title: Two-time felon convicted of carrying a firearm contrary to federal law

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old Laredo man has admitted to illegally possessing a loaded 9-millimeter handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On Dec. 8, 2023, Bruce James Lyles arrived at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on IH-35 just north of Laredo. At that time, a K-9 alerted to his van. Upon further inspection, authorities discovered a 9-millimeter pistol with a magazine loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition in Lyles’ backpack. Lyles admitted he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms, that the weapon had been purchased at a pawn shop in Anchorage, Alaska, and had placed the pistol in his backpack. Lyles had been convicted for two felony convictions in Minnesota – for robbery and for second-degree assault – which resulted in prison sentences of 23 and 30 months, respectively. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that hearing, Lyles faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending sentencing which will be set at a later date. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.


title: Former Waukon Office Manager Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Waukon woman who embezzled over $200,000 from her employer was sentenced on February 1, 2024, to nine months in federal prison. Heather Leigh Migliore, age 52, received the prison term after a July 19, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. In a plea agreement, Migliore admitted that, between 2015 and 2021, she was the office manager of a tax preparation business that had offices in Waukon and Decorah in Winneshiek County, Iowa. Migliore wrote over 600 fraudulent checks for her own benefit from the business’s checking accounts without her employer’s knowledge or permission. Migliore also used one of the business’s credit cards to make over 200 fraudulent charges. The owner of the business had to use a home equity line of credit to pay its bills during this timeframe. In early 2021, Migliore also made false statements to the State of Iowa to obtain approximately $900 in federally funded, COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Migliore was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Migliore was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $229,351 in restitution. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Migliore was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1015. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: St. Louis Man Admits Fatally Shooting Driver and Burning Stolen Car

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fatally shooting his friend before stealing his car in 2022. Laveal David Jones, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three felony counts: carjacking resulting in death, being a felon in possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, with death resulting. After leaving a night club in Sauget, Illinois just after 4 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2022, the shooting victim drove Jones to an area near the 300 block of Walton Place in St. Louis. Jones confronted the victim about money Jones believed the victim owed, leading to a physical fight. Jones suffered a bloody nose. Jones admitted in his plea that he used the victim’s firearm to shoot the victim twice, killing him. Jones then stripped the victim naked so the blood from Jones’ bloody nose couldn’t be recovered from the victim’s clothing. He left the victim’s body in the street, then drove away in the victim’s 2015 Kia K900 sedan. Jones got lighter fluid and then drove the Kia to West Missouri Avenue and North B Street in East St. Louis, Illinois. He set the car on fire and walked away. An acquaintance picked Jones up in East St. Louis. Jones was still wearing bloody clothing. On Oct. 17, 2022, while the shooting death was still under investigation, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted Jones in a different stolen Kia. He crashed the car and then fled on foot, discarding a pistol before he was caught, his plea agreement says. Jones was a convicted felon at the time of the crimes, having been convicted of second-degree robbery, and was thus barred from possessing a firearm. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed to recommend a prison term not to exceed 30 years. Jones’ lawyer has agreed to recommend not less than 20 years. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Philadelphia Men Plead Guilty to 2022 Crime Spree, Admitting to Seven Armed Robberies and a Carjacking in 12 Days

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Angel Fayez, 19, and Kevin Antun, a.k.a. Acquah Evans, 20, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to one count of carjacking, eight counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. Fayez and Antun were charged by indictment in March 2023 with these offenses, in connection with a series of gunpoint robberies of businesses in the Kensington and the Lower Northeast sections of Philadelphia. According to the indictment, the defendants committed one carjacking and robbed a variety of small businesses, stealing approximately $3,613 total between November 22, 2022, and December 3, 2022. The incidents detailed are as follows: On November 22, 2022, Fayez and Antun carjacked a woman at the Liberty gas station located at 3949 Kensington Avenue; On November 22, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Dollar General located at 1240 E. Erie Avenue; On November 22, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Popeyes located at 501 Adams Avenue; On November 28, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Texas Chicken and Burger located at 3960 Kensington Avenue; On November 30, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Wingstop located at 3855 Aramingo Avenue; On November 30, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Wingstop located at 2118 Cottman Avenue; On November 30, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Domino’s Pizza located at 6391 Oxford Avenue; and On December 3, 2022, Fayez and Antun robbed the Popeyes located at 3541 Aramingo Avenue. “Fayez and Antun terrorized the community with their brazen gunpoint crimes, at times committing multiple armed robberies in the same day,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Taking repeat offenders like these off the street is a priority for my office and our law enforcement partners, as we work to crack down on violent crime in Philadelphia and keep the public safe.” “During their vicious crime spree, Fayez and Antun showed a complete disregard for public safety after carjacking an innocent woman and threatening multiple store employees with firearms,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office as we work to protect the people of our district.” “The brazen carjacking that initiated this crime spree and the violence used throughout these robberies put our community members at a real risk,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel. “I applaud the collaborative efforts of the Philadelphia Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Attorney’s Office that brought these individuals to justice. This case again demonstrates our commitment to tackling carjackings and gun violence that plague our city. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who choose to terrorize our neighborhoods and ensure they face the full force of the law.” After pleading guilty, Fayez is set to be sentenced on May 29, 2024, and Antun on May 30, 2024, before the Honorable Juan R. Sanchez. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.


title: Man Admits Escaping St. Louis Halfway House, Gun Crime

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man on Tuesday admitted escaping from a halfway house in St. Louis, Missouri in 2018 just days after being caught with a firearm. Bradford Craig Dean, 56, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of escape and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dean was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2006 after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. After his release from prison, Dean was confined at Dismas House St. Louis. On Oct. 27, 2018, Dean was stopped for speeding in Normandy, and officers spotted a handgun in the vehicle's cup holder. It was loaded and had been stolen ten days earlier in St. Louis. Officers also found $1,650 in cash, two firearm magazines, two digital scales and 16 bags containing marijuana, indicative of marijuana sales. Two days later, Dean left Dismas house without permission and did not return. He remained a fugitive until he was located and arrested on Jan. 9, 2024. Dean is scheduled to be sentenced May 7. The escape charge is is punishable by up to five years in prison. The felon in possession charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Both also carry potential fines of up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Normandy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.


title: Marion County man admits to theft of firearms

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jaeson Wayne Marbury, age 30, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer. According to court documents, Marbury purchased 19 firearms from licensed dealers in Morgantown, West Virginia, with personal checks that later bounced because of insufficient funds, knowing his account couldn’t cover the purchases. Marbury then sold the firearms to individuals and pawn shops. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Milwaukee Business Owner Convicted of Tax and Bankruptcy Offenses

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 31, 2024, Lakeesha S. Jackson (age: 45) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to federal tax and bankruptcy crimes. According to court documents, Jackson was the owner and operator of Nurturing Concepts LLC, a personal care agency. She willfully failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $100,000 in payroll taxes her business withheld from employee paychecks in the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2017. Nurturing Concepts then filed a bankruptcy petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code listing the IRS as its largest creditor. Jackson admitted to fraudulently submitting a forged bank statement during this proceeding in an effort to hide a $40,000 transfer from Nurturing Concepts to Jackson’s successor business, Center of Care LLC. Jackson further admitted to improperly diverting to this successor business payments made out to Nurturing Concepts. “Individuals and businesses who engage in this type of tax and bankruptcy fraud not only injure every taxpayer but also place businesses who play by the rules at a commercial disadvantage,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to hold individuals who engage in these offenses fully accountable for their actions.” “Business owners have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service,” stated Special Agent in Charge Justin Campbell of the Chicago Field Office. In addition, Campbell stated, “Obstruction and dishonesty are common factors in bankruptcy fraud and IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to lend its expertise in these complex investigations.” This case was investigated by the Special Agents from the Internal Revenue Services’ Criminal Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Farris Martini. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2024, before United States District Judge Lynn Adleman. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Daniel Phillip Beckman, 46, of Watson, Missouri, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Beckman must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 27, 2022, Beckman began communicating through the Snapchat multimedia instant messaging application while at his Missouri residence with a minor female living within the Southern District of West Virginia. During these Snapchat communications, Beckman offered to pay the minor female for her sending him nude images and videos of herself. Beckman admitted that he paid the minor female approximately $625 through the CashApp mobile payment service in exchange for numerous images and videos that the minor female sent him using Snapchat. Some of these images showed the minor female’s vaginal area or depicted her masturbating. Beckman admitted that he believed the female to be a minor when he received her photos and videos, and that he saved several of the images to his phone. On or about December 6, 2022, the minor female introduced Beckman to her friend, also a minor female. Beckman admitted that he began communicating with the other minor female on Snapchat and paid her through CashApp for several images and videos that depicted her nude pubic area. Beckman further admitted that he believed her to be a minor when he received the images, and that he specifically described to her how he wanted her to pose. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-158. ###


title: Zuni Man Charged with Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Joey Luarkie appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian County. Luarkie, 23, of Zuni Pueblo, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2024. According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 4, 2024, Luarkie was at the home of Jane Doe in Zuni when her boyfriend, John Doe, knocked on the door. Jane Doe and John Doe went outside and argued for a short time before John Doe entered the residence to get his stuff. Luarkie followed John Doe and Jane Doe into her bedroom, where a physical altercation allegedly ensued, and John Doe was stabbed in the throat. John Doe left the residence and collapsed in the front yard, where responding officers from the Zuni Police Department found Jane Doe performing CPR on him. John Doe was transported to Zuni Health Center before being life-flighted to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where he underwent two emergency surgeries. A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the current charge, Luarkie faces up to ten years in prison per count. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-58


title: Hampton Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pleaded guilty today to robbing the Old Point National Bank in Hampton while holding a bank customer at knifepoint. According to court documents, Delonta Wilson, 36, entered the Old Point National Bank located in downtown Hampton on the morning of October 16, 2023, armed with a knife. Wilson then approached an elderly customer from behind and held her at knifepoint while forcing her towards the teller’s counter. Wilson demanded currency from the bank tellers, while threatening to cut the customer’s throat if they did not comply. The tellers, in fear for the customer’s safety, provided the defendant with around $6,550 in United States currency. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, and he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-82.


title: Corpus Christi man sent to prison for conspiring to traffic machine guns across state lines

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 23-year-old Corpus Christi man has been sentenced for conspiracy to traffic firearms, specifically machine gun conversion devices (MCDs), in interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Rene Saldana pleaded guilty Sept. 14, 2023. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now handed Saldana a 36-month term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. “MCDs, commonly known as “Glock switches,” present a unique and insidious threat to our communities – criminals can conceal something as small as a paperclip, install it in a legal gun, quickly converting the legal handgun into a machinegun, capable of firing hundreds of rounds of ammunition per minute,” said Hamdani. “This case involved an individual making MCDs in his home and then selling them to the highest bidder, without regard to where or how those MCDs would be used. From 2017 to 2021, the number of MCDs seized by law enforcement rose 570%. And with MCDs often ending up in the hands of dangerous criminals, gang members and cartel assassins, the Southern District’s prosecutors are doing everything they can to keep these types of weapons off the streets.” “The illegal manufacturing of MCDs present a great danger to our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Francisco Ortega of the Houston Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is one of our highest priorities and ATF will continue to pursue those who endanger the public with the illegal possession or use of conversion devices.” In May and June 2023, Saldana was discussing selling firearms and MCDs – devices that can be attached to existing legal firearms to turn them into machine guns. The attachments alter the firing mechanism of the guns so they can fire multiple shots automatically. These MCDs are considered machine guns under the law and are illegal to possess. Saldana agreed to make and sell six MCDs for $1000 total. Saldana tested the MCDs to ensure they worked as intended and made the firearm function as an automatic weapon. He then arranged for a co-defendant to deliver the MCDs to a person he believed was smuggling them to another state. Saldana confirmed the sale via Snapchat and made plans for another, larger sale in the future. Authorities recovered all six MCDs Saldana sold. At the time of his arrest, they also recovered a 3-D printer he was using to make the devices, as well as thirteen more MCDs in various stages of completion. Saldana was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and John Marck prosecuted the case.


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

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

body_text: Violent Crime Dennis Bryce Bearing , age 42, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment for assault by strangulation. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb 5. According to court documents, on Oct. 18, 2023, Bureau of Indian Affairs police were contacted regarding a domestic assault. Upon interviewing the victim, officers learned that Bearing had attacked the victim by punching, kicking, then strangling her. The crime was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore. Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm Robert Brady Anthony , age 60, of Bern, Idaho, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott. W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 5. According to court documents, on Sept. 12, 2022, the Evanston Police Department responded to the Days Inn for a medical call. Officers found Anthony in need of medical attention for a suspected overdose. Officers eventually found heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana, along with a pistol and ammunition. Anthony has several prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. He pled guilty to the charges on Sep. 12, 2023. This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evanston Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom. About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Environmental Justice The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking


title: Final man sent to prison in cocaine car battery conspiracy

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for conspiring to traffic cocaine across the border, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Andres Rodriguez-Murillo pleaded guilty Nov. 1, 2023, to conspiring with others to smuggle narcotics into the United States by concealing the drugs inside car batteries. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Rodriguez-Murillo to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the consequences for individuals who choose to get involved in drug smuggling. Mikeal Jovany Phillips, 36, Huffman, and Christopher Sheffield, 39, Crosby, were previously sentenced to 40 and 48 months in federal prison, respectively, both to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. On Jan. 6, 2023, Sheffield drove a gold SUV to the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. Upon inspection, authorities discovered approximately 2.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the battery compartment. The battery shell contained a smaller battery to power the vehicle and three bundles of cocaine. The investigation revealed numerous text and Facebook messages between Sheffield and Phillips discussing the trip. Subsequently, authorities learned Phillips had coordinated the trip and arranged for Sheffield to travel from the Houston area to Brownsville to retrieve the cocaine. While in Brownsville, Sheffield met Rodriguez-Murillo who then provided the cocaine-filled car battery and installed it in the vehicle. Rodriguez-Murillo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Indicted on Felony Firearms Charge

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Kendall McCoy, 21, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about June 27, 2022, McCoy is alleged to have possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Two East Idaho Men Each Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex Crimes Against a Minor Child

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in two separate East Idaho cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempted sex crimes against a minor child. “These cases demonstrate that child predators will find no refuge in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Instead, they will find justice and a ticket to federal prison. My office is fortunate to work with law enforcement across the state who spare no effort in tracking down these criminals. And we will continue to prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” On February 2, 2024, Lawrence Osborn, 44, of Soda Springs, was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to court records, on February 24, 2023, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Angelo, Texas, conducted an online undercover operation to identify adults engaged in sexually predatory behavior towards children. During the operation, Osborn engaged in online chat communications with one of the undercover HSI agents who was posing as a mother with a 7-year-old daughter. In those communications, Osborn proposed that the mother travel from Texas to Idaho so that Osborn could sexually abuse the 7-year-old child. Osborn offered the mother money and travel accommodations to facilitate the sexual abuse of the 7-year-old. On March 3, Osborn arrived at a grocery store in Soda Springs with the intention of meeting the mother and 7-year-old, and he was arrested. “Fortunately, Osborn was talking to an undercover agent and not a real parent or child,” said Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This case highlights the collective efforts of law enforcement to protect society’s most vulnerable and hold child predators accountable.” “Internet crime knows no border or boundaries, and in this instance our joint law enforcement partnerships were able to stop this Idaho based child predator from finding victims wherever his disgusting impulses may have led him,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This sentence helps to keep our communities, both virtual and throughout Idaho, safe from those who would prey upon children.” Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Osborn be placed on supervised release for ten years following his prison sentence. Osborn pleaded guilty to the charge on September 14, 2023. In a separate case, Nathan Mark Law, 49, of Idaho Falls was also sentenced to ten years in prison on February 5, 2024. According to court records, between July and September 2022, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force found that Law had downloaded thousands of images of child pornography also known as, “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM) over the internet. Investigators executed a search warrant of Law’s residence where they discovered CSAM on Law’s electronic devices. Law admitted not only that he downloaded CSAM but also that he had hidden a camera in his camp trailer bathroom and captured images of a minor female using the shower. Law also admitted to sharing CSAM including the images he produced with another Idaho Falls man, Che Miles. Miles was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison in September . “This is the level of evil that we fight against – a man who would seek to create pornographic images of children,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador, who oversees the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for Idaho. “We cannot pretend it doesn’t happen in our communities. This kind of exploitation must be stopped at every turn. These cases are a cooperative effort and I’m grateful for everyone involved in these successful prosecutions. The stakes could not be higher when it comes to putting those that prey on Idaho’s children behind bars.” Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Law to 120 months in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Law pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor child on June 26, 2023. The Osborn case was investigated by HSI in Idaho Falls, in conjunction with HSI in Dallas and San Angelo, with assistance from the Idaho State Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Soda Springs Police Department. The Law and Miles cases were investigated by the Idaho ICAC Task Force, HSI in Idaho Falls, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted these cases. These case were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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: Pittsburgh Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug trafficking and federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The four-count Indictment named Lester Burrell Jackson III, 32, as the sole defendant in this case. According to the Indictment, on or about November 14, 2023, December 7, 2023, and January 2, 2024, Jackson knowingly and unlawfully distributed quantities of methamphetamine. The Indictment further charges that, on or about January 27, 2024, Jackson possessed a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm or ammunition by an individual who has been convicted of a felony. The law provides for a maximum possible sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5,000,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Offense

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christian Noel Medina Torres (35, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Medina Torres faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is set for May 7, 2024. According to the plea agreement, an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arranged to sell Medina Torres 10 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for two Can-Am off-road vehicles and any cash Medina Torres could provide. On April 17, 2023, Medina Torres arrived in Volusia County with the two off-road vehicles and approximately $6,000 in cash. In exchange, the undercover agent provided Medina Torres a bag containing 10 kilograms of cocaine. After Medina Torres took the bag and began walking away, he was taken into custody. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Megan Testerman.


title: Monroeville Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearms Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to eight years of imprisonment and three years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Tiryn Green, 27. According to information presented to the Court, following two controlled buys of heroin and fentanyl from Green in February 2022, investigators from the PA Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI) Unit as well as the Monroeville Police Department executed a search warrant on Green’s Monroeville residence. During that search, investigators recovered drug evidence along with multiple firearms, high capacity magazines, and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Under federal law, Green is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon several prior felony convictions. Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Monroeville Police Department, the PA Office of Attorney General BNI Unit, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Green.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Indicted on Drug and Felony Firearms Charges

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The three-count Superseding Indictment named Elijah Hanna, 25, as the sole defendant in this case. According to the Superseding Indictment, on December 12, 2023, Hanna possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, and possessed a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum possible sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $3,000,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Tampa Woman Charged With Smuggling Over $100,000 Into The United States From Cuba

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Mirtza Ocana (38, Tampa) with smuggling over $100,000 of United States currency into the United States from Cuba. If convicted on all counts, Ocana faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to the complaint, Ocana arrived at Tampa International Airport on an international flight from Cuba on February 5, 2024. She claimed that she did not have more than $10,000 on her person (a limit that would trigger reporting requirements), thus had nothing to declare. However, during a routine inspection of her luggage, agents from the Department of Homeland Security recovered approximately $30,000 in bulk cash concealed in three wrapped packages. Ocana then admitted that she flew from Cuba to Tampa two to three times per month to smuggle cash into the United States and that she knew that bringing bulk cash into the United States without reporting it was illegal. Agents searched Ocana and discovered an additional $70,000 in cash hidden in her clothes. Ocana’s flight history later revealed that she had flown from Cuba to Tampa 45 times since May 2023. A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.


title: Three Individuals Sentenced for $3.5M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Three people were sentenced today for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the U.S. Small Business Administration guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in connection with their involvement in a COVID-19 fraud ring. Khadijah X. Chapman, 59, of Atlanta, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison; Daniel C. Labrum, 42, of South Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to two years in prison; and Eric J. O’Neil, 58, of Bethel, Connecticut, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chapman, Labrum, and O’Neil fraudulently obtained PPP loans for fictitious businesses in 2020 and 2021. The defendants worked with co‑conspirators to falsify information and submitted fraudulent documents to financial institutions in Boise and elsewhere to collectively obtain approximately $3.5 million in relief funding intended for small businesses struggling with the economic impact of COVID-19. Chapman was convicted in November 2023 of bank fraud. Labrum and O’Neil pleaded guilty in 2023 to bank fraud. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho, Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) New York, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia of the FBI Buffalo Field Office, Inspector General Gail S. Ennis of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Sharon B. MacDermott of SSA-OIG, and Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Boston Division made the announcement. IRS:CI, the FBI, SSA-OIG, and USPIS investigated the cases. Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho prosecuted the cases. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department 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 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 www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Nebraska Man Who Traveled to Utah to Attempt to Have Sex with a Minor Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Dusty Junior Goodspeed, 58, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment by a U.S. District Court Judge as a result of a guilty plea. Goodspeed admitted he traveled to Salt Lake City to attempt to engage in sexual activity with someone he believed was a minor. He was charged with attempted coercion and enticement, and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Goodspeed, traveled from Nebraska to Salt Lake City International Airport in December 2022 to engage in sex acts with someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy. Goodspeed had been communicating with an undercover agent, who posed as a 13-year-old boy, and was arrested by law enforcement at baggage claim. Goodspeed admitted that in September 2022, he used Facebook Messenger to contact someone he believed was a 13-year-old. That same month, he began texting the undercover agent who was posing as a minor, messages that were sexual in nature. Goodspeed continued to communicate with the undercover agent until he landed at the airport in Salt Lake City. Goodspeed admitted to law enforcement he intended to spend the weekend with a 13-year-old and have sex with him. In addition to his sentence of imprisonment, Goodspeed was ordered to supervised release for life. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah; and the FBI made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Allison H. Behrens, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc


title: New York City Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Wisconsin Residents in Professional Sports Ticket Scam

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 6, 2024, Nikhil S. Mahtani (age: 28) of New York, New York, was arraigned in federal court and immediately entered a guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. According to court documents, between approximately January 4, 2019, and December 11, 2022, Mahtani placed over 1,000 ads on Craigslist offering high end tickets and luxury box suites to National Football League, National Basketball League, and other professional sporting events around the country. Numerous victims throughout the Eastern District of Wisconsin and elsewhere were victimized by Mahtani, who accepted thousands of dollars in payments for tickets and suites he knew were not real. In one instance, a large group of friends and family arrived at the Fiserv Forum the night the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021, only to be turned away and told their tickets were fraudulent. As a result of his scheme, Mahtani received approximately $100,000 from victims in Wisconsin and across the United States. Mahtani faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment when he sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach on May 10, 2024. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and could serve up to three years on supervised release. This case was investigated by the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov Follow us on Twitter


title: Federal Jury Convicts Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Marilyn J. Mosby, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charge of making a false mortgage application when she was Baltimore City State’s Attorney, relating to the purchase of a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida. The jury acquitted her of making a false mortgage application related to her purchase of a home in Kissimmee, Florida. The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said, “We humbly respect the court’s considered rulings, opposing counsels’ zealous advocacy, and the wisdom of both jury verdicts in this case and we remain focused on our mission to uphold the rule of law.” “Ms. Mosby’s conduct undermines the confidence the public deserves to have in their government officials," said Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office. "The jury’s decision holds Ms. Mosby accountable for disregarding the laws she swore to uphold. The FBI works diligently to ensure that anyone who engages in fraud and corruption will be held accountable for their bad acts.” According to the evidence presented at trial, in February 2021, Mosby made a false statement in an application for a $428,400 mortgage to purchase a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida. As part of the application, Mosby falsely stated that she had received a $5,000 gift from her husband to be applied to the purchase of the property. According to the evidence presented at trial, Mosby made this statement in order to secure a lower interest rate. According to the evidence presented at trial, Mosby did not receive a $5,000 gift from her husband, but rather transferred $5,000 to him, and he then transferred the $5,000 back to her. Mosby faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for making a false mortgage application. On November 9, 2023, Mosby was previously convicted on two counts of perjury , relating to the withdrawal of funds from the City of Baltimore’s Deferred Compensation Plan claiming that she suffered adverse financial consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic while she was Baltimore City State’s Attorney. Mosby faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each of the two counts of perjury. U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby has not yet scheduled a sentencing date in either of Mosby’s pending federal cases. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI agents for their work in the investigation and thanked the Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General for its assistance. Mr. Barron praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, for their focus and hard work throughout the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Johnson County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Hagerhill, Ky., man, Gary Warick, 57, was found guilty on Tuesday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to evidence presented, on April 26, 2022 and again on May 3, 2022, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of methamphetamine involving Warick in Johnson County. Thereafter, on May 4, 2022, the execution of a seach warrant on Warick’s residence uncovered additional methamphetamine. Collectively, the purchases and search resulted in the seizure of more than 130 grams of methamphetamine. Warick had previously been convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree in state court, in 2010. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the conviction. The case was investigated by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship. Warick is scheduled to appear for sentencing on a date yet to be determined. He faces a minimum of 15 years, up to life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. – END –


title: Yakima Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Christopher Lee Osborn, age 32, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of ninety-six months imprisonment to be followed by fifteen years of supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender. According to court documents and information disclosed at sentencing, in April of 2021, Osborn used the KIK app to send images and videos of child pornography to an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The images included young children being sexually assaulted. On April 16, 2021, HSI executed a search warrant at a home in Yakima where Osborn lived and seized several electronic devices. During the search, agents recovered 48 images or videos of child pornography, including the images sent to the HSI agent. Osborn had previously been arrested on September 18, 2020, and charged in Yakima County Superior Court with First Degree Possession of Depictions of Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct under Washington State law based upon a separate investigation. He pleaded guilty to two counts of that charge in January 2024, and has been sentenced to a ninety-six-month sentence which will run concurrently with his sentence in this Federal case. “Prosecutors, law enforcement, educators, parents, and community stakeholders must be vigilant in protecting the most innocent among us,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our law enforcement team will continue to tirelessly pursue those who use technology to harm young children. By prosecuting these cases, we protect children and vulnerable populations, thereby strengthening Eastern Washington families and communities.” “Thanks to the unwavering collaboration with our law enforcement partners, including the invaluable assistance of the Yakima Police Department, HSI agents have successfully apprehended and put a stop to the distribution of child exploitation images,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This sentence is as much as a service to the victims as it is a promise to the community to protect children wherever threats may be hiding.” 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Yakima Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Michael Murphy, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.


title: Statement of U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell on the Tragic Death of Moody County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS – Alison J. Ramsdell, United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, has issued the following statement on the death of Moody County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok: "It is with profound sadness that we mourn the tragic loss of Ken Prorok, Chief Deputy for the Moody County Sheriff’s Office, who died in the line of duty on February 2, 2024. Chief Deputy Prorok was a devoted and proud family man. He was an enthusiastic role model and a pillar of his community. As an officer, Chief Deputy Prorok exhibited the highest levels of professionalism. He was firmly committed to the cause of justice and displayed unwavering dedication to the safety of the communities he was charged with protecting, even to his last breath. The men and women of the U.S. Department of Justice stand with the entire law enforcement community as we honor the life of Chief Deputy Ken Prorok and share in the sorrow of this tragic loss. Our thoughts are with Chief Deputy Prorok’s family, friends, colleagues, and community.”


title: Ocean County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Minor

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 360 months in prison for coercing a minor into producing images of child sexual abuse, U.S Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Samuel Schwinger, 38, Lakewood, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner to an information charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Castner imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: In March 2019, Schwinger used an internet-based application to communicate with the victim, who was under the age of 12. Schwinger asked the victim to make sexually explicit videos of the victim and send them to him. Schwinger admitted that from October 2018 through April 5, 2019, he communicated with more than 25 minor victims for the purpose of producing and distributing sexually explicit material. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Schwinger to 10 years of supervised release and ordered that he register as a sexual offender upon release. U.S. Sellinger credited special agents Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso in Newark; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; and the Lakewood New Jersey Police Department under the direction of Chief Gregory Meyer. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Gasparian, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.


title: Newark Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Possessing Five Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in the area of Lincoln Park in Newark, and for possessing five firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Khalid Holland, 44, of Newark, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals to an information charging him with one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon; one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Judge Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Holland admitted conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between June 2022 and September 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. As a result of this investigation, law enforcement recovered 13 firearms at various residences, including five in Holland’s residence, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and thousands of individual doses of fentanyl and cocaine. Holland admitted to possessing the five firearms recovered in his residence in furtherance of drug trafficking. In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Holland to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Field Office, under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division Office in Newark, under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; and members of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.


title: Morton Man Pleads Guilty to Two Felony Counts in Connection with Scheme to Defraud Former Employer

component: Department of Justice

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Morton, Illinois, man, Aaron Rossi, 40, pleaded guilty today to two felonies connected to a scheme to defraud both his former employer, a Bloomington, Illinois, medical clinic, and the United States. Rossi pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of filing a false federal tax return in relation to this scheme. Sentencing for Rossi has been scheduled for June 5, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois. A federal grand jury initially returned an indictment in March 2022, charging Rossi with three counts of filing false tax returns. A superseding indictment was returned in July 2022 that added six counts of mail fraud. In court before Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow, Rossi admitted that he had carried out the scheme. He told the judge that he had not given all of his earnings information to his accountant so that he would not have to pay taxes on that income. He also admitted that he had taken funds from his former employer, Central Illinois Orthopedic Surgery in Bloomington, without their knowledge or permission, and had purchased personal items, including clothing and an ultra-high-definition big screen television, which he had mailed to his home. During the hearing, the government noted that Rossi had been involved in extensive fraud upon his employer. This fraud included his purchase of thousands of dollars of clothing from an upscale men’s store and payment for that clothing using company funds. Rossi hid his clothing purchases by calling them “medical supplies” or “uniforms” in his employer’s books and records. Rossi’s undisclosed expenditures also included leasing a luxury vehicle for himself and renting a private plane for his bachelor party. The government further stated that in just 2017, Rossi had more than $500,000 in income that he purposefully hid from the United States and did not declare on his taxes. Rossi was originally released on bond following indictment but was placed in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service in September 2023 after multiple bond violations. He remains in custody pending sentencing. Rossi faces statutory penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for the mail fraud count, and up to three years’ imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for the false tax return count. Each of the counts also carries the potential of a fine. The case investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer and Tanner K. Jacobs represent the government in the prosecution.


title: Utah Man Charged in Attack on Memorial to African American Civil War Soldiers at the National Gallery of Art

component: Civil Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jackson Green, 27, of Sandy, Utah, was taken into custody today following an indictment charging him with Damage to National Gallery of Art Property for his attack on the Shaw 54 th Regiment Memorial in the National Gallery of Art’s West Wing. According to the indictment, unsealed today, on November 14, 2023, Green, a member of the Declare Emergency climate group, entered the National Gallery of Art, carrying red paint. He then proceeded to smear the words “Honor Them” in red paint on the wall next to the patinated plaster work. The attack was videotaped by supporters of Declare Emergency and released online. Green caused more than $700 in damages. The oversized piece, created by American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the late 1880s, commemorates one of the first Civil War regiments of African Americans enlisted in the North, which drew recruits from many states and included Frederick Douglass’ own sons. This is the third member of Declare Emergency charged in relation to attacks on the National Gallery of Art. In April 2023, Joanna Smith, 54, and her alleged co-conspirator, Timothy Martin, 54, of North Carolina, smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen , at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post, and two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense. Following the action, the National Gallery was required to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days. Gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage to the Degas sculpture. In December, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit in the April 27, 2023, defacement of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen. U.S. District Court Judge Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2024. A trial for Ms. Smith’s co-conspirator Timothy Martin is scheduled for August 26, 2024. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lincoln Woman Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Role in Meth Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Angelica Agena, 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 6, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Agena to 54 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, Agena will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Agena of these charges on November 11, 2023. On June 29, 2022, Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a red Camaro for having an inoperable taillight. Neither the driver, Gary Payton, nor the passenger, Agena, had a valid driver’s license. A deputy observed an open alcoholic beverage container behind the passenger seat. Deputies thereafter searched the Camaro and its contents. During the search, one of the deputies opened Agena’s purse which was left on the floor on the front passenger side when she was asked out of the car. The deputy found a large gallon-sized bag containing suspected methamphetamine inside the purse. Deputies performed a field test on the substance in the bag and presumptively confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine. The deputies also seized Payton’s and Agena’s phones as evidence. Information from the phones revealed Agena and Payton’s involvement in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the Lincoln and Omaha areas. The suspected methamphetamine from the vehicle was sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory for confirmatory testing. The lab confirmed the that the bag found in Agena’s purse contained approximately 7 ounces of methamphetamine, a quantity intended for distribution. In a separate Indictment, Gary Payton pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to imprisonment for 72 months on June 6, 2023. This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln Police Department, and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: False Claims Act complaint filed against former president and co-owner of mobile cardiac PET scan provider

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Rick Nassenstein, a resident of Florida and formerly the president, chief financial officer and co-owner of Illinois-based Cardiac Imaging Inc. (CII), a provider of mobile cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The complaint alleges Nassenstein knowingly played a central role in a scheme whereby CII paid doctors exorbitant, above-fair market value fees who referred patients to CII for cardiac PET scans in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law, also known as the Stark Law. It prohibits health care providers from billing Medicare for certain designated health services referred by a physician with whom the provider has a financial relationship, including a compensation arrangement, that does not meet any statutory or regulatory exception. Congress enacted the Stark Law to protect Medicare patients from financial arrangements that can adversely impact physicians’ decision making and lead to unnecessary services. Claims knowingly submitted to Medicare in violation of the Stark Law also violate the federal False Claims Act (FCA). “Improper compensation arrangements unnecessarily drive-up healthcare costs and cloud a physician’s medical judgment,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “This complaint alleges that in an effort to increase profits, Nassenstein caused CII to enter into improper compensation arrangements with cardiologists who referred patients for cardiac PET scans. We are committed to enforcing the Stark Law and protecting Medicare from these types of improper financial relationships.” “Financial relationships between healthcareproviders and referring physicians can undermine the objectivity of medical treatment decisions and increase the cost of care,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will enforce provisions designed to prevent prohibited financial conflicts to ensure that taxpayers and patients can have confidence that decisions about patient care are driven by the medical needs of patients rather than the financial interests of physicians or providers.” Cardiac PET scans are nuclear medicine tests that doctors use to help assess heart function and diagnose cardiac disease. The United States’ complaint alleges CII provided cardiac PET scans on a mobile basis and paid the referring physicians, usually cardiologists, to provide the physician supervision required under Medicare rules. The United States alleges that from at least 2017 through June 2023, Nassenstein caused CII to enter into compensation arrangements with referring cardiologists, under which the cardiologists were paid as if they were fully occupied supervising CII’s scans, even though the cardiologists were actually providing care to other patients in their offices or were not even on site. The complaint alleges CII’s fees also purportedly compensated the cardiologists for additional services beyond supervision that were not actually provided. The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA by Lynda Pinto, a former billing manager at CII. Under the FCA, private parties, known as relators, can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties. The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) are handling the matter with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Pinto v. Nassenstein, No. 18-cv-2674 (S.D. Tex.). CII and its current owner, Sam Kancherlapalli, previously settled related claims arising from the conduct described above. See “Mobile Cardiac PET Scan Provider and Founder to Pay $85 Million to Resolve Allegedly Unlawful Payments to Referring Doctors.” SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Green and Trial Attorneys Samuel Lehman and Jake M. Shields of the Justice Department's Civil Division are handling the matter. The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims asserted in this case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm. According to public court documents, Walter John Dawson Jr., 26, was identified in early 2023 during a Des Moines Police Department investigation of a two-week shooting spree that involved six separate drive-by shootings in the Des Moines area. Dawson repeatedly fired into occupied residences at multiple locations. In March 2023, Dawson was located asleep in a stolen vehicle by law enforcement and subsequently found to be in possession of a loaded firearm with an extended and loaded magazine. Dawson had previously been convicted in state court of a felony charge, which bars him from possessing a firearm. After completing his term of imprisonment, Dawson will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Federal Inmate Convicted Of Assaulting Three Federal Corrections Officers

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Waters, age 37, of Florence, South Carolina, was convicted following a jury trial of three counts of assaulting a federal officer. The trial, held before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, spanned three days, and the jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning its verdict. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Waters, a federal inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan located in Waymart, Pennsylvania, assaulted three federal corrections officers which resulted in bodily injury. The evidence at trial showed that on January 18, 2023, while being counseled for a rule violation, Waters repeatedly struck a corrections officer in the head with his fists. During the assault, Waters disarmed the officer of his service baton and used it to strike the officer in the head. The officer suffered lacerations and bruising to his head and face and a hematoma to his shoulder. When additional corrections officers responded to assist, Waters bit two corrections officers in the arm and finger respectively. All three officers sustained bodily injury and required medical treatment at local hospitals. Following the incident, Waters boasted about the assaults to prison officials and on a recorded telephone call. The case was investigated by the FBI-Scranton Division and the Special Investigations Section for the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffery St John and Tatum Wilson are prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is 20 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. # # #


title: Man Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm Possession

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

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Drew T. Frost, 41 of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced January 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Frost to 41 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Frost’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On August 1, 2022, an ATF confidential source made a controlled buy of a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun from Frost, who is a convicted felon. The confidential source, equipped with audio and video recording devices, drove to a meet location on the 42nd block of Frances Street (Frost’s residence). Frost came out of his apartment and entered the confidential source’s vehicle. The confidential source gave Frost $360 of ATF buy fund money in exchange for the shotgun. Frost was previously convicted of Theft by Shoplifting (April 17, 2015), in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska which is a felony. He is prohibited from possessing firearms. The Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun was manufactured outside of Nebraska. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.


title: Settlement agreement reached with Williamsville nail salon involving violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with a Williamsville, NY, nail salon to resolve allegations that the salon discriminated against an individual with a disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Under the settlement , Le Petit Nails & Spa Inc. will not discriminate against any individual on the basis of disability, including individuals who use a service animal; Le Petit will post signs which clearly state “NOTICE: SERVICE ANIMALS WELCOME;” Le Petit will adopt a nondiscrimination policy, provide the policy to all current and future employees, and enforce the policy; and Le Petit will pay $1,000 to the complainant in this case. The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as nail salons. This settlement agreement is the sixth agreement that the Department of Justice has reached with a nail salon through its U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, and the first in the Western District of New York. In June 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina entered a settlement agreement resolving an allegation that a nail salon in Durham, North Carolina, refused to provide services to an individual with HIV. In June 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Harahan, Louisiana, to resolve an allegation that an individual was refused services because of the inability to transfer out of their wheelchair. In February 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey entered a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Ocean County, New Jersey, to resolve allegations that the salon discriminates against individuals with mobility impairments. In June 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in SunTan Valley, Arizona, to resolve allegations that the nail salon discriminated against a customer with paraplegia because she uses a wheelchair and does not have complete hand function. In October 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas entered a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Kansas City, Kansas, to resolve allegations that the salon refused nail services to a woman with cerebral palsy who used a motorized wheelchair. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (716) 843-5700 or file a complaint with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ . Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD). The government is represented by the Civil Rights Coordinator James E. B. Bobseine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Buffalo, New York. # # # #


title: Federal Inmate Sentenced To 21 Months In Prison For Possession Of A Weapon At USP Allenwood

body_text: Williamsport– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert John Palmer, an inmate at United States Penitentiary at Allenwood, was sentenced on January 30, 2024, to 21 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for possession of contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Palmer was found in possession of an inmate-made weapon; specifically, a 5 and ¾ -inch piece of plastic sharpened to a point, commonly referred to as a “shank.” This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Former Bank Employee Sentenced for Bank Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jacqueline R. Brandt, 44, of Minden, Iowa, was sentenced on January 31, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for bank fraud. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Brandt to time served and five years of supervised release and ordered that she pay $64,102.52 in restitution. Brandt will be required to pay at least $1,000 per month toward restitution during her sixty-month term of supervised release. During approximately November 2019 to July 2022, Brandt used her access as a Foundation One Bank employee to embezzle funds from customers’ accounts and to steal cash from the bank. Brandt fraudulently obtained a total of approximately $118,337.52, of which Foundation One Bank was able to recover $54,235. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Bucks County Man Sentenced To 151 Months’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Moss, age 37, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 31, 2024, by U.S. District Court Jennifer P. Wilson, to 151 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Moss previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing approximately 273 grams of methamphetamine for distribution in the York County area in 2021. The charge stems from an investigation in which investigators purchased 140 grams of methamphetamine from Moss in November 2021 in York County. During investigators’ attempt to arrest Moss, Moss fled, leading law enforcement on a vehicular and foot chase. During Moss’s arrest, investigators recovered an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure methamphetamine from Moss’s vehicle. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Springettsbury Township Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Williams and Johnny Baer. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 42 Months’ Imprisonment For Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 1, 2024, United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Luis Polanco-Lopez, age 29, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, to 42 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl. Judge Mannion also ordered Polanco-Lopez to serve three years on supervised release after the conclusion of his prison sentence. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, during the spring of 2022, Polanco-Lopez sold 1000, and on a second occasion 500, counterfeit prescription pills during controlled purchase operations conducted by law enforcement agents. The counterfeit prescription medication contained fentanyl, a dangerous and potentially lethal opioid. In all, Polanco-Lopez sold a total of 7.063 grams of pure fentanyl in the counterfeit pills, which is 3,531 doses of potentially fatal fentanyl. The matter was investigated by the DEA with assistance provided by the Kingston, Pennsylvania Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and fentanyl traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: New York Resident Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – PEDRO SARANTE , age 42, a resident of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on February 1, 2024 by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to ninety-six (96) months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on May 2, 2022, a Louisiana State Trooper stopped a 2005 Peterbilt tractor with a New Jersey license plate, for a motor carrier inspection, on Interstate 12 East. The trooper identified the driver and the passenger, and confirmed that the passenger, SARANTE , owned the tractor. When interviewed by the trooper regarding their itinerary and cargo, neither man could describe their cargo or itinerary. Later on, troopers consensually searched the vehicle, seized three (3) rolling duffel bags containing approximately seventy-four (74) kilograms of suspected cocaine and arrested both occupants. SARANTE later admitted that he was hired to travel from the Bronx Borough, of New York City, to Baytown, TX, to pick up a load of narcotics and transport them to Newark, NJ. SARANTE also admitted that he was going to be paid $1,000.00 per kilogram, once he delivered the drugs to Newark. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced To 14 Years’ Imprisonment For Bank Robbery

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 1, 2024, United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson sentenced James Henderson Bryant III, age 46, of Westminster, Maryland, to 14 years’ imprisonment for bank robbery. Judge Wilson also ordered Bryant to serve five years on supervised release after the conclusion of his prison sentence and ordered him to pay BB&T and Citizens Banks restitution of more than $26,000. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in July 2021, a little more than two months after being released from nearly 13 years in state prison, Bryant stole more than $3,000 from a BB&T Bank branch in Hanover, Pennsylvania using a demand note. In August 2021, Bryant robbed two different BB&T Bank branches in Gettysburg, and Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, threatening tellers that he had a firearm before fleeing with cash. In September 2021, Bryant robbed a Citizens Bank branch in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, this time brandishing what looked like a handgun at three tellers before stealing more than $6,200. Bryant was arrested on October 5, 2021, minutes after robbing a Citizens Bank branch in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, while brandishing what appeared to be a firearm. Days following Bryant’s arrest, he assaulted a corrections officer while being transported to a local hospital for medical care, for which charges remain pending. According to court records, Bryant was charged federally with bank robbery in December 2021, and pleaded guilty in January 2023. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance provided by the Pennsylvania State Police, Penn Township Police Department, Gettysburg Police Department, York Area Regional Police Department, Carroll Township Police Department, and the Carlisle Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Previously Deported Mexican Man Sentenced To Nine Months’ Imprisonment For Illegal Re-Entry

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Alfredo Sandoval-Madrigal, age 50, was sentenced on January 30, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, to nine months’ imprisonment on the charge of illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Sandoval-Madrigal was last deported from the United States to Mexico in June 2018. He re-entered the United States again sometime after June 2018 without first obtaining legal permission to do so. Sandoval-Madrigal was encountered in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on June 12, 2023. The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case. ###