title: New Bedford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A New Bedford man pleaded guilty today to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Jason Cruz, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 and has remained in custody since. Between approximately April 2022 and approximately June 2022, Cruz purchased fentanyl from the DTO that he then redistributed to others. Intercepted communications depicted Cruz discussing purchasing fentanyl from the DTO. In addition, surveillance footage showed other members of the DTO visiting the Cruz’s residence for brief periods of times, which is consistent with illegal drug trafficking. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Five Individuals Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking, Firearms Violations, and Three Murders

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal jury convicted Luis Carmona-Bernacet, a.k.a. “Canito Cumbre”; Yadiel Serrano-Canales, a.k.a. “Motombo”; Alan Lugo-Montalvo; Fabiany Almestica-Monge; and Rolando Rivera-Solis today for drug trafficking, firearms violations and three murders, including the murder of banker Maurice Spagnoletti on June 15, 2011. Convictions: Luis Carmona-Bernacet, a.k.a. “Canito Cumbre”- guilty of Count one (Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances); Count two (Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime); Count three (Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence Resulting in the Murder of William Castro-Vidot). Defendant was found not guilty of Count four (Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence Resulting in the Murder of René Cruz-Cuadrado); Count 5 (Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence Resulting in the Murder of Maurice Spagnoletti). Yadiel Serrano-Canales, a.k.a. “Motombo”- Guilty of Counts 1, 2, and 5. Alan Lugo-Montalvo- Guilty of Count 1. Not guilty of Count 2. Fabiany Almestica-Monge- Guilty of Counts 1 and 2. Rolando Rivera-Solis- Guilty of Counts 1, 2 and 5. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, since the year 2000 and continuing up to 2014, in the municipalities of San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo, and Bayamón, the defendants were members of an enterprise engaged in murder and drug trafficking. Four defendants were found guilty of using firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes. One defendant was found guilty with counseling, commanding, inducing and procuring each other to carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and in the course of that crime, causing the death of William Castro on December 30, 2002. In regard to the murder of Maurice Spagnoletti, defendants Serrano-Canales and Rivera-Solis aided and abetted each other with counseling, commanding, inducing and procuring each other to carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and in the course of that crime, causing the death of Maurice Spagnoletti. A sixth defendant, Alex Burgos-Amaro is scheduled to begin trial on a later date. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for August 11, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenón-Matos, Alberto López-Rocafort, Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández, and Gregory Conner are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Federal and State Authorities Reach Settlement with Familia Dental Over Healthcare Fraud Claims

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Familia Dental in Springfield, Illinois, today agreed to pay approximately $300,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicaid for dental services that were not medically necessary during the period from June 1, 2016, through November 26, 2019. From the total settlement, the United States will receive approximately $120,000, and the State of Illinois will receive about $180,000. “When healthcare providers bill government programs for unnecessary services, not only are taxpayer dollars wasted, but also those programs have fewer resources to care for beneficiaries,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “This settlement sends a clear message to those who overcharge the government that you will be found and held accountable.” “The submission of false claims to Medicaid by providers undermines the trust we place in those individuals to perform only services which are medically necessary,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Region. “HHS-OIG will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate the False Claims Act are held accountable.” “Healthcare professionals are in a position of trust and when they break that trust by fraudulently obtaining thousands of taxpayer dollars, ISP will be there to investigate,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hoelzer represented the government during the settlement process. To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil.


title: Everett Man Sentenced for Armed Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for committing the February 2021 armed bank of a TD Bank branch in Allston. Jamaine Howell, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Jan. 5, 2023, Howell pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence. On Feb. 7, 2021, Howell entered a branch of TD Bank on Commonwealth Avenue in Allston and handed a demand note and a plastic bag to the teller. Howell threatened the teller and stated that he had a gun. Howell then threatened two bank customers and displayed a firearm. After taking the plastic bag –containing approximately $5,900 – from the teller, Howell instructed one of the customers to leave the bank with him. After walking about a block with Howell, the customer managed to flee while Howell was distracted. At the time, Howell was on probation for previous armed robbery convictions. Later that week, police received a report that Howell brandished a firearm at a guest at a hotel in Sharon. On Feb. 16, 2021, Howell was arrested and found armed with a loaded .45 caliber Ruger handgun. A loaded semi-automatic shotgun was also found in a vehicle that had previously been rented to Howell. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Boston, Sharon and Lynn Police Departments provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Former Commodities Trader Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Investment Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Chicago man was arrested today and charged in an investment fraud scheme that defrauded victims of over $2 million, a U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Phillip Galles, 57, of Chicago, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. Galles made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes in Chicago, Illinois, federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Galles, a former commodities trader, defrauded his victims by falsely claiming that he would invest their money in commodity futures through his purported investment company called Tyche Asset Management, based in Chicago. Galles and those working for him falsely told prospective investors that Tyche had a history of success using proprietary trading strategies, with extraordinary annual rates of return exceeding 100 percent. Tyche made virtually no legitimate investments in commodity futures or otherwise. Galles instead ran Tyche like a Ponzi scheme and used investor money to pay back other investors and for his own personal expenses. Galles met in New Jersey with an undercover agent purporting to be an investment manager looking to make a large investment. Galles falsely claimed that Tyche had annual returns of 336 percent, raised over $2 billion within 60 days of starting the fund, and had prominent investors, including a Kuwaiti sovereign fund and a well-known owner of a professional sports team. Galles also falsely claimed that he graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest. Galles defrauded more than a dozen victims out of more than $2 million. The count of wire fraud with which Galles is charged is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney in Newark; and the inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. galles.complaint.pdf


title: Tennessee Man Sentenced To 600 Months For Child Production Offenses

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On May 11, 2023, Cameron Ty Bolyard, 35, of Greeneville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bolyard pleaded guilty pursuant to a Federal Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement to counts one and two of an indictment charging him with use of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (a) and (e) and being a parent of a minor, knowingly permitted such minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (b) and (e). Upon his release from prison, Bolyard will be on supervised release for 10 years. Bolyard will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, investigators received multiple CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children where Bolyard uploaded multiple images and videos to his Google Account of child pornography. Multiple images and videos were created by Bolyard where he recorded a minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct with Bolyard. Additionally, Bolyard uploaded over a hundred videos and images of child sexual abuse material, unrelated to the minor victim, to his account. “This 50-year prison sentence sends a clear message that preying upon and sexually victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable victims, our children, will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “We are grateful for the work of the Homeland Security Investigations- Johnson City Office and the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes against Children Group.” “This significant sentence is a testament to the outstanding collaboration among HSI and our law enforcement partners, including the Knoxville Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This investigation into Mr. Bolyard’s criminally abhorrent conduct is a prime example of our commitment to protect the most innocent and vulnerable population from exploitation by predators. No child should ever fall prey to victimization or endure its trauma,” stated HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is relentless in its mission to protect innocent kids and expose those who prey on children,” Knoxville Chief of Police Paul Noel said. “This sentence is a reflection of great collaboration with our state and federal partners, and the hard work and dedication of our ICAC investigators and digital forensics analysts. I am grateful to those who are willing to do the unimaginable investigative work necessary to hold these predators accountable for their actions.” The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations- Johnson City Office and Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes against Children Group. This investigation was led by TFO HSI John Williams. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: California Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Firearm Possession Charges

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: ALPINE, Texas – A California man pleaded guilty in a federal court in Alpine Wednesday to charges related to drug trafficking. According to court documents, Adrian Arturo Solis, 30, of Sylmar, California was traveling to Houston on Feb. 9, 2023 to conduct a drug transaction when a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper stopped him and his co-conspirators for exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph. When the DPS trooper recognized drug paraphernalia in the vehicle and observed a passenger attempt to conceal a pistol under his leg, he ordered all the occupants out of the vehicle. The three occupants were determined to be convicted felons. During the traffic stop, Solis admitted to owning and possessing a second firearm located in the vehicle. A probable cause search revealed body armor, firearm magazines, and various types of drugs to include methamphetamine and fentanyl. After arriving at the Pecos Criminal Justice Center, the two passengers who accompanied Solis in the vehicle required medical treatment due to fentanyl overdoses. Solis pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a minimum prison term of five years for the firearm possession count 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. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. DPS and Pecos Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ellis is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Florida Man Sentenced in Gas Station Skimming Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to steal thousands of customers’ debit and credit card account numbers and other personally identifying information via a network of electronic equipment clandestinely installed at gas stations across New England. Luis Angel Naranjo Rodriguez, 32, of Hialeah, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Naranjo Rodriguez was also ordered to pay $21,267 in restitution to victims of the scheme. On Jan. 18, 2023, Naranjo Rodriguez pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices (the debit and credit card account numbers) and one count of possessing device-making equipment (the card skimming devices). Naranjo Rodriguez secretly and unlawfully installed card skimming devices in gas pumps in Massachusetts gas stations and in other New England states. The devices were programmed to send Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone a text message with stolen account information after customers had used their debit or credit cards to purchase gas at the compromised fuel pumps. Card skimming devices linked to Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone were traced to at least 11 different gas stations located in Lynnfield, Concord, Malden, Taunton, Randolph and Raynham; Portland, Maine; Nashua, N.H.; and Willington, Conn. Between April 2019 until November 2019, Naranjo Rodriguez traveled frequently from Florida to Massachusetts to maintain this network of card skimmers. During the course of the scheme, Naranjo Rodriguez’s mobile phone received at least 4,878 text messages containing stolen debit and credit card account numbers. Many of these text messages also included the account holders’ names and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). Naranjo Rodriguez cloned the account information belonging to the unwitting victims onto gift cards and other prepaid cards in order to steal money from them, typically by using the cloned cards to make ATM withdrawals, to purchase expensive consumer goods that could be resold in secondary markets, and to request cash back on debit card transactions. On Nov. 16, 2019, security cameras at a Framingham gas station and CVS captured Naranjo Rodriguez using four cloned cards to withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts at ATMs. Naranjo Rodriguez was arrested the same night at the Concord Rotary Gulf gas station, where he was tampering with a fuel pump after the gas station had closed. In Naranjo Rodriguez’s car, the four cloned cards from the ATM withdrawals earlier that night were found, along with fuel pump keys, black latex gloves, four card skimming devices, and the mobile phone that was receiving the text messages with the stolen credit and debit card account numbers. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Concord, Lunenburg and Raynham Police Departments in Massachusetts, Nashua (N.H.) Police Department and the Portland (Maine) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Minneapolis Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for Violent Armed Robbery Spree of Minneapolis Businesses

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in three armed robberies of Minneapolis businesses, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on March 31, 2022, Matthew Dereck Howell, 23, entered Dollar City Plus, a retail store in Minneapolis, while an unidentified co-conspirator waited outside as a lookout. Howell pulled a handgun and aimed it at the store owner who was behind the counter and demanded money from the register. As Howell was ordering the employees to move faster, he fired the gun in the direction of the store owner causing a bullet to graze the store owner's neck. After firing the shot, Howell went behind the counter, opened the register, and took approximately $1,200. Howell left the store and fled on foot. A few days later, on April 3, 2022, Howell borrowed a white Cadillac sedan to drive to Sam's Market and Meat, located in Minneapolis. Howell entered the market and approached the counter as if to pay for an item. Howell pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at the clerk, demanded money from the cash register, and threatened to shoot. Howell reached over the counter into the register and took approximately $50. Howell then fled back to the Cadillac and drove away. Later that same day, Howell entered Minneapolis Market, approached the counter, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at an employee, and demanded money from the register. Howell then reached over the counter and took approximately $700 before fleeing. Howell was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez. On November 8, 2022, he pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Hudleston prosecuted the case.


title: Two Arrested for Armed Robberies of Postal Workers

body_text: BOSTON – Two Massachusetts individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers that took place on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass., and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass. Myesha Lewis, 22, of Boston, and Kenneth Demosthene, 22, of Stoughton, were charged with two counts each of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting; two counts each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. Following an initial appearance today in federal court in Boston, the defendants were released on special conditions. According to the charging documents, USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 13 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers in at least 10 instances. Additionally, of these 10, six of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both. On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, it is alleged that Demosthene and Lewis followed and then forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene allegedly approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. It is alleged that the force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Demosthene and Lewis allegedly fled the scene in a rental vehicle. It is further alleged that, on Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Demosthene and Lewis followed and then robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene allegedly approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” It is alleged that the letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Demosthene and Lewis then allegedly attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose, and fled the scene on foot. The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Darnell Edwards, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: West Haven Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine through the U.S. Mail

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEAN MANGUAL-CASTRO, also known as “Mangui,” 35, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force revealed that Mangual-Castro was orchestrating shipments of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico. On December 20, 2021, after investigators identified a suspicious package that had been delivered to the West Haven residence of Mangual-Castro’s mother, Enid Castro, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, a Rolex watch, more than $200,000 in jewelry, and approximately $2,900 in cash. During the investigation, law enforcement also found at another location approximately three kilograms of cocaine that had been mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut at Mangual-Castro’s direction. Investigators identified numerous other suspicious parcels that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses connected to Mangual-Castro in Connecticut. Judge Nagala ordered the forfeiture of the Mangual-Castro’s interest in the watch, jewelry and cash that were seized. Mangual-Castro has been detained since his arrest on December 20, 2021. On September 12, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Enid Castro pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing. The FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force includes participants from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Kenneth L. Gresham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. 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: U.S. Border Patrol Agent Charged with Attempting to Distribute Methamphetamine and Receiving Bribes

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY —May 11, 2023 SAN DIEGO—U.S. Border Patrol Agent Hector Hernandez made his initial appearance in federal court today on charges that he agreed to accept $25,000 in bribes to distribute methamphetamine and to open a restricted border gate to allow unauthorized migrants to illegally enter the United States. The complaint alleges that on May 8, 2023, Hernandez opened a restricted border gate while on duty as part of an agreement to allow an unauthorized migrant to enter the United States from Mexico in exchange for a $5,000 cash payment to Hernandez. Hernandez was unaware that he’d made that agreement with an undercover federal agent. Then, on May 9, 2023, in exchange for another cash payment, Hernandez arranged to pick up a duffle bag loaded with methamphetamine from a storm drain near the border fence while on duty. According to the complaint, Hernandez put the bag into his Border Patrol vehicle and drove it to his house in Chula Vista, where he stored it for the remainder of his shift. In the morning on May 10, 2023, Hernandez retrieved the bag and met with the undercover agent intending to deliver the drugs in return for an expected $20,000 cash payment, the complaint said. At that meeting, after delivering the drugs, Hernandez was arrested. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 16 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal. DEFENDANT Case Number 23mj1663-BGS Hector Hernandez Age: 55 Chula Vista, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine – 21 U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1) and 846 Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum Receiving Bribe by Public Official – 18 U.S.C., Section 201(b)(2) Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison AGENCIES Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation, Border Corruption Task Force *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Plymouth Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Arson of Apartment Building

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on May 10, 2023, Jonathan T. Lane (age: 32) of Plymouth, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for arson to a building. According to court filings, Lane admitted that on November 9, 2017, he started a fire in a small, two-story apartment building in Plymouth, Wisconsin. A mother of three children died in that fire, and a firefighter was injured attempting to extinguish the fire. The apartment building was destroyed by the fire and neighboring apartment buildings sustained fire related damage. Arson investigators ultimately determined that the fire was intentionally set and that Lane, who lived in one of the apartments, was the last individual around the fire origin minutes before the discovery of the smoke and fire. At sentencing, United States District Judge Lynn Adelman noted the serious nature of the offense, the need for just punishment, and the need for protection of the public. Following his release from prison, Lane will spend three years on supervised release. He will also be ordered to pay restitution in an amount yet to be determined, but which could exceed $400,000. “The arson of an occupied building endangers the safety of others and can easily result in the injury or death of an innocent occupant or firefighter,” said United States Attorney Haanstad. “The sentence in this case, which was the direct result of hard work by federal, state, and local law enforcement and their fellow first responders, makes clear that those responsible for such acts will receive substantial prison terms.” “This tragic case is an example of how ATF and fire science technology, combined with our investigative skills and partnership with local law enforcement will solve arsons,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “We appreciate the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office in dedicating their prosecutorial expertise to this important case.” “Arson is an extremely dangerous crime that can lead to tragedy, as it did in this terrible case,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to Wisconsin Department of Justice’s State Fire Marshal’s Office, whose agents are highly skilled in arson investigations and work with local, state, and federal agencies to obtain justice.” The investigation was led by the following law enforcement groups: Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Plymouth Police Department. Numerous fire and rescue departments from the surrounding areas responded to assist putting out the fire. # # #


title: Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Alexis Nicole Wilkins, age 28, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today for distributing fentanyl, resulting in the death of a high school student. According to the plea agreement, on December 3, 2021, a juvenile overdosed during class at Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs. First responders attempted life-saving measures, and transported the juvenile to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The El Paso County Coroner determined the cause of death was “fentanyl intoxication.” Investigators spoke with two juvenile witnesses who were with the victim in a school restroom that morning. One juvenile witness provided statements that she and the victim used ”Percocet” in the bathroom that morning. Investigators were able to track where the juveniles got the pill through Facebook messages with the defendant, including a conversation which appears to be the one arranging the sale of a pill at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs the night before the victim’s death. One of the juvenile witnesses said she was introduced to the defendant by a Denver gang member in February 2021, and had been purchasing “percs” from the defendant. One witness noted the pill they purchased on December 2, 2021, looked different and was a lighter blue color than what they had received previously. Other Facebook messages indicate the defendant knew the pills she was selling were not made by a pharmaceutical company. On March 15, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Colorado Springs Police Department executed a federal search warrant on the defendant’s home on West Portal Drive in Colorado Springs. Officers located and seized over 100 blue pills marked with “M” and “30,” which contained fentanyl. Investigators believe some of the pills were packaged for distribution. “Fentanyl continues to kill innocent victims in Colorado, including teenagers,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “As our hearts go out to the victim, her family, and her friends, I ask everyone in Colorado to be on guard and share the message with others. Unless a drug comes from a pharmacist, please do not take it. Any illicit drug could contain fentanyl and, if it does, it could kill you.” “Alexis Wilkins sold poison to unsuspecting kids in Colorado Springs. No prison sentence can bring back her victim or undo the harm she caused; this outcome does mean she is no longer selling deadly drugs,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek “FBI Denver is always ready and willing to assist partners like the Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office when it comes to halting the distribution of illegal drugs and making our communities safer.” Judge Christine M. Arguello sentenced the defendant on May 11, 2023. After serving her custodial sentence, the defendant will have three years on supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division, the Colorado Springs Police Department Metro, Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence (MVNI) Unit, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office participated in the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Alyssa Mance. CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-101-CMA


title: Justice Department Seizes 13 Domains Used by Lebanese Hezbollah and its Affiliates

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the seizure of 13 domains used by Specially Designated Nationals (SNDs), Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and their members associated with Lebanese Hezbollah. According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize five domains registered to the Public Interest Registry (PIR) – moqawama.org, almanarnews.org, manarnews.org, almanar-tv.org, and alshahid.org – and eight domains registered to Verisign Inc. – manartv.net, manarnews.net, almanar-tv.com, almanar-tv.net, alidaamouch.com, Ibrahim-alsayed.net, alemdad.net, and naimkassem.net. “Today’s web domain seizures deny terrorist organizations and affiliates significant sources of support and makes clear we will not allow these groups to use U.S. infrastructure to threaten the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce economic sanctions as part of our commitment to deploy all available tools against threats from hostile nation-states and terrorist actors alike.” “The Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) is at the forefront of ensuring that American internet infrastructure is unavailable for use by international terrorist organizations, their members and affiliates,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the EDVA. “The domains seized through this operation are controlled by individuals and entities engaged in planning or perpetrating acts of terrorism against Americans and thus are not lawfully permitted to use American infrastructure. Operations like this disrupt terrorist activity by blocking one avenue these groups and individuals use to gather support and influence.” “This seizure demonstrates the FBI’s persistence in using all of our tools to hold accountable terrorists and their affiliates when they violate U.S. laws,” said Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Lebanese Hezbollah’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.” “These court-authorized domain seizures reflect the FBI’s continued dedication to the fight against terrorism," said Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Along with our federal and international partners, the FBI remains focused on proactively disrupting web domains controlled by Specially Designated Nationals – those who attempt to illegally utilize U.S. infrastructure to incite deadly violence against the United States and our allies to further the objectives of foreign terrorist organizations.” “Today’s seizure reduces Hezbollah's ability to peddle their dangerous violent ideology across the globe,” said Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce. “This coordinated enforcement action demonstrates that the U.S. Government will creatively use all available enforcement tools to thwart those who seek to perpetrate acts of terror.” Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), SDNs and SDGTs, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, Al Manar TV, Ali Damush, Ibrahim al-Sayyid, Islamic Charitable Emdad Committee, Martyrs’ Foundation in Lebanon, Naim Qasim, and their members may not obtain services, including website and domain services, in the United States without a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). No such license was obtained for any of the 13 seized domains. Additionally, these 13 domains are subject to seizure as assets of entities and organizations engaged in planning or perpetrating acts of terrorism against the United States, its citizens and residents, and their property. These domains also afford a source of influence over those entities and organizations. The seizure of these domains will cut off that source of support and influence. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod made the announcement. The FBI and Department of Commerce investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Laura D. Withers for the Eastern District of Virginia are representing the government in these matters, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division.


title: Four Men Sentenced for Engaging in a Child Exploitation Enterprise

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Four men were sentenced for their participation in a website dedicated to child sexual exploitation. Kyle William Leishear, 43, of Bayonet Point, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison. On April 25, Leishear’s three co-defendants were sentenced for their roles in a child exploitation enterprise: Christopher William Kuehner, 38, of Bremerton, Washington, was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Jacob Royce Mullins, 20, of South Webster, Ohio, was sentenced to seven years in prison; and Matthew Martin, 25, of Lancaster, Wisconsin, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. “We cannot and will not tolerate websites like Rapey.su that invite and encourage members to congregate, discuss, and engage in the sexual exploitation of children and young women, to memorialize this exploitation, and to distribute illegal sexually explicit images of the victims,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to rooting out these websites and bringing to justice those who join them for the purpose of perpetuating the victimization of some of the most vulnerable members of society.” According to court documents, Leishear, Kuehner, Mullins, and Martin were prominent members of the “Rapey.su” website, which was dedicated to, among other things, child sexual exploitation. After becoming a member of the website, Leishear enticed multiple minor victims, including one as young 12-years-old, to produce and share sexually explicit images. Kuehner also repeatedly induced minor victims to produce and post sexually explicit images and videos to the site. Additionally, Leishear attempted to distribute child sexual abuse material on the website. Mullins and Martin both repeatedly distributed child sexual abuse material images on the website, and Mullins enticed another website user to produce and share sexually explicit images of a minor victim. “I am grateful for the hard work of our agents and prosecutors to seek justice in this horrific case. These defendants caused immeasurable trauma on their victims, amplified by the group’s online sharing of their abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case shows that internet anonymity will not protect offenders from facing full accountability for their illegal online conduct.” “The actions of the four individuals in this case were nothing short of reprehensible,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “They shamefully targeted the most vulnerable members of our community for their own perverse desires. HSI Washington, D.C. remains committed to protecting children from abuse and holding accountable those individuals who would victimize minors. HSI remains vigilant in watching for indicators of child exploitation throughout our communities.” HSI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Whitney Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Schlessinger for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison On Drug Trafficking And Firearm Offenses

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

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Carlos Kentral Kerney, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to a total of 30 years in federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence. “This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. "Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, this armed felon has been called to account for his continued criminal conduct." Kerney was convicted by a federal jury after a 3-day trial in January 2023. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop of Kerney for speeding on June 22, 2022. During the stop, the deputy observed the grip of a pistol sticking out from between the driver’s seat and center console. Deputies confirmed Kerney was a multi-time convicted felon and detained him in handcuffs. After being read his rights, Kerney denied ownership/knowledge of the firearm, claiming it must be his girlfriend’s gun because she has a Concealed Carry Permit. Further search of the vehicle led to discovery of 120 grams of marijuana, and varying amounts of cocaine, cocaine base, and a synthetic cathinone in the center console, two scales in the vehicle, and another small baggie of marijuana and $1000 cash on Kerney’s person. “The Men and Women of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, in concert with our state and federal partners, will continue to pursue career felons who unlawfully possess firearms and who continuously try to peddle the poison of illegal narcotics on the streets of Alachua County, Florida. The mission to protect the safety and security of our citizens and visitors will always remain a top priority for this agency.” – Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr. Kerney had previously been convicted of twenty-five felonies and qualified as an Armed Career Criminal. Kerney’s imprisonment will be followed by six years of supervised release. This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Elsey prosecuted the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Delaware Man and Woman Charged with Sex and Labor Trafficking of 13 Victims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the District of Delaware returned an indictment charging a Delaware man and woman with sex trafficking, labor trafficking and related charges. The defendants are charged with aiding and abetting one another in committing sex trafficking and forced labor trafficking against 13 victims. The indictment alleges that from 2014 through 2020, Clifton H. Gibbs, 66, and Brooke D. Waters, 44, of Lewes, recruited, harbored, transported and compelled nine victims to engage in commercial sex acts under the threat that they would suffer serious harm if they did not comply. The indictment further alleges that from 2016 through 2020, Gibbs and Waters obtained the labor and services of six victims under the threat of suffering serious harm if they did not comply. Finally, the indictment alleges that Gibbs and Waters transported three victims across state lines for the purpose of criminal sexual activity. The sex trafficking charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. The forced labor charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The interstate transportation for the purposes of criminal sexual activity charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia and Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of HSI Baltimore made the announcement. The Delaware State Police, led by Colonel Melissa Zebley, provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware, Trial Attorney Rebekah J. Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Senior Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of the Money Laundering Section’s Special Financial Investigations Unit. Anyone who believes that they may have been a victim of this case or may have relevant information to share is asked to call the HSI tip line at 866-DHS-2423. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Men Indicted for Environmental Crimes Committed in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Las Mareas Community of Salinas, Puerto Rico

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Today, in the District of Puerto Rico, a federal grand jury returned two separate indictments charging Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez and Pedro Luis Bones Torres with violations of the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act related to the illegal construction and deposit of material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the area of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico. According to the indictments, from approximately January 2020 through October 2022, Luis Enrique Rodriguez Sanchez (Rodriguez Sanchez) and Pedro Luis Bones Torres (Bones Torres) knowingly discharged fill material from excavation and earth moving equipment into the wetlands and waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act. Further, both Rodriguez Sanchez and Bones Torres are charged with building structures within the navigable waters of the United States without authorization of the Secretary of the Army, in violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act. These activities occurred in the coastal waters and wetlands of the Las Mareas community and JBNERR in Salinas, Puerto Rico. “These cases demonstrate our commitment to protecting wetland ecosystems, which have many public and environmental benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Coastal wetlands protect communities from storm surges and hurricanes, protect vulnerable species from exploitation, stabilize estuaries and provide natural water filtration that improves water quality.” “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing federal environmental protection laws and to holding violators responsible for the harm that they cause,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “These laws play an important role in protecting the animals, resources, and habitats within Puerto Rico, the Las Mareas community, and the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The unpermitted construction, pollution, and fill within the protected waters of the United States also poses flooding and hurricane mitigation concerns for surrounding communities. As such, they are a priority for federal environmental enforcement efforts.” “Today’s actions send a clear signal that the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (DOC-OIG) is dedicated to investigating potential fraud, waste and abuse in projects receiving funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Lysaght of the DOC-OIG. “DOC-OIG greatly appreciates the cooperative efforts of our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners as we seek to enforce laws protecting the environment and natural beauty of Puerto Rico.” The Clean Water Act was enacted by Congress in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. The Clean Water Act’s main purpose is to ensure the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. It prohibits the discharge of any pollutant and fill material into waters of the United States except when a permit is obtained from the United States. The Rivers and Harbors Act was originally enacted in 1899 and is generally considered the oldest environmental law in the United States. It serves to regulate and protect the navigable waters of the United States and prohibits the un-permitted construction of structures within those waters. Both the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act protect the coastal waters within the JBNERR. The JBNERR was designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve by the NOAA in 1981 and is comprised of approximately 2,800 acres of coastal ecosystems in the Southern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. The JBNERR contains mangrove islands, mangrove forests, tidal wetlands, coral reefs, lagoons, salt flats, dry forest and seagrass beds. It is also home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee. The JBNERR is owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR-DNER). Both Rodriguez Sanchez and Bones Torres were arrested and are scheduled to appear today before Magistrate Judge Bruce J. McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for their respective initial appearances. If convicted, the defendants face up to four years in prison, as well as fines and injunctive relief to remove violative structures. Various federal agencies are involved in this ongoing investigation related to environmental crimes in the JBNERR and Las Mareas community, including the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), FBI, U.S. Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army-CID), DOC-OIG, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA-OLE), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement (FW-OLE). The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe, Environmental Litigation Coordinator for the District of Puerto Rico. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Announces Launch of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the launch of the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Environmental Crimes Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of federal law harming the environment, wildlife and human health, and associated fraud, waste and abuse in the region. The creation of the task force comes one year after the Justice Department announced its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy and the creation of an Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “All communities deserve clean air, clean water, and the robust protection of their natural resources – both, today and for generations to come,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This task force demonstrates the department’s continued commitment to environmental justice and its comprehensive strategy to address significant concerns faced by communities overburdened with pollution.” “Environmental justice and ensuring that all residents of Puerto Rico enjoy a healthy environment free of hazardous waste and other pollutants is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “This Task Force will combine and leverage resources from many federal agencies to aggressively enforce civil and criminal environmental laws.” “The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our federal and local partners, is committed to enforcing environmental laws. Our goal is to ensure that all our citizens receive protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play and work,” said U.S. Attorney Delia Smith for the USVI. The creation of this Task Force builds upon the Justice Department’s environmental justice strategy and brings together federal law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those federal agencies will continue to work closely with their local counterparts, including the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and the USVI Attorney General’s Office. The task force will include law enforcement personnel from the following agencies: Army - Criminal Investigation Division Army Corps of Engineers Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General Department of Commerce – Office of Inspector General Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Inspector General FBI Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General IRS – Criminal Investigation Division National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Office of Law Enforcement U.S. Coast Guard – Sector San Juan U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service On May 5, 2022, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta signed the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy. The Strategy provides a roadmap for using the Justice Department’s civil and criminal enforcement authorities and tools. Under the Strategy, the Department seeks to advance environmental justice in underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color and Tribal and Indigenous communities. Reporting environmental, public health and safety concerns supports a safe community for all. U.S. Attorney Muldrow and U.S. Smith encourage Puerto Rico and USVI residents to use the following contact information to report violations to federal agencies. If the violation concerns air quality, health, water, land, waste, chemicals and toxins (e.g. pesticides and lead paint), and/or a cleanup , contact the Environmental Protection Agency at www.epa.gov/report-violation or Denuncie violaciones ambientales | US EPA to report violations. If the violation concerns fraud, waste and abuse of an EPA program, operation, grant or contract , contact Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General at www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/forms/epa-oig-hotline-complaint-form If the violation concerns an oil or chemical spill , contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-88022. If the violation concerns a marine environment , contact the Coast Guard at www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=878 and/or Sector San Juan Command Center: 787-729-2041. If the violation concerns federal marine resources , you should contact the www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/enforcement or hotline at 1-800-853-1964. If the violation concerns harm to wildlife (e.g., pesticide misuse) , contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 or www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips . If the violation concerns wetlands or navigable waters, contact your local district branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/Enforcement . If the violation concerns workplace conditions , such as chemicals or noxious fumes, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742 or www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint . If the violation concerns housing conditions , contact the Department of Housing & Urban Development – Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) at 1-800-347-3735 or www.hudoig.gov/hotline/hotline-form . If the violation concerns transportation of hazardous materials or a pipeline , contact the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) at 1-800-424-9071 or www.oig.dot.gov/fraud-hotline . If the violation concerns medications, food products, devices, biological products, cosmetics, or other products for human consumption , contact the FDA at 1-800-332-0127 (toll-free) or www.fda.gov/safety/report-problem-fda . If the violation concerns fraud, waste, and abuse related to U.S. Department of Commerce (including any entity receiving DOC funds) contact www.oig.doc.gov/Pages/Hotline.aspx If the violation concerns discriminatory environmental and health impacts , contact DOJ Civil Rights at 1-855-856-1247 or civilrights.justice.gov . If the violation involves public corruption , contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov . For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/oej ; www.epa.gov ; www.justice.gov/usao/pr .


title: D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Importation of a Controlled Substance

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON –Jonathan Montiethe Perry 39, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty this week to one count of importation of a controlled substance (Gamma Butyrolactone), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Perry entered the plea on May 9, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 18, 2023. According to the Government’s evidence, on or about December 26, 2022, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, New York, NY Mail Branch conducted an inspection of an international package that was addressed to the defendant in Washington D.C. The package was found to contain five unmarked plastic bottles filled with clear liquid, weighing approximately 6.07 kilograms (gross weight including the plastic bottles). CBP officers used a Gemini Thermo Scientific system to analyze the clear liquid and returned a presumptive positive match for Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL). The package contained approximately 5,000 milliliters of GBL which weighed approximately 5 kilograms. A subsequent laboratory analysis of samples taken from the five bottles further confirmed that the clear liquid contained GBL. On January 5, 2023, at approximately 10:15 a.m., an undercover law enforcement officer conducted a controlled delivery of a package to an apartment complex where it was eventually retrieved by the defendant. Shortly thereafter, the defendant was followed and observed entering another apartment complex, then into a specific apartment with the target package in his hand. Law enforcement waited several minutes, knocked on the apartment door, announced their presence, and subsequently executed a search warrant. The defendant was present and detained without incident. Upon entering the residence, law enforcement observed the target package on the kitchen table next to a pair of scissors. On a separate nearby table, there was an open laptop computer with the USPS package tracking website open and the target package’s tracking number displayed. In addition, law enforcement officers recovered hundreds of empty, unfilled plastic pill capsules, a plastic bag containing several dozen empty plastic vials, a box containing six small empty, blue-colored vials and several glass droppers. Law enforcement also recovered one plastic bag that contained at least several dozen empty plastic vials and had a maximum capacity of 400 vials. In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Gordon, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Homeland Security Investigations and the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledge the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Nevada Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church Shooting

body_text: A Nevada man has been charged with 98 counts of federal hate crimes and weapons and explosives offenses, including the murder of one person and attempted murder of 44 others, for his actions during the shooting and attempted bombing at the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church on May 15, 2022. David Chou, 69, of Las Vegas, killed one person and attempted to kill 44 others using firearms and explosive devices that he carried inside the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Southern California, according to the indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California. In addition to the victim who Chou fatally shot, five others were injured by gunfire. Chou allegedly acted because of the victims’ national origin and religion, and he intentionally obstructed the victims’ religious exercise. Specifically, the indictment charges Chou with 98 violations of federal law: 45 counts of obstructing free exercise of religious beliefs by force, which resulted in the death of one person, included attempts to kill 44 others, and involved the use of a firearm and attempted use of explosives and fire; 45 counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by attacking the church congregants because of their actual or perceived Taiwanese national origin and Presbyterian faith; One count of attempting to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce by means of fire and explosives; One count of carrying explosives during the commission of a federal felony offense; and Six counts of using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. If convicted, Chou faces a maximum penalty of death or life in prison without parole. He is currently in state custody pending state criminal charges. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California and Los Angeles FBI Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway made the announcement. The FBI would like to acknowledge the considerable assistance of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Scally and Susan Har for the Central District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Officers of DC Trust, Sentenced for Using Organization’s Funds for Personal Gain

body_text: WASHINGTON – The former Executive Director and the Director of Operations and Finance, of the now-defunct non-profit organization DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (“DC Trust”), were sentenced today for a felony charge relating to their personal use of the non-profit’s funds, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, District of Columbia’s Office of the Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Terry Harris, of the US Department of Education Office of Inspector General for the Eastern Region. Edward Davies, 52, of Owings Mills, Maryland, was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release; Earl Hamilton, 53, of Riviera Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants pleaded guilty, on November 30, 2022, to a charge of credit card fraud for using the non-profit’s monies, intended for youth scholarship programs, for personal expenses. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Davies to pay $111,332.46 in restitution and ordered Hamilton to pay $44,049.79 in restitution. According to court documents, Davies, the former executive director, and Hamilton, the former director of operations and finance, used DC Trust credit cards and a check card to make hundreds of personal purchases for expenses such as: meals, automobile repairs, exercise equipment, and personal travel for themselves, their family members, and their friends. In total, Davies stole at least $111,000 and Hamilton stole at least $44,000. The DC Trust was a non-profit organization, created in 1999, to serve as an intermediary to connect philanthropists, government leaders, youth advocates, and representatives from the business community in order to support programs to benefit the children of the District of Columbia. The organization was dissolved in late 2016, reportedly to cover debts from exorbitant spending on and by staff, including the misuse of organization credit cards. The trust’s funding came from the U.S. Department of Education and consisted of federal grant funding under the U.S. Department of Education Opportunity Scholarship Program (“OSP”), which was designed to provide low-income parents, residing in Washington, D.C., with expanded options for the education of their children. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Harris, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Diane Lucas have been litigating the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Lisa Abbe.


title: Federal Court Permanently Enjoins Tax Return Preparer in Texas and Orders Disgorgement of Tax Prep Fees

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal court in the Southern District of Texas has permanently enjoined a Houston-area tax return preparer from preparing federal tax returns for others and from owning, operating, or franchising any tax return preparation business in the future. In its order, the court found that Hollins Ray Alexander engaged in conduct that substantially interferes with the proper administration of the tax laws, warranting a permanent bar on acting as a tax return preparer for others. As alleged in the complaint, Alexander prepared tax returns for others in which he overstated customers’ refunds by fabricating deductions or falsely claiming credits to which customers were not entitled. Although Alexander failed to respond to the government’s motion for an injunction, the court found that the record and applicable law warrant the entry of the injunction. The terms of the injunction require that Alexander send notices of the injunction to each person for whom he prepared federal tax returns and to post the injunctions in places where he conducts business, including social media accounts and websites. The injunction permits the United States to conduct post-judgment discovery to monitor Alexander’s compliance. The court also required Alexander to disgorge the sum of $165,940 to the United States in tax preparation fees. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Shady tax return preparers remain a concern of the IRS, which recently warned taxpayers about unscrupulous tax return preparers are part of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen series . Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information. In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.


title: GCI Communications Corp. to Pay More than $40 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to FCC’s Rural Health Care Program

component: Civil Division

body_text: GCI Communications Corp. (GCI), located in Anchorage, Alaska, has agreed to pay $40,242,546 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly inflating its prices and violating Federal Communications Commission (FCC) competitive bidding regulations in connection with GCI’s participation in the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program. The program provides more than $570 million each year to assist rural health care providers with their telecommunications needs. Under the Rural Health Care Program, the FCC pays a subsidy equal to the difference between the more expensive cost for a telecommunication service in a rural area and the less expensive cost for the same service in an urban area in the same state. FCC regulations also require contracts for these subsidized services be awarded through a competitive bidding process. The United States alleged that, between 2013 and 2020, GCI failed to comply with FCC regulations that governed how telecommunications companies must calculate their prices for purposes of claiming subsidy payments, and as a result GCI received greater subsidy payments than it was entitled to. The United States further alleged that GCI caused Eastern Aleutian Tribes Inc., a rural health care provider in Alaska, to agree to inflated prices after the relevant contract was competitively bid. As a result, GCI knowingly received higher payments under the program, from 2015 through 2018, in connection with its contract with Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc. “Telecommunications providers that seek to participate in important FCC programs like the Rural Health Care Program must comply with applicable rules, including those governing how they competitively bid on contracts and set their prices,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to preventing the misuse of taxpayer funds.” “Providing health care services in rural areas, especially to Indigenous people in remote areas of Alaska, is vital and must be protected,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington. “This $40 million settlement should deter other companies from attempting to improperly enrich themselves by overcharging the government for important healthcare-related telecommunications services.” “Service providers who utilize the Rural Health Care Program to provide necessary services to health care providers in rural areas, such as GCI provides to Alaska health care providers, cannot disregard FCC’s rules that require specific processes to ensure fair reimbursement for services,” said Acting FCC Inspector General Sharon Diskin. “The Rural Health Care Program has limited funds and we continue to ensure that those funds are not subject to fraud, waste or abuse.” “Compliance with the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program rules is a critical component in making sure that medical providers have access to the types of communications equipment and services needed to enhance medical options and care in rural communities,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal. “This global settlement reflects our strong partnership with the Department of Justice in protecting the USF, and we thank them for their efforts in this particular case.” Contemporaneous with the civil settlement, GCI has agreed to enter into a corporate compliance agreement with the FCC. GCI will also resolve an FCC administrative investigation and an FCC proceeding arising from GCI’s participation in the Rural Health Care Program. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Robert Taylor, GCI’s former Director of Business Administration. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Taylor v. GCI Liberty, et al. , Case No. 19-cv-2029 (W.D. Wash.). The whistleblower will receive $6.4 million as his share of the 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, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the FCC’s Office of the Inspector General and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney David M. Sobotkin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Stahman for the Western District of Washington. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Man Convicted for Running Four Dark Web Child Sexual Abuse Websites

body_text: A federal jury convicted a Missouri man yesterday for running four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clint Robert Schram, 54, of Kansas City, hosted, managed, and maintained four different websites from his home. Each of these websites operated over the “dark web,” and each was devoted to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images of children as young as 2 years old, and another had no restrictions on the types of child sexual abuse images that could be shared. Schram advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites, and he recruited, managed, and directed different tiers of “staff” members who helped run the websites. Schram was convicted of one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and four counts each of advertisement of child pornography and conspiracy to advertise child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 12 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison 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. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Charles A. Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and Kansas City Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison D. Dunning and David Luna for the Western District of Missouri are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Defrauding the D.C. Medicaid Program

body_text: WASHINGTON - Melchiades Amin, 45, of Glenn Dale, Maryland, was sentenced today, May 11, 2023, to serve 36 months of incarceration, suspended, and five years of probation. Additionally, the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Amin to pay $178,150.24 in restitution to the D.C. Medicaid program. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. Amin was indicted on October 26, 2022, and he was arrested on November 2, 2022. On March 10, 2023, Amin pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to one count of First-Degree Felony Fraud and two counts of First-Degree Felony theft. According to the government’s evidence, between May 2018 and on or about October 2021, Amin was employed by two District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS) providers as a community support worker (CSW). MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services. A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as medication management, increasing social skills, and learning how to use public transportation to travel when necessary. While employed by the two District MHRS providers, Amin engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program. Employment records and records maintained by the District of Columbia’s Department of Behavioral Health show that Amin billed for overlapping encounter visits with MHRS patients, submitted patient notes indicating community support services had been provided in person while he was traveling out of state, submitted encounter notes for community support services while a patient was admitted in a hospital, and submitted encounter notes indicating community support services were provided at consumers’ homes while Amin may not have been at those physical locations. Through these schemes, Amin caused the D.C. Medicaid program to pay over $178,000 for CSW services that were not provided, of which he personally received more than $54,000. This prosecution is indicative of the continued collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General to investigate and prosecute cases of this kind. The government urges the public to provide tips and assistance to stop health care fraud. If you have information about individuals committing health care fraud, please call the D.C. Office of the Inspector General at (800) 724-TIPS [(800) 274-8477]. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated and prosecuted the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). They commended the work of Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the Office of the Inspector General, who prosecuted the case, and also acknowledged the efforts of the OIG MFCU of those who investigated the case, including Auditor Pednika White, Special Agent Eduardo Torre, and Supervisory Investigator Robert Bornstein.


title: Former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Inspector General Sentenced for Falsifying Financial Disclosure Forms

body_text: A former Assistant Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for engaging in a scheme to conceal his financial indebtedness to a government contractor and personal friend to whom he steered tens of millions of dollars in government business. According to court documents, Eghbal “Eddie” Saffarinia, 63, of Front Royal, Virginia, engaged in a scheme to conceal material facts, including the nature and extent of his financial relationship with a personal friend who was the owner and chief executive officer of an information technology company. During a period in which Saffarinia received payments and loans from his friend totaling $80,000, Saffarinia disclosed confidential internal government information to his friend and steered government contracts and provided competitive advantages and preferential treatment to his friend’s company. Saffarinia also failed to disclose this financial relationship and another large promissory note on his public financial disclosure forms. In September 2022, Saffarinia was convicted after trial of one count of concealing material facts, three counts of making false statements, and three counts of falsifying a record or document. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Thomas A. Monheim of the Intelligence Community made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Edward P. Sullivan and Trial Attorneys Rosaleen T. O’Gara and John P. Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.


title: Court Enjoins Alabama Seafood Processor from Distributing Adulterated Seafood Products

body_text: A federal court today enjoined an Irvington, Alabama, company and several of its operators from distributing adulterated seafood products in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). In a civil complaint for permanent injunction filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama on April 25, the United States alleged that Irvington Seafood, Inc., and its owner, Kevin S. Sakprasit, and company officers Helene Nou and Kammie C. Richardson, violated the FDCA by distributing adulterated ready-to-eat crabmeat products. According to the complaint, the defendants process the products at their Alabama facility and then sell and distribute them to businesses and consumers throughout the country. The complaint alleges that between 2006 and 2022, multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections of the defendants’ facility revealed that the defendants prepared, packaged, and held crabmeat products under insanitary conditions and failed to comply with required current good manufacturing practices and seafood hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) regulations. According to the complaint, during inspections of the defendants’ facility FDA inspectors found, among other things: the presence of maggots, flies, and roaches; the presence of the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes on food contact and non-food contact surfaces of equipment; and that employees were failing to properly wash their hands and aprons. Food contaminated with L. mono can cause serious illness and even death in vulnerable groups, such as newborns and people with impaired immune systems. The complaint alleges that the defendants failed to take necessary corrective actions after repeated FDA warnings. “Food manufacturers and distributors must operate in strict compliance with the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to working hand in hand with the FDA to help ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply.” The defendants agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The order entered by the federal court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the FDCA and requires that they destroy all raw ingredients and food products currently in their possession. Before processing or distributing any food in the future, the defendants must notify the FDA in advance, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction, and permit the FDA to inspect their facilities and procedures. Senior Trial Attorney Arturo DeCastro of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch is handling the case with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel Kyrsten L. Melander of the FDA’s Office of the General Counsel. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The claims resolved by the resolution announced today are only allegations. There has been no determination of liability.


title: California Men Arraigned for Conspiring to Distribute Drugs and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Eric Thibodo, 54, of Malibu, California, and Evan Bowen, 45, of Garberville, California, appeared today before the Honorable Michael D. Nelson, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Nebraska, and pleaded not guilty to a three-count indictment that was unsealed on April 20, 2023. Count I charges Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. The maximum penalty is at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Money Laundering and Count III charges Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. If convicted of either Count II or III, the possible penalty is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Both men were released on conditions and will be monitored by the United States Probation and Pre-Trial Services agency. David Leidermann, David Bose, and James Reja were also charged in the same indictment. Leidermann and Bose were arrested in California and have yet to make an appearance in the District of Nebraska. Reja has not been arrested. All defendants charged in an indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The indictment is the result an investigation dating back to September of 2019 and has revealed evidence of more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and millions of dollars in drug proceeds being illegally transported in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere. This case was the result of an investigation by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.