title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 38 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Person

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – A Farmington man was sentenced today to 456 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $10,000.00 in fines on one count of Distribution of a Mixture or Substance that Contained Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Person. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, on February 3, 2022, the Fayetteville Police Department responded to a 911 call that reported the location of a dead body in an apartment building on Mt. Sequoya. Upon arriving to the scene, officers located the deceased body of a 29-year-old adult male. Next to the deceased’s body, officers located a small amount of a white substance, later determined to be fentanyl, and a syringe. Shortly after, family members of the deceased contact agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Fayetteville Resident Office, who launched a federal investigation. DEA agents determined that on the night of January 31, 2022, the deceased and his girlfriend combined their money to purchase what they believed was heroin from Ethan Scott Driskill, age 33. The drug transaction took place in the parking lot of a gas station located on Leverette Street in Fayetteville. Upon arriving back to the Mt. Sequoya apartment, the couple diluted some of the white substance with water and injected it into their bodies via a syringe. The following morning, the deceased drove his girlfriend to her place of work and told her that he would pick her up later that evening. However, he never returned and had stopped responding to text messages and calls. On February 3, 2022, the girlfriend went to check on him and discovered his body. DEA agents were able to determine that upon returning to his apartment on the evening of February 1, 2022, the deceased male again injected himself with the fentanyl purchased from Driskill. Approximately nine (9) minutes later, he fell to the floor where his body remained until being discovered 2 days later. During the ensuing investigation, DEA agents, conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl directly from Driskill. On or about February 12, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Driskill’s Farmington residence and located, among other items, approximately 730 counterfeit pills containing Fentanyl, 240 gross grams of Fentanyl powder, and 2 firearms. Driskill and his co-conspirator Amber Adair, were arrested. During a post-Miranda interview, Driskill admitted to selling fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form in Northwest Arkansas. Driskill also admitted to the drug transaction that occurred at the Leverette gas station on January 31, 2022. At the time of this conduct, Driskill was on active supervision from Arkansas Probation and Parole based on a previous state felony conviction. Other members of the drug trafficking organization indicted federally are as follows: Amber Nichole Adair: age 28, Farmington Arkansas – Aiding and Abetting Ethan Driskill, and others, in the Possession of 40 grams or more of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute– sentenced to 96 months imprisonment and 4-year term of supervised release. Marchello Stephano Oliver : age 34, Farmington, Arkansas - Possession of 40 grams or more of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute. Sentencing date set September 21, 2023. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarad Harper of the Drug Enforcement Administration Little Rock Field Office made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Benton County Sheriff’s Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Bentonville Police Department, Rogers Police Department, Benton County Drug Unit, Farmington Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Springdale Police Department, 4 th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Harris prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov. WDAR Case No. 5:22 CR 50032-001-003.


title: Three Twin Cities Men Arrested, Charged with Operating a Machinegun Distribution Ring on Snapchat

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Three Twin Cities men have been arrested and charged after law enforcement disrupted a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darious Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, have been charged in three separate criminal complaints with one count each of unlawful possession of machineguns. According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement became aware of a Snapchat group called “BLICCS&STICCS3.” Law enforcement suspected the group was used to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities and outlying areas. Law enforcement obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling, promoting, and operating machinegun conversion devices (MCD) that convert a semi-automatic firearm—either a pistol or a rifle—into a fully automatic machinegun. These devices are classified as machineguns and are regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer began monitoring the group. The undercover officer posted a picture of prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Shortly thereafter, a user of the group, later identified as Wesley, reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for what is commonly referred to as a Glock “switch” or a “button.” On or about March 26, 2023, the undercover officer continued conversations with Wesley on Snapchat about potentially purchasing Glock “switches.” Wesley indicated “switches” would cost $700 for two or $900 for three. The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and indicated he would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches. On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000. On April 4, 2023, a second transaction was arranged through Wesley with a St. Paul meeting location. Wesley and another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group—later confirmed to be Johnson—sold an additional three switches to the undercover officer for $900. On April 13, 2023, undercover officers met with Wesley in Minneapolis to purchase an unserialized Glock 17 for $700. Following the transaction, the undercover officers asked Wesley to install the switch previously purchased from Wesley onto the Glock 17. Wesley agreed and installed the switch. That same day, Wesley separately coordinated a meeting during which undercover officers met with Drayton, another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group, to purchase a 3D-printed drop-in MCD for an AR-style rifle for $550. During the transaction, Drayton showed the undercover officers a video on his phone of Drayton shooting a firearm with a drop-in MCD inserted. Drayton commented to the undercover officers that the drop-in made the firearm shoot “way too [expletive] fast.” On May 11, 2023, an undercover officer directly arranged to meet with Drayton at a location in Eagan to purchase two drop-in MCDs for $800. However, when Drayton arrived at the meeting location, he stated that he had only had one MCD and sold it to the undercover officer for $400. On June 9, 2023, undercover officers again met with Drayton and purchased a Glock pistol and a “switch” for $1,300. According to court documents, between March and June 2023, undercover law enforcement officers conducted approximately six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. According to court documents, Johnson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time because he has prior felony convictions and both Wesley and Drayton are subject to court-imposed restrictions that prohibit them from possessing firearms. Johnson and Drayton made their initial appearances in today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Wesley made his initial appearance on September 14, 2023. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Dakota County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jersey City Attorney Admits Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Tax Crimes

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City attorney today admitted defrauding his clients of more than $2 million dollars and other crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. James R. Lisa, 68, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of obstructing the IRS, one count of failing to file an individual income tax return, and one count of wire fraud while on pretrial release. “James Lisa used his law license to execute a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme and rip off clients who placed their trust in him. Then, after being charged for that fraud, Lisa committed another when, posing as his own lawyer, he sent a bogus letter to a lender that falsely described the status of his criminal case. Lisa’s multiple criminal acts were serious violations of his oath as an officer of the court and a betrayal of his clients’ trust. He will now face justice for these crimes. The people of New Jersey must be able to rely on their attorneys without having to worry that they are being defrauded. Lisa’s guilty plea should reassure the public that our office will bring the full weight of the justice system on attorneys who violate federal the law.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In 2014, Lisa was retained by a family to help repatriate millions of dollars that had been transferred by other family members to offshore bank accounts decades earlier. Lisa was also retained to help resolve the tax issues related to the repatriation of the funds. In 2015, Lisa successfully repatriated more than $6 million of the family’s funds, but proceeded to falsely advise the family that the funds remained offshore. In 2017, Lisa provided $4 million of the repatriated funds to the family but continued to falsely represent that the remaining $2 million remained beyond his control. Lisa falsely told the family that he successfully resolved the tax implications of repatriating the funds. In 2016, Lisa sent the family a fraudulent IRS “closing agreement” reflecting an agreement with the IRS for the family to pay $3 million in taxes and penalties for the repatriated funds. In 2018, Lisa sent the family another fraudulent closing agreement reflecting an agreement with the IRS for the family to pay $2 million in taxes and penalties because only $4 million was purportedly repatriated. In fact, the IRS never entered into these agreements and the IRS employees who purportedly signed the documents never did so. When one member of the family was audited by the IRS, the IRS issued Lisa a summons for records related to the family’s assets. In response to the summons, Lisa produced false and fraudulent documents suggesting that the IRS had agreed to closing agreements with the family. In January 2023, Lisa was arrested after being charged with this fraud scheme and placed on pretrial release. One condition of his pretrial release was that he not commit another crime. In April 2023, Lisa committed wire fraud when he applied for a $22,000 loan. In order to obtain the loan, Lisa caused the creation and submission to the lender of a fraudulent document that purported to be a letter from the attorney then representing him in his criminal prosecution. Lisa caused the letter to be sent in order to defraud the lender about the status of the criminal prosecution so that the lender would approve the loan. Lisa also admitted that he failed to file individual income tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2022, and as a result, caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $550,000. The count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of aggravated identity theft carries a statutory mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of obstructing the IRS carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of failure to file a tax return carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The count of wire fraud while on pretrial release carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay; and IRS - Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. lisa.sinformation.pdf


title: St. Petersburg Men Sentenced For Possession Of Controlled Substances With Intent To Distribute

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Lemar Cowart (27, St. Petersburg) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. Armani Dilworth (28, St. Petersburg) was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months’ imprisonment for possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cowart and Dilworth had pleaded guilty in May 2023. According to court documents, on May 4, 2020, an eyewitness observed a vehicle pull into traffic, which was occupied by Dilworth and Cowart. One or more occupants of that vehicle fired shots into the front of another vehicle. The occupants of the other vehicle retaliated, and a high-speed chase ensued. The car which Dilworth and Cowart occupied ultimately crashed into a gate at Azalea Middle School, and Dilworth and Cowart ran from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found cocaine, two substances that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, alprazolam, oxycodone, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and cannabis. They also found evidence of narcotics distribution inside the vehicle including plastic baggies, two scales, scissors, and a firearm. Both Dilworth and Cowart’s DNA were found on the firearm recovered from the vehicle. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gordon, Charlie Connally, and Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench. 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: Former Columbia Police Chief Sentenced for Stealing City Funds

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – The former City of Columbia Chief of Police was sentenced today to 5 months in federal prison for stealing city funds. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement. According to court documents, between February 2020 and February 2021, Jason Dewayne Cross, 46, of Columbia, Kentucky, the Columbia Chief of Police at the time, stole over $25,000 from the Columbia Police Department evidence room and drug purchase fund. Cross was sentenced to 5 months in prison, followed by a 1-year term of supervised release, for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A), which makes it a federal offense for a city employee to steal more than $5,000 from a city that received over $10,000 in federal assistance in a calendar year. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Kentucky State Police and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser prosecuted the case. ###


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Serve 92 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TORY DREW DEERE , 29, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 92 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On February 21, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a one-count Indictment against Deere, charging him with felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on or about November 18, 2022, law enforcement responded to an Oklahoma City convenience store in reference to a domestic violence incident. The reporting party told Oklahoma City Police officers that following an argument between the two, Deere pointed a firearm at the victim and threatened to kill her, before driving away in her car. According to public documents, officers located Deere shortly after at a nearby residence, with the firearm still in his possession. Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) records indicate Deere had been released from custody under the DOC’s GPS monitor program on a previous felony conviction, Oklahoma County CF-2019-1074, one day before the event. Public records reflect Deere holds multiple felony convictions. These convictions include: Oklahoma County CF-2010-6136, second degree burglary Oklahoma County CF-2021-3656, illegal possession of a firearm Oklahoma County CF-2019-1074, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia On April 19, 2023, Deere pleaded guilty to Count 1, felon in possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing today, U.S District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Deere to 92 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the dangerousness of the defendant—specifically, that he pointed a firearm at his significant other just one day after being released from DOC custody via an ankle monitor and his criminal history. This case is a result of an investigation by the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case. This case is also part of "Operation 922" and "Operation Shots Fired." "Operation 922" is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. "Operation Shots Fired" targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to court filings for further information.


title: Pawn Shop Owner Sentenced for $744,000 Scheme to Sell Over 14,000 Stolen Items Online

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of a Kansas City, Mo., pawn shop was sentenced in federal court today for engaging in a $744,000 scheme to fence more than 14,500 stolen items and sell them on eBay. Dennis G. Russell, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Russell to pay a $100,000 fine and to forfeit to the government $744,222, which represents the proceeds obtained from the conspiracy. On March 24, 2023, Russell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines. During the scheme, Russell was one of two members of the board of directors of Rison of KC, Inc., which does business as National Pawn at 6223 E. Truman Road in Kansas City, Mo. Rison of KC is also charged with the same offense but has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Russell admitted that he participated in a nearly five-year-long conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 27, 2021, to purchase items he knew had been stolen from various retail locations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, then sell those items on eBay. Russell shipped approximately 14,672 stolen items across state lines, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $744,222. Multiple thieves, known as “boosters,” stole items from Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, CVS, Walgreens, and other retail locations. They sold such stolen items as robot vacuum cleaners, textbooks, Roku and Google Chromecast television streaming devices, and Crest Whitestrips to Russell at a fraction of their retail price. Russell then posted the stolen items for sale on eBay, using one of two accounts, and shipped them to purchasers in numerous other states. According to court documents, Russell continued his scheme during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, 2020 was his most profitable year, selling 7,089 stolen items on eBay and receiving $324,842 in gross proceeds. In one instance, from Feb. 20 to April 2, 2020, two boosters — who were working in tandem — provided him with 641 stolen items. Russell only stopped his illegal conduct after a federal search warrant was executed at National Pawn and he was served with a target letter. On Oct. 21, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at National Pawn and seized 3,400 items, which Russell and National Pawn do not contest were stolen property and which have been forfeited to the government. Rison of KC has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under the terms of that agreement, the business admits to the criminal conspiracy and accepts responsibility for the acts of its officers and employees. The government will defer prosecution of Rison of KC for that conduct during the three-year term of the agreement and will not continue with prosecution if the business fully complies with its obligations under the agreement, which include: National Pawn must keep a current list of all employees, all financial accounts, and all auction websites it utilizes; National Pawn must obtain and retain a verifiable third-party receipt for any new product purchased; Russell must not work at or profit from National Pawn. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle, Matthew Wolesky, and Anthony Brown. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.


title: United Against Hate: Identifying and Reporting Acts of Hate

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: The United States Attorney’s Office will host a public outreach program about federal hate crimes from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Laramie County Library, Cottonwood Room, on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The event is free to the public and will include a presentation and open discussion about federal hate crimes and unlawful discrimination. United Against Hate is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat unlawful acts of hate by educating the public about federal hate crimes and anti-discrimination statutes. The program encourages the reporting of hate crimes, hate incidents and unlawful discrimination to law enforcement and the Department of Justice. “We believe that people deserve to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, how they worship, or what they believe,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Vassallo. “That is why our office, and all of the Justice Department, encourages the public to report acts of hate to law enforcement for investigation.” Any act of hate can be reported to the United States Attorney’s Office in Wyoming by emailing USAWY.ReportHate@usdoj.gov . Hate crimes can be reported to local law enforcement, and to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or online at https://tips.fbi.gov . Additional information on reporting hate crimes can be found at https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/report-a-hate-crime . This information is available in two dozen languages. Discrimination can be reported by emailing USAWY.CivilRights@usdoj.gov or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .


title: Joplin Man, Woman Indicted for Mail Theft Conspiracy

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man and woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to steal mail from Joplin residents and in a separate conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Aaron M. Blake, 27, and Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 30, were charged in a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Aug. 29, 2023. The federal indictment alleges that Blake and Sturgis participated in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and, in a separate count, a mail theft conspiracy, from December 2022 to Jan. 26, 2023. According to the indictment, Blake and Sturgis stole checks, credit cards, debit cards, cash, and documents that contained personal identification information from the mailboxes of their victims in Joplin. The indictment alleges they stole Pandora jewelry from one victim’s mailbox, and a Christmas card that contained a $500 check from another victim’s mailbox. The indictment also alleges they stole a W-2 form from a mailbox and used it to fraudulently obtain a credit card; when the credit card was mailed to the victim’s address, they allegedly stole it from the mailbox as well. In another instance, the indictment says, they stole a credit card from a victim’s mailbox and used it to make purchases. Blake and Sturgis allegedly used the stolen credit cards to purchase items from area businesses. They allegedly used the stolen personal identification information of their victims (such as bank account numbers, bank routing numbers, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers) to open other credit and bank accounts. Blake and Sturgis rented a motel room in Carthage, Mo., the indictment says, where they kept the stolen mail. In addition to the two conspiracy charges, Blake and Sturgis are charged together in three counts of bank fraud and three counts of possessing stolen mail. Blake is also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. Deputies with the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department responded to a call on Jan. 26, 2023, about the occupants of a blue sedan stealing mail and parcels from residences. The deputies located Blake and Sturgis at Casey’s General Store in Carl Junction, Mo., in possession of various pieces of stolen mail, and arrested them. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.


title: New Hampshire Doctor Indicted for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids and Benzodiazepines

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A doctor practicing in the north country of New Hampshire was indicted in connection with his unlawful distribution of opioids and benzodiazepines, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Robert G. Soucy Jr., D.O., 70, of Columbia, New Hampshire, was indicted on 12 counts of distribution of controlled substances. Soucy made his initial appearance in federal court today. According to court documents and statements made in court, Dr. Soucy allegedly distributed fentanyl, oxycodone, hydromorphone, methadone, lorazepam, and diazepam to individuals outside the usual course of professional practice, and without a legitimate medical purpose. He recently surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration registration and also did not renew his medical license, and, therefore, is no longer permitted to prescribe controlled substances. If convicted, Dr. Soucy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. The New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force led the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W.R. Ward of the District of New Hampshire’s United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Patrick J. Queenan of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section. The NEPO Strike Force is a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force primarily targets criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case. Medications obtained illicitly are very dangerous as they are often not what they appear, and frequently contain contaminants and extremely potent substances such as fentanyl that greatly increase the risk of overdose and death. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Owner of Temporary Employment Agency Sentenced for Tax Fraud and Workers Compensation Insurance Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dorchester woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for tax and fraud offenses in connection with her operation of a temporary employment agency. Dam Ngoc Luong, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Luong was also ordered to pay $3,993,169 in restitution to IRS and $155,870 in restitution to Traveler’s Insurance Co. On April 18, 2023, Luong pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false corporate and individual tax returns, three counts of failure to collect and pay over employee taxes and one count of mail fraud. From at least 2015 through 2019, Luong owned and operated Four Seasons Temp, Inc., an agency providing temporary workers for client businesses. A temporary employment agency is responsible for paying wages to the employees, processing employee payroll, collecting and paying all employee payroll taxes and maintaining workers’ compensation insurance to protect employees who suffer work-related injuries. The agency collects payments from the client businesses to cover the agency’s expenses and a profit for the agency. When collecting payments from business clients of her temporary employment agency, however, Luong cashed most checks rather than deposit the funds into her business account. Then, on annual corporate tax returns, Luong reported to the IRS only the amounts deposited to the business account and failed to pay federal taxes on more than $14 million of the company’s income. Additionally, because Luong created Four Seasons as an S-corporation, the net business income and expenses flowed through to her Form 1040 individual tax returns. As a result, Luong failed to report more than $3 million in pass-through income and failed to pay $885,000 in personal income taxes. As the owner of the company, Luong also had an obligation to withhold taxes from wages paid to the employees. Despite this obligation, Luong paid more than $12 million of employee wages in cash “under the table.” She failed to withhold taxes from the cash wages and failed to pay more than $3 million in employment taxes she owed to the IRS. Finally, Luong defrauded the insurance carrier she engaged to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for employees, by concealing the cash wages paid to her employees. By concealing the wages she paid, Luong paid lower workers’ compensation insurance premiums and defrauded the insurance carrier of $155,000 in premiums she should have paid. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Alleged Drug and Firearm Smugglers Federally Indicted in El Paso

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

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A federal grand jury in El Paso returned an eight-count indictment Wednesday charging four alleged members of a drug trafficking organization with charges related to the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as straw purchasing and trafficking firearms. According to court documents, Maria del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 37, of Mexico coordinated the delivery of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills from Mexico into the United States through the El Paso ports of entry, using codefendant Bryan Alexis Munoz-Castro, 20, of El Paso as a courier. The indictment details that, upon a search of the residence, FBI special agents discovered approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, $6,480 in drug proceeds, and two cell phones at Munoz-Castro’s residence. The indictment claims Navarro-Sanchez and Munoz-Castro coordinated the trafficking of weapons from the U.S. to Mexico. In mid-summer of 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) intercepted communications of Navarro-Sanchez and learned of an agreement to purchase 20 AK-47 type rifles and two Barrett .50 BMG caliber rifles for $66,000. On Aug. 21, codefendant Rene Hernandez-Cordero, 51, of Mexico, allegedly crossed into the U.S. from Mexico with approximately $63,000 in his possession to meet codefendant, Jesus Gerado Ramos, 52, of El Paso, and purchase the firearms. Ramos allegedly intended to transport the weapons into Mexico, however he and Hernandez-Cordero were arrested at the site of the purchase. Navarro-Sanchez is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of straw purchasing firearms, and one count of trafficking in firearms. If convicted, she faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison for each of the two controlled substance charges and a maximum penalty of 15 years for each of the charges related to firearms. Munoz-Castro is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two counts of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of straw purchasing firearms, and one count of trafficking in firearms. If convicted, he faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison for four of the controlled substance charges, a maximum penalty of 15 years for each of the charges related to firearms, and a penalty of five to 40 years for a fifth controlled substance charge. Hernandez-Cordero is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of straw purchasing firearms, one count of trafficking in firearms, and one count of bulk cash smuggling. If convicted, he faces a penalty of 10 years to life in prison for four of the controlled substance charges, a maximum penalty of 15 years for each of the charges related to firearms, and a maximum penalty of 10 years for the bulk cash smuggling charge. Ramos is charged with one count of straw purchasing firearms and one count of trafficking in firearms. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II for the ATF Dallas Field Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater for the FBI El Paso Field Office made the announcement. The ATF and FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers 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: Washington Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – VINCENT PETERS, age 33, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to Counts 1, 3, 5, 8, and 9 of the indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), relative to his participation in a Bogalusa mass shooting on May 16, 2020. He also pled guilty to several drug distribution charges and another firearm charge stemming from a subsequent investigation by the Bogalusa Police Department and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. In Counts 3, 5, and 8, he was charged with distribution of heroin and fentanyl and with possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). In Count 9, he was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). According to court documents, on May 16, 2020, an “Unauthorized Assembly” (During Phase I of the COVID-19 Pandemic Re-Opening) occurred, resulting in several hundred people, assembling in a “Celebration of Life,” honoring a recent Bogalusa murder victim. During the celebration, an altercation between rival factions resulted in the shooting of thirteen (13) people. Four (4) victims were paralyzed due to their shooting injuries. During a follow-up investigation, law enforcement learned that PETERS sold illegal narcotics and made several controlled purchased of illegal drugs from him. A subsequent warrant-based search of his residence also revealed additional drugs and a firearm. Based on his guilty plea, PETERS will face the following sentences as to each count: Count 1: Violation : Possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1); Statutory Sentence: 0-10 yrs., up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release. Count 3: Violation : Distribution of heroin, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C); Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release. Count 5: Violation : Distribution of heroin, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C); Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years supervised release. Count 8: Violation : Possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C); Statutory Sentence: 0-20 yrs., up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release. Count 9: Violation : Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); Statutory Sentence: 5 years-life, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 5 years of supervised release. Any sentence imposed in connection with this count must be served consecutive to any other sentence. PETERS faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each charged count. PETER’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 3, 2024. 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 Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Bogalusa Police Department, and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Eastern Idaho Attorney Indicted for Drug Trafficking Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: POCATELLO – Robin Dwain Dunn, 68, of Rigby, was indicted on September 13, 2023, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise on one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, two counts of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. The indictment alleges that from June 2022 to February 19, 2023, Dunn conspired with others to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in eastern Idaho, and that in October and November of 2022, Dunn knowingly and intentionally possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine, intending to distribute it to others. The indictment also alleges that Dunn distributed fentanyl in November of 2022. Federal agents with DEA, supported by detectives from Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Falls Police Department, arrested Dunn on September 14, 2023. Dunn is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale on September 18, 2023, to be arraigned on the charges. The charges in this case are each punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis Zebari and Christopher Atwood are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Activity in the United States Attorney's Office

body_text: Child Pornography Robert Wilson Hinkley , age 37, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography, second or subsequent conviction. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on September 11, 2023, which includes 10 years of supervised release following Hinkley’s prison term. According to court documents, Hinkley was on federal probation for a child pornography conviction and had a prior state conviction for the same offense. His probation officer suspected that Hinkley had searched for and downloaded child pornography. A subsequent search confirmed that Hinkley had downloaded over 1,000 child pornography files onto his laptop. The case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold. Violent Crime George Anthony Quiver Sr. , age 39, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on September 12, 2023. According to court documents, Quiver kicked and stomped the victim’s head, resulting in trauma and bleeding on the brain. Quiver was charged by complaint in April 2023, and pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2023. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson. Darrell Moss Jr , age 40, of Fremont County, Wyoming was sentenced to 55 months’ imprisonment for assault by strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on September14, 2023. According to court documents, Moss hit, bit, and strangled the victim during an incident that occurred in October 2022. The defendant was charged by information then plead guilty in June 2023. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson. Postal Service Crimes Derick Lee Spadi , age 28, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for possession of stolen mail. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on September 14, 2023. According to court documents, in December 2022, the Laramie Police Department received a report of a suspicious person stealing mail from the area of North 11th Street in Laramie, Wyoming. An officer responded and attempted to execute a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Spadi. Instead of stopping, Spadi fled at a high rate of speed. The officer terminated the pursuit for safety reasons. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Again, Spadi fled at a high rate of speed. Eventually, the Wyoming Highway Patrol stopped Spadi on Interstate 80 by using spike strips. Spadi had more than 40 pieces of mail in the vehicle, including mail from the 600 block of N. 11th Street in Laramie. Spadi was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023 and pled guilty to the charge in June. The stolen mail crime was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore. Drug Trafficking Anthony Rodriguez, a/k/a “Charlie Brown,” age 51, of Porterville, California, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on September 12, 2023. According to court documents, around October 2021, an agent with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) identified Rodriguez as the source for methamphetamine being distributed in the Lovell, Wyoming area. The DCI agent and a United States Postal Inspector intercepted a shipment of methamphetamine sent to Lovell by Rodriguez through the U.S. Mail. A controlled delivery of the package confirmed that Rodriguez was supplying methamphetamine for distribution in Lovell. Rodriguez was indicted by a federal grand jury in Wyoming and pled guilty in June 2023. This crime was investigated by DCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.


title: Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Alabama

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Fairfield and Birmingham, Alabama, from Sept. 14-15. On Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke gave the keynote address at the Honors Convocation at Miles College, a Historically Black College in Fairfield that was founded 125 years ago with roots in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. In her remarks, she highlighted the college’s esteemed alumni, lauded the accomplishments of the students and detailed the Justice Department’s work to protect civil rights. Read her full remarks here . In the afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Clarke, along with U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, traveled to Birmingham to participate in a community meeting hosted by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Omicron Lambda Chapter. During the meeting, she discussed the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, protect voting rights and ensure law enforcement accountability . Assistant Attorney General Clarke also met with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama’s staff. She thanked the office’s leadership and staff for their service and continued commitment to protecting civil rights. On Friday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke delivered remarks at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the horrific bombing that killed four Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley. In her remarks, she reflected on the tragic bombing, the history of hate in society and the Justice Department’s continued efforts to hold those who commit unlawful acts of race-based violence accountable. Read her full remarks here . Assistant Attorney General Clarke concluded the trip at Ramsay IB High School, a predominantly Black public school known for its exceptional and high-performing student body. There, she met the principal, Dr. Carolyn Russell-Walker, as well as school leadership. She spoke with students about pursuing careers in public service and encouraged them to continue to achieve excellence in education.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington Celebrates Funding Awarded for Community Responses to Gender-Based Violence

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced today nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $3,784,202.00 for the Western District of Washington. For nearly three decades, VAWA has provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western Washington is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $3,784,202. to Western Washington to support community responses to gender-based violence. Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman commented: “I am pleased to announce that Western Washington has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women. Prosecution of those who commit violence against women, along with supporting victim services is integral to the work of our office. We are very appreciative of the benefit these grants will have on our community.” VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promote a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $3,784,202.00 under the STOP Program to Western Washington to enhance the capacity for our community to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable. “Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers.” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.” OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw .


title: White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations

body_text: A White Earth man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, in June 2022, the White Earth Police Department received information that Redfeather Sturdevant, 44, was selling drugs from his house. On June 23, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s residence. At his residence, law enforcement seized approximately 167 grams of methamphetamine, 210 fentanyl pills, and a loaded handgun. Law enforcement also found approximately $1,268 in cash drug proceeds at the defendant’s residence. On April 13, 2023, Sturdevant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today by Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. This case is the result of an investigation conducted the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force and the White Earth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M Endicott prosecuted the case.


title: Illinois Man Convicted of Methamphetamine and Heroin Crimes

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin was convicted by a jury on September 14, 2023, after a four-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Michael Garrick Denson, age 33, from Illinois, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin. The verdict was returned following about an hour of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that Denson was a methamphetamine and heroin dealer in the Dubuque, Iowa, area who was nicknamed “Ice Mike.” Between February 2018 and February 2020, Denson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. On July 23, 2019, investigators observed Denson outside of a hotel in Dubuque. Denson had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, and investigators stopped a car he was a passenger in. During the stop, Denson got out of the passenger side of the car and ran from investigators. Investigators located six small baggies containing heroin near where Denson had been seated in the car. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Denson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Denson 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 Adam J. Vander Stoep and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force (consisting of the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque Police Department) and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-01003-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Frewsburg Sex Offender Arrested On New Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jeffrey Paden, 57, of Frewsburg, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the New York State Police (NYSP) received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual in Frewsburg, NY, uploaded images of child pornography on the internet. Subsequent investigation traced the images to Paden, who is currently on federal supervised release following a 2015 conviction for possession of child pornography. Paden was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender upon release. On September 12, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant on 12 electronic devices seized earlier in the investigation by the NYSP and recovered multiple images of child pornography. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski. 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: Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Human Smuggling Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Two Guatemalan nationals were sentenced this week in the Western District of Texas for their role in a prolific human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of a migrant. Armando Gael Galicia, aka Artemio Diego Andres Gonzalez, aka Luis Moreno-Gonzalez, 27, was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in federal custody. Jose Diego Tercero-Gonzalez, 23, was sentenced on Sept. 14 to 15 years and eight months in federal custody. According to court documents, Gael Galicia and Tercero-Gonzalez were responsible for smuggling a young indigenous Guatemalan woman. In May 2021, her body was discovered in a remote area outside of Odessa, Texas. In August 2021, Gael Galicia and Tercero-Gonzalez were arrested near the trailer where the victim was taken and died. Inside the trailer were additional migrants who had entered the country unlawfully. The case is related to the recent guilty pleas of Felipe Diego Alonzo, Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, Lopez Mateo Mateo, and Juan Gutierrez Castro for their involvement in the Guatemala-based human smuggling conspiracy that led to the young woman’s death. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy Miller of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made the announcement. This investigation was coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. HSI Midland investigated the case, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, ICE’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, the Odessa and Midland Police Departments, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sheriffs’ Offices. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) provided significant assistance in this matter. JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Fedock and Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall and Trial Attorney Daria Andryushchenko of the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Harwood for the Western District of Texas provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country resulting in over 250 domestic and international arrests. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by OPDAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners.


title: Rochester Man Going To Prison For Assaulting An Officer

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond Brock, 30, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of assaulting a federal officer, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that on May 2, 2022, Brock was taken into custody by members of the United States Marshals Service Task Force at his Forrester Street residence. After being taken into custody, Brock was uncooperative and refused to walk under his own power. A Task Force Officer tried speaking with Brock about the circumstances of the incident and arrest, during which he was physically resistant and said he was going to spit in the face of the officer. Brock did so, and his spit, which contained blood, struck the officer in the face and went into his mouth. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service Task Force, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina. # # # #


title: Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty To Marriage Fraud Charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vikrant Chauhan, 35, a citizen of India living in Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Fabian, who is handling the case, stated that on April 2, 2018, Chauhan, a citizen of Indian, married a female United States citizen in Worcester, Massachusetts. The marriage was fraudulent in that Chauhan and the female United States citizen were not in a genuine relationship, never resided together, and entered the “contract marriage” only for the purpose of obtaining a Permanent Resident Card. also known as a Green Card, for Chauhan. On June 1, 2018, using his Indian passport, Chauhan submitted an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status to the Department of Homeland Security citing the April 2, 2018, fraudulent marriage. In May 2019, Chauhan was interviewed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), during which his “wife” stated that she lived together with Chauhan in Connecticut. In November 2021, Chauhan was interviewed a second time by USCIS, during which he falsely claimed to continue to reside with his “wife” in Connecticut. He also falsely claimed that his “wife” was pregnant with his child. During the course of the conspiracy, the female United States citizen whom Chauhan married brokered multiple fraudulent marriages that were conducted in Hamburg, NY, and facilitated multiple USCIS interviews that were conducted in Buffalo, NY. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Karen Whalen, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Dienes. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2024 before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. # # # #


title: North Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty To Drug And Gun Charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel Rodriguez, 40, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine up to $8,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that leading up to September 11, 2020, Rodriguez and co-defendant Adrienne Czosnyka resided together on Center Avenue in North Tonawanda. Rodriguez was a suspect in an investigation being conducted by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. On September 11, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the Center Avenue residence and on a vehicle belonging to defendant Czosnyka. They recovered over 500 grams of cocaine, four digital scales, 10 cellular telephones, and over $4,700 in currency. Investigators also recovered a 12-gauge shotgun, and three rounds of ammunition. Rodriguez was previously convicted of felonies in 2001 and 2007, and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. In addition, co-defendant Adrienne Czosnyka pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of cocaine and faces up to a year in prison. The pleas are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, III, New York Field Division; the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger; the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith T. Glass; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski. Sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2023 before Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. # # # #


title: Rochester Man Who Led Police On High Speed Chase Pleads Guilty To Carjacking And Gun Charge

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jaden Z. Campbell, 19, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to carjacking and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that in the early morning hours of July 11, 2022, Campbell approached an individual (Victim 1) as Victim 1 walked towards an apartment building near Resolute Street and North Clinton Avenue. Carrying a firearm, Campbell told Victim 1, “give me everything or I’m gonna pop you.” Victim 1 gave Campbell several items, including the keys to his 2006 Infiniti G35. While continuing to point his gun, Campbell forced Victim 1 to start the Infiniti. Campbell then drive away by himself. Once the police located the stolen car, Campbell refused to pull over, instead, leading officers on a chase for approximately 25 minutes through Monroe County. Campbell at times reached speeds of approximately 85 MPH, ultimately crashing the car in a ditch near Quaker Road in Scottsville, NY. During the chase, Campbell also tossed a 9mm pistol from the Infiniti on Cranbrook Drive in Irondequoit, NY. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division. Sentencing is scheduled for January 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Former Postal Employee Charged With Stealing Gift Cards And Money From The Mail

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment charging Anita Miller, 40, of Jamestown, NY, with six counts of theft of mail by a postal employee and two counts of delay of mail by a postal employee. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on six occasions in February and March 2022, Miller, while employed by the U.S. Postal Service, stole gift cards and cash from mailed envelopes. In addition, one two occasions in March 2022, Miller delayed delivery of mailed envelopes. The indictment is the result of an investigation by U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge Northeast Field Office. 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: Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez from Mexico to the United States

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka “El Chapo,” from Mexico to the United States: “Today, as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the United States. This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department’s effort to attack every aspect of the cartel’s operations. The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice. I am grateful to them and to the Department’s prosecutors for their work and their sacrifice. I am also grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for this extradition. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.”


title: Toxicology Lab Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Evasion; Lab Officer Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – The owner and CEO of a Lexington toxicology lab, Ronald Coburn, 76, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to health care fraud and tax evasion. The compliance officer of the same lab, Erica Baker, 31, pleaded guilty on Friday to a health care fraud conspiracy with Coburn. According to Coburn’s plea agreement, he owned and operated LabTox, LLC, a laboratory that performed urine drug testing services and billed them to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid. Coburn knew that those health care programs only pay for medically necessary urine drug testing. He also admitted knowing that urine drug testing ordered by courts for use in judicial proceedings was not medically necessary, and thus not payable by Medicare or Kentucky Medicaid. With Coburn’s knowledge and approval, however, Baker recruited a company called Blue Waters Assessment and Testing Services to refer court-ordered urine drug testing to LabTox. Coburn knew this was not medical testing, but caused it to be billed any way to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, resulting in fraudulently obtained payments to LabTox of $1,864,429 between June 2019 and March 2021. In his plea agreement, Coburn has agreed to repay this money to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid. Coburn also admitted to receiving income of more than $1.5 million per year from LabTox between 2017 and 2021, and to concealing this income and his ownership of LabTox by placing the business in the name of his partner. Coburn created the false appearance that he did not earn income during this time period, and he did not file any tax returns in his own name. While he caused tax returns to be filed in the name of his partner, he never paid any of the income tax he knew he owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Coburn’s plea agreement obligates him to pay $3,566,645 to the IRS, representing income tax he owed in 2017 through 2021. According to Erica Baker’s plea agreement, she was LabTox’s director of operations and compliance officer, and participated in a health care fraud conspiracy with Coburn between January 2019 and January 2021. Specifically, at Coburn’s direction, Baker solicited urine drug testing from non-medical substance abuse recovery programs, typically faith-based residential programs or homeless shelters. Baker knew that urine drug testing for clients of these programs was not done for any medical reason, as would be required before Medicare or Kentucky Medicaid would pay for the tests. As part of the scheme, Baker misled sober home directors, and induced the facilities to send in more tests to LabTox by putting facility staff on LabTox’s payroll and compensating them based on the number of urine drug tests sent to the lab. Despite knowing that this testing was not for medical purposes, Baker and Coburn agreed to cause urine drug testing referred by these non-medical sober homes to be billed to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, resulting in fraudulent payments of at least $937,594. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Brian Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Field Office; and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, jointly announced the guilty pleas. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Mattingly-Williams and Paul McCaffrey. Coburn and Baker are both scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2023. Both face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 fine. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. — END —


title: Indictment in Nine Year Old Cold Case

body_text: WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 37, of Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2014 cold case involving a stranger sexual assault, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court documents, on July 6, 2014, Spriggs encountered the victim near the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 1 a.m. He followed her and physically and sexually assaulted her in an alley. After the assault was over, the victim reported the offense to police and obtained a sexual assault examination, including a rape kit. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2014 and was entered into a national database. In 2016, the database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits. On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in the D.C. cold case with two counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse and two counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse. If convicted, Spriggs faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of $125,000, followed by not less than five years’ supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime. Trial is scheduled to begin on October 12, 2023, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. The defendant is also currently charged by criminal complaint in Anne Arundel County for unrelated offenses reported in Maryland in 2013. This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area. This case is being investigated by the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Amy Zubrensky. 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: District Man Convicted of Murdering Woman Who Went Missing in 2010 and Has Never Been Found

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Isaac Moye, 46, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today by Judge Anthony Epstein to 35 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the second-degree murder of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old woman who went missing from her home in October 2010 and whose body has never been found. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Moye was convicted at trial on June 23, 2023. According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 9, 2010, Unique Harris hosted a sleepover for her young children and their nine-year-old cousin at her home in Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that night, Harris put the children to bed. At 10:39 p.m., Isaac Moye, a man she had known for only two months, arrived at her home, calling her on her cell phone just moments before entering her building. The next morning, the three children awoke to find their mother gone. Her cell phone and keys were also missing. Her purse and all its contents, including her identification and credit cards were left behind. The eyeglasses she never left home without were also there in the home. Her sofa had been mutilated, a hole cut in the fabric, a section of foam removed. There was no blood, no sign of struggle. And she was never seen or heard from again. Over the course of the next few years, Isaac Moye was interviewed multiple times by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. He changed his story between interviews – denying, then admitting, then denying that he and Unique Harris had ever been intimate, denying that he had ever been in her home overnight, and denying that he had seen her the day that she went missing. Eventually, Moye’s semen was identified on the mutilated sofa cushion and his GPS records placed him at the decedent’s home for the entire night. Moye also made statements to another person, who testified that Moye said there was a missing girl, but that police were “never going to find her” because he “did it, but did it the right way.” Ms. Harris was reported missing on Oct. 10, 2010. Moye was arrested and charged with the murder on Dec. 19, 2020. He has been in custody ever since. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Vinét Bryant and Erin DeRiso.


title: Three Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services Facility

body_text: WASHINGTON – A federal jury today convicted three defendants of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with the October 22, 2020, invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C. The defendants – Jonathan Darnel, 41, of Arlington, Va.; Jean Marshall, 73, of Kingston, Mass.; Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, NJ – were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Director David Sundberg, of the FBI Washington Field Office. The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Marshall and Bell traveled to the Washington, D.C. area to meet with Darnel and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed another co-conspirator and was broadcast on Facebook. According to the evidence, Marshall, and Bell were among a group that forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel – who remained outside the clinic -- live-streamed their activities on social media. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services. Five co-conspirators in the action were convicted in August 2023 on the same counts. Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Va.; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, NY; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Mich.; William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, NY; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., also were convicted of felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. One co-defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh and New York City Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.


title: Quantico, Virginia Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for 2019 Murder in Upper Northwest

body_text: WASHINGTON – Collin Potter, 30, of Quantico, Va., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for fatally stabbing Vongell Lugo, of Washington, D.C., in Lugo’s apartment in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On February 3, 2023, Potter pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., after meeting at a bar, Potter and Lugo were alone together in Lugo’s apartment on Wisconsin Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. The defendant, unprovoked, attacked Lugo after grabbing one of Lugo’s kitchen knives. He stabbed and cut Lugo 42 times in the head, neck, and torso. Lugo yelled for help and his cries woke two of his neighbors, both of whom called 911 around 4:14 a.m. Potter then attempted to clean the knife in the kitchen sink. Around 4:20 a.m., the defendant, an active duty Navy sailor, pulled Lugo’s naked body out into the hallway. MPD officers discovered Lugo’s body and the defendant, who was standing naked, uninjured, and covered in Lugo’s blood. They arrested Potter and he has been in custody ever since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke, Christian Natiello, and Peter V. Roman, and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: District Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter and Related Charges in Killing of Cousin at 29th and S Streets Southeast

body_text: Defendant Shot Victim Following a Series of Arguments Started by an Instagram Post WASHINGTON – Lewkus Turner, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 8.5 years in prison for shooting and killing his cousin in Southeast Washington, D.C., on December 11, 2020. The government sought a 16-year sentence. On June 9, 2023, a jury sitting in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia found Turner guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to the government’s evidence, just before 4:00 p.m. on December 11, 2020, the victim, Vincent Gyamfi, drove to the 1600 block of 29 th Street SE to speak to Turner, his first-cousin, regarding an Instagram post Turner had made earlier in the week. Shortly after arriving in the area, an argument broke out and Turner left the scene. A short time later, Turner returned armed with a gun and the two men began to argue again before leaving in separate directions. Mr. Gyamfi subsequently parked his vehicle near the intersection of 29 th and S Streets SE. At 4:07 p.m. Turner drove by the same intersection and confronted his cousin for a final time. As a result, Mr. Gyamfi ran at Turner’s car, and Turner shot Mr. Gyamfi three times with a large caliber weapon. Turner then dragged Mr. Gyamfi’s body out from underneath Turner’s vehicle, re-entered the car, and fled the scene without calling for aid. Turner was arrested on December 29, 2020, and has been in custody ever since. In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Dan Lenerz and Bryan Han of the Appellate Section; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez; Special Agents Mark Crawford and Durand Odom of the Criminal Investigations Unit; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Tonya Jones and Maenylie Watson; Supervisory Budget Analyst Nikiya Burnette and Accounting Technician Evelyn Miles; Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Christopher Carson, and Gauri Gopal, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.


title: Former Ambassador and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan for Violating Federal Disclosure Laws and Unlawfully Aiding and Advising Foreign Government After Retirement

body_text: Defendant Admitted Violating “Revolving Door” Prohibitions WASHINGTON – Richard Gustave Olson, Jr., 63, of Algodones, New Mexico, a former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan and a former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was sentenced today to 36 months’ probation and a fine of $93,350 for two separate courses of conduct, both of which involved misconduct relating to his public office. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada of the Central District of California, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. Olson pleaded guilty on June 3, 2022, in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of making a false writing and one count of aiding and advising a foreign government with the intent to influence decisions of United States officers. Olson served as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan from October 31, 2012, through November 17, 2015, and as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan from November 17, 2015, through his retirement from government service on November 30, 2016. According to court documents, the defendant intentionally submitted a false ethics form that failed to disclose thousands of dollars of benefits he received from a businessman (“Person 1”) while the defendant was serving in government. When later questioned by the FBI concerning some of these benefits, the defendant falsely claimed that he did not know Person 1 paid for them. After the defendant retired from government service, Person 1 began paying him a consulting fee of $20,000 per month. While receiving these payments, the defendant illegally helped the government of Qatar influence U.S. policymakers in violation of laws meant to prevent recent retirees from leveraging their high-level U.S. government service to further foreign interests. Given his high-level position in the U.S. government, the defendant was subject to the “revolving door” prohibitions in 18 U.S.C. § 207(f) for one year after leaving government service. Congress enacted these prohibitions to prevent public officials from unfairly profiting from the contacts, associations, and special knowledge that they gained during their tenure as public servants. The phrase “revolving door” describes the practice of public officials abandoning public service for lobbying positions. Prohibitions on this practice, often referred to as mandatory “cooling-off” or “waiting” periods, forbid individuals from engaging in lobbying activities for a period of time after leaving public service. U.S. law prohibits senior officials—like the defendant—from representing a foreign government before any federal agency or from aiding or advising a foreign entity with the intent to influence the U.S. government for one year after leaving their positions. The defendant knowingly violated these prohibitions by providing aid and advice in furtherance of two Qatari goals: (1) convincing U.S. policymakers to establish U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facilities at Doha International Airport, and (2) convincing U.S. policymakers to support Qatar, rather than its regional rivals, during the 2017 Gulf Diplomatic Crisis. After learning that the government was investigating his activities on behalf of Qatar, the defendant obstructed the government’s investigation by deleting relevant emails. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. O’Brien of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Deputy Chief Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.


title: Preparing fraudulent joint income tax returns results in prison for tax servicer

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following his conviction for willfully preparing a false joint 2017 individual income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Fabrice Mahinga pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Mahinga to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Mahninga had a notable criminal history. In handing down the sentence, the court remarked on the seriousness of Mahinga’s criminal conduct, particularly given his status as a refugee in the United States. As part of his plea, Mahinga admitted that from 2016 to 2018, he operated Kennedy Tax Service located in Houston. He admitted he often claimed fake Schedule C items, education and fuel tax credits on the returns he prepared. In 2019, he assisted with the preparation of a tax return that should have resulted in a tax owed of $42. Mahinga added to the return a false Schedule C and false credits that resulted in a false claim for an income tax refund of $4,257 from the IRS. A copy of the return reflected a false income tax refund of a lesser refund - $3,259 - when the refund claimed on the return filed with the IRS was $4,257. Mahinga took responsibility of $270,612 of loss to the IRS and agreed to pay $182,212 in restitution. Mahinga was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles J. Escher and AUSA Christian T. Latham prosecuted the case.


title: RGV brothers sent to prison after trafficking meth and cocaine via USPS

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old Monte Alto man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jesus Manuel Castillo Jr. pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2021. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Castillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jesus Manuel was involved in transporting multiple packages of narcotics over the course of several months. In June 2020, law enforcement identified two USPS packages that Castillo shipped with a destination for San Antonio. Each contained half a kilogram of meth. The investigation revealed Castillo would package, sell and transport the narcotics along with his brother Agustin Castillo. In November 2020, law enforcement caught Jesus Castillo in the act transporting a USPS package destined to Florida containing half a kilogram of cocaine. Agustin Castillo, 38, Monte Alto, had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. Previously released on bond, Jesus Castillo was taken into custody following the hearing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assisatnt U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.