title: Utah man admits defrauding Montana employer

body_text: HELENA — A Utah man accused of embezzling more than $700,000 from a Montana company admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Thomas Lynn Syddall, 50, of American Fork, Utah, who worked for a company owned by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to money laundering-concealment as charged in an indictment. Syddall faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for March 20, 2024. Syddall was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that Syddall worked as a salesman for Information Technology Corporation, which was owned by Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. From about March 2020 to about August 2021 in Helena, Syddall embezzled money through multiple means, including creating bogus purchase orders and invoices, stealing inventory and directing payments to fictitious companies and unauthorized vendors. Syddall then sold the inventory, none of which was authorized, on eBay and KSL Classifieds. When questioned by other employees about the discrepancies in orders and payments, Syddall sent lulling emails attempting to cover up and prolong the fraud. In addition, Syddall concealed financial transactions by laundering proceeds from the wire fraud into third-party accounts. Syddall then directed the transfer of the money into accounts over which he had control. The government alleged the investigation has identified approximately $759,100 in restitution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. XXX


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Gun Control Act

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced SHAMAR HOLMES , age 23, a resident of New Orleans, to 57 months imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, HOLMES admitted that in September 2022 he was traveling down Interstate 10 near the Claiborne Avenue exit when another car opened fire on his car. HOLMES was shot several times and taken to the hospital. When New Orleans Police Officers arrived to investigate, they seized the car as part of the shooting investigation. They conducted a search of the car and found a .40 caliber handgun under the seat. In January 2022, HOLMES had pleaded guilty to a felony, in Orleans Parish and was thus prohibited from possessing guns at the time of the September shooting. Judge Barbier sentenced HOLMES to fifty-seven months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. HOLMES was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Guilty Plea Reached After Over 50 Kilograms of Cocaine Interdicted in New Kent County

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Durham, North Carolina, man pleaded guilty today to attempted possession of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, on August 2, Jose Arellano-Rodriguez, 26, was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents when he brought $90,000 to a rest stop in New Kent County to pay for what he believed was a load of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine. The load had been intercepted one week prior by law enforcement from within a vehicle believed to have crossed the Mexican border into the United States. The individuals Arellano-Rodriguez provided the money to were members of law enforcement. Once the money was provided by Arellano-Rodriguez, he was arrested and taken into custody. Following his arrest, law enforcement discovered a firearm in Arellano-Rodriguez’s possession. Arellano-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to attempted possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for DEA’s Washington Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case. Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-61.


title: Former Jackson Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his submission of a false COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application. According to court documents, Wesley Murray, Sr., 54, submitted to the United States Small Business Association (“SBA”) a false EIDL application containing material misrepresentations. In reliance on his certification that he would use the EIDL funds for business purposes, the SBA awarded Murray approximately $72,400 in COVID-19 relief funds. Murray acknowledged that he used these funds for purely personal expenses. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement with the United States, Murray agreed to make full restitution to the SBA. Murray is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General made the announcement. The case was investigated by the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Former Navy IT Manager Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Hacking a Computer Database, Stealing over 9,000 People’s Identities, and Selling the Information for $160,000 in Bitcoin

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Former Navy IT Manager Marquis Hooper, 32, of Selma, California, was sentenced today to five years and five months in prison for hacking a computer database that contained personally identifiable information (PII) and selling it, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court records, in August 2018, Hooper opened an online account with a company that runs a database containing the PII for millions of people. The company restricts access to the database to businesses and government agencies that have a demonstrated, lawful need for the PII. Hooper, however, opened his database account by falsely representing to the company that the Navy needed him to perform background checks. After Hooper opened his database account, he added his wife and co-defendant, Natasha Chalk, to the account. They then stole over 9,000 people’s PII and sold it to other individuals on the dark web for $160,000 in bitcoin. At least some of the individuals to whom Hooper and Chalk sold the PII used it to commit further crimes. For example, one individual used the PII to create a fake driver’s license and then tried to withdraw money from the victim’s bank account. In December 2018, Hooper’s database account was closed for suspected fraud. Thereafter, Hooper, Chalk, and an unindicted co-conspirator tried to regain access to the database. Hooper instructed the unindicted co-conspirator to open a new database account by representing that the Navy needed him to perform background checks just like Hooper had done. Hooper offered to pay the unindicted co-conspirator $2,500 for each month that the database account was opened. The unindicted co-conspirator submitted an application to open the database account and the company told him that a supply officer had to sign the contract. Navy supply officers have contracting authority to purchase certain services and supplies for the Navy. Hooper then sent the unindicted co-conspirator multiple documents falsely identifying an identity theft victim as the supposed Naval supply officer. These documents included a false contract, a fake driver’s license for the identity theft victim, and a forged letter purporting to be from a commanding officer in the Navy. The unindicted co-conspirator submitted the fake documents to the company, but the company decided not to open the new database account. This case is the product of an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case. Chalk is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20, 2023. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Tulare County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Deniz, 33, of Farmersville, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on May 1, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Deniz’s residence and found more than a pound of methamphetamine, an AK-style rifle, a Mossberg pump action shotgun, six handguns, 18 magazines, two handgun silencers, a ballistic vest, thousands of rounds of live ammunition, and firearm accessories. During the search, law enforcement officers also found “auto-sear” devices that are used to convert semi-automatic firearms to fire as fully automatic machine guns. Deniz is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the California Department of Justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Cleveland Man Sentenced to 204 Months in Prison for Engaging in "Sextortion" of Children

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – JAVAN BAILEY , age 22, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 204 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with producing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of an eleven-year-old female, Victim 1, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2251(a), and transmitting interstate threats for the purpose of extorting a thing of value, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. BAILEY will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. Additionally, Judge Barbier scheduled a restitution hearing for January 4, 2024. According to court documents, in about February 2021, BAILEY met Victim 1, a New Orleans resident born in about October 2009, in a social media service specializing in the presentation of short-form videos hosted by its users. BAILEY used username “dabratt88” and pretended to be a minor female. After communicating with Victim 1 about twerking videos, BAILEY sent Victim 1 a video of a juvenile female twerking and engaging in sexually explicit conduct. BAILEY then instructed Victim 1 to either send him a video of Victim 1 herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct or else BAILEY would post the video he sent Victim 1 on social media platforms, claiming the video was of Victim 1. Victim 1 complied. For the next three months, BAILEY directed Victim 1 to record and send him increasingly explicit content, while threatening to release the prior content if Victim 1 refused. On or about May 27, 2021, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant on BAILEY’s residence in Cleveland, Ohio, during which they seized BAILEY’s cellular telephone. A forensic review of the phone revealed that between about November 2019 and May 2021, BAILEY sought and obtained depictions of dozens of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct using the same extortionate scheme he used to obtain sexually explicit material from Victim 1. Additionally, BAILEY sold these sexually explicit depictions of minors by charging approximately $30 in exchange for sharing a link to the content. BAILEY sold the link dozens of times. 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 United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Three Defendants Plead Guilty to a $38 Million Catalytic Converter Theft Conspiracy

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three Sacramento family members pleaded guilty today to charges related to their participation in a nationwide catalytic converter theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Brothers Tou Sue Vang, 32, and Andrew Vang, 28, and their mother Monica Moua, 58, all pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey in return for over $38 million in wired payments. Tou Sue Vang also pleaded guilty to an additional 39 charges related to money laundering. In October and November 2022, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from across the United States executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors for their roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for over $600 million dollars. Nine of 21 defendants were charged in the Eastern District of California. Catalytic converters are part of an exhaust system that reduces toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle’s internal combustion engine. Catalytic converters use precious metals in their center, or “core,” and are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially the precious metals palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years. The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending on the type of vehicle and what state it is from. They can be stolen in less than a minute. Last year, approximately 1,600 catalytic converters were reportedly stolen in California each month, and California accounts for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims nationwide. According to court documents, the defendants pleading guilty today operated an unlicensed business from their residence in Sacramento where they bought stolen catalytic converters from local thieves and shipped them to DG Auto Parts LLC (DG Auto) in New Jersey for processing. They sold over $38 million in stolen catalytic converters to DG Auto. Also charged in the 2022 indictment were co-defendants Navin Khanna, aka Lovin Khanna, 40; Tinu Khanna, aka Gagan Khanna, 36; Daniel Dolan, 45; Chi Mo, aka David Mo, 37; Wright Louis Mosley, 50; and Ishu Lakra, 25, all of New Jersey who operated DG Auto in multiple locations in New Jersey. According to court documents, they knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters and, through a “de-canning” process, extracted the precious metal powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto sold the precious metal powders it processed from California and elsewhere to a metal refinery for over $600 million. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Davis Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Livermore Police Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría is prosecuting the case. Tou Sue Vang, Andrew Vang, and Monica Moua are not yet scheduled to be sentenced. Andrew Vang and Monica Moua each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The 40 counts to which Tou Sue Vang pleaded guilty carry various maximum penalties per count ranging from 20 years in prison to five years in prison, and fines that range from $500,000 to $250,000 per count or twice the gross gain or loss from the crimes. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Orleans Parish Woman Pleads Guilty to Violations of Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DANIELLE REED , age 42, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 12, 2023 to a two-count superseding bill of information charging her with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, a DEA investigation revealed that REED was a drug dealer who primarily sold crystal methamphetamine. DEA agents used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from REED . On April 19, 2022, DEA agents seized a quantity of methamphetamine and two firearms from REED . For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, REED faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following imprisonment. For possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, REED faces a statutory minimum sentence of five years of imprisonment, to run consecutive with any other sentence, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For both counts, REED faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - A Houston, Texas man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others in the Southern District of Mississippi to possess with intent to distribute approximately one pound of a substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents, Marcus Lamont Wallace, 33, of Houston, Texas, admitted that he knowingly agreed with others to mail approximately 11,000 tablets made with methamphetamine from Houston, TX, to an address Wallace owned in Jackson, MS, with the intent that those tablets be further distributed. Postal video surveillance captured Wallace mailing the drugs by Priority Mail on January 4, 2022, to the Jackson address. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted the parcel and obtained a federal search warrant to open the package after a certified narcotics canine detected the odor of narcotics coming from the parcel. In addition to identifying the methamphetamine in a random sample of the drugs, scientists with Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection Laboratory and Science Services also developed fingerprints on the packaging around the drugs, and these prints belonged to Wallace and an unidentified person. Wallace is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Inspector in Charge Scott Pierce of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark is prosecuting the case.


title: Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of a United States Mail Carrier

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TARYAN NABOND PRINCE-SADLER , 19, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to robbing a U. S. mail carrier using a firearm, announced U. S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 16, 2023, Prince-Sadler was charged by Superseding Information with robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Prince-Sadler’s co-defendant, Rijae Varnell Luster, 22, was charged by Indictment on May 16, 2023, with aiding and abetting armed robbery of property of the Unites States. According to affidavits filed in support of the defendants’ criminal complaints, on or about August 22, 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Oklahoma City began receiving numerous reports of stolen U.S. mail. In conjunction with these reports, there were four armed robberies of USPS mail carriers between August 2022, and March 2023. One armed robbery happened on February 1, 2023, in Edmond, Oklahoma, and another armed robbery happened on March 4, 2023, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. During the Stillwater robbery, surveillance cameras spotted a white vehicle following the mail carrier before and after the robbery. An investigation of this vehicle led authorities to Luster. Authorities believed Luster drove Prince-Sadler to the Stillwater location to carry out the robbery. The complaints also allege on April 17, 2023, USPIS Inspectors observed Prince-Sadler unlocking mailboxes in Edmond, removing U. S. mail, and placing the mail in a trash bag. USPIS Inspectors immediately arrested Prince-Sadler. Today, Prince-Sadler pleaded guilty to the two-count Superseding Information. As part of his plea, Prince-Sadler admitted to forcefully taking a United States Arrow Key from a U.S. mail carrier and putting that mail carrier’s life in jeopardy by using a firearm. On September 14, 2023, Luster pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting armed robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States. As part of his plea, Luster admitted that he participated in the robbery when he drove Prince-Sadler, who he knew to be armed, to and from the Stillwater robbery. At sentencing, Prince-Sadler faces at least five years and up to life in federal prison, and a fine of up to $500,000. Luster faces up to 25 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and Danielle London are prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Former High Desert Doctor Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Charges for Illegally Issuing Prescriptions During Telehealth Sessions

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former Antelope Valley physician pleaded guilty today to federal narcotics charges for illegally dispensing prescriptions for often-abused controlled substances – including opioid-based medications – during telemedicine sessions with “patients” from across the United States. Raphael Tomas Malikian, 39, who resides in Llano and Palmdale, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud and one count of distribution of oxycodone. The Medical Board of California suspended Malikian’s medical license in November 2021. His license expired in November 2022. According to his plea agreement, from at least December 2019 to August 2021, Malikian was a licensed physician in California and, in this role, was authorized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe medication. Malikian also owned and operated Happy Family Medicine, a medical clinic that was advertised as being in a co-working space in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, but primarily offered telehealth services via telephone or text message communications. Malikian issued prescriptions for controlled substances to customers without first obtaining the person’s full medical history, conducting a physical examination, requiring medical testing, or utilizing diagnostic tools. Malikian did not verify his customers’ identities before prescribing controlled substances, and he allowed customers to obtain prescriptions in the names of others. He also worked with two co-conspirators, who provided Malikian with false names, addresses, dates of birth, and Malikian issued controlled substance prescriptions accordingly, which the co-conspirators then filled and re-sold on the black market. Many of Malikian’s fraudulent controlled substance prescriptions contained notes on the prescriptions or accompanying documentation that falsely urged pharmacies not to verify such prescriptions because medications were emergently needed and the failure to dispense could be life threatening because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Malikian issued hundreds of false prescriptions for liquid promethazine with codeine during this period – including to people he knew were fictitious patients and which totaled more than 82 liters – and directed them to be sent to various pharmacies across the nation for co-conspirators to obtain. From April to July of 2020, Malikian prescribed to a buyer 702 pills of 10 milligrams oxycodone and 240 milliliters of promethazine with codeine. The customer, in fact, was an undercover law enforcement officer. Malikian issued each prescription to this buyer without conducting proper medical evaluations or verifying the buyer’s identity and was performed outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In addition, from May to July of 2020, Malikian prescribed to a customer – who also was an undercover law enforcement officer – 234 pills of the painkiller Norco, which contained a total of 2,340 milligrams of the opioid hydrocodone and 180 pills of alprazolam, an anxiety medication sold under the brand name Xanax. Once again, Malikian issued each prescription to this buyer without conducting proper medical evaluations or verifying the buyer’s identity and was performed outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a February 5, 2024 sentencing hearing, at which time Malikian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for distribution of oxycodone and up to four years in federal prison for aiding and abetting the acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud. The DEA investigated this matter. The California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Federal inmate convicted of assaulting correctional officer

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dwight Foster, age 50, a federal inmate formerly housed at United States Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, was convicted of assaulting a correctional officer. After a two-day trial, a jury found Foster guilty of assault of a correctional officer involving physical contact and possession of a weapon. According to court documents and statements made in court, Foster was found with a prison-made weapon during a random search. When a correctional officer attempted to seize the object from Foster and detain him, Foster struck the officer in the face and chest with his fist. Foster faces up to 8 years in prison for the assault charge and up to 5 years for the weapon charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Christie Utt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Corona Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Prison for Scheme that Fraudulently Obtained $2.1 Million in COVID Jobless Benefits

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 68 months in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to obtain more than $2.1 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by filing fraudulent applications claiming, among other things, that the claimants were salon and barbershop workers rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert Campbell Jr., 30, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who also ordered him to pay $2,113,966 in restitution. Campbell, this case’s lead defendant, pleaded guilty on March 6 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a presidentially declared emergency and one count of mail fraud in connection with benefits connected to a presidentially declared emergency. He has been free on $100,000 bond since his July 2022 arrest in this case. From March 2020 to July 2021, Campbell and other co-conspirators used the personally identifiable information (PII) of others – including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers – to file fraudulent UI applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program. The fraudulent UI claims were federally funded through programs authorized by Congress in response to the pandemic, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Lost Wage Assistance programs. Many of the fraudulent claims were made on behalf of ineligible out-of-state claimants and on behalf of people ineligible for benefits because they were imprisoned, including one claimant in Texas. The fraudulent applications falsely stated the claimants had prior annual incomes of $42,000 and they were self-employed individuals whose jobs were adversely impacted when salons and barbershop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraudulent applications listed mailing addresses with locations chosen and controlled by Campbell and his accomplices. Once the fraudulent applications were approved, debit cards were mailed to those addresses. In total, Campbell and others caused 174 fraudulent applications to be filed with EDD, resulting in 125 fraudulent claims to be paid and resulting in total losses of approximately $2,113,966. Campbell is the eighth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. The other seven defendants pleaded guilty and Judge Bernal imposed previous sentences ranging from probation and home confinement to 18 months in federal prison. “While the nation struggled with unprecedented loss of life and social and economic disruption, [Campbell] seized upon the dislocation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the public of more than $2.1 million,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Campbell] organized, led, and encouraged his coconspirators throughout, and mocked considerations of decency and honesty at every turn in his communications with them.” The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division are investigating this matter. Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit, and the United States Secret Service provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case. Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Rochester man arrested, accused of defrauding lending company out of hundreds of thousands of dollars

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Paredes, 52, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $500,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, since 2013, Paredes has owned J&E Business Consulting LLC, which provides merchant services to client businesses, including acting as a broker between the credit card processing companies and smaller retail businesses. Small businesses provide J&E with their financial information, such as the owner’s identifying information, including driver’s license, social security number, and email, as well as bank account information. In January 2023, the FBI received information that a financial lending company (Victim 1) made numerous loans to customers of J&E, known as “equipment financing” loans. These loans were paid out to J&E’s bank account for supposed equipment sold to victim businesses, who supposedly applied for and agreed to the repayment terms of the loan in exchange for getting the equipment. However, only a very few repayments were made on the loans, and subsequent investigation by Victim 1 determined that customers had never applied for nor agreed to any such loan, nor had they acquired or had any knowledge of the specified equipment. In the instances in which repayments had been made, these customers were either unaware of them, or had been told by Paredes that the payments were for a different purpose. According to the complaint, between May and November 2022, Paredes fraudulently submitted approximately 42 loan applications using the identities of approximately 31 individuals to Victim 1 and, as a result, the victim paid approximately $2,000,000 to J&E. The money was used for loan repayments to Victim 1 and other loan companies, as well as personal expenses such as credit cards, travel, and vehicles. Just four percent of victim funds were utilized for business-related expenses. Paredes made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was held pending a detention hearing on October 18, 2023. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the New York State Department of Financial Services-Criminal Investigation Bureau, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: California Man Sentenced To Prison For Straw Purchasing Firearms and Dealing In Firearms Without A Federal Firearms License

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A California man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for making false statements in connection with the unlawful purchase of more than 50 firearms and selling the firearms without a license. According to court documents, from about February 17, 2020, to about October 12, 2021, Kenneth Earl Smith Jr., of Lancaster, California, bought or attempted to buy more than 50 firearms in “straw purchases” from licensed firearms dealers in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Pahrump, Nevada. During each straw purchase, Smith deliberately made false statements to the firearms dealer that he was the buyer of the firearms, when in fact he was acquiring the firearms on behalf of other persons. Smith likewise represented that he was a Nevada resident, when in fact he was a California resident. Further, Smith presented various fraudulently obtained driver’s licenses and a Concealed Firearm Permit to carry out those unlawful purchases. Smith sold more than 50 firearms he illegally purchased to other individuals. During this time, Smith was not licensed as a Federal Firearms Licensee. Smith pleaded guilty in June 2023 to eight counts of illegal acquisition of a firearm and one count of engaging in the firearms business without a license. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. This case was investigated by ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case. Anyone with information about the unlawful purchase of firearms can call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov , or submit information anonymously at www.reportit.com/ . ###


title: South Sound resident charged with hate crime for threatening federal worker due to worker’s race

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 41-year-old Thurston County resident was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on two federal charges connected to threats made to a Black federal employee at the Social Security office in Olympia, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven L. Veres, remains detained pending trial which is now scheduled for November 28, 2023. According to records filed in the case, on February 16, 2023, Veres and a companion went to the Olympia, Social Security Office seeking a replacement Social Security card. At the first visit, a Social Security employee, who is Black, told Veres what documents he could use to get a replacement card. When Veres returned to the office a second time, the employee told him the paperwork Veres brought still did not meet the requirements for a new card to be issued. Veres became angry, used racial slurs, and threatened to assault or kill the worker. Veres is charged with Influencing a federal official by threat, and interference with federally protected activities. The grand jury alleges that Veres intentionally threatened the victim because of his race. Influencing a federal official by threat is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Interference with a federally protected activity is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Dreher and Jocelyn Cooney in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.


title: Last of 17 Defendants Pleads Guilty in Southeast Washington Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: WASHINGTON – Corenzo Mobery, 40, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to participating in a drug trafficking network based in Southeast Washington that sold cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, PCP, and marijuana, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Mobery, aka “Snowman,” pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to five counts of a superseding indictment that included unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine; carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Mobery was indicted with 16 co-defendants (listed below) who all have pleaded guilty. Nearly all have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 months to 114 months based on their criminal conduct and criminal histories. Mobery is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. The case stems from an investigation by the MPD Violent Crime Suppression Division’s Violence Reduction Unit and the FBI into the “MLK Crew” — a group of individuals who were operating an open-air drug market in and around the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., SE, Washington D.C. The investigation began in response to numerous citizen complaints about rampant drug trafficking and accompanying incidents of violence in the area. In addition to numerous citizen complaints, MPD targeted this area as one of the most notorious in the city in terms of recent shootings and shots fired, as well as for the area’s high numbers of arrests—particularly offenses involving drugs and firearms. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI began conducting surveillance, obtaining search warrants, and making controlled buys of narcotics from suspected members of the conspiracy. The investigation revealed that MLK Crew members openly engaged in the sale of various drugs (including PCP, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana) and took over the area and, effectively, some of the neighborhood’s businesses. MLK Crew members would often go into the neighborhood businesses to complete sales and constantly loitered outside of these businesses to engage in sales. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI obtained video of defendants openly conducting narcotics transactions in these businesses and even displaying firearms. Throughout the case, law enforcement seized at least 10 firearms (many of which were privately manufactured firearms or “ghost guns”) from MLK crew members and/or stash houses and a sizeable quantity of various narcotics. The MLK Crew’s drug trafficking contributed to numerous incidents of drug-related violence in and around the 2900 Block of MLK Ave., including multiple assaults, shootings, robberies, and murders—most notably, the murder of a six-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the co-defendants in this case. In July 2021, a few months after opening the investigation, MPD and FBI arrested 11 initial defendants and seized 10 firearms, along with PCP, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and over $2,500 in cash. The additional six defendants were charged in September 2021 and were arrested shortly thereafter. DEFENDANT STATUS Ricky Lyles, Accokeek, MD Sentenced to 114 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm Nico Griffin, Washington, DC Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Dandre Shorter, Washington, DC Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Wesley Leake, Washington, DC Sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Leon Lindsay, Washington, DC Sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Dezmond Cunningham, Washington, DC Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distributecocaine Divine Chappell, Washington, DC Sentenced to 76 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine Shawn Wooden, Washington, DC Pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. To be sentenced on Nov. 28, 2023 Barry Tyson, Washington, DC Sentenced to 73 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine Delonta Chappell, Washington, DC Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Anthony Graves, Washington, DC Sentenced to 27 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Deshawn Loggins, Temple Hills, MD Sentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Kevonte Randall, Washington, DC Sentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to distribute 2 cocaine and possessing a firearm Corenzo Mobery, Washington, DC Pleaded guilty October 16th. To be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2024 Rico Griffin, Washington, DC Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Shahborne Scales, Washington, DC Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Luther McDuffie, Washington, DC Sentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force in partnership with MPD’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Henek, Andy Wang, and Matthew W. Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The investigation had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Crimes Involving Pounds of the Drug

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on October 13, 2023, after a four-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Michael Lee Brunson, age 66, who lived in Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. The jury also found that $30,540 in United Sates Currency was subject to forfeiture because the property was used or intended to be used in relationship to the drug trafficking conspiracy. The evidence at trial showed that Brunson, who also went by the name “Jaxon,” was a methamphetamine dealer in the Cedar Rapids area. Between April 2022 and September 2022, Brunson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas. On June 5, 2022, Brunson was traffic stopped with over 2/3 lb. of methamphetamine in his car. On January 10, 2023, Brunson sold approximately two ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential source during a controlled buy. On January 21, 2023, he was stopped for a break lights violation. He had three bags of methamphetamine in his coat pocket, one bag weighing almost ½ lb., and had two additional bags of methamphetamine in his trunk, each bag weighing just under one pound. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Brunson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Brunson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and Assistant United States Attorney John H. Lammers and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Belle Plaine Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-00005-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Orrville Man Sentenced to Prison for Mail, Wire, and Securities Fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – Thomas Brenner, 60, of Orrville, Ohio, was sentenced to 125 months imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, securities fraud, and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from criminal activity. Judge Nugent ordered Brenner to pay $3,487,938.89 in restitution and serve 3 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Brenner was a financial broker-dealer and President of First American Securities, Inc., located in Orrville. In March of 2015, Brenner conspired to recruit clients to “invest” in United RL Capital Services, LLC (“URL”), a company that purportedly financed medical laboratory developments. Investors were solicited by Brenner over the phone, through letters, and in person while he misrepresented material information. Brenner indicated that investors’ money would finance medical laboratory developments; they would receive their money back, with interest, after three years; and that URL was as safe or safer than other existing investments. Some investors, at Brenner’s encouragement, removed money from their IRAs to invest in URL, and represented this would not result in tax penalties. Instead of apportioning investors’ money, as promised, Brenner used the funds for his benefit, including to make large race car-related purchases, and to pay back tax debts. When investors inquired about their investments, Brenner misrepresented that they were secure and provided some investors with sporadic, minimal payments, disguised as installments of earned interest, all to lull investors into believing their money was safe and being used as promised. Brenner learned he was being investigated for selling URL securities by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), a congressionally authorized entity that licenses and regulates broker-dealers. Brenner continued to sell URL securities after representing to FINRA under oath that he would stop. He did not tell prospective investors about the investigation, that First American Securities, Inc. could face closure, and that the defendant could be suspended from associating with any FINRA-registered firm, which he eventually was. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn Andrachik and Erica Barnhill.


title: Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to California to Attend MCCA and IACP Annual Conferences

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa O. Monaco traveled to California this week to advance the Justice Department’s strong partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and collaboration with the private sector, to promote the public safety and security of the American people. Deputy AG Monaco spoke at the Wing 2023 conference in northern California, which brings together senior executives across major industries to address emerging technology and cybersecurity issues for the business community and society. She stressed the indispensable role of public-private collaboration to identify and disrupt a range of threats to the homeland – from ransomware attacks to ongoing efforts by foreign adversaries to steal our data and critical technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The Deputy AG emphasized the key role that victim reporting has played in the success of the Justice Department’s cyber-strategy pivot to prioritize near-term disruptions and victim protection. And the Deputy AG discussed the 21 st century tools and techniques the Department is using to target illicit actors, harden supply chains, and protect innovation, including the Disruptive Technology Strike Force launched earlier this year. While in California, the Deputy AG addressed the annual meetings of both the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego. In her closing keynote speech at MCCA and her remarks to the IACP State Associations of Chiefs of Police, the Deputy AG discussed the Justice Department’s priorities of combatting violent crime, taking illegal firearms off the streets, and battling the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into our communities. In all her engagements, she emphasized the vital role that the Department’s partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement plays in tackling the most serious threats. She underscored that, all too often, the heaviest burden in the fight against violent crime and illegal drug and firearms trafficking rests on the shoulders of the Department’s state, local, and tribal partners, who are taking on these challenges with diminishing resources and personnel, and often at great personal risk. The Deputy AG also called attention to the recruitment and retention issues impacting law enforcement agencies nationwide. In keeping with the Attorney General’s direction for the Justice Department to identify strategies to address these challenges, she previewed that soon the Department will release more than 50 recommendations to help police departments address recruitment and retention issues. These include ways to modernize hiring standards to align with the realities of policing in the 21st century, accelerate the hiring process, and prioritize diversity and inclusion. As part of the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting local law enforcement, the Deputy AG highlighted the $75 million in grant funding recently awarded to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country – funding that will help law enforcement combat the distribution and trafficking of illegal drugs, increase officer access to mental health and wellness services, and ensure agencies have the resources they need to keep our communities safe. While in California, the Deputy AG also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Southern Districts of California, where she met with U.S. Attorneys Martin Estrada and Tara McGrath, their leadership teams, and the dedicated prosecutors and professional staff of both offices. She thanked them for their dedication to the Department’s mission, especially the work each office is doing to tackle violent crime. In both districts, the Deputy AG met with the leaders of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to reinforce the Department’s commitment to partnerships with their agencies and to discuss best practices and effective law enforcement initiatives. In the Southern District of California, the Deputy AG was joined by ATF Director Steve Dettelbach and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram for a series of briefings at the San Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Offices on how law enforcement from federal, state, and local agencies are working together to combat the deadly fentanyl epidemic and the trafficking of firearms – including ghost guns. Deputy AG Monaco and U.S. Attorney McGrath with the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Deputy AG Monaco, ATF Director Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney McGrath, and law enforcement leaders at the San Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Office. Deputy AG Monaco taking questions at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.


title: Attorney General Statement on the Killing of Six-Year-Old Child Wadea Al-Fayoume and Severe Wounding of His Mother Hanaan Shahin in Illinois

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the severe wounding of his mother, Hanaan Shahin: “I am heartbroken by the abhorrent killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six year old child who died after being stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife. On behalf of the entire Justice Department, I want to express my deepest condolences to his family and his community as they grieve his loss. The Justice Department has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the events leading to the tragic death of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the serious injuries suffered by his mother, Hanaan Shahin. The Department is limited in what more it can say because this is an ongoing criminal investigation. This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence. The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country. We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from.”


title: Gary Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND- Dwight Culver, 30 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Culver was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on April 6, 2022, during a traffic stop, Culver admitted to possessing a pistol that was located on the passenger floorboard. A trace of the firearm revealed that it was reported stolen from Indianapolis. Culver’s criminal history revealed that he had prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana in 2012 and criminal recklessness in 2015, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Active-Duty Navy Psychologist Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Charge

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to court documents, on May 25, Lieutenant Michael Andrew Widroff, 34, a Naval Officer previously assigned as the psychologist for the USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN-78) in Norfolk, initiated sexual conversation with who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl over Snapchat. He later expressed that he thought the girl was “hot” and that he wished to meet her in person. Widroff instructed the girl on how to masturbate and explained that he wished to engage in numerous sexual acts when they met. On June 7, Widroff drove from work to meet with the girl for sex and deleted the incriminating Snapchat application off his phone prior to his arrest. Widroff is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-78.


title: Fairfield County man pleads guilty to child pornography and sextortion crimes

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Fairfield County, Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes related to child pornography and sextortion. Devin Bailey, 27, of Millersport, Ohio, admitted to distributing child pornography of a minor victim and using those images, in addition to others, in interstate communications to extort an adult victim for images of herself. According to his plea agreement, Bailey used multiple personas online to solicit sexually explicit photographs of the adult victim and then used the images he obtained to threaten and extort her for more explicit photographs of herself. Bailey also sent additional messages to the adult victim that depicted pornographic images of nude minor females exposing their genitalia to the camera or engaged in acts of masturbation. After receiving these images from Bailey, the adult victim recognized one of the minor females depicted in the images she received. That minor female was approximately 12 years old at the time the images and videos were created. The minor child believed she had sent the explicit images and videos to a female in Florida, who in reality was another persona of Bailey’s. These photos of the nude minor were then kept by Bailey for over five years and sent to the adult victim to coerce her into taking sexually explicit photographs of herself for Bailey. Bailey also threatened to distribute the child pornography of the known minor female to family members of the adult victim and across the internet if the adult victim did not comply with his demands. In May and June 2022, Bailey also used numerous email addresses, cell phone numbers and Snapchat accounts to harass the adult victim, threatening to share pornographic images of her as well. He said if the victim did not send him new explicit photos or videos, he would use the older materials against her. Bailey’s threats persisted for weeks. He consistently and aggressively messaged the adult victim and, when she indicated she would involve law enforcement, Bailey responded, “Go ahead, they are untraceable numbers, and I can get hundreds more lol.” A forensic review of Bailey’s electronic devices revealed that they contained approximately 200 images and 20 videos of child sexual abuse material. Distributing child pornography is a federal crime punishable by a range of five to 20 years in prison. Interstate communications with the intent to extort carries a potential penalty of up to two years in prison. Congress sets statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a later hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lancaster Police Chief Nicholas H. Snyder announced the guilty plea entered on October 11 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Kansas woman indicted for bank robbery

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with robbing a Topeka bank. According to court documents, Rodshell Nicole Mays, 51, is charged with one count of bank robbery. Mays is accused of using force or intimidation on September 25, 2023, to take money from an employee at Capital Federal Bank on Southwest Topeka Boulevard. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Hunting is prosecuting the case. 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: Staged Reading of The Laramie Project Set for October 17 and 18

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – The University of South Carolina School of Law, the Richland County Bar Association, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina are proud to present a staged reading of The Laramie Project , in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder. Directed by Abigail Lee McNeely and featuring actors from the community and the University of South Carolina, the staged reading will take place in the Karen Williams Courtroom at the University of South Carolina School of Law on Oct. 17 and 18 at 7:00 p.m. The Laramie Project , written by Moisés Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project, is a documentary play written in the aftermath of Matthew Shepard's death. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Shepard, who succumbed to injuries after a violent hate crime committed against him. Shepard was a gay student who attended the University of Wyoming when he was beaten and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming in Oct. 1998. Through the voices of those who lived in Laramie, Wyoming, the play offers a thought-provoking reflection on the importance of tolerance and understanding in civil society. Performing in the show are University of South Carolina students Gracie Auld, Bradley Gittens, Avery Williams, and Griffin Wilson, as well as Columbia theatre locals Julian Deleon, Ezri Fender, Mary Jeffcoat, and Ripley Thames. The cast of eight will perform over 40 different characters, including Laramie locals and members of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Director Abigail Lee McNeely, a 2017 alumna of South Carolina’s Department of Theatre and Dance and staff member at Columbia’s Trustus Theatre, expressed her enthusiasm. "We are honored to bring The Laramie Project to the University of South Carolina School of Law. This production serves as a tribute to Matthew Shepard's memory and begs us to ask the question of what more can we do to prevent acts of hate against the LGBTQ+ in our community." Joining McNeely is associate director and dramaturg Elizabeth Houck-Zozaya. The show is produced by theatre artist and University of South Carolina adjunct professor Patrick Michael Kelly. Citing the collaboration between local organizations, actors and artists from Columbia’s theatre community, and the involvement of various law organizations, Kelly calls the production “a true community effort, fitting for a play about community and how it bands together in a time of tragedy.” This special production is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the Richland County Bar Association, in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs said, “Out of the senseless beating death of Matthew Shepard came the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Enforcing this hate crimes law and other civil rights protections is central to the mission of the Department of Justice. Through the nationwide Department of Justice initiative, United Against Hate, and working with the USC School of Law and the Richland County Bar Association, our goal in offering this production is to foster dialogue in the community and promote tolerance, which aligns with the themes of The Laramie Project. More practically, our goal is to improve reporting of hate crimes by teaching community members how to identify, report, and, most importantly, prevent acts of hate.” U.S. Attorney Boroughs will be moderating a talkback between the audience and a panel of subject matter experts and actors after each show. Audience members are encouraged to stay after the show to engage in conversation with these community leaders and creatives from the production. The Laramie Project is a testament to the enduring power of theatre that invites audiences to reflect on the impact of Shepard's death and the importance of tolerance and understanding in civil society. This special event has only two performances. For more information about the production and to reserve your free tickets, please visit https://forms.office.com/r/YERBhJTbQF . Event Details: Date: Oct. 17 and 18, 2023 Time: 7:00 p.m. Venue: Karen Williams Courtroom, University of South Carolina School of Law Admission: FREE to the public, registration required at https://forms.office.com/r/YERBhJTbQF . ###


title: Justice Department Releases First-Ever Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Report

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) released its first-ever Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Annual Report today, highlighting the department’s recent accomplishments in cases with environmental justice concerns and outlining the department’s strategy for engaging with and delivering results to communities long overburdened by pollution. Last year, the department created OEJ within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) with a mandate to engage all Justice Department bureaus, components and offices in the collective pursuit of environmental justice. The department also created a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to guide its work in this area. Today’s OEJ report includes highlights of important environmental justice cases from the last year as well as key collaboration efforts with federal, Tribal, state and local stakeholders. “Advancing environmental justice is a key part of the Justice Department’s mission,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Justice Department. “OEJ’s report highlights our recent successes in protecting and restoring healthy environments and communities, including efforts concerning clean air and water, worker safety and quality of life. We will continue to work to defend and bring relief to overburdened and underserved communities.” “Communities of color, indigenous communities and low-income communities too often feel the greatest effects of pollution and climate change,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of ENRD. “We recognize that, and we’re committed to addressing the outsized impacts felt by such communities throughout the United States.” “It is imperative that we use all the legal authorities available to address longstanding inequities that deny people healthy and safe communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to coordinate with our federal partners in using our civil rights laws to advance environmental justice for historically underserved, overburdened and marginalized communities.” “I’m honored to serve the American people at OEJ and engage with communities throughout the country and coordinate with Justice Department and other federal entities to find solutions to environmental and health hazards,” said Director Cynthia M. Ferguson of OEJ. “Whether it’s securing the abatement of lead-based paint in lower income properties in Chicago, working to restore functioning water and wastewater systems in Jackson, Mississippi, or providing civil rights and trauma-based interview training – our efforts benefit all Americans by promoting a more equitable society.” An example of the department’s work under its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy includes the Civil Rights Division’s first ever Title VI environmental justice resolution agreement in Lowndes County, Alabama. The division’s investigation evaluated actions by the state’s health department in operating a wastewater disposal program and whether those actions discriminated against Black residents. Ultimately, the Justice Department reached an agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health to put it on a path to developing safe wastewater disposal and management systems. ENRD also reached agreements in a different water management case in Jackson, Mississippi, where it negotiated interim orders with city and state officials to name a court-appointed manager and begin to stabilize Jackson’s drinking water and wastewater systems. OEJ has worked with a coalition of federal, state and local government entities to build an outreach strategy for Jackson in support of the enforcement action and to ensure that residents and workers have an opportunity to engage in the enforcement process. The Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy includes provisions for the Justice Department to partner with other federal enforcement agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. The Justice Department is also working to strengthen coordination with Tribes and identify and prioritize affirmative litigation involving Tribal environmental justice issues. Pursuant to the Strategy, ENRD and the Civil Rights Division have held listening sessions, and ENRD has and is scheduled to host regional Tribal summits, to increase community engagement and coordination in pursuing actionable solutions. And OEJ’s report highlights new performance measures to promote transparency regarding environmental justice enforcement efforts. The report is available on OEJ’s website, and you can read by clicking here .


title: Shipbuilding Company CEO Charged with Witness Tampering and Obstruction

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Honolulu returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging a Hawaii man with obstruction, witness tampering, and structuring, while awaiting trial on previous charges of securities fraud, conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud. According to the superseding indictment, on Jan. 4, Curtiss Jackson, 70, of Honolulu, allegedly obstructed an official proceeding for fleeing the United States’ territorial waters aboard the Semisub One, a semisubmersible vessel controlled by Jackson’s company, Semisub Inc. Semisub One was the subject of forfeiture proceedings in the District of Hawaii in connection with Jackson’s pending criminal case. On the day before his flight, Jackson also allegedly withdrew more than $24,000 in cash from multiple checking transactions in a manner designed to avoid federal bank reporting requirements. Additionally, Jackson allegedly sent a death threat to a co-conspirator during the grand jury’s original investigation. The text message contained a link to an online video entitled “Death of FBI Informants” containing clips from a television series depicting the deaths of several characters on the show who had cooperated with the FBI. Jackson’s case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, except for the structuring charge, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Jackson is charged with committing obstruction and structuring while on pre-trial release, which carries an additional consecutive sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii, Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group, and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Seattle Field Office made the announcement. The USPIS and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Matthew Reilly and Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the USPIS victim hotline at (202) 305-6736. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Superseding Indictment


title: Springfield Bus Driver Sentenced to 17 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for taking sexually explicit photos of a young child and sharing the images in an internet chat group. Gordon Wesley Roughton II, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, Oct. 12, to 17 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 22, 2022, Roughton pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor. At the time of his arrest, Roughton was employed as a seasonal bus driver for a children’s program for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, as he had been every summer from 2014 to 2019. Roughton also had been employed as a substitute teacher at schools in the Springfield area, and in the past had worked as a bus driver for Springfield Public School District and a Springfield Catholic school. The investigation began on June 15, 2021, when a detective with the Springfield, Mo., Police Department received a CyberTip Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. MeWe, a social media and social networking service, had discovered images of child pornography uploaded by Roughton. On June 16, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Roughton’s residence. Roughton admitted he had participated in a chat group on MeWe where the group members traded child pornography. Roughton explained that he had no images of child pornography to trade and needed some to remain in the chat. Roughton took photos of the child victim to trade in the chat group and uploaded the images to MeWe. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the FBI. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Three Hartford Residents Charged with Robbing Victims Who Advertised Goods on Internet Marketplaces

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging JOHN VILLEGAS , 25, also known as “Kirby,” JALEN LASALLE , 19, and VALERIE MENESES , 23, all of Hartford, with offenses related to a series of gunpoint robberies targeting individual sellers of luxury goods over online marketplaces last year. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee. The investigation revealed that Villegas and Meneses committed one armed robbery on August 20, 2022, in Middletown, and that Villegas and Lasalle subsequently committed five armed robberies in Hartford in late August and early September 2022. The indictment, which was returned on September 27, 2023, charges Villegas with six counts and Lasalle with five counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. The indictment also charges Villegas with three counts and Lasalle with two counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years. The indictment charges Meneses with one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Villegas and Lasalle appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Villegas has been detained since his arrest on December 14, 2022, and Lasalle, who was arrested on February 3, 2023, is released on a $50,000 bond. Meneses was arrested on October 5, 2023, and is released on a $25,000 bond. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham. U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Ohio, Michigan reach settlement with Huntington National Bank to make online banking more accessible

component: Civil Rights - Disability Rights Section

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – U.S. Attorneys in Ohio and Michigan today announced a settlement agreement with Huntington National Bank that will make its services more accessible to Social Security Representative Payees (SSRP) and their beneficiaries with disabilities. Huntington National Bank fully cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Ohio and Eastern District of Michigan to reach a settlement that will restore access to SSRPs who use online services the bank had previously restricted on behalf of beneficiaries with disabilities. In February 2021, Huntington terminated the ability of individuals acting as SSRPs to use Huntington’s electronic banking services. Account holders with disabilities and their authorized representatives were thereby barred from full and equal access to the numerous online banking services Huntington offers. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits banks like Huntington from discriminating against account holders with disabilities. Under the terms of the agreement, Huntington must provide SSRPs with full access to its online banking system. The agreement also requires Huntington to notify both current and past account holders that it has changed its policies. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan; and Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; announced the settlement. “This settlement shows that we will continue to staunchly enforce the ADA and give Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities equal access to online banking,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “I commend the attorneys in my office and our counterparts in Northern Ohio and Eastern Michigan for their dedication to this important issue.” “Collaborating with our partners to ensure our civil rights laws are enforced is one of my key priorities,” said Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “Ensuring equal online banking access to those who need it most, like disabled individuals who use SSRP accounts, is crucial,” she added. “SSRPs provide an invaluable service to disabled Social Security beneficiaries, and it is critical that we protect their right to use the same banking conveniences available to non-disabled customers to ensure that they can take care of the basic needs of disabled beneficiaries,” said Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. Civil Chief Andrew M. Malek and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J.T. Downey are representing the Southern District of Ohio in this matter. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. In agreeing to the settlement terms, Huntington denied all liability under the ADA. The public can also report potential civil rights violations in the Southern District of Ohio via the Civil Rights Referral Form on the U.S. Attorney’s Office main webpage. Individuals can also submit complaints to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal at www.ada.gov/complaint . For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov . # # #


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for federal drug and firearm offenses. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Matthew Lewis, 39, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram or more of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Lewis was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On July 21, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, he was convicted of attempted kidnapping, assault in the second degree, wanton endangerment in the first degree, and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. On January 19, 2006, in Bullitt Circuit Court, he was convicted of 2 counts of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. On September 23, 2005, in Jefferson Circuit Court, he was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree. This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, and Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Northern Neck Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of an AR-Style Firearm After Police Chase

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Lancaster County man was sentenced yesterday to 9 years in prison for possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony. According to court documents, on August 8, 2022, Kendrick Lamar Diggs, 32, was in possession of a high-capacity firearm and thirty rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement responded to a call for assistance after Diggs was reportedly brandishing a firearm. When Diggs was located, he was in a vehicle and initially pulled over. However, as law enforcement officers approached, Diggs put the car in drive and fled, driving at speeds in excess of 80 mph for approximately two miles on Beanes Road, a two-lane roadway in the Browns Store area. As Diggs rounded a bend in the road, he nearly collided with a law enforcement vehicle. His car then spun out of control, and he hit a culvert, flipping the car several times. An Anderson Manufacturing high-capacity AR-style firearm, as well as 30 rounds of ammunition, were ejected from the car and scattered throughout the debris field. Diggs fled from the car, running on foot into a wooded area. He was apprehended by law enforcement shortly thereafter. Diggs had previously been convicted of attempted murder in the second degree and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Virginia Attorney General; and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Significant assistance was provided by the Chesapeake Bay Narcotics and Gang Task Force, the Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Special Assistant United States Attorney Devon Schulz prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-180.