found the AK-47 style pistol and firearm magazine under the kitchen sink belonging to Anthony. The firearm was covered in blood and still had a loaded magazine in it with a live round in the chamber. Anthony has a criminal record, including a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault in Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was investigated by ATF and the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Jefferson Parish Woman Sentenced  for Defrauding Buyer of  Personal Protective Equipment

body_text: NEW ORLEANS - CYNTHIA CARONNA , a resident of Jefferson Parish, was sentenced on November 28, 2023, for conspiring with her co-defendant, Frank LaBruzzo, and with a resident of the United Kingdom, to defraud a business that was seeking to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced CARONNA to five years’ probation, six months of home detention, and $1,012,500 in restitution. CARONNA and the UK resident formed a business venture to offer the sale of PPE, and selected LaBruzzo to serve as the venture’s escrow agent. LaBruzzo (an attorney employed as an investigator with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office) was presented to would-be buyers of PPE, as a trustworthy escrow agent who would safeguard the buyer’s purchase funds in an escrow account until the PPE was satisfactorily delivered. According to court records, the conspirators agreed that LaBruzzo would disburse the would-be buyer’s funds despite the would-be buyers having neither received PPE nor consented to the disbursements. The conspirators also agreed that each would receive portions of the would-be buyer’s funds without the would-be buyers’ knowledge or consent. 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 This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S.-Based Conspirators Sentenced To Prison For International Tax Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Adetunji Adejumo (44, Oklahoma City, OK) to 33 months in prison and Ibrahim Jinadu (35, Atlanta, GA) to 27 months in prison for their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Both had previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi (London, UK) is pending extradition from the United Kingdom for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021. According to court documents, international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personal identifying information of United States residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS. Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States, collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators. The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled. The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Tampa Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS - CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, D.C), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, IRS - CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, UK authorities, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.


title: Former Public School Information Technology Manager Charged with Damaging School's Computer Network

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Ayer man was charged today and agreed to plead guilty in connection with a June 2023 cyberattack targeting the computer network of his former employer, an Essex County public high school. Conor LaHiff, 30, was charged in an Information with one count of unauthorized damage to protected computers. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to court documents, LaHiff was employed as a desktop and network manager at an Essex County public high school until he was terminated in June 2023. After he was fired, LaHiff allegedly used his administrative privileges to deactivate and delete thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s Apple School Manager account – software used to manage student, faculty and staff information technology resources. LaHiff also allegedly deactivated more than 1,400 other Apple accounts and other IT administrative accounts and disabled the school’s private branch phone system, which left the school’s phone service unavailable for approximately 24 hours. The charge of unauthorized damage to protected computers provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New York Man Charged for Obstructing Investigation into Fatal Construction Incident

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A federal grand jury today indicted Richard Zagger, 58, of Blue Point, New York, charging him with conspiracy and obstruction of official proceedings relating to an investigation into a fatal construction accident. The four-count indictment alleges that Zagger was a supervisor for Northridge Construction Corporation, located in East Patchogue, Long Island, New York. On Dec. 8, 2018, Zagger was overseeing employees of Northridge constructing a metal shed on the Northridge property. During the construction, one of the employees fell from the improperly secured shed roof and died. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death and violations of worker safety standards. Among other worker safety standards, OSHA regulations require maintaining the stability of a metal structure at all times during construction. The indictment charges that during the investigation, Zagger made false statements and conspired with others to make false statements to obstruct the federal agency’s inquiry. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count and each obstruction count is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim because of the crime. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement. Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Louisville Felon Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution Offenses, to Include Causing a Fatal Overdose, and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: Louisville, KY – Today, a local man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, distribution of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Dalton Hayes, 21, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hayes was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On March 31, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Hayes was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, schedule II oxycodone less than 10 dosage units, receiving a stolen firearm, and receiving stolen property over $500 but less than $10,000. There is no parole in the federal system. The DEA Louisville Field Division and LMPD investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Dahl. ###


title: Bay St. Louis Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Dosage Units of Pills Containing Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Bay St. Louis woman pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 dosage units of pills containing fentanyl. Emma Kate Stoute, 18, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport on November 27, 2023. According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint that alleged there was drug trafficking activity occurring at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis. Agents conducted surveillance on the motel and narrowed down the suspected parties and rooms. During surveillance, agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the hotel to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Once the vehicle departed, agents conducted rolling surveillance of the vehicle and observed the occupants of the vehicle participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction in Louisiana. After the transaction, agents followed the vehicle back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop. Stoute was identified as one of the occupants of the vehicle. She was in possession of 50 dosage units of pills containing fentanyl. A subsequent search of her cellular device yielded messages confirming that Stoute was trafficking fentanyl pills in the Southern District of Mississippi. Stoute is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2024. She faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Honduran National Pleads Guilty  to Being an Illegal Alien in  Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – JOSE SANCHEZ-MORADEL , age 35, a native of Honduras, plead guilty on November 28, 2023 to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on April 26, 2023, the Mandeville Police Department responded to a call by an individual who said that her ex-boyfriend, SANCHEZ-MORADEL , was trying to enter her residence in Mandeville, Louisiana. The Mandeville Police Department also learned that SANCHEZ-MORADEL drove a white truck. Police then saw a white 2016 Chevrolet Silverado leaving the area near the ex-girlfriend’s apartment complex. Mandeville Police then stopped the truck and detained the driver who was later confirmed to be SANCHEZ-MORADEL . The visibly distressed ex-girlfriend told police that SANCHEZ-MORADEL forcibly entered her residence and subsequently fled in the white truck. After officers conducted a search of SANCHEZ-MORADEL incident to his arrest, they discovered a handgun magazine containing ten (10) .22 LR calliber rounds in his shorts pocket. Officers also found a Husky multi tool knife with a damaged blade tip. Officers then searched his vehicle and located a Glock Model G44, .22 LR caliber handgun inside the center console. This firearm was manufactured in another state and shipped in interstate commerce to Louisiana. SANCHEZ-MORADEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency and the Mandeville Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Cut Bank man admits assaulting, shooting woman on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Cut Bank man accused of assaulting and then shooting and wounding a woman at a residence on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Luke Charles Wells, 32, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to using a firearm during a crime of violence. Wells faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 3, 2024. Wells was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on July 16, Wells was intoxicated at a residence west of Cut Bank, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, when he became angry at the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Doe was in a bathroom when Wells broke down the door and began assaulting her. Doe ran outside to escape. Wells chased her, pulled out a pistol and continued chasing her. Doe tripped and fell, and Wells started shooting at the ground around her. Wells then hit Doe in the head with the gun several times before shooting and wounding her in the chest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Cut Bank Police Department and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Humboldt Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A convicted felon found in possession of a stolen gun plead guilty on November 28, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. Joseph Isiah Hardy, Sr., age 37, from Humboldt, Iowa, was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. In a plea agreement, Hardy admitted that he knowingly possessed a firearm even though he had been previously convicted of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and that he knew he had been previously convicted of that felony. Hardy further admitted the gun was stolen. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hardy remains in custody of the United States Marshal, pending sentencing. Hardy faces the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $250,000; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years. The case was investigated by Humboldt Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-3010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Cumberland County Man Charged For Threatening To Kill A United States Congressman

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Lee Ingalls, Jr., age 61, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of sending threatening communications via interstate transmission. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, it is alleged that on November 6, 2023, Ingalls left two threatening voicemail messages on the main congressional office answering system in Washington, D.C. It is also alleged that in both voicemail messages Ingalls specifically threatened to kill the same specifically identified United States Congressman. It was determined Ingalls made the calls from his cell phone while Ingalls was in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. Ingalls was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on November 10, 2023. Ingalls appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom on November 13, 2023 and was ordered held in pretrial detention pending action by a federal grand jury. The United States Capitol Police investigated the case and were assisted locally by the Fairview Township Police Department and the York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William Behe is prosecuting the case. Ingalls faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, 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. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Florida Resident Indicted In Murder-For-Hire Plot And Conspiracy To Witness Tamper

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Florida man was arrested and made his initial court appearance Tuesday in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill a filmmaker and conspiracy to prevent a witness from testifying in his criminal trial. Fereidoun Khalilian, also known as “Prince Fred” and “Fred,” 51, was charged by indictment with one count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to witness tamper. United States Magistrate Judge Elayna Youchah scheduled a trial date for February 5, 2024. According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about March 16, 2023, to about March 21, 2023, Khalilian left multiple threatening voice messages for a filmmaker in part to stop the filmmaker from producing a documentary about him. Khalilian believed his ongoing business dealings would be undermined if the documentary was made. It is also alleged that, from about January 28, 2023, to about March 17, 2023, Khalilian employed his bodyguard and others to surveil and assault the filmmaker and steal the filmmaker’s documentary equipment. Khalilian then hired his bodyguard to kill the filmmaker in a murder-for-hire plot. The bodyguard resided in Clark County, Nev., and was expected to testify against Khalilian at his murder-for-hire trial in the Central District of California. Further alleged, from about August 17, 2023, to about September 12, 2023, Khalilian — who was incarcerated pending his trial in California — instructed friends and family to persuade a witness to recant prior statements and to change the witness’ testimony. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000, and a $100 special assessment, for use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire; and 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000, and a $100 special assessment, for conspiracy to witness tamper. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremiah Levine and Sara Vargas with the Central District of California, and an Assistant United States Attorney with the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Principals Of Private “Pre-IPO” Funds Charged In Connection With $386 Million Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MICHAEL CASTILLERO, a/k/a Michael Alejandro, FRANCINE LANAIA, and BRIAN MARTINSEN with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud in connection with their management of StraightPath Venture Partners LLC (“SPVP”), StraightPath Management LLC, and nine related StraightPath Funds. CASTILLERO and MARTINSEN are also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in connection with their deletion of records that had been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The defendants’ fraudulent misrepresentations about the operation of the StraightPath Funds allowed them to raise approximately $386 million from hundreds of investors. Based in large part on the excessive and undisclosed share price markups they charged to investors and their practice of commingling funds in violation of representations made to investors, the defendants were able to divert nearly $75 million in investor funds to themselves over an approximately three-and-a-half-year period. LANAIA and MARTINSEN were taken into custody earlier today and presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. CASTILLERO is expected to be presented tomorrow. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Michael Castillero, Francine Lanaia, and Brian Martinsen, the founders and former owners of the StraightPath Funds, took advantage of the relative lack of information and lower trading volumes for non-public companies by offering retail investors interests in shares of pre-IPO companies at inflated prices, allowing the defendants to skim off the top without investors realizing they’d been duped. To conceal their fraud, Castillero and Martinsen allegedly then took steps to destroy records that had been subpoenaed as part of an ongoing federal investigation. These exploitative practices in the pre-IPO markets will not be tolerated.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “These individuals used the U.S. Mail to facilitate their criminal activities by allegedly devising a fraud scheme designed to swindle innocent investors of their hard-earned money. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to uncovering investment scams and protecting the public from becoming a victim to these schemes that claim millions of dollars each year. We will be relentless in our efforts to pursue these criminals until justice is served. Postal Inspectors remind investors it is key to educate themselves and ask questions regarding these investments, even more so when they notice undisclosed fees.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least in or about 2017 through at least in or about April 2022 , CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in a group of nine related private funds known generally as the “StraightPath Funds.” In particular, the defendants, and others working at their direction, used “boiler room”-style call centers to market the StraightPath Funds, including to individual, non-professional investors, as presenting an opportunity to invest in privately held companies expected to go public in the near future (“pre-IPO companies”). The defendants purported to offer investors the chance to acquire shares in pre-IPO companies at favorable prices in advance of an anticipated public offering, at which time, they claimed, the shares would be worth significantly more. Although the defendants and their agents represented to existing and prospective investors in the StraightPath Funds that the defendants would earn no upfront fees in connection with the StraightPath Funds’ acquisition of pre-IPO shares, in reality, and contrary to their fiduciary duties, the defendants acquired the shares and then sold them to investors at arbitrarily inflated and excessive prices without disclosing to investors the nature or extent of the markup. The defendants also misled investors regarding the nature of their investments and hid the involvement of CASTILLERO and LANAIA who had been previously barred from the securities industry by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Moreover, in order to evade detection of their scheme, CASTILLERO and BRIAN MARTINSEN destroyed records and otherwise obstructed the efforts of the SEC to uncover the defendants’ fraud on investors. In order to generate interest in the StraightPath Funds among retail investors, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN used finders, or “referral agents,” to pitch prospective investors and thereafter to serve as the investors’ primary point of contact. In turn, these agents used “boiler room”-style call centers to cold-call potential investors, many of whom were not sophisticated, and give aggressive sales pitches using notes and pitch scripts approved by the defendants. Contrary to the defendants’ claim that they and their agents did not make money unless and until investors received a profit on their investments, SPVP paid referral agents a commission, typically a 10 to 15 percent front-end fee based on the amount of the investment, plus a portion of the carried interest on the back end. In addition to misleading prospective investors about the compensation paid to referral agents, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN defrauded investors in the StraightPath Funds, for which they acted as fiduciaries, by (i) charging investors excessive and undisclosed markups on share prices of pre-IPO companies, which benefited the defendants and their associates at the expense of investors and the StraightPath Funds; (ii) routinely overstating to investors the number of pre-IPO shares that backed the interests in StraightPath Funds they sold; (iii) falsely representing that investors were investing in a specific “Series” within a specific StraightPath Fund and that their contributions correlated to specific shares of specific pre-IPO companies, when, in actuality, investor funds were commingled across Series and Funds and used for purposes not disclosed to investors, including to pay out other investors and to compensate the defendants and their associates; (iv) falsely representing that a particular individual (“Fund Manager-1”) acted as manager of each of the StraightPath Funds and the SP Adviser when, in actuality, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN performed the functions ascribed to Fund Manager-1 in StraightPath’s offering documents including, among other things, using an email address in the name of Fund Manager-1 to correspond with investors; and (v) otherwise actively taking steps to prevent investors from learning about LANAIA’s and CASTILLERO’s leadership roles in light of the fact that both had been suspended and later permanently barred from involvement in the securities industry by FINRA. Throughout the StraightPath Funds’ operation, CASTILLERO, LANAIA, and MARTINSEN actively took steps to conceal the true nature of SPVP’s operations not only from investors but also from regulatory bodies, including FINRA and the SEC. For example, MARTINSEN, CASTILLERO, and LANAIA discussed making Fund Manager-1 the scapegoat with the SEC, in the event the SEC identified any problems with StraightPath’s operations. MARTINSEN then added, “Fran [LANAIA] is going to wamboosle the sec lady tomorrow. They will talk weather for 45 min and the lady will forget what she’s looking for.” In early May 2021, MARTINSEN and CASTILLERO agreed to and did delete certain email records that had been called for by an SEC subpoena and then falsely represented to SEC staff that the emails had never existed. The StraightPath entities and StraightPath Funds are no longer operational and are under the control of a court-appointed Receiver tasked with taking possession of StraightPath’s assets and recommending a plan to return value to investors. * * * A chart containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is attached. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which previously filed separate civil charges against CASTILLERO, LANAIA, MARTINSEN, and others in connection with the operation of the StraightPath Funds in SEC v. Straightpath Venture Partners LLC et al. , 22 Civ. 3897 (LAK) and SEC v. Hollender et al. , 23 Civ. 2456 (LAK). This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Nichols, Adam Hobson, and Jason Richman are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendant Age Residence Charges Maximum Potential Sentence(s) CASTILLERO 46 Staten Island, New York Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud (Count One) Securities fraud (Count Two) Wire fraud (Count Three) Investment adviser fraud (Count Four) Conspiracy to obstruct justice (Count Five) Obstruction of justice (Count Six) 5 years 20 years 20 years 5 years 5 years 20 years LANAIA 59 Fort Salonga, New York Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud (Count One) Securities fraud (Count Two) Wire fraud (Count Three) Investment adviser fraud (Count Four) 5 years 20 years 20 years 5 years MARTINSEN 47 Saint James, New York Conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud (Count One) Securities fraud (Count Two) Wire fraud (Count Three) Investment adviser fraud (Count Four) Conspiracy to obstruct justice (Count Five) Obstruction of justice (Count Six) 5 years 20 years 20 years 5 years 5 years 20 years [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Richard Chapman, 66, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 96 months in prison for bank robbery. Chapman pleaded guilty to this charge on June 26, 2023. On February 3, 2023, Chapman robbed the Park Bank in downtown Madison by presenting the teller with a note saying “I have a gun. I am a robber. Give me one hundreds.” He held his hand inside a plastic bag which led the teller to believe that he had a gun. After being given money, the defendant fled the bank. Madison detectives were able to follow Chapman’s movements by watching city cameras and found clothing that he had discarded in a nearby parking garage. Further investigation led detectives to the defendant, who after initially lying about his name and trying to run, was taken into custody and said, “You got me.” Officers searched Chapman’s duffle bag and found clothing consistent with the robber’s as well as a robbery note. Chapman has a criminal record that started in 1975 when he was 18 years old. He was convicted in federal court for bank robberies in 1996 and 2001. He was sentenced to 70 months in prison and 188 months in prison for those offenses. At sentencing Judge Peterson observed that Chapman terrorized the person that he robbed and created a dangerous situation in the bank. Judge Peterson remarked that Chapman has an unmatched record of recidivism and concluded that he has shown that he will continue to commit crimes and therefore must be incarcerated to protect the community. The charge against Chapman was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan. 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: Clay County Man Sentenced To Federal Prison In Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Scheme

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Brian Roy Lozito (54, Orange Park) to two years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Lozito to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded and also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $164,193.84, the proceeds of the fraud. Lozito had pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023. He was arraigned on the indictment on January 11, 2021, and initially released on bond. The court revoked his bond on November 18, 2022, and subsequently ordered him detained. According to court documents, Lozito owned and managed American Investigative Services (AIS). AIS purported to offer consumers mortgage auditing services in exchange for a fee. Lozito and his conspirators solicited customers nationwide through mailings and telephone calls. In these solicitations, Lozito and AIS employees, under the direction of Lozito, made false and fraudulent representations to consumers, including that AIS would perform “forensic audits” of mortgage documents to uncover evidence of deficiencies in the mortgage documents. Lozito claimed AIS would obtain quitclaim deeds and other remedies so the mortgage holders would be relieved of their mortgage debt and own their properties free and clear. If AIS could not help the consumer, Lozito promised to refund their money. In reality, AIS did not perform the services paid for by consumers and did not refund money to consumers. Funds collected from consumers went to bank accounts controlled by Lozito who then used the funds to keep AIS operating and for personal expenses. This case was investigated by United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Florida Attorney General with valuable assistance from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer M. Harrington.


title: Ithaca Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joseph Swansbrough, 34, of Ithaca New York, was sentenced today to 150 months (12.5 years) in federal prison for attempting to entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Swansbrough admitted that, between September and October 2021, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an undercover officer posing as a 10-year-old child in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Swansbrough also admitted that, on October 12, 2021, he traveled from his home in Tioga County to a prearranged meeting location in Broome County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 10-year-old child. Swansbrough was arrested upon arrival at the location and was found in possession of candy he had promised to bring to the child. United States District Judge, Glenn T. Suddaby, also sentenced Swansbrough to a 25-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. Swansbrough also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Jessica N. Carbone, and Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: New Orleans Man Pleads  Guilty to Being a Felon  in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TORIN JENKINS , age 29, of New Orleans, pled guilty on November 28, 2023 to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Sentencing is set for March 12, 2024. On December 3, 2021, NOPD officers arrested JENKINS based on open state warrants. After initially failing to cooperate with officers, JENKINS was seen throwing an object of the window of his residence. After JENKINS eventually surrendered, officers discovered the object was a Glock Model 36, .45 caliber firearm. JENKINS faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit .


title: Ozark Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jevn Todd Griffitt, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Griffitt to forfeit to the government $15,324, which represents the proceeds he obtained from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. On Jan. 10, 2023, Griffitt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Griffitt conspired with co-defendants Christopher Richard Ward, 45, of Kansas City, Mo., and Paris Ready, 29, of Sperry, Oklahoma, to distribute methamphetamine from May 2 to Nov. 7, 2019. Griffitt admitted that he purchased approximately 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from Ward for $8,000 on Sept. 14, 2019. Griffitt also admitted that he sold firearms to Ward. On Oct. 29, 2019, Griffitt sold a Beretta Stoeger Cougar 9mm handgun to an undercover officer, whom he met in Ozark, for $300. Detectives with the Springfield, Mo., Police Department identified Griffitt as a passenger in a Chevrolet Silverado on Oct. 31, 2019, and Greene County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies attempted to conduct a stop on Interstate 44. The Silverado fled and deputies pursued the vehicle into the Springfield city limits. The Silverado began travelling in the opposite direction of traffic and the pursuit was terminated. The Silverado was located after it was abandoned a short time later. Throughout the pursuit, deputies saw Griffitt throwing purported methamphetamine out of the front passenger’s window. Investigators recovered approximately 238 grams of methamphetamine from the roadway along the course of the vehicle pursuit. Officers found a blue nylon bag on the front passenger floorboard of the Silverado that contained an AR-15 magazine and other ammunition, miscellaneous AR-15 parts, an AR-15 armorers kit, drug paraphernalia, and $74 in cash. Approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine was found on the front passenger floorboard and approximately 88 grams of methamphetamine was scattered throughout the truck and on the ground leading away from the front passenger’s seat. Ward was arrested on an outstanding state warrant by Jackson County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies on Sept. 30, 2019. During the arrest, Ward attempted to flee from the deputies on foot but tripped and fell, which caused a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun to fall onto the ground. On the same day, the staff at a local hotel where Ward was staying found a black zippered case while cleaning his room. The case contained six plastic baggies with a total of 239 grams of methamphetamine. The case also contained a plastic bag with .9 grams of heroin. Ward told investigators that he had purchased one pound (approximately 453.5 grams) of methamphetamine from his source two to three times each week for approximately one month. Ward said he sold Griffit a kilogram of methamphetamine two or three times, and that Griffitt had provided him with three firearms. Ward said he traded one-half ounce of methamphetamine to Griffitt for the Sig Sauer 9mm handgun he possessed when he was arrested. Ward also admitted to several other instances in which he sold methamphetamine. Both Ward and Ready pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and have been sentenced. Ward was sentenced on Nov. 9, 2023, to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Ward to forfeit to the government $39,960, which represents the proceeds he obtained from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Ready was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to five years in federal prison without parole. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Minnesota Man Charged with Gun & Drug Crimes Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, 24, Rochester, Minnesota, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that on October 18, 2023, he possessed a loaded .22 caliber revolver and cocaine with intent to distribute. Jones-Shields was arrested in La Crosse on October 18. If convicted, Jones-Shields faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 20 years on the charge of possessing cocaine for distribution. The charge of possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime has a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of life. Federal law requires that any penalty imposed for the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The charges against Jones-Shields are the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins is handling the prosecution. 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. Madison Man Charged with Distributing Heroin James Davis Jr., 35, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with 12 counts of distributing heroin. The indictment alleges that he distributed heroin on 12 occasions from June through September 2023. If convicted, Davis Jr. faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Madison Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Levins and Aaron Wegner are handling the prosecution. Mexican National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. Jose Luis Bautista Cruz, 26, a citizen of Mexico found in Clark County, Wisconsin, is charged with being found in the United States after having been removed. The indictment alleges he was found in the United States on November 12, 2023. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Glinzak and Aaron Wegner are handling the prosecution.


title: New York City Man Sentenced to Nearly 26 Years in Prison for Abducting Elderly Woman with Dementia and Obstructing FBI Investigation

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A New York City man was sentenced today to 310 months in federal prison for kidnapping a 68-year-old woman with dementia at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center in July 2021, then obstructing an FBI investigation into the abduction. Johnny Ray Gasca, 53, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. At the conclusion of a six-day bench trial, Judge Birotte on June 13 found Gasca guilty of one count of kidnapping, two counts of attempted obstruction of justice, and one count of attempted witness tampering. “[Gasca] financially exploited [the] victim’s mental fragility – describing his supposed ‘girlfriend’ as ‘senile’… – to steal tens of thousands of dollars from her,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “After the victim managed to get away from [Gasca], he abducted her from the grounds of a hospital where she had sought care for her dementia, in order to steal even more of her money. Immediately after the abduction, he attempted to indoctrinate her to parrot back a version of events favorable to him.” Gasca kidnapped the victim at approximately 8:30 a.m. on July 19, 2021, after the victim attempted to obtain a medical appointment at the VA facility. The victim was accompanied by a long-time friend, and as the two of them “approached their car, Gasca appeared unexpectedly,” according to court documents. “Gasca put his arms around [the victim] and pushed her toward a gold-colored pickup truck that was parked nearby. Gasca then picked [the victim] up and threw her into the rear portion of the truck’s passenger compartment.” After the Department of Veteran Affairs Police Department contacted the FBI later in the morning, the victim’s friend told agents she recognized Gasca, believed he previously was in some kind of relationship with the victim, and suspected Gasca may have taken some of [the victim’s] money from her bank and retirement accounts. The witness also reported that the victim previously noted she was missing some of her credit cards, and when the two went to the victim’s bank to review her accounts, bank records showed a $35,000 withdrawal from the victim’s retirement account, followed by several Venmo, MoneyGram and PayPal transactions that the friend believed the victim did not have “the knowledge or wherewithal” to conduct, court documents state. Within hours of beginning its investigation, the FBI located the victim’s phone at a hotel on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, where agents converged. Soon after, Gasca and the victim exited the hotel, leading to Gasca’s arrest. During an interview recounted in court documents, Gasca described the victim as his girlfriend and told agents that, after leaving the VA facility, they stopped at a bank where the victim made a $15,000 withdrawal. After his arrest and while in pre-trial custody, Gasca made several jail calls to a friend in New York asking him to destroy evidence of his wrongdoing with the victim, according to evidence presented at the trial. Gasca urged the friend to erase all his messages on the Facebook Messenger app, including messages describing the victim as a “Golden goose.” In August 2021, Gasca made another jailhouse phone call to his friend and told him to collect his hard drives from his apartment before the FBI could seize them and learn of his financial exploitation of the victim. The FBI investigated this matter and received substantial assistance from the VA Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Federal Jury Finds Hancock Man Guilty of Assaulting FBI Special Agent

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Hancock man was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer following a one-day trial in U.S. District Court in Bangor. According to evidence presented at trial, on June 22, 2023, FBI special agents were executing a federal search warrant at the residence of Alan Howell Parrot , 68, in Hancock. While the agents were trying to enter the residence, Parrot attempted to close the door and became combative, kicking one agent in the abdomen and pushing her backwards, resulting in injuries to her arm and elbow. Parrot faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe. FBI Special Agents are no exception, and we courageously accept that danger is part of our job. Thankfully, the agent who was injured by Mr. Parrot is ok, and I’m thankful for her service and dedication,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division . “This conviction should be a warning to others that assaulting law enforcement undermines the rule of law and will not be tolerated. We take our oath seriously, and we won’t back down from ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions.” The FBI investigated the case. ###


title: La Crosse Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years for Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution & Illegally Possessing A Firearm

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Issac Santana, 26, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Santana pleaded guilty to these charges on August 30, 2023. This period of incarceration will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. On November 19, 2022, officers in La Crosse checked on a vehicle that had been parked and running for approximately three hours. Officers found Santana asleep in the driver’s seat. Officers searched Santana and his vehicle and found approximately 193 grams of methamphetamine and over 30 grams of fentanyl packaged for distribution. They also found ammunition and over $1,500 in cash. Santana was arrested and charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court for felony drug crimes, and was released on a signature bond on January 9, 2023. He failed to appear for a hearing in March, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Officers attempted to arrest Santana on this warrant on April 6. Officers saw the defendant leave his house on a scooter and attempted to stop him. Santana fled from the officers, and after a pursuit, officers arrested Santana. Santana was carrying a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, along with over 100 grams of methamphetamine and 6 grams of fentanyl, all packaged for distribution. Santana also had over $1,250 in cash. He admitted to selling both methamphetamine and fentanyl in a post-arrest interview. Santana admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a previous felony conviction. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley remarked on the danger Santana posed to the community by combining drug dealing and carrying a loaded firearm. Judge Conley further noted that Santana was selling the same dangerous drugs that Santana had been addicted to most of his life. The judge found that Santana’s actions had made him a true threat to society. The charges against Santana were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg prosecuted this 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.