title: Hudson County Man Admits Role In Four Robberies And Two Shootings In Jersey City, New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man admitted his role in four robberies and two shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey, which took place on the same night, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Rodney Williams, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Williams’ co-defendant, Siobhan Chandler, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 to 12 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release for her role. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On the evening of November 14, 2021, Williams and Chandler committed multiple armed robberies and two shootings in Jersey City. The criminal activity began when Williams, acting alone, robbed a store while he pointed his gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams who then fled. A short time later, Williams, now with Chandler, robbed a gas station, where Williams pointed his gun at two attendants and demanded money. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest. Williams and Chandler then fled. Williams and Chandler later entered another store, and Williams again pointed his gun at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams and he and Chandler fled. Williams and Chandler then entered a nearby restaurant, and Williams again pointed his gun at the cashier and demanded money. When the cashier did not immediately comply, Williams shot the cashier in the chest. The cashier then handed money to Williams, after which Williams and Chandler fled. The Hobbs Act robbery charges to which Williams pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; the conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to a crime of violence charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; the using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence charges carry statutory mandatory minimum terms of 7 (Count Four) and 10 years (Count Nine) in prison and maximum potential penalties of life in prison. Any term of imprisonment on Counts Four and Nine must run consecutive to any other prison term imposed on the other counts. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 23, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Kearns, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Eli Jacobs of the Criminal Division in Newark. williamsetal.indictment.pdf


title: Southeast Missouri Man Sentenced to 152 months in Prison for Selling Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man to 152 months in prison for selling methamphetamine. In February of 2023, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force officers received information that Johnny O. Morrow was selling methamphetamine. Officers made two purchases of meth totaling 22 grams from Morrow at his home in Fisk, Missouri, in Butler County. When officers arrived to serve a court-approved search warrant for Morrow’s home, he tried to run away but was caught and detained while still on the premises. After being read the search warrant, an officer heard Morrow make multiple statements about killing whoever had told on him. Officers found a pill bottle in a bedroom containing eight bags of meth packaged in a manner consistent with drugs intended for delivery, totaling approximately 31.6 grams, a separate pill bottle containing approximately 64.78 grams of meth and a bag of approximately 52.97 grams of meth concealed in a jacket. After being read his Miranda rights, Morrow said all the drugs belonged to him. Morrow, now 54 and from Steele, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in June to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Willis and Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Along with Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officials, Release Second “Don’t Click December” PSA

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, released a second PSA as part of their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The AARP is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign. The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “ Don’t Click It .” In the second PSA, available here , Bannock County Prosecutor Stephen Herzog, Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit warn the public about the “QR Code” scam and explain some of the ways in which individuals can protect themselves. This scam targets individuals through corrupt or fictitious QR codes. Often the scammer will email or text a scam QR code in an attempt to trick you. They may even cover up legitimate QR code with their own corrupted code with the goal getting you to visit a bogus website that can steal your information if you log in. Always verify with the restaurant or business if you suspect a QR code is suspicious. As part of the ongoing campaign, two additional PSAs are planned to be released in the weeks leading up to Christmas in an effort to alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments. “We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country. For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement. To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov , and if you believe you have been victimized, take-action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency. ###


title: Deltona Man Sentenced To More Than Eight Years For Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Christian Alberto Arango (33, Deltona) to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. The Court also ordered Arango to register as a sex offender and forfeit a computer and cell phone, which were used to commit the offenses. Arango had entered a guilty plea on June 11, 2024. According to court documents, Arango was identified as a purchaser of child sexual abuse material during an FBI investigation into an individual who had been producing and selling that material on the internet. On November 13, 2023, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Arango’s Deltona residence and seized his computer and cell phone. A subsequent forensic examination of those devices revealed over 500 images and over 600 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including children as young as toddlers. On February 13, 2024, during an interview with agents, Arango admitted that he had purchased and downloaded hundreds of child sexual abuse images since approximately 2018. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Worcester Police Department and City of Worcester, Massachusetts

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The Justice Department announced today the findings from its pattern or practice investigation into conduct by the City of Worcester, Mass. and the Worcester Police Department (WPD). According to the findings, the City of Worcester and WPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Specifically, as detailed in the investigative report, the Justice Department finds that the WPD uses excessive force, including unjustified uses of tasers, police dogs and strikes to the head. Officers rapidly escalated minor incidents by using more force than necessary, including during encounters with people who have behavioral health disabilities or are in crisis. WPD’s use of excessive force violates the Fourth Amendment. WPD has allowed certain officers at times to engage in outrageous government conduct and violate the constitutional rights of women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade by engaging in sexual contact while undercover as part of official investigations. This violates the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause. The Department’s investigation also describes serious concerns about some credible reports that officers have sexually assaulted women under threat of arrest and engaged in other sexual misconduct and concerns that WPD lacks adequate policies and practices to respond to and investigate sexual assaults by officers and others. Finally, the Department raised concerns that WPD engages in racially discriminatory policing. Deficiencies in policies, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the city and WPD’s unlawful conduct. “Our comprehensive investigation revealed that the Worcester Police Department uses excessive force and has allowed undercover police officers to engage in sexual contact with women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This is the first time the department has issued a pattern or practice finding involving sexual misconduct by officers. We look forward to working with city officials to institute reforms that build on their own preliminary efforts but that will fully bring an end to these unlawful and unconstitutional practices. The Justice Department is committed to standing firm against sexual misconduct in all its forms.” “Excessive force and sexual misconduct at the hands of officers who took an oath to serve and protect deeply diminishes the public’s trust in its sworn officers” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “The actions by certain officers who engaged in this conduct are not a reflection of the many hard working and ethical officers at the WPD who did not engage in such misconduct or the thousands of police officers around the Commonwealth who serve with honor every day. While the findings announced in today’s report are serious and sobering, today we start a new chapter. We look forward to working with the City of Worcester and the new leadership of the Worcester Police Department to implement reforms that will prevent these kinds of incidents from reoccurring.” The Justice Department opened this investigation on Nov. 15, 2022, pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (Section 12601), which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The report acknowledges the changes already made by the City and WPD and identifies additional remedial measures that the Department believes are necessary to address its findings. The Department is committed to working collaboratively with the City and WPD to address and remedy the harms the investigation identified. The Justice Department will hold a webinar at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, to provide more information about the findings. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. Please email community.wpd@usdoj.gov to register. The Department will also be seeking input from the Worcester community on remedies to address the investigation’s findings. Members of the public may submit recommendations by email at community.wpd@usdoj.gov or by phone at 617-275-8756. This matter was investigated by AUSA Jennifer Serafyn, Chief of the Civil Rights Unit; AUSAs Michelle Leung and Greg Dorchak of the Civil Rights Unit; and members of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. Information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts is available at www.justice.gov/usao-ma .


title: Conway Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: Evidence presented to the court showed that agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered an Internet user associated with an address in Conway who engaged in Bitcoin transactions with a Darknet site from which users purchased CSAM. HSI discovered that the user engaged in several Bitcoin transactions with Bitcoin addresses within the website between March 2016 and August 2016 and that the username on the account was Laine Clark. HSI obtained a federal search warrant for the residence in Conway, and during the search, agents found multiple electronic devices. During a forensic examination of the seized devices, HSI found 10,910 images and 1,210 videos of CSAM. Clark was present during the search and admitted to his involvement in CSAM-related activities. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Clark to 78 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Clark was ordered to pay $41,000.00 in restitution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Windsor, Colorado Business Owner and Company Sentenced for Conspiring to Delete Emissions Controls on Hundreds of Heavy Duty Diesel Trucks in Violation of the Clean Air Act

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Elite Diesel Service Inc., formerly located in Windsor Colorado, and its owner, Troy Lake Sr., were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by disabling the monitoring components of the emissions control systems on hundreds of heavy-duty commercial trucks throughout the country. Eight co-conspirators located in seven different states had previously been sentenced for their role in the conspiracy. According to the plea agreements, between approximately January 2017 through December 2020, Elite and Lake instructed Elite employees to disable the computerized on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems on at least 344 heavy-duty commercial trucks. OBDs are required under the Clean Air Act to monitor emissions control hardware on vehicles to ensure that they are functioning properly. Elite’s co-conspirators, companies that operated diesel truck garages or diesel truck fleets, had disabled the emissions control hardware on these trucks and hired Elite and Lake to manipulate the OBDs so that the OBDs would not detect the malfunctions. This violated the Clean Air Act’s prohibition against tampering with monitoring devices, 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C). Emissions controls on vehicles are critical to maintaining air quality, and when these controls are disabled, the increase in excess tailpipe pollution is significant. A study of the effects of tampering with these 344 trucks showed that the conspirators in this case collectively caused an illegal increase in pollutants of at least 1,300 tons of excess nitrogen oxides, 30 tons of excess non-methane hydrocarbons, 600 tons of excess carbon monoxide, and 30 tons of excess particulate matter. The World Health Organization has found that diesel exhaust is a carcinogen and causes lung cancer. Diesel exhaust is also associated with asthma and an increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disease. These impacts disproportionately affect low-income communities that tend to be located near highways and other high-traffic areas. Lake was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in custody and a fine of $2,500. Elite was sentenced to a five-year term of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $37,500. Elite was also ordered to make a payment of $12,500 to a program operated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment to repair the emissions control systems on vehicles owned by low-income drivers who cannot afford to bring their vehicles into compliance. The total assessment was based upon Elite’s demonstration that it was unable to pay a higher amount. Elite also agreed to enter into a corporate compliance and reporting program. The convictions of Elite and Lake are the culmination of an investigation into a widespread conspiracy to tamper with emission controls on diesel trucks across the country. The co-conspirators, who cooperated with the government during its investigation, were previously sentenced to pay fines and make payments for community service projects designed to offset some of the environmental harm caused by the violations, as follows: Endrizzi Diesel LLC of Bolivar, MO, was assessed a penalty of $220,000 including a fine and a community service payment to the Walnut Grove, MO School District to help replace old school buses with newer and cleaner school buses. Pro Diesel Inc. of Des Moines, IA, was assessed a penalty of $155,000 including a fine and a community service payment to the Des Moines Area Community College to fund development of curricula to train diesel mechanics on servicing emissions controls. McDermid Sales & Service Inc. of Oconto Falls, WI, was assessed a penalty of $112,500 including a fine and a community service payment to the Oconto Falls School District to help replace old school buses with newer and cleaner school buses. Hammes Repair Inc. of Seneca, KS, was assessed a penalty of $117,500 including a fine and a community service payment to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment for the purchase of electric groundskeeping equipment to replace old gas-fired equipment. Crossroads Repair Inc. of Jamestown, ND, was assessed a penalty of $97,500 including a fine and a community service payment to the Jamestown Rural Fire Department to help replace an old firefighting truck with a newer and cleaner truck. ATP Oilfield Services LLC of Fort Lupton, CO, was assessed a penalty of $107,500 including a fine and a community service payment to the CDPHE program to repair emissions controls on vehicles owned by low-income drivers. Beatty Bodyworks Inc. of Oklahoma City, OK, was assessed a fine of $15,000 based on defendant’s inability to pay a higher fine. Perkins Diesel LLC of Strafford, MO, was assessed a penalty of $95,500 including a fine and a community service payment to the Walnut Grove, MO School District to help replace old school buses with newer and cleaner school buses. The above eight defendants were also sentenced to probation and were required to enter into corporate compliance and reporting programs. “These violations of the Clean Air Act affected the health of people in Colorado and across the nation,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These sentences reflect the seriousness of these crimes.” “For years, the defendants led a large-scale conspiracy designed to violate the Clean Air Act by defeating emissions control equipment on hundreds of heavy-duty commercial trucks,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division in Colorado. “The actions by the defendants and their co-conspirators directly resulted in a significant increase in excess pollution, which diminished air quality and further placed vulnerable populations at risk of developing adverse health conditions. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals and companies who violate our nation’s environmental laws and threaten our nation’s air quality will be held criminally responsible for their actions.” The defendant was sentenced by Judge Regina Rodriguez on December 5, 2024. The Environmental Protection Agency handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Weber and Special Assistant United States Attorney Linda Kato handled the prosecution. Case Number: 24-cr-00118-RMR


title: 18th Street Gang Leader is Ninth and Final Defendant to Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, Junior Zelaya Canales, also known as “Terco,” a Queens-based regional leader of the 18th Street gang, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges in connection with his participation in the September 12, 2016 murder of 15-year-old Joshua Guzman in Hempstead, New York. The guilty plea proceeding was held in federal court in Brooklyn before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. Zelaya Canales is the ninth and final defendant to plead guilty under a seventh superseding indictment in connection with a sprawling racketeering conspiracy that also involved the October 25, 2017 murder of 20-year-old Jonathan Figueroa in Saugerties, New York; the February 2, 2018 murder of 20-year-old Oscar Antonio Blanco Hernandez in Queens; and multiple shootings and other gang activity. Zelaya Canales’ co-defendants Walter Fernando Alfaro Pineda, Jose Douglas Castellano, Yanki Misael Cruz Mateo, Israel Mendiola Flores, Yoni Alexander Sierra, Jose Jimenez Chacon, Carolina Cruz and Eric Chavez previously pled guilty. Flores and Chacon were previously sentenced to 425 months’ imprisonment and 269 months’ imprisonment, respectively. At sentencing, each remaining defendant faces up to life imprisonment. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty pleas. “Today’s guilty plea marks the end of a sweeping investigation into the violent and disturbing affairs of the 18th Street gang that removed some of the most influential, powerful and ruthless gang leaders and members from city streets across the country,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Together with our law enforcement partners around the nation and the world, my Office will not rest until the scourge of gang violence and senseless loss of life is put to an end. While these guilty pleas cannot undo the grave harm this gang has caused, we hope that it will bring a measure of closure to the victims and their families.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the New York State Police, the Kingston Police Department, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the Nassau County Police Department, the Hempstead Police Department, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance during the investigation. Today’s conviction is the latest in a series of recent convictions in this case of leaders, members and associates of 18th Street . According to court filings and proceedings, 18th Street is a well-known and well-established international criminal organization and violent street gang with members and associates residing throughout New York State including Queens and Long Island, and elsewhere throughout the United States including Houston, Texas. 18th Street members regularly engage in murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, illegal drug and firearms trafficking, false identification document production, witness tampering and money laundering. The defendants occupied various positions within the gang: Alfaro Pineda was a national 18th Street gang leader based in Houston, Texas, whose power and control extended across the United States. For example, he collected illicit funds raised by gang members in New York from fees extorted from prostitution brothels and illegal drug trafficking to further promote gang activity, including by providing the money to incarcerated 18th Street members in the United States and in El Salvador. Alfaro Pineda also supplied and trafficked illegal firearms to the gang’s New York-based members. Zelaya Canales was a regional 18th Street gang leader based in Queens, New York, whose power and control extended across the New York City metropolitan area. Castellano was a senior 18th Street gang member based in Brooklyn, New York, whose influence extended to upstate New York. Cruz Mateo was a Queens-based 18th Street gang member. Flores was a Kingston, New York-based 18th Street gang associate. Sierra was a Queens-based 18th Street gang associate. Chacon was a New Jersey-based 18th Street gang member. Cruz was a New Jersey-based 18th Street gang associate. Chavez was a Queens-based 18th Street gang member. The defendants committed multiple acts of violence in order to promote and enhance the prestige and reputation of the gang, and to maintain and increase their own membership and status in the gang, including: September 12, 2016 Murder of Joshua Guzman In September 2016, Zelaya Canales, then the regional leader of the Shatto Park Locos Sureños (SPLS) sect of 18th Street, ordered that Guzman be killed, in part, because the gang perceived Guzman to have been disrespectful towards 18th Street gang members. In the evening of September 11, 2016, Zelaya Canales dispatched two lower-level gang members to Long Island to lure Guzman out and murder him as part of a demonstration of their allegiance to 18th Street. On September 12, 2016 at approximately 1:03 a.m., the Hempstead Police Department received a ShotSpotter notification of gunshots fired near the intersection of Linden Avenue and Laurel Avenue in Hempstead, New York. A Hempstead Police Department officer and members of Nassau Police Department responded to the location and discovered the body of 15-year-old Guzman near the curb. Guzman was shot once in the back of the head and pronounced dead at the crime scene. July 9, 2017 Attempted Murder of Rival Gang Members On July 9, 2017, Zelaya Canales led a shootout in Woodside, Queens, with assistance from at least two additional 18th Street gang members, over a territorial dispute with a rival gang. At approximately 10:35 p.m., NYPD officers responded to the area after numerous calls were made to 9-1-1 concerning multiple gunshots. Multiple witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing approximately three to four men run towards Woodhaven Boulevard. After a canvas of the area, police officers recovered nine 9-millimeter shell casings among other evidence. NYPD subsequently went to Zelaya Canales’s apartment in Queens to execute two arrest warrants unrelated to the shooting. During the execution of the warrants, NYPD recovered a 9-millimeter Ruger with a defaced serial number, 4 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition, 56 rounds of .357 magnum ammunition, 34 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition and 23 rounds of .38 ammunition. Subsequent forensic ballistics examination revealed that the Zelaya Canales’s 9-mm Ruger was the same weapon that fired the 9-millimeter shell casings found at the crime scene of the July 9, 2017 shootout in Woodhaven. September 20, 2017 Assault of John Doe On September 20, 2017, Chavez, together with another 18th Street gang member, approached an individual (John Doe) on the street and shot him because they believed he was a member of the rival gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). John Doe survived and was treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital. October 25, 2017 Murder of Jonathan Figueroa By October 2017, gang members in New York suspected Jonathan Figueroa, a fellow 18th Street gang member, of cooperating with law enforcement in connection with the investigation of the murder of Guzman. Senior gang members, including Castellano, sought Alfaro Pineda’s authorization to murder Figueroa. Alfaro Pineda’s authorization was sought because Alfaro Pineda had initiated Figueroa into 18th Street in Houston, Texas, and because murdering a fellow gang member required approval from a senior member of the gang, such as Alfaro Pineda. With Alfaro Pineda’s authorization, Castellano activated gang members based in Kingston, New York, and directed them to coordinate with Queens-based gang members to see to Figueroa’s execution. Gang members in Kingston then began digging a grave in Turkey Point State Forest in anticipation of Figueroa’s arrival. In the late-night hours of October 24, 2017, Cruz Mateo lured and travelled with Figueroa from Queens to Kingston, New York. Upon their arrival in Kingston, they were met by Flores and other 18th Street members and associates who, into the early morning hours of October 25, 2017, brought Figueroa to Turkey Point State Forest, brutally stabbed him to death and buried him in the makeshift grave. Cruz Mateo ordered the murder to be video-recorded—capturing multiple 18th Street members and associates repeatedly stabbing Figueroa, slashing his throat, amputating his ear and dragging his body. In the video, Cruz Mateo stated that Figueroa was being murdered for “being a rat.” Cruz Mateo then sent the video to other 18th Street members as a warning to other gang members who might disrespect the gang or cooperate with law enforcement. Figueroa’s body was discovered in February 2018 by the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement authorities, in a five-foot deep grave in Turkey Point. He sustained more than 100 stab wounds including at least one stab wound to the head that appears to have fractured his skull, and a slash to his throat that ruptured his trachea. February 2, 2018 Murder of Oscar Antonio Blanco Hernandez On February 2, 2018, several gang members killed Blanco Hernandez because they believed he was a member of the rival MS-13 gang. Chacon had met Blanco Hernandez weeks earlier through their mutual employer, a New Jersey-based house painting company. On the morning of the murder, Cruz and Chacon picked up Blanco Hernandez at his home in New Jersey under the guise of going to smoke marijuana as friends. Cruz and Chacon drove Blanco Hernandez to Queens where they met 18th Street gang members including Cruz Mateo and Sierra who entered the rear passenger seat of Cruz’s car on opposite sides, sandwiching Blanco Hernandez between them. Cruz drove Chacon, Cruz-Mateo, Sierra and Blanco Hernandez a short distance to a quiet residential neighborhood. Cruz-Mateo, Sierra and Blanco-Hernandez got out of the car and started walking, while Cruz and Chacon stayed behind with the car. After walking for a few minutes, Cruz-Mateo drew a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot Blanco-Hernandez in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Blanco Hernandez’s body was discovered on a residential street in the Jamaica Hills section of Queens. He sustained three gunshot wounds: two gunshots to the torso and one to the head. * * * * * This case is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Erin Reid, Margaret Schierberl, Adam Amir and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Tareva Torres and Samuel Ronchetti. The Defendant : JUNIOR ZELAYA-CANALES, also known as “Terco” Age: 28 Jamaica, New York Co-Defendants Previously Convicted : WALTER FERNANDO ALFARO PINEDA, also known as “Clever” Age: 45 Houston, Texas YANKI MISAEL CRUZ MATEO, also known as “Yenki Misael Cruz Mateo,” “Yankee Mateo,” “Doggy” and “Wino” Age: 25 Jamaica, New York ISRAEL MEDIOLA FLORES, also known as “Chapito” and “Sinaloa” Age: 29 Kingston, New York YONI ALEXANDER SIERRA, also known as “Arca,” “Arc Angel” and “Wasson” Age: 26 Jamaica, New York JOSE JIMENEZ CHACON, also known as “Little One” Age: 26 New Brunswick, New Jersey CAROLINA CRUZ, also known as “La Fiera” Age: 31 Elizabeth, New Jersey JOSE DOUGLAS CASTELLANO, also known as “Chino” Age: 26 Brooklyn, New York ERIC CHAVEZ, also known as “Lunatico” Age: 25 Jamaica, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-139 (S-7) (HG)


title: United States Attorney’s Office Enters Agreement with Frankfort Hospital to Ensure Effective Communication with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky.— The United States has reached an agreement with Frankfort Regional Medical Center (“FRMC”), a 173-bed acute care facility located in Frankfort, Ky., to resolve allegations that FRMC violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), by failing to ensure effective communication with a deaf patient who uses American Sign Language (“ASL”). At multiple hospital visits during her pregnancy, FRMC failed to provide the patient with an ASL interpreter or other effective means of communication. Additionally, despite her request for an in-person interpreter during her labor and delivery, the patient had to provide her own interpreter for her cesarean section. FRMC also failed to ensure effective communication during the patient’s recovery stay, and during a subsequent hospital visit when she sought treatment for her infant. Moreover, FRMC failed to provide an interpreter or other appropriate auxiliary aids and services to the patient’s mother, who is also deaf and was attending the patient’s labor and delivery as a support person. FRMC cooperated fully with the United States’ investigation of this matter, which substantiated the patient’s allegations. Under the terms of its agreement with the United States, FRMC will modify its policies and practices consistent with the ADA, including those that address providing effective communication and securing qualified interpreters for patients; will train its staff and inform affiliated medical providers about the policies; will report any future complaints; and will cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure ongoing compliance. FRMC also will pay a $62,500 civil penalty to the United States, $100,000 to the patient, and $10,000 to her mother. “It is critical that patients who are deaf or hard of hearing have equal access to health care, which includes having the ability to communicate with their health care providers,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV. “This settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of those who are deaf or hard of hearing and ensuring that they are able to effectively participate in discussions and decisions regarding their health care.” This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Pond and investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Section, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation by a place of public accommodation or public entity in Eastern Kentucky can submit a complaint to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at usakye.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by phone to the Civil Rights Hotline at (859) 685-4880. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/civil-rights . More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514 0301 or (800) 514 0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov . – END – fully_executed_settlement_agmt_frmc.pdf


title: Troy Man Admits Possessing a Machinegun in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richawn McClain, age 26, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to possessing and intending to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement. McClain faces a mandatory prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, a supervised release term of at least 3 years and up to life, and a maximum $1 million fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. McClain admitted that on January 9, 2024, he possessed a handgun that had been modified to make it into a machinegun, 32 grams of cocaine, and more than 900 fentanyl pills. Inside of the same bag as the narcotics, McClain had $22,770, which he must forfeit as part of his plea. The DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.


title: Justice Department Awards $1.5 Million to Louisiana State Police for Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $1,500,000 to Louisiana State Police for the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) to research, review, and collect lawfully-owed DNA from arrestees and convicted offenders for enrollment in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in hopes that they will return hits to generate new investigative information in unsolved cases. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab (LSPCL) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is responsible for receiving, verifying acceptability, and analyzing lawfully-owed arrestee and convicted offender DNA collections, as well as developing and uploading DNA profiles into the CODIS database. LSPCL also retains the collected DNA samples for match verification and other quality assurance purposes. The State of Louisiana began collecting and enrolling lawfully owed convicted offender samples into CODIS in 2002 and has been a trailblazer regarding lawfully owed arrestee collections, becoming the first state in the country to collect and enroll lawfully owed arrestee samples into CODIS (2003), and analyze lawfully-owed arrestee samples as a part of the booking process using Rapid DNA technology (2022). For more information about these awards, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov .


title: Key West Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Resisting Coast Guard Officers Near South Beach

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Dec. 4, Jeremie Calo, of Key West, Fla., was sentenced to federal prison for resisting and evading the U.S. Coast Guard’s rescue attempts for several hours. According to the court filings in support of Calo’s plea, the Coast Guard approached a small vessel with six persons onboard, including Calo, just south of South Beach in Biscayne Bay, Fla, in August of 2022. None of the vessel occupants were wearing life jackets. Due to the small boat’s location and the occupants’ failure to wear life jackets, the Coast Guard officers ordered the passengers to disembark and board a Coast Guard vessel to be taken back to a sailboat for everyone’s safety. Calo was the sole occupant who refused to comply with the Coast Guard officers’ rescue attempts. As a result, the Coast Guard officers had to forcibly remove Calo from the small boat and put him onto the Coast Guard boat for safety. Shortly thereafter, Calo jumped off the Coast Guard boat and into the bay. Calo then spent more than two hours swimming around in the bay, evading and resisting rescue attempts from the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies. For example, Calo physically resisted being assisted back into the Coast Guard boat by slapping away the hands of an assisting officer. Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Calo to three months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, including seven months of home detention, and a $2,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matt Margelot for the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Miami Office, made the announcement. CGIS investigated this matter. Coral Gables Police Department, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Miami Beach Police Department, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20263. ###


title: Michigan Men Sentenced for Smash-and-Grab at St. Louis County Jewelry Store

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men from the Detroit, Michigan area have been sentenced to federal prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of Rolex watches from a jewelry store in Ellisville, Missouri. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced Kordaryl Cross, 35, to 57 months in prison. Judge Autrey sentenced Dajuan Marcellus, 34, in October to 37 months in prison. Both were ordered to pay $344,300 to the jeweler. On Jan. 10, 2023, Cross bought sledgehammers at a Missouri retailer. Marcellus, Cross and at least two others stole a Dodge Ram truck from Brentwood that they then drove to Ellisville the next day. Marcellus and one other person entered the store and used sledgehammers to smash glass cases containing the watches while Cross monitored the time. They then drove to a parking garage and abandoned the stolen truck. Cross and Marcellus took the watches to Illinois. Cross and Marcellus each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Both Cross and Marcellus were on supervised release for separate robbery cases in the Eastern District of Michigan at the time of the crime. They were each sentenced in 2023 to 18 months in prison. The Ellisville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.


title: Former Rensselaer County Elections Commissioner Sentenced for Identity Theft

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Schofield, age 45, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, and to pay a $2,000 fine and a $1,200 special assessment, for unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots for elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Schofield was an Elections Commissioner at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (“RCBOE”) from April 2018 until December 2022, when he resigned in anticipation of his guilty plea. In pleading guilty to a 12-count indictment, Schofield admitted that in 2021, he unlawfully possessed and used the names and dates of birth of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he submitted in the voters’ names to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal. Schofield admitted that for each application, he falsely certified that he was the voter requesting the ballot. He also admitted that he took personal possession of 9 of these ballots, while knowing and intending that RCBOE records would falsely reflect that the ballots had been mailed to the voters. The FBI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted it.


title: Pennsylvania Man Arrested After Driving to Albany for Planned Sexual Abuse of Minor

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Gruber, age 39, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, was arrested last week and charged with traveling across state lines to the Capital Region with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement. According to a criminal complaint, in November 2024 Gruber began communicating with an individual to discuss and plan his sexual abuse of a person he believed to be a 9-year-old child residing in Albany County, New York. Gruber planned to drive from Pennsylvania to Albany County and pay $300 in order to sexually abuse the person he believed to be a child. On December 5, 2024, Gruber was arrested after arriving in Albany at a prearranged meeting location. Gruber had $460 in cash on him at the time of his arrest. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Gruber initially appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart on December 6 and was ordered detained. He faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. FBI and the New York State Police are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew M. Paulbeck is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: TPD Receives $2.5M in Grant Funding from the Department of Justice to Further Investigate Sexual Assault Kits

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson, City of Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, and Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen proudly announced a $2.5M grant from the National Sexual Kit Initiative. The grant will allow the Tulsa Police Department to continue working on the prosecution of unsolved sexual assault cases. This is critical to enhancing the response to sexual assaults and ensuring justice for victims. This funding will not only help link victims with advocates and services but also help implement best practices to prosecute offenders and increase public safety. The National Sexual Kit Initiative is finding that a significant number of people who have committed multiple violent sexual assaults are being linked to other unsubmitted kits. Not only are those people committing sexual assaults, but they are frequently responsible for homicides and other violent offenses. “This essential funding allows victims of sexual assault to receive long-awaited justice,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My hope is that this grant will enable the Tulsa Police Department to reopen unsolved cases and help the survivors of sexual assault move forward with closure.” “Even with the strides made by the Tulsa Police Department in recent years to address cold cases and previously untested rape kits, there is more work to be done as we seek to do right by our neighbors and for the victims of these senseless crimes,” Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said. “I spent my career in the legislature working to ensure we ended the backlog on rape kit testing and I’m committed to doing so as mayor. Having the funding to be able to continue this testing will help us solve some of the most underreported crimes in Tulsa and make sure victims get the justice they deserve while removing these predators off our streets. I’m thankful for the U.S. Department of Justice for its help in making this a funding priority, and I’m eager to work with the Tulsa Police Department as we set the bar high and do all that we can to combat sexually based crimes in our community.” Chief Dennis Larsen said, "This $2.5 million grant from the Department of Justice is a critical step forward in our commitment to justice for sexual assault survivors. It will enable us to process backlogged kits, potentially solve cold cases, and provide closure to victims who have waited far too long for answers. This funding not only supports our efforts to enhance the efficiency of our forensic services but also reinforces our resolve to ensure that no stone is left unturned in seeking justice." In total, the Department of Justice, through its Office of Justice Programs, is awarding more than $4.4 billion in grants across the country. This funding will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism. “BJA is pleased to award new SAKI funding to the city of Tulsa in support of its efforts to address unsubmitted sexual assault kits and to advance improvements in addressing sexually motivated crimes,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “This funding will prioritize the voices of victims and survivors, while providing essential resources to advance investigations into cold cases.” More information about this award and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP FY24 Grant Awards site. About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov .


title: Previously Convicted Federal Felon Convicted At Trial For Possessing Firearm In Connection With Drug Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – After a four day trial, a federal jury found Ryan E. Dales, age 36, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. The verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). A jury trial in connection with the remaining counts in the Superseding Indictment pertaining to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft charges is scheduled to begin on January 13, 2025. These charges relate to Dales’s alleged receipt of fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits and his alleged use of victim identities to obtain various high-end lawnmowers on credit. According to the evidence presented at trial, on January 20, 2023, Defendant was arrested pursuant to a federal arrest warrant and, that same day, a federal search warrant was executed at Defendant’s residence located at 900 E Fort Ave. in Baltimore—a luxury apartment building in the Locust Point area of Baltimore. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement located and seized, among other things various items used in connection with Defendant’s illegal business selling drugs, including: two loaded firearms, a stolen Smith & Wesson firearm, S/N: HDW0599 and one which was a privately-made “ghost gun” Polymer80 9mm firearm with no serial number; a box containing 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition, including hollow point ammunition; numerous packages of controlled dangerous substances, including hundreds of grams of fentanyl packaged for street level distribution; multiple digital scales; sifters, a heat sealer, a bag containing 10,000 empty capsules meant to package drugs, other drug packing materials, various cutting agents, a respirator; and six cell phones. Dales later voluntarily waived his Miranda rights and admitted to living in his apartment alone and that the firearms seized in his apartment were his. He also told law enforcement that he was a “very resourceful person”—referring to his livelihood as a drug dealer. Dales’s DNA was later determined to be present on both firearms and their magazines. Law enforcement’s later review of Defendant’s devices revealed the existence of numerous Telegram chats where he negotiated purchasing drugs and cutting agents from multiple people, including mass producers of fentanyl in China. Investigators further found evidence that about a month before the execution of the search warrant, Dales traveled to Boston with a firearm (identical in appearance to the ghost gun found in his apartment) and a bag full of cash to purchase drugs. Dales’s device search history included searches for where fentanyl is produced in China, how to dye powders, and how many bullets a Smith and Wesson M&P 9c firearm—the same type seized from his apartment—can hold. Dales faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and up to life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. District Chief Judge George Levi Russell, III, has scheduled sentencing for a later to be determined date. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DOL-OIG for their work in connection with the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley, and Reema Sood, who are prosecuting the federal case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber. 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: Upper St. Clair Resident Charged with Lying to FBI Regarding Involvement with Hizballah

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been charged by Criminal Complaint in Pittsburgh with making a false statement or representation involving international terrorism to a department or agency of the United States, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The two-count Criminal Complaint names Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, as the sole defendant, and charges that, on or about October 20, 2024, Molloy lied to FBI agents during an investigation involving international terrorism, in violation of federal law. Molloy was arrested and appeared in federal court today in Chicago, Illinois. According to the affidavit filed in support of the Complaint, which was unsealed today, Molloy, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, traveled to Lebanon in August 2024 with a desire to join Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). While in Lebanon, Molloy appeared to encounter obstacles in doing so. Molloy then traveled from Lebanon to Syria in October 2024 in an effort to contact the Syrian branch of Hizballah. The affidavit further alleges that Molloy also supported and idolized violence and wanted to kill Jews, as evidenced by multiple images and videos on his electronic devices and the names he chose as his monikers for his social media and email accounts. Molloy returned to the United States and began residing in the Pittsburgh suburb of Upper St. Clair, where Molloy continued to engage in conduct consistent with his desire to join Hizballah. Upon arriving at the Pittsburgh International Airport on October 20, 2024, Molloy lied to agents of the FBI when he told them that (1) he had no current or future plans to become involved with Hizballah and (2) he had no business in, nor was he meeting with anyone, in Syria. These statements and representations were false because Molloy knew at that time that (1) he did have current and future plans to become involved with Hizballah and (2) Molloy travelled to Syria in furtherance of his attempts to join Hizballah, and while in Syria, set up a meeting with an individual there. Read the full affidavit filed in support of the Criminal Complaint against Molloy here . The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to eight years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Pittsburgh and Chicago offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Complaint. A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Gloucester County Man Sentenced To 120 Months In Prison For Drug Trafficking And Possession Of Firearms As A Felon

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute thousands of methamphetamine pills and possessing two firearms as a felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. George W. Joyce, 40, of Glassboro, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 29, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Joyce’s residence in Glassboro, New Jersey. Officers recovered from Joyce’s bedroom approximately 2,587 methamphetamine pills that Joyce admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute to others. Joyce further admitted to possessing two loaded firearms that officers also recovered from his bedroom. Joyce’s possession of the firearms was unlawful because he was a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Joyce to 4 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of FBI’s Wilmington Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno in Baltimore, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the Delaware State Police, and the New Castle County (Delaware) Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. joyce.information.pdf


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Drew Lamont Scruggs, 48, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2024, Scruggs pawned a Kimber model Stainless Ultra Carry II .45-caliber pistol at a Huntington business. Scruggs admitted to possessing the firearm and that the firearm was later determined to have been stolen at the time he possessed it. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Scruggs knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for voluntary manslaughter on June 25, 1997, trafficking in cocaine on April 1, 1998, and on November 12, 2012, and failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer on November 3, 2015, and on August 6, 2019, all in Summit County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-49. ###


title: Former Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Theft of Tax Refunds

body_text: BOSTON – A New Bedford woman pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2024 to stealing federal funds by filing false tax returns in order to obtain fraudulent tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). Valentina Martinez, 50, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft of government money. Senior U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025. According to court documents, Martinez worked for a national tax preparation service. After preparing returns for clients and providing them copies of their returns, Martinez added fraudulent claims for business deductions to the clients’ returns without their knowledge and electronically filed the false returns in order to obtain fraudulent refunds. Martinez caused the tax refunds to be deposited onto debit cards that she used to make ATM withdrawals, and to pay for a Florida vacation and other purchases. Martinez’s scheme was discovered and her employment terminated when a taxpayer client complained to the preparation service about a missing refund. By then, Martinez had already filed at least 12 false returns and caused more than $45,000 in losses to the IRS. The prosecution of Martinez is part of a Stolen Identity Refund Project (“SIRF”) program operated by the IRS to identify tax preparers who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing fake tax returns that claim tax refunds without the named taxpayer’s knowledge. The charge of theft of government money carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release. a fine of $250,000and restitution to the IRS. Sentences are imposed by the federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Bureau of Prisons Inmate Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2015 Murder at United States Penitentiary

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Morgan Wayne Siler, 40, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to two concurrent terms of life in prison. Siler pleaded guilty to Murder and Conspiracy to Murder on September 11, 2024. On December 18, 2015, at the United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Siler – along with fellow inmate and co-conspirator David Hammer – killed another inmate who was housed at the facility. Siler and Hammer planned the murder in advance. The victim’s cause of death was determined to be from asphyxia and blunt force injuries. At the time of the murder, Siler was in federal custody for a 2008 conviction stemming from an assault on a Bureau of Prisons corrections officer and a 2005 conviction for a series of retail establishment robberies in Virginia. Siler’s life sentences will run consecutive to the sentences already imposed in those cases. Co-conspirator Hammer passed away in 2019. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1300-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-171_Siler # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Justice Department Announces Tribal Consultations to Consider Legislative Proposals to Preserve Tribal Sovereignty and Address the Balance of Jurisdiction in Indian Country

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced today it will hold Tribal consultations around its consideration of legislative proposals to address the balance of jurisdiction in Indian country that was upended by the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta . Indian country is a legal term that generally describes Tribal reservations, lands, communities, and allotments that fall under the jurisdiction of the United States. Until two years ago, there was a long-held understanding, shared by the federal government and Tribes, that a law passed by Congress, the General Crimes Act, limited a state’s authority to prosecute some crimes committed in Indian country, namely those crimes committed by non-Indian defendants against Indian victims. Those crimes could be prosecuted only by federal or Tribal authorities. In Castro-Huerta , the Supreme Court rejected that understanding. Instead, the Supreme Court ruled that the General Crimes Act does not limit a state’s inherent jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indian defendants who commit crimes against Indian victims in Indian country. In other words, based on the Supreme Court’s decision, the federal government, states, and Tribes now have concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute these types of crimes throughout the United States. Because the Supreme Court’s decision was based on the language in a statute, Congress, exercising its constitutional plenary power over Indian affairs, could pass legislation restoring the previous balance of jurisdiction in Indian country. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with Native communities to advance our shared goal of Tribal safety while respecting and uplifting Tribal sovereignty,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These upcoming consultations are consistent with the Department’s longstanding practice of working collaboratively with our Tribal partners to promote safe communities throughout Indian country.” The Justice Department and the Department of the Interior (DOI) held joint listening sessions on Sept. 26-27, 2022, to discuss with Tribal representatives the implications of the Castro-Huerta decision and the impact on Tribal communities. More than 500 Tribal leaders and other Tribal representatives participated in these discussions. Several clear themes emerged, including a view from Tribes that the Castro-Huerta decision diminished Tribal sovereignty, injected confusion into a complex legal and operational landscape, and presented long-term implications for state interference in Tribal affairs. A common view emerged that legislation and clarifying federal guidance were in order. Several Tribes also reported that Castro-Huerta has negatively impacted their cross-deputization, cross-jurisdictional, and other cooperative law enforcement agreements with states, which prior to Castro-Huerta were an important part of successful law enforcement and criminal justice schemes on many reservations. Based on those listening sessions, other feedback, and experience over the past two years, the Justice Department is now considering whether to support a legislative proposal to restore the previous balance of jurisdiction in Indian country and, if so, what form that legislation should take. Two draft proposals are presented for Tribal review and consideration. Both proposals make clear that states lack jurisdiction over crimes within Indian country committed by or against Indians, unless expressly authorized by federal statute. Both proposals also state that unless otherwise authorized by federal statute, states must, before exercising such jurisdiction, (1) ensure compliance with the procedures for obtaining Tribal consent of the impacted Indian Tribe, and (2) where applicable, comply with a procedure to amend the state constitution or laws The Department is releasing a framing paper, which will be available on the Department’s Tribal Justice and Safety website and includes additional background and the two legislative proposals. The Justice Department plans to hold consultations in January 2025.


title: Criminal Charges Unsealed in Chicago Against Two Former High-Ranking Syrian Government Intelligence Officials for War Crimes Against Americans and Other Civilians

component: Criminal Division

body_text: CHICAGO — An indictment was unsealed today in Chicago charging two high-ranking Syrian officials under former President Bashar al-Assad with war crimes. The indictment charges the former Syrian intelligence officials with engaging in a conspiracy to commit cruel and inhuman treatment of civilian detainees, including U.S. citizens, during the course of the Syrian civil war. Former Syrian Air Force Intelligence officers Jamil Hassan, 72, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, 65, were each charged in connection with a conspiracy to commit war crimes through the infliction of cruel and inhuman treatment on detainees under their control, including U.S. citizens, in detention facilities at the Mezzeh Military Airport near Damascus, Syria. Warrants for the defendants’ arrest have been issued, and they remain at large. “The perpetrators of the Assad regime’s atrocities against American citizens and other civilians during the Syrian civil war must answer for their heinous crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, these Assad regime intelligence officials whipped, kicked, electrocuted, and burned their victims; hung them by their wrists for prolonged periods of time; threatened them with rape and death; and falsely told them that their family members had been killed. The Justice Department has a long memory, and we will never stop working to find and bring to justice those who tortured Americans.” “The Assad regime may have fallen, but our commitment to accountability continues unabated,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “For the second time in a year, the Department of Justice has brought charges against those who committed war crimes against U.S. citizens, deploying a previously unused federal law to hold accountable individuals who engaged in cruel and inhuman atrocities during armed conflict.” “The serious human rights abuses set forth in this indictment must not go unpunished,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago remains steadfastly committed to bringing justice to the victims of these heinous crimes, no matter where the perpetrators are or how long it takes.” “Torture is one of the most egregious crimes that the FBI investigates, and this historic indictment memorializes our commitment to accountability and justice,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “This multi-year investigation is the culmination of the tireless work by FBI personnel, both in the US and overseas, and the courage of countless victims and witnesses affected by the Assad Regime in Syria.” “Hassan and Mahmoud allegedly oversaw the systematic use of torture and cruelty on perceived enemies of the Syrian regime, including American citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is fully committed to working with our law enforcement partners around the world to ensure these alleged war criminals are held accountable for their actions and justice is brought to the victims of these atrocities.” “The defendants are alleged to have committed atrocities against political dissidents, including U.S. citizens, opposing a brutal and now-deposed dictatorial regime,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “War crimes such as the torture described in this indictment strike at the basic human rights that we all share. This historic indictment — the second brought under the U.S. War Crimes statute — demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to pursue accountability for those who commit war crimes and other atrocities wherever they may occur.” According to the indictment, Hassan was the Director of Syrian Air Force Intelligence and oversaw a network of detention facilities, including the Mezzeh Prison in Damascus, where civilians perceived to be opponents of the Syrian regime were detained and subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment. Mahmoud was a Brigadier General in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence and directed operations at the Mezzeh Prison. The indictment alleges that from 2012 to 2019, Hassan and Mahmoud conspired to identify, intimidate, threaten, punish, and kill people detained at Mezzeh Prison suspected of aiding or supporting opponents of the regime, such as those who protested, provided medical aid to opponents of the regime, or publicly criticized the regime. According to the indictment, detainees in the defendants’ custody, including U.S. citizens, were mercilessly beaten, electrocuted, and had their toenails removed. Detainees were also allegedly hung from the ceiling by their wrists and were burned with acid. The defendants allegedly conspired to create an atmosphere of terror at Mezzeh, forcing detainees to listen to the screams of tortured prisoners and share cells with the dead bodies of other detainees, while guards threatened to kill and sexually assault their family members. The detainees were also allegedly deprived of adequate food, water, and medical care. The defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit the war crime of cruel and inhuman treatment. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Chicago Field Office investigated the war crimes allegations in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The Justice Department thanks the United Nations International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism for Syria, as well as French and German authorities, for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Dollear, Barry Jonas, and Ann Marie Ursini for the Northern District of Illinois, and HRSP Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Nielsen and Frank Rangoussis. HRSP historian Phil Hoffman provided assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States or the location of the defendants named in this indictment are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or through the FBI online tip form . All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. us_v._hassan.indictment.filed_.pdf


title: Tarpon Springs Felon Previously Convicted For Attempted Murder Of A Police Officer Convicted For Possessing Ammunition Loaded Into Ar-15 Ghost Gun

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found James Patrick Sychowski (48, Tarpon Springs) guilty of possessing ammunition by a convicted felon. Sychowski faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Sychowski was indicted on May 17, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 7, 2023, at his mother’s residence in Tarpon Springs, Sychowski armed himself with a loaded AR-15 “ghost gun” he built himself over the course of several months, threatened to kill his mother and her husband, and threatened to shoot at any police officers responding to the scene. When officers from the Tarpon Springs Police Department arrived, Sychowski fled and was later arrested in Clearwater. Officers discovered the AR-15 ghost gun on Sychowski’s bed in his room and discovered the construction materials and accessories Sychowski used to build the AR-15. Further investigation revealed that Sychowski had purchased the AR-15 components online and shipped them to the Tarpon Springs residence. Bank statements and financial documents presented at trial corroborated Sychowski’s purchase of the ghost gun components and his purchase of PMC 5.56mm ammunition and a magazine from a local firearms store in Holiday, Florida. Evidence presented to the jury obtained from Sychowski’s cell phone corroborated the firearm and accessories purchases and featured a photograph of the same AR-15 ghost gun. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David J. Pardo.


title: Justice Department Sues South Carolina for Violating Americans with Disabilities Act

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department sued the State of South Carolina today for unnecessarily segregating adults with mental illness in adult care homes, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department previously notified South Carolina of its findings of civil rights violations in a July 2023 letter , which identified steps that the state should take to remedy the violations. “People with disabilities in South Carolina can and must be able to receive services in their own homes, rather than being isolated in institutions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to ensure that people with disabilities can receive the services necessary to enable and empower them to leave institutions, and participate fully in community life.” “The ADA requires public entities to administer services, programs and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “South Carolina must remedy the alleged violations identified by the Justice Department so that these individuals can obtain services in their own communities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The ADA and Olmstead decision require state and local governments to ensure that the services for adults with mental illness are provided in the most integrated setting appropriate. Community-based services, such as Assertive Community Treatment and supportive housing, are effective in supporting people in their own homes and communities rather than institutional settings. Absent these services, many South Carolinians with mental illness who could live in the community remain in, and continue to enter, adult care homes. The lawsuit alleges that South Carolina violates the ADA by failing to provide community-based services to prevent the unnecessary segregation of adults with mental illness in adult care homes. As a result, over a thousand adults with mental illness are segregated in adult care homes for years, and more continue to enter these facilities each month. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. Individuals with information relevant to this matter can contact the department by emailing Community.SouthCarolina@usdoj.gov . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov/topics/community-integration/ . For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charge

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEJAVAHN WATKIN, 25, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a narcotics trafficking charge. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 1, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force executed a court-authorized search warrant at Watkin’s apartment on Broad Street in Hartford. The search revealed approximately 38 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 1,800 wax folds of fentanyl, quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, a loaded Glock .22 caliber handgun, and $18,362 in cash. Watkin was arrested at that time. Investigators subsequently recovered a loaded Stag Arms Stag-15 rifle that they determined Watkin had thrown from a window as they were about to enter his apartment. Watkin pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. Watkin has been detained since his arrest. The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.


title: Sumter Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of an Energy Facility and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Donald Ray Hurst, Jr., 35, of Sumter, has pleaded guilty to destruction of an energy facility and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Aug. 11, 2023, Duke Energy called law enforcement to respond to a power outage near Fish Road in Dalzell. FBI agents and deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrived and saw that the regulator bank, which helps distribute power to the local community and businesses, had multiple holes in it that appeared to be from bullets. The damage resulted in a power outage to several thousand customers. The cost of the clean-up and replacement of the regulators was over $100,000. Investigators spoke to witnesses who stated they heard gunshots near the regulators on Aug. 9. After speaking with witnesses, agents installed a pole camera at that location. Two days later, they returned and found that the regulators had been shot again. They also recovered a 9mm shell casing at the scene. A review of the pole camera footage revealed that a white van arrived near the regulators. The van stopped and gunshots were seen being fired toward the energy facility. Agents located the owner of the van, with the help of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and interviewed the owner who was in possession of the vehicle. The owner stated that Hurst and another individual possessed the van during the time of the shooting. Agents searched the van and found a spent 9mm shell casing. Agents later executed a search warrant on Hurst’s residence and recovered a firearm in his room and a 9mm handgun in a safe in another room of the house. Forensic analysis determined that the shell casing found at the scene of the shooting on Aug. 14 and the shell casing recovered from the van were fired from the 9mm handgun. Hurst’s fingerprint was also found on the trigger of the 9mm handgun, and the key to the safe containing the firearm was located with Hurst’s car keys. While incarcerated, Hurst was heard on a recorded jail phone call informing someone about a hard drive in his room that needed to be recovered because it “could get someone in trouble.” In a subsequent recorded phone call, Hurst admitted to shooting the regulator bank. He also stated that the hard drive found at his home contained images of child sexual abuse material that he acquired from the dark web. Agents retrieved the hard drive from the home. A search warrant on the hard drive revealed several images that were confirmed to be CSAM by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Hurst faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and a lifetime of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment for each charge. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Hurst after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sumter Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall and Michael Shedd are prosecuting the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Agreement With Hudson And Morris County Boards Of Elections To Ensure Polling Place Access To Voters With Disabilities

body_text: NEWARK--The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has secured agreements with the Hudson and Morris County Boards of Election to ensure that the counties provide accessible polling places to voters with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today. The agreement resolves the United States’ investigations into both counties’ compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by state or local government in its programs or services. The United States’ investigation identified architectural barriers at multiple polling places in both counties that rendered some of the polling places not fully accessible to voters with disabilities. The Boards of Elections in both counties have cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reach these agreements to improve physical accessibility at their respective polling place locations. “Ensuring that all eligible citizens can participate in the voting process is one of the most fundamental elements of our democracy. Voters with disabilities have a right to vote at their local polling places free from barriers to physical accessibility. Our office remains committed to using every tool available to ensure that all eligible New Jersey voters can cast their ballot without barriers.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger Under the settlement agreement, the Election Boards will each employ temporary measures, such as portable ramps and signage, where appropriate, to make their existing polling places accessible. They will also train poll workers on the ADA’s accessibility requirements, how to use temporary measures to make polling places accessible, and how to survey polling locations for accessibility on Election Day. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the Board of Elections’ compliance with the agreements and provide them with technical assistance. The United States is represented by Senior Civil Rights Counsel Kelly Horan Florio and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at http://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Complaint Hotline at (855) 281-3339. 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). hudson.settlementagreement.pdf morris.settlementagreement.pdf