title: Israeli Man Admits Conspiring with Convicted Ponzi Schemer and Others to Defraud Investors of Tens Of Millions of Dollars, to Launder Money, and to Obstruct Justice

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Israeli man today admitted conspiring with Eliyahu "Eli" Weinstein, whose 24-year federal prison sentence was commuted after being twice convicted of defrauding investors of a total of $230 million, and others to defraud investors of more than $35 million in a new fraud scheme, and to conspiring to engage in money laundering and obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Shlomo Erez, 56, of Israel, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. “Shlomo Erez admitted to helping Eliyahu ‘Eli’ Weinstein, a twice convicted fraudster whose sentence was commuted by the then President of the United States, hide his identity from investors, ripping them off to the tune of millions of dollars and evading hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution to victims of Weinstein’s prior fraud schemes. This scheme used phony identities and false promises of access to deals involving scarce medical supplies, baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly destined for wartime Ukraine to defraud victims. Erez will now face justice for his crimes, and we will continue to prosecute the other alleged conspirators.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Financial crimes like the charges Shlomo Erez pled guilty to today cause great emotional harm to the numerous victims who trusted this defendant with their hard earned money,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “We will continue to aggressively investigate cases of people who victimize others for their own financial gain.” Four of Erez’s conspirators – Christopher Anderson, 47, Richard Curry, 36, Alaa Hattab, 35, and Joel Wittels, 57 – previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Wittels also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and to conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs. All are awaiting sentencing. Charges are still pending against conspirators Weinstein and Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Weinstein was convicted two times in New Jersey federal court for defrauding investors. His first case involved a real estate Ponzi scheme, and his second case stemmed from additional fraud Weinstein committed while on pretrial release. For these crimes, which resulted in combined losses to investors of approximately $230 million, Weinstein was sentenced to serve 24 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On Jan. 19, 2021, after Weinstein had served less than eight years, the president of the United States at that time commuted Weinstein’s term to time served, leaving intact the rest of his sentence. Soon after being released from prison, Weinstein began orchestrating a new scheme to solicit money from investors through a company called Optimus Investments Inc. (Optimus). Using the fake name “Mike Konig,” Weinstein ran Optimus with Bromberg and Wittels. Weinstein, Bromberg, and Wittels received the bulk of investor money through a second company, Tryon Management Group LLC, which was owned and controlled by Anderson and Curry. Tryon promised these individual investors – consisting mostly of friends and family – lucrative opportunities to invest in deals involving COVID-19 masks, scarce baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly bound for wartime Ukraine. Posing as Mike Konig, Weinstein provided the information for these supposed deals. Based on that information, investors gave money to Tryon, believing the deals were legitimate and not knowing about Weinstein’s involvement. In turn, Tryon transferred those funds to Weinstein, through Optimus. Erez served as a purported custodian of Optimus funds for Optimus’ investors. After receiving investor money, Erez conducted numerous financial transactions at Weinstein’s direction for purposes other than what investors were promised, including investing in a penthouse apartment in Miami, Florida, and a purported land deal in Morocco. In February 2022, almost immediately after Tryon and Optimus started receiving investor money, Tryon was unable to pay its investors. Rather than reveal this information to investors, the conspirators agreed to pool money from existing investors of both Optimus and Tryon and use it to make monthly payments to other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. The conspirators concealed this arrangement from investors by falsely telling investors that the payments derived from legitimate investment returns, not other investors’ money. In late August 2022, the conspirators had a series of meetings in which Weinstein revealed his true identity to Anderson and Curry. In these meetings, at least two of which included Erez, Weinstein also admitted to making various false statements about purported Optimus deals and to misappropriating Tryon investor money. Both during and after these August 2022 meetings, the conspirators agreed to continue concealing Weinstein’s identity from investors and to raise additional money to pay off existing Tryon investors, all in an effort to stop the Ponzi scheme from falling apart and to cover up the conspirators’ fraud. In addition to defrauding investors, Erez also conspired with Weinstein and others to launder the proceeds of their crimes. Erez opened bank accounts to hold money for Weinstein that Erez knew was the proceeds of unlawful activity, including the fraud scheme, and transferred it for the benefit of Weinstein and his conspirators. Erez also created entities to invest ill-gotten funds in real estate companies for the benefit of Weinstein and his associates. Erez also conspired with Weinstein, Bromberg, and others to obstruct justice. They helped hide Weinstein’s assets that should have been used to pay over $200 million in restitution that he still owes his previous victims. They also concealed Weinstein’s myriad business activities, which he was required to disclose to the court and which were expressly prohibited by the terms of his supervised release. Conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice are each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Conspiracy to commit money laundering is punishable by a maximum of twenty years and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Erez is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Antonia Apps, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer, Carolyn Silane, Mark Pesce of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges against Weinstein and Bromberg are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. erez.information.pdf


title: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud Scheme Targeting Elders

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man has pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to his role in a $4.8 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Jeremy Wade Wilson, 42, of Fort Worth, Texas, owned and operated Publishers Elite, a Texas-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales. From 2013 through 2019, Wilson ran a telemarketing call center in Arlington, Texas, where Wilson provided his telemarketers with scripts containing fraudulent sales pitches for use in defrauding victim-consumers out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Wilson knew that many of the consumers on these lists were elderly or otherwise susceptible to fraudulent and deceptive sales tactics. Nevertheless, Wilson directed his telemarketers to call the people on these lists and trick them, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into signing up for expensive magazine subscription packages. During the course of the scheme, Wilson and his company defrauded more than 14,000 victims across the United States, including more than 200 victims in Minnesota. Between 2013 and 2019, Wilson’s company received more than $4.8 million from victims of his scheme. Wilson, who is the last of 64 defendants charged in the nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme, was scheduled for trial on May 29, 2024. Wilson pleaded guilty earlier today before Judge John R. Tunheim to six counts of wire fraud and SCAMS Act. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 26, 2024. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, Garrett S. Fields, Matthew C. Murphy, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.


title: Warren County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Norbert Morgan, age 54, of Glens Falls, New York, pled guilty last week to distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography while under post-release supervision for prior child exploitation offenses. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. Morgan pled guilty on May 24. According to the plea agreement and documents previously filed in the case, Morgan is a registered sex offender in the State of New York, stemming from his 2006 convictions in the Northern District of New York for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. Morgan admitted that between February and August 2023, he used social networking applications on the internet to distribute numerous videos and images of child pornography. During a search of his apartment, federal agents seized a tablet that contained over 600 images of child pornography. Morgan was arrested on August 30, 2023, after a complaint was filed in federal court. He has been detained since that date. Morgan also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior convictions by committing the new offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on the new offenses and his violation of supervised release before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on September 19, 2024. Morgan faces at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison on his guilty plea and an additional term of up to 2 years in prison on his violation of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. Morgan may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and forfeit the device used in the offenses. 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. Morgan would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. HSI investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting this 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), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Four Defendants Sentenced to a Combined 74 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – Four Northwest Arkansas people were recently sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation offenses. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. On May 9, 2024, Darlina Maree Jasso, age 33 of Berryville, Arkansas, was sentenced to 120 months without the possibility of parole after being convicted of Transporting a Minor across State Lines to Engage in Sexual Activity. According to court documents, in May of 2022, an officer with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations after it was discovered that Jasso had transported a 15-year-old female from the state of Missouri to her Berryville residence, with the intent that she and her boyfriend engage in sexual activity with the minor. Law enforcement ultimately discovered a surveillance video on Jasso’s phone capturing sexual activity between the two adults and the minor. Law enforcement likewise found text message communications on the phone between the boyfriend and Jasso in which they detailed their plan to bring the minor down from her home in Missouri and the sexual conduct they intended to engage in with the minor. On May 21, 2024, Charles Merchant, Age 32 of Berryville, Arkansas, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison without the possibility for parole after being convicted of Transporting Child Pornography. Per court documents, in August of 2022, agents and task force officers with the Homeland Security Investigations received information that Merchant had uploaded images of child sexual abuse material to the social media platform KIK. Federal law enforced subsequently executed a search warrant at Merchant’s residence and discovered multiple images of child pornography. On May 23, 2024, Aaron Hudson, known also as Sophie Anne Hudson, age 32 of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison without the possibility for parole after being convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. Per court documents, in December of 2021, agents and task force officers with the Homeland Security Investigations received information that an individual had uploaded images of a child sexual abuse material to a website known to law enforcement as a platform for viewing and trading child pornography. During the resulting investigation, federal law enforced executed a search warrant at Hudson’s Rogers residence and discovered multiple images of child pornography along with multiple child size dolls used for sexual activity. On May 24, 2024, Nathan Scott Wright, age 38 of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison without the possibility for parole after being convicted of both Sexual Exploitation of a Minor via the Production of Child Pornography and Transporting Child Pornography. Per court documents, in October of 2022, agents and task force officers with the FBI received information that Wright had uploaded images to Google servers of him sexually abusing an approximately 4-year-old female. Officers of the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI subsequently executed a search warrant at Wright’s Rogers residence and discovered multiple images of child pornography, including those depicting WRIGHT sexually abusing at least one minor. At sentencing, the United States presented the Court with evidence that Wright took images of himself sexually abusing a second minor. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted these cases on behalf of the United States. These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Harrison County Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Having More than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Herbert Hobbs, 42, of Reynoldsville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements in court, an investigation in Harrison County found Hobbs was a major source of methamphetamine in North Central West Virginia. Hobbs worked with a network of distributors to sell methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided. ###


title: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Extradition of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the extradition of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as “El Nini”: “This morning, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as ‘El Nini,’ was extradited to the United States. We allege El Nini was one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins, and was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses who threatened the cartel’s criminal drug trafficking enterprise. We also allege El Nini was a part of the Sinaloa Cartel’s production and sale of fentanyl, including in the United States. I am grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for their extraordinary efforts in apprehending and extraditing El Nini. With this enforcement action, El Nini joins the growing list of cartel leaders and associates indicted in, and extradited to, the United States. The Justice Department will continue to go after the cartels responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl and other drugs.”


title: Federal Inmate Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of Cellmate

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced a federal inmate, David Lee Bishop (50, Ocala), to life in prison based upon his conviction for second degree murder. Bishop pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024, three days before his federal jury trial was scheduled to begin. According to court documents, on February 3, 2019, Bishop strangled his cellmate to death at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex using a torn bedsheet. Bishop called his mother shortly after the murder, telling her that he had “messed up.” When his mother asked if there had been an accident, Bishop responded that “it was totally and utterly on purpose” and that he was “just waiting on them to find ‘it.’” When prison guards discovered his cellmate’s body, Bishop immediately admitted to the murder. At the time of the offense, Bishop was already serving a life sentence. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Belkis H. Crockett, Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., and Michael P. Felicetta.


title: Justice Department Announces Achievements in Police Reform in Suffolk County, New York

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced yesterday that the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) has achieved sustained compliance with provisions of its settlement agreement with SCPD , including requirements concerning tracking and trending hate crimes and hate incidents, investigating allegations of police misconduct and development of policies and training. As a result, the department has terminated those provisions of the settlement agreement. “The County and its Police Department have made significant progress towards ensuring that all Suffolk County residents benefit from constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Police Department has improved the tracking of hate crimes, is strengthening the handling of internal affairs investigations and has improved the way it handles complaints of discriminatory policing. This progress demonstrates that meaningful policing reform and change can be achieved through our work. The Justice Department is committed to collaboratively working with the community, Suffolk County officials and the police department to ensure constitutional, fair and nondiscriminatory policing for all County residents. Residents across Suffolk County deserve nothing less.” “We are pleased to see the Suffolk County Police Department’s progress in fulfilling significant requirements of the police reform agreement to help ensure fair and equitable policing and make the County better and safer for its residents and visitors,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “By terminating the areas of the agreement where reform efforts have been successful, we can focus on the areas that require additional attention. We look forward to working together to help the Suffolk County Police Department successfully achieve the reforms required by the remaining areas of the agreement.” SCPD has made substantial changes in reaching compliance with provisions of the police reform agreement that the Justice Department is terminating, including: SCPD provides annual training on responding to, investigating and charging hate crimes. SCPD implemented a mapping system to track and analyze hate crimes and hate incidents. These maps are available to the public on SCPD’s website . SCPD improved its systems for reporting allegations of discriminatory policing and accepting third-party complaints of discrimination. Members of the public can now submit complaints of bias to any part of the police department — the hate crimes unit, internal affairs, any officer and any precinct. SCPD improved the quality of internal affairs investigations. SCPD now tracks civilian complaints and internal investigations by the nature of the allegation, the status of the investigation and how it resolved the investigation. This tracking allows SCPD to evaluate trends and identify patterns of problematic behavior. SCPD has developed and updated a number of policies, which are available on SCPD’s website in English and Spanish. The Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York entered an agreement with Suffolk County in January 2014 to ensure that SCPD provides fair and equitable policing services to all members of the Suffolk County community, including the Latino community. In determining that SCPD has achieved and sustained full and effective compliance with significant portions of the agreement, the United States relied on its own independent evaluations of SCPD’s compliance.


title: Meth Trafficking Co-Conspirator Sentenced to 17+ Years in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal district judge imposed a 210-month term of imprisonment to an individual who admitted to driving a car intended to distract law enforcement from another car trafficking 40 pounds of meth. At a joint plea and sentencing hearing Wednesday, Jose V. Sanchez, 28, of Lindsay, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance: methamphetamine. “As traffickers try to get creative in concealing drugs by creating diversions for traffic stops, law enforcement sees through the ploys and will continue to work to remove dangerous narcotics such as meth from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. Co-defendant Christopher Palmer, 40, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to federal charges for driving the car containing 40 pounds of meth through southern Illinois and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment in February . According to court documents, two DEA highway interdiction officers signaled to pull Palmer’s car over on Illinois Route 143 exit ramp off Interstate 70 near Marine in May 2022. Sanchez was driving a different car and sped in front in an attempt to divert law enforcement, but officers stayed on Palmer’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. “Southern Illinois is a transportation hub for couriers moving illicit drugs from the south to north and northeast,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in southern Illinois. “Investigations like this one demonstrate that DEA, working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, will continue to be laser-focused on the nation’s highways and byways for the illegal drugs that are transported to and poison our communities. Let this serve as a warning to the occupants of these vehicles: we will find you, we will arrest, and you will be prosecuted, and ultimately you will go to prison.” Following a positive indication of narcotic odor from a canine, officers searched Palmer’s vehicle and located a semi-automatic pistol in the center console and a duffel bag in the trunk stuffed with 40 bags holding approximately one pound each of crystal meth, totaling more than 17 kilograms of actual meth. After finding the meth, officers located Sanchez in his car in a store parking lot. A store employee told police Sanchez had thrown something away in the storm drain and a nearby trashcan, and officers located a disassembled handgun and a round of 9-millimeter ammunition. DEA led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi prosecuted the case.


title: Houston Woman Pleads Guilty to Covid Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Texas, woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons. Prayshana Washington, 37, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Thursday, May 23, to one count of theft of government property. By pleading guilty, Washington admitted she facilitated the filing of false claims in her name and the names of other persons, thereby fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits paid through the state of Missouri. These benefits included benefits from the CARES Act. Washington filed claims for unemployment benefits, using the name and personal identifying information of individuals in the state of Missouri and elsewhere. These persons were not eligible to receive Missouri and enhanced unemployment benefits. The emergency increase in unemployment compensation benefits provided an additional $600 weekly payment. The total loss amount from May 2020 to June 2021 is at least $550,000 but less than $1.5 million. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Washington must pay restitution as determined by the court. Under federal statutes, Washington is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations & Labor Racketeering Fraud.


title: Deportation Officer convicted at trial of flight interference after attempting to film up a flight attendant’s skirt

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On May 22, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officer was convicted at trial of interference with the flight crew, after he filmed a flight attendant and attempted to take photographs up the victim’s skirt. Billy Olvera, 48, of Laredo, Texas, was convicted at trial of interfering with a flight crew. Olvera was traveling from Dallas, Texas to Miami, Florida on Nov. 6, 2023, in his official capacity as a Deportation Officer while transporting an individual for removal. A flight attendant noticed Olvera holding his phone in the aisle, aimed towards the ceiling, each time she walked by him. The victim notified another flight attendant who then filmed Olvera the next time the victim walked by him. Olvera could be seen attempting to film up the skirt of the victim. The victim stopped performing her assigned duties that required her to be present in the aisle of the main cabin, and the flight attendants notified the pilot who had the flight attendants change shifts, and delayed taxing until law enforcement could meet the flight at the gate. A federal search warrant of Olvera’s phone revealed numerous images and videos taken of the victim and pictures and videos that attempted to capture a vantage point up the victim’s skirt. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16 before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Olvera faces up to 20 years in prison. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Valenzuela for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE OPR), made the announcement. This was a joint investigation by the DHS OIG Miami Field Office and ICE OPR, with assistance from the DHS OIG Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Brooke Latta prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture. 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-20034. ###


title: Man Arraigned in Federal Court on Multiple Charges of Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Lawrence County man was arraigned in federal court last week on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. A 13-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges David Edward Collier, 46, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children, eight counts of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. According to the indictment, between January 2017 and August 2022, Collier used, induced, or coerced minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of that conduct. Between October 2022 and September 2023, Collier transported the child pornography. Collier was also charged with possession of child pornography. FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force and Cybercrime Squad investigated the case along with the assistance of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Moulton Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Huntsville Police Department, and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities. The videos can be accessed from the following locations: nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/ https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for transporting victims in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, U.S. Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Mallie M. Evans, 37, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to a count of the indictment against him charging him with transporting any individual in interstate commerce with the intent that such individual engage in prostitution. Judge Williams imposed sentence on May 23, 2024, in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2015 through 2017, Evans recruited and coerced multiple victims to engage in prostitution for Evans’s financial benefit and transported victims across state lines between Philadelphia and central and southern New Jersey to engage in prostitution. Evans used fraud, emotional manipulation, physical violence, and threats of death and bodily injury to coerce the victims into engaging in commercial sex acts for his benefit. In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Evans to 10 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.


title: Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Yearslong Fraud to Obtain Benefits

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud. According to court records, from about December 2008 to February 2020, Suzanne Hercock , 46, lied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) about the presence of her husband, the children’s father, in the household, to fraudulently collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of her children. In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Hercock falsely represented to the SSA that she and her husband lived separately. She failed to disclose her husband’s presence and income despite knowing that she was required to and that it would affect her eligibility to receive benefits. Hercock faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release. The Court may also order Hercock to pay restitution to the SSA. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. ###


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Stealing from a Northwest CVS and Threatening a Store Employee

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Sahid Sesay, 36, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft and one count of misdemeanor threats stemming from events occurring on January 16, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. A grand jury indicted Sesay on May 22, 2024. Arraignment is scheduled for May 29th. According to the government’s evidence, on January 16, 2024, Sesay took several pieces of merchandise without paying from the CVS store located in Northwest Washington, D.C. Just before stealing these items, Sesay, chased a CVS employee around the store, jumped on the cashier counter, and threatened the CVS employee. Sesay was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department. Sesay has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Couce. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Fitchburg Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in Worcester federal court for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Satron Pridgen, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 22, 2024. In November 2023, Pridgen was indicted by a federal grand jury. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2023, Pridgen was outside of Mill City Pub in Fitchburg. An altercation ensued between two men. During the altercation, Pridgen approached a third man from behind, grabbed him and held him around the neck in a chokehold, then pulled out a loaded pistol which he used to beat the man in the head multiple times. When law enforcement intervened, Pridgen ran off and attempted to discard the firearm by a dumpster before being apprehended. Pridgen is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to numerous prior convictions out of Worcester Superior Court including: a November 1999 conviction of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison; an October 2011 conviction of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a career criminal for which he was sentenced to 10-12 years in state prison; and an October 2011 conviction of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 9 to 10 years in state prison. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Member of Violent Bridgeport Gang Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: JAUWAN EDWARDS, also known as “Yaya,” 26, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members were involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence. Edwards was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang. O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes. They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities. Analysis of numerous social media posts and text messages revealed that Edwards possessed firearms, and that he sold a variety of drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, Percocet pills, and marijuana. Edwards also participated with other O.N.E. members in the theft and possession of stolen vehicles, including a Lexus Rx350 that was stolen from Rye, New York, and used in a homicide. In early December 2019, O.N.E. members were involved in multiple shots-fired incidents in Bridgeport. In one incident, the mother of two East End gang members was shot outside of her Bridgeport home. In another incident, on December 8, 2019, O.N.E. members used the stolen Lexus in a shooting incident at the P.T. Barnum Housing Complex, and then drove it to Newfield Avenue in Bridgeport, considered the turf of the East End/East Side gang, where they shot and killed Ty’Quess Moore, also known as “Breezo,” 18. Edwards was arrested on July 27, 2021. A search of his residence on that date revealed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and cocaine packaged for distribution, and a loaded Glock handgun with an extended magazine and a laser sight. Edwards has been detained since his arrest. On June 30, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Waterbury Police Department, and Naugatuck Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Tara E. Levens, Patrick J. Doherty, Rahul Kale, and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state, and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Owner of Arkansas Tree Service Business Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: An Arkansas man pleaded guilty yesterday to filing a false individual income tax return. According to court documents, Carlos Gonzalez, 59, of Rogers, filed false tax returns that underreported the gross receipts from his tree-trimming and removal business, Charley’s Tree Service. From 2014 through 2020, Gonzalez deliberately underreported more than $3 million in gross receipts from his business resulting in a tax loss of approximately $920,694. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to filing a false 2019 income tax return. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Wilson Stamm and Curtis Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case.


title: California woman sentenced to prison for making anti-Semitic phone threats to former Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue

body_text: MIAMI – Melanie Harris, 59 of Riverside, California, was sentenced yesterday to 32 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to knowingly and intentionally transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. Harris was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman during a hearing in Miami, Florida. “Defendant Melanie Harris’s anti-Semitic threats terrorized a Jewish family,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Her hate-filled telephone calls and voicemails were abhorrent. No one should live in fear of threats, harassment, and hate-fueled violence. There is simply no place in our society for anyone who threatens Jews or anyone else in our diverse South Florida community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our FBI partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those that threaten our safety and security, while seeking justice for the victims impacted by these vile crimes.” “Melanie Harris sent threatening communications to a Jewish family using vile and inflammatory language. The nature of her threats of violence towards the victims and their faith were clearly meant to evoke a climate of fear and intimidation. Such conduct cannot be tolerated,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office. “Violence through words or actions is unacceptable and the FBI will continue to do everything we can to identify, arrest, and bring to justice those who engage in similar conduct.” According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, on Oct. 3, 2022, Harris made multiple calls to Victim 1’s cell phone, and left four separate threatening voicemails, with the intent to communicate a true threat and with the knowledge that the communications would be seen as true threats. In one of these four October 3 voicemails, Harris stated in relevant part: “I’ll cut your f------ head off kiker.” The term “kike” has long been used as an anti-Semitic slur aimed at Jews. Neither Victim 1 nor his wife, Victim 2, knew the identity of the person (Harris) calling Victim 1 with these threatening and harassing calls and voicemails. Nor did they know where the calls were coming from because Harris concealed her phone number using the *67 feature. However, all of these calls originated from the Riverside, California area, where Harris lived at the time, and were received by Victim 1’s phone in the Southern District of Florida. Yesterday’s sentencing hearing and related court filings referenced additional information regarding Harris’ criminal conduct. As was addressed in court, for over four years, Harris harassed and threatened three victims by making over two-hundred and forty calls to Victim 1, leaving messages and engaging in conversations where she unleashed anti-Semitic hate and direct threats against Victim 1, his family, and Jews in general. In these calls and voicemails, Harris made incessant references to the congregants murdered in the October 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In these calls and voicemails Harris repeatedly referred to Victim 3 by their first name, in anti-Semitic and violent terms. Harris also made vile references to Anne Frank being murdered by the Nazis, Jews going back to Auschwitz, and in one voicemail, played for the Court at the sentencing hearing, she repeatedly screamed “Seig Heil, Kill Kikers” over and over before hanging up. Harris’ four-year onslaught of harassment and threats of the victims was compounded by the fact that until July 2018, Victim 1 had been the Executive Director of the Tree of Life for over 20 years, while his wife, Victim 2, and her adult child, Victim 3, were all long-time members of, and closely associated with, the Tree of Life. During the course of her calls, Harris blocked her phone number from being detected by Victim 1’s caller identification system, leaving the victims bereft of any knowledge of who the harasser was or where the person might be, putting them in constant fear for their lives until Harris’s arrest in March 2023. In addition, on the same day in February 2019 that Harris began her calls to Victim 1, she also began calling the Tree of Life leaving virtually identical hate-filled anti-Semitic messages referencing the deaths of the elderly worshippers. The FBI's Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which also investigates civil rights violations, investigated the case. FBI Pittsburgh, FBI Los Angeles Riverside Resident Agency, and the Riverside Police Department in California, provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Nardia Haye prosecuted the case, which was indicted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr. In Sept. 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland started the United Against Hate program to convene local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes; build trust between law enforcement and communities; and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate. The United Against Hate program represents a “whole of government” approach to combating hate crimes. To learn more visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes and https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/spotlight/united-against-hate . The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI, and other South Florida law enforcement partners are United Against Hate. The on-going collective mission is to prevent, investigate, and prosecute threats and hate crimes through education, outreach, and the justice system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Public Service Announcement (PSA) can be viewed at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/video/united-states-attorneys-office-southern-district-florida-hate-crimes-psa . You can learn more about the Southern District of Florida’s prevention and enforcement efforts by visiting https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/hate-religious-crimes . If you have information about a possible threat or believe you are a victim of or a witness to a hate crime, contact your local law enforcement agency (911), then the FBI at www.fbi.gov/tips or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225- 5324). You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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 23-cr-60050. ###


title: Doctor Convicted of $70M Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted a Texas doctor today for causing the submission of over $70 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests ordered through a telemarketing scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, David M. Young, M.D., 61, of Fredericksburg, signed thousands of medical records and prescriptions for orthotic braces and genetic tests that falsely represented that the braces and tests were medically necessary and that he diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. Young prescribed braces and genetic tests for over 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries, including undercover agents posing as different Medicare beneficiaries, many of whom he did not see, speak to, or otherwise treat. Young’s false prescriptions were then used by brace supply companies and laboratories to bill Medicare more than $70 million. Young was paid approximately $475,000 in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions. The jury convicted Young of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and three counts of false statements relating to health care matters, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region; and Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement. HHS-OIG and MFCU investigated the case. Assistant Chief Brynn Schiess and Trial Attorney Ethan Womble of the Texas Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: District Woman Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft Following Theft from CVS Store in Northeast

body_text: WASHINGTON –Bianca Jackson, 40, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on April 18, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. A grand jury indicted Jackson on May 22, 2024. Arraignment is not yet scheduled. According to the government’s evidence, on April 18, 2024, Jackson went into a CVS located in Northeast Washington, D.C., loaded a wagon with store merchandise, and left without paying. Jackson was located and arrested shortly after Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a call for service at that location. Jackson has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for her alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for the count of theft for which she is indicted. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Limb. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brandon Bartley, age 26, of Albany, pled guilty today to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement. Bartley pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Bartley admitted that he engaged in a conspiracy to distribute, and that he possessed with intent to distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, from his apartment on Western Avenue in Albany. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched his apartment and found 34 firearms, including a loaded Glock on his bed that he used to protect his drugs and drug proceeds, and other firearms, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 12, 2024, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Bartley faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to begin he finishes his prison term. 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. The following defendants have been charged in connection with this investigation: Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes on March 18, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2024. Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his federal supervised release on May 23, 2023, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. Devon Newsome was charged by criminal complaint on December 11, 2023, with a firearms trafficking-related offense, and has been released with conditions. The charges against Jones and Newsome are merely accusations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: New Bedford Man Charged with Social Security Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A New Bedford man was charged today in federal court in Boston with fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits. Anthony Patterson, 62, was charged with one count of theft of government money. Patterson will make an appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date. The charging document alleges that, from May 2013 to May 2023, Patterson stole approximately $92,582 in Social Security disability benefits. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lee County Probationer Sentenced for Distributing Meth, Fentanyl

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident serving federal supervised release and state probation for prior drug distribution convictions was sentenced to serve more than 23 years in federal prison for supplying methamphetamine and fentanyl in the community, including to a woman who had recently given birth to his child. Brian Chadwick Jeffcoat, 40, of Leesburg, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 286 months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release on May 23. Jeffcoat previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on Feb. 20; in addition, this sentence includes revocation of his federal supervised release in Case No. 1:19-CR-5. The defendant is not eligible for parole. “Individuals who repeatedly disregard the law and continue to distribute the deadliest illegal substances into our communities—feeding addiction and affecting innocent lives—will be held accountable for their crimes at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case is a tragedy on many levels, and we appreciate the willingness of a concerned citizen to speak up.” “Our communities remain under attack by criminal drug trafficking organizations with no regard for the harm and destruction they cause,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This investigation and subsequent arrest of this individual demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community.” According to court documents, Jeffcoat was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and was released on Nov. 2, 2022, to serve federal supervised release. In addition to being on federal supervised release, Jeffcoat was on state probation for a prior state drug conviction. DEA received information in April 2023 that Jeffcoat was continuing to distribute illegal drugs in the Leesburg area. Law enforcement suspected Jeffcoat was also supplying his pregnant girlfriend with fentanyl and heroin after a concerned citizen contacted local law enforcement that she was using drugs heavily, despite her pregnancy. On Nov. 5, 2023, two days after his girlfriend delivered their child, agents conducted surveillance and contacted Jeffcoat at an Albany motel where the couple was residing. Jeffcoat told officers he had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his vehicle and was on his way to meet a drug customer. Agents located three bags of methamphetamine, a bag of fentanyl, a digital scale and a clear glass smoking pipe in his car. His girlfriend told officers their baby was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and that she had shot up with heroin and fentanyl a few hours earlier. The case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI. Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Del City Man Convicted of Arson and Making Threats over Cell Phone

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted ALLEN JAMES BULLOCK , 42, of Del City, of interstate transmission of threatening communication and arson, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On March 19, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment against Bullock, charging him with interstate transmission of threatening communication and arson. On May 21, 2024, a federal jury found Bullock guilty on both counts. Evidence presented at trial indicated that in the early morning hours of November 14, 2023, the Del City Fire Department extinguished a fire at a nearby apartment complex. The fire was contained to the entrance of the apartment and did not spread further. The tenant of the apartment was not home at the time and told authorities he believed Bullock may have started the fire. The victim worked with Bullock’s wife and claimed that just hours before the fire, Bullock called and threatened the victim several times because the victim gifted a shirt to Bullock’s wife. Cell phone records show that Bullock did call the victim multiple times the night of the fire, and an analysis of surveillance footage shows Bullock arriving at the victim’s apartment complex shortly before the fire was set. Surveillance footage also shows that Bullock visited a nearby gas station to purchase $.50 of gasoline minutes before the fire, and expert testimony at trial confirmed that debris samples from the fire tested positive for the presence of gasoline. Following his conviction, Bullock faces not less than 5 years and up to 25 years in federal prison and fines totaling up to $500,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Del City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan J. West and Matthew Dillon are prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Illegal Firearm Possession Lands Oklahoma City Couple in Federal Prison for 10 Years Collectively

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – AMBER NICOLE RANSOM , 40, and GORDON BERNARD HORNER , 51, both of Oklahoma City, have been sentenced to serve 120 months collectively in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On August 1, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Ransom and Horner with being felons in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on May 9, 2023, Oklahoma City Police responded to a drive by shooting at an apartment complex. Though bullets did enter at least one unit, no injuries were reported. After a review of surveillance footage, Oklahoma City Police identified a white sedan as the suspect vehicle, which was pulled over in a traffic stop just days later. Ransom and Horner were in the vehicle, and authorities also located two handguns. After executing a search warrant at the apartment shared by Ransom and Horner, Oklahoma City Police located another firearm, along with several rounds of ammunition. Through the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned it was Ransom who fired several shots at the apartment from the back seat of the vehicle, which was being driven by Horner. Public record further reflects that both Ransom and Horner hold prior felony convictions—Ransom for robbery in the first degree in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2009-5359, and Horner for possession of a controlled dangerous substance in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-1992-6656. In the fall of 2023, both Ransom and Horner pleaded guilty, and admitted to possessing firearms. At sentencing hearings on May 22, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Ransom to serve 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and Horner to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentencings, Judge Jones noted the “senseless” nature of the crime, describing the actions of the two defendants as a “reckless disregard for life.” This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David R. Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Former Commonwealth’s Attorney Sentenced for Honest Services Wire Fraud and Bribery Scheme

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – The former Commonwealth’s Attorney for Bath, Rowan, Menifee, and Montgomery Counties, Ronnie Goldy, 51, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves. Goldy was sentenced to 41 months, after previously being convicted of honest services wire fraud, use of an interstate facility with the intent to carry on unlawful activity, and bribery concerning a program that receives federal funds. According to evidence presented, Goldy maintained a personal relationship with a woman that was sexual in nature, and included encounters and solicitations and acceptance of sexually explicit images and videos of the woman. On multiple occasions during the scheme, Goldy used his position as the Commonwealth’s Attorney to perform official actions, or to exert pressure and influence on other public officials to perform official actions, benefiting the woman. Goldy knew these sexually explicit images and periodic sexual encounters were provided in exchange for his willingness to perform, or pressure others to perform, official actions benefitting the woman with whom he had the relationship. In February, Goldy was convicted by a federal jury of all 14 counts in the indictment. “Instead of doing the job he was elected to do, Mr. Goldy chose to abuse his authority and to pressure other officials to advance his corrupt personal interests,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “When those entrusted with enforcing the law blatantly abuse their authority, it demands accountability. This was a disgraceful betrayal of the public trust and it undermined public safety and law enforcement. Through the hard work of committed law enforcement, he now faces that accountability.” “Goldy’s sentencing should serve as a warning to corrupt officials throughout the Commonwealth that the FBI will not standby when allegations of abuse of power come to our attention,” said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office. “We will rigorously investigate such claims and follow the facts wherever they lead, ultimately bringing those that violate federal law to justice.” United States Attorney Shier and Special Agent in Charge Stansbury jointly announced the sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Boone. – END –


title: Two Sets of Brothers Among Ten Defendants Charged With Conspiring To Rob Armored Trucks and ATMs in Chicago Suburbs

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted ten defendants, including two sets of brothers, for allegedly conspiring to violently rob armored trucks and automated teller machines in the Chicago suburbs. Charged with robbery conspiracy and firearm offenses are DEVONTE DAVIS, 27, of Chicago; DARRELL SINGLETON, 19, of Calumet City, Ill., and his two brothers, CORRIE SINGLETON, 22, of South Holland, Ill., and ELIJAH SINGLETON, 21, of Calumet City; ANTHONY WILSON, 22, and his brother, AVEON WILSON, 23, both of Gary, Ind.; BRIAN SNYDER, 24, of Chicago; JUSTIN CAIN, 25, of Chicago; PERRY MAPLE, 21, of Chicago; and WILLIAM COCHRAN, 21, of Chicago. According to a recently unsealed, second superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the robbers brandished firearms in eleven robberies and attempted robberies in 2022 and 2023. The heists and attempted heists occurred in Lansing, Ill., Country Club Hills, Ill., Orland Park, Ill., Homewood, Ill., Blue Island, Ill., and Chicago Heights, Ill., and resulted in a total loss of at least $3.8 million, the indictment states. One of the robberies occurred on Halloween morning in 2022 when a Brink’s security courier was refilling an ATM in Lansing. Corrie Singleton, Darrell Singleton, and others forcibly dragged the courier into the armored truck at gunpoint and ordered her to open compartments and hand over bags of money, according to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. Another of the heists occurred on May 2, 2023, when two guards were picking up money from a bank inside of a grocery store in Homewood. One of the robbers struck a guard in the head with a firearm. The robbers took approximately $1.1 million, all of which was recovered by law enforcement upon the arrests of Davis and Darrell Singleton later that day in Calumet Park, Ill., according to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. Another violent attempted robbery occurred on Oct. 2, 2023, in Country Club Hills, when robbers fired shots at an armored truck guard before carjacking a nearby vehicle to flee the scene, according to a previously filed criminal complaint. Nine of the ten defendants pleaded not guilty to the superseding charges during arraignments this month in federal court in Chicago. They have been ordered detained in federal custody pending trial. Aveon Wilson is considered a fugitive and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. The FBI has issued a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Aveon Wilson's arrest and conviction. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Chicago, Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Orland Park Police Department, Evergreen Park, Ill. Police Department, Joliet, Ill. Police Department, Calumet Park Police and Fire Departments, Homewood Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Country Club Hills Police Department, Calumet City Police Department, Dolton, Ill. Police Department, Alsip, Ill. Police Department, and Lansing Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner, Kirsten Moran, and Simar Khera. Holding firearm offenders accountable through federal prosecution is the centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods , a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that brings together law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders, and other stakeholders to develop comprehensive solutions to the most pressing violent crime problems in a community. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Davis et al indictment


title: Dominican Republic Native Sentenced To 120 Months In Prison For Fentanyl Distribution And Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Rodriguez-Ortiz, age 36, native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for distribution of fentanyl and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien following an aggravated felony conviction. Rodriguez-Ortiz will again face deportation following his term of imprisonment. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rodriguez-Ortiz was previously deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic in 2013. He illegally reentered the United States again sometime after December 2013 and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers. Investigators made two separate purchases of fentanyl from Rodriguez-Ortiz and then obtained a search warrant for Rodriguez-Ortiz’s residence, where several bundles of fentanyl, several thousand dollars in cash, packaging material, multiple cell phones, packaged pills, edibles, and multiple firearms, including some with obliterated serial numbers, were found. At the time of the fentanyl sales and Rodriguez-Ortiz’s arrest, he was using an alias. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: Tulsa Man Sentenced after Federal Conviction of Domestic Violence Strangulation and Firearm Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – After being convicted by a federal jury, today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Dakota Wayne Campus. Judge Heil ordered Campus to 204 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. In November 2022 , Campus was convicted of Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Campus assaulted the victim who is a tribal citizen and was pregnant at the time. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Studies have found that domestic violence strangulation is a significant predictor of future attempted and completed murders, increasing the odds of death by more than seven times. While signs of strangulation are not always visible, strangulation can result in long-term psychological and physical injuries to victims, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, traumatic brain injury, strokes, and more. Timely intervention is critical to minimize the short and long-term negative effects of strangulation. To find resources for domestic violence victims, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788. In an emergency, always call 911. Confidential resources can be found on their website at thehotline.org . The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey P. Todd and George Jiang prosecuted the case.


title: Two Men Indicted Federally in Bowling Green for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on May 15, 2024, charging two men with methamphetamine trafficking. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Erek Davodwich, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Sheriff Brandon Ford of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to the indictment, on March 22, 2024, John E. Marks , 61, of Scottsville, Kentucky, and Samuel Corey Vanmeter , 34, of Brownsville, Kentucky, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Allen County, Kentucky. Marks made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 20, 2024. Vanmeter made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 21, 2024. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and 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. There is no parole in the federal system. The DEA Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case with the assistance of the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. xxx


title: Florida Businessman Daniel Hurt to Pay Over $27 Million for Medicare Fraud in Connection with Cancer Genomic Tests

component: Civil Division

body_text: Daniel Hurt, who owned and/or operated Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice Laboratory LLC and Sonoran Desert Pathology Associates LLC, has agreed to pay over $27 million to resolve allegations that he and his companies conspired with others to violate the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting false claims to, and receiving payments from, Medicare for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and were procured through illegal kickbacks. Hurt, Fountain Health, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics, First Choice and Sonoran Desert Pathology also agreed to be excluded by the Department of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) from Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs. Hurt previously pleaded guilty to criminal healthcare fraud for these offenses. The civil settlement is based on Hurt’s ability to pay. The United States alleged that Hurt, his companies and others conspired to knowingly submit false claims for CGx tests that were not medically necessary to treat or diagnose a condition, and that Hurt received and paid kickbacks in exchange for Medicare referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). In particular, the United States alleged that, from January 2019 to November 2021, Hurt conspired with telemarketing agents to solicit Medicare beneficiaries for “free” CGx tests; with telemedicine providers to “prescribe” CGx tests that were not medically necessary; with reference laboratories to conduct the CGx tests and with billing laboratories and a hospital to submit claims for payment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “We will not tolerate those who prey on older Americans to defraud Medicare,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As this settlement reflects, we will use our available resources to protect federal health care programs and the beneficiaries they serve.” “Unnecessary medical services and false claims for medical services threaten patients and our public health programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This civil settlement demonstrates our commitment to protecting patients from unnecessary testing and our healthcare institutions from fraudulent billing.” “Our office is committed to pursuing those who threaten our government healthcare programs by submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services that are tainted by unlawful payments to marketers,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As these schemes become more complex and cross district lines, we will continue to work and coordinate with our law enforcement partners and other districts to ensure vigorous enforcement of the law.” “Medicare and Medicaid are two vitally important health care programs that provide critical services to millions of Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Schemes that seek to siphon money from these programs with unnecessary medical tests are especially egregious. We will do everything we can to protect the public and the services they need, and to hold accountable those who try to bilk the system.” “Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services to Medicare and Medicaid jeopardizes the integrity of vital health care programs, and we, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to make sure those who attempt to do so are held accountable,” stated Deputy Inspector General of Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG. “This substantial settlement underscores our steadfast dedication to safeguarding federal health care programs.” This settlement includes the resolution of allegations brought in three cases filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, including an action filed by Robert Gerstein, a minority owner of Sonoran Desert Pathology, where he worked for Hurt, running the billing operations for CGx tests. Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Under today’s resolution, Relator Gerstein will receive up to $4.7 million or 17% of the government’s recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, Corporate/Financial Litigation Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Augustus Curtis and Andrew Warner of the Corporate/Financial Litigation Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Bloor for the Middle District of Florida, Rosaline Chan for the Southern District of Florida and David Dauenheimer for the District of New Jersey and the Miami Regional Office of HHS-OIG. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Convicted Murderer Gets 23 Years in Prison  For Memorial Day Killing in 2022 Near Dupont Circle

body_text: WASHINGTON – James Jackson, 30, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 23 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Christian Monje, 29, of Fairfax, Virginia, in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Jackson pleaded guilty, in February 2024, to one count of second-degree murder while armed. According to the government’s evidence, on May 30, 2022, at approximately 4:30 a.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District responded to the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave NW in response to the sounds of gunshots. Officers located Mr. Monje on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to the hospital and died from his injuries a few weeks later. Detectives recovered surveillance footage from nearby cameras which showed an individual approaching Mr. Monje while he sat on the steps of the church. Cameras also captured the individual fleeing down a nearby alley and ducking behind a dumpster. Detectives searched the area around the dumpster and located a 9mm Polymer80 “ghost gun” that was later determined to be the murder weapon. The case remained unsolved, without a suspect, for months until detectives received a CODIS hit from a DNA profile obtained from the 9mm Polymer 80’s magazine. The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a national DNA database run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that contains DNA profiles from various sources. The CODIS hit in this case was a match with a profile that was submitted by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division in reference to a prior arrest of the defendant. Using that investigative lead, detectives were able to confirm the defendant’s identity as the murderer using DNA and cell site evidence. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Mabry Johnson and Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Miles Janssen, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Florida Businessman Daniel Hurt to Pay Over $27 Million for Medicare Fraud in Connection With Cancer Genomic Tests

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Daniel Hurt, who owned and/or operated Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice Laboratory LLC and Sonoran Desert Pathology Associates LLC, has agreed to pay over $27 million to resolve allegations that he and his companies conspired with others to violate the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting false claims to, and receiving payments from, Medicare for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and were procured through illegal kickbacks. Hurt, Fountain Health, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics, First Choice and Sonoran Desert Pathology also agreed to be excluded by the Department of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) from Medicare, Medicaid and all other Federal health care programs. Hurt previously pled guilty to criminal healthcare fraud for these offenses. The civil settlement is based on Hurt’s ability to pay. The United States alleged that Hurt, his companies and others conspired to knowingly submit false claims for CGx tests that were not medically necessary to treat or diagnose a condition, and that Hurt received and paid kickbacks in exchange for Medicare referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). In particular, the United States alleged that, from January 2019 to November 2021, Hurt conspired with telemarketing agents to solicit Medicare beneficiaries for “free” CGx tests; with telemedicine providers to “prescribe” CGx tests that were not medically necessary; with reference laboratories to conduct the CGx tests and with billing laboratories and a hospital to submit claims for payment to CMS. “Medicare and Medicaid are two vitally important health care programs that provide critical services to millions of Americans. Schemes that seek to siphon money from these programs with unnecessary medical tests are especially egregious. We will do everything we can to protect the public and the services they need, and to hold accountable those who try to bilk the system.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “We will not tolerate those who prey on older Americans to defraud Medicare,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As this settlement reflects, we will use our available resources to protect federal health care programs and the beneficiaries they serve.” “Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary services to Medicare and Medicaid jeopardizes the integrity of vital health care programs, and we, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to make sure those who attempt to do so are held accountable,” stated Deputy Inspector General of Investigations Christian J. Schrank for HHS-OIG. “This substantial settlement underscores our steadfast dedication to safeguarding federal health care programs.” This settlement includes the resolution of allegations brought in three cases filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA, including an action filed by Robert Gerstein, a minority owner of Sonoran Desert Pathology, where he worked for Hurt, running the billing operations for CGx tests. Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Under today’s resolution, Relator Gerstein will receive up to $4.7 million or 17% of the government’s recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the Corporate/Financial Litigation Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Dauenheimer (D.N.J.), Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Augustus Curtis and Andrew Warner of the Corporate/Financial Litigation Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Bloor (M.D. Fla.) and Rosaline Chan (S.D. Fla.), and the Miami Regional Office of HHS-OIG. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. settlement.pdf