title: Founders And CEO Of Cryptocurrency Mixing Service Arrested And Charged With Money Laundering And Unlicensed Money Transmitting Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”); and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging KEONNE RODRIGUEZ, the Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Samourai Wallet (“Samourai”), and WILLIAM LONERGAN HILL, the Chief Technology Officer and also a co-founder of Samourai, with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. These charges arise from the defendants’ development, marketing, and operation of a cryptocurrency mixer that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and facilitated more than $100 million in money laundering transactions from illegal dark web markets, such as Silk Road and Hydra Market; a web-server intrusion; a spearphishing scheme; and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols. RODRIGUEZ was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today or tomorrow before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania. HILL was arrested this morning in Portugal based on the U.S. criminal charges. The United States will seek HILL’s extradition to stand trial in the United States. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. In coordination with law enforcement authorities in Iceland, Samourai’s web servers and domain (https://samourai.io/) were seized. Additionally, a seizure warrant for Samourai’s mobile application was served on the Google Play Store. As a result, the application will no longer be available to be downloaded from the Google Play Store in the United States. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are responsible for developing, marketing, and operating Samourai, a cryptocurrency mixing service that executed over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and served as a haven for criminals to engage in large-scale money laundering. Rodriguez and Hill allegedly knowingly facilitated the laundering of over $100 million of criminal proceeds from the Silk Road, Hydra Market, and a host of other computer hacking and fraud campaigns. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that use cryptocurrency to hide illicit conduct.” IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso said: “$2 billion in transactions with an unlicensed money transmitter means $2 billion flowed without any oversight, from whomever to wherever. Because of the company’s disregard for regulation, it’s alleged that Samourai Wallet laundered more than $100 million in criminal proceeds. Special Agents with IRS:CI New York and IRS:CI LA’s Cyber units worked with our federal and international law enforcement partners to not only arrest the founders and CEO, but to also seize their domain. Samourai Wallet is now closed for business.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Threat actors utilize technology to evade law enforcement detection and create environments conducive to criminal activity. For almost 10 years, Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill allegedly operated a mobile cryptocurrency mixing platform which provided other criminals a virtual haven for the clandestine exchange of illicit funds, the facilitation of more than $2 billion in illegal transactions, and $100 million in dark web money laundering. The FBI is committed to exposing covert financial schemes and ensuring no one can hide behind a screen to perpetuate financial wrongdoing.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal Court: [1] Background on Samourai From about 2015 through February 2024, RODRIGUEZ and HILL developed, marketed, and operated a cryptocurrency mixing service known as Samourai, an unlicensed money transmitting business from which they earned millions of dollars in fees. Samourai unlawfully combined multiple unique features to execute anonymous financial transactions valued at over $2 billion for its customers. While offering Samourai as a “privacy” service, the defendants knew that it was a haven for criminals to engage in large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion. Indeed, as the defendants intended and well knew, a substantial portion of the funds that Samourai processed were criminal proceeds passed through Samourai for purposes of concealment. During the relevant period, Samourai laundered over $100 million of crime proceeds originating from, among other criminal sources, illegal darkweb markets, such as Silk Road and Hydra Market; various wire fraud and computer fraud schemes, including a web-server intrusion, a spearphishing scheme, and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols; and other illegal activities. RODRIGUEZ and HILL began developing Samourai in or about 2015. Samourai is a mobile application that users can download onto their cellphones, and the application has been downloaded over 100,000 times. After users download Samourai, they can store their private keys for any BTC addresses they control inside of the Samourai program. These private keys are not shared with Samourai employees, but Samourai operates a centralized server that, among other things, supervises and facilitates transactions between Samourai users and creates new BTC addresses used during the transactions. Samourai is used by customers all over the world, including customers located in the United States and in the Southern District of New York. RODRIGUEZ and HILL designed Samourai to offer at least two features intended to assist individuals engaged in criminal conduct to conceal the source of the proceeds of their criminal activities. First, Samourai offers a cryptocurrency mixing service known as “Whirlpool,” which coordinates batches of cryptocurrency exchanges between groups of Samourai users to prevent tracing of criminal proceeds by law enforcement on the Blockchain. Second, Samourai offers a service called “Ricochet,” which allows a Samourai user to build in additional and unnecessary intermediate transactions (known as “hops”) when sending cryptocurrency from one address to another address. This feature similarly may prevent law enforcement and/or cryptocurrency exchanges from recognizing that a particular batch of cryptocurrency originates from criminal activity. Since the start of the Whirlpool service in or about 2019, and of the Ricochet service in or about 2017, over 80,000 BTC (worth over $2 billion applying the BTC-USD conversion rates at the time of each transaction) has passed through these two services operated by Samourai. Samourai collects a fee for both services, estimated to be about $3.4 million for Whirlpool transactions and $1.1 million for Ricochet transactions over the same time period. RODRIGUEZ and HILL’s Knowledge and Intent for Criminal Proceeds to be Laundered by Samourai RODRIGUEZ and HILL operated Twitter accounts that encouraged and openly invited users to launder criminal proceeds through Samourai. For example, in or around June 2022, Samourai’s Twitter account — operated by RODRIGUEZ — posted the following message regarding Russian oligarchs seeking to circumvent sanctions: Similarly, in a private message on or about August 27, 2020, HILL — using a Twitter account with the username “Samourai Dev” — discussed the use of Samourai by criminals operating in online black markets such as Silk Road in private messages with another Twitter user (the “Twitter User”) (emphasis added): Twitter User : Silk Road is why I first found Bitcoin and the desire to keep engaging in those types of markets is one reason that I want to defend/strengthen those use cases . . . Samourai Dev: No, not at all. We probably have different views on some basic tenets of bitcoin, you and I – so to each his own so to speak. At Samourai we are entirely focused on the censorship resistance and black/grey circular economy. This implies no foreseeable mass adoption, although black/grey markets have already started to expand during covid and will continue to do so post-covid . . . . Additionally, in response to Europol highlighting Samourai as a “top threat” to the ability of law enforcement to trace the proceeds of criminal activity, HILL posted a message in or around March 2021 suggesting that Samourai would not change its practices in response to allegations that Samourai was being used for money laundering: Similarly, RODRIGUEZ and HILL possessed and transmitted to potential investors marketing materials that discussed how Samourai’s customer base was intended to include criminals seeking privacy or the subversion of safeguards and reporting requirements by financial institutions. For example, in Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL similarly acknowledge that the individuals most likely to use a service like Samourai include individuals engaged in criminal activities, including “Restricted Markets.” In the below excerpt from Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL acknowledge that its revenues will be derived from “Dark/Grey Market participants” seeking to “swap their bitcoins with multiple parties” to avoid detection: In Samourai’s marketing materials, RODRIGUEZ and HILL promoted Samourai’s Wallet and its “Mixing Service” as a “Premium Privacy Service” for transactions involving the proceeds of goods and services that include, among other things, “Illicit Activity.” * * * RODRIGUEZ, 35, of Harmony, Pennsylvania, and HILL, 65, a U.S. national who was arrested in Portugal, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of IRS-CI and the FBI. He also acknowledged the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Mr. Williams also thanked Europol, the Portugal Judiciary Police, the Icelandic Police, the FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh, the FBI’s International Operations Division, and the IRS-CI Los Angeles Field Office for their assistance in the investigation of this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and David R. Felton are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Newark Resident Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in a scheme to steal checks sent through the mail and commit bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Malachi Jefferson, 25, of Newark, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court to an information charging him with bank fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2022 through November 2022, Jefferson’s conspirator, a U.S. Postal Service employee, stole checks from a Keansburg, New Jersey, post office. Jefferson and his conspirators then worked to deposit the stolen checks in order to fraudulently obtain more than $150,000 from the victim financial institutions. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept 9, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, officers with the Keansburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Andrew Gogan, the Hazlet Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Mulligan, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division. jefferson.information.pdf


title: Former Operator of Two Municipal Golf Courses Sentenced for Tax Conspiracy and Filing False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: A former Massachusetts golf course manager was sentenced to 13 months in prison yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns and making a false statement to a financial institution. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin Kennedy conspired with a luxury home builder in western Massachusetts to evade taxes he owed on money he received from his management of two municipal golf courses owned by the City of Springfield. The home builder constructed custom homes for Kennedy in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod. Kennedy paid for much of the homes in cash he received from the golf courses. For the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy and the home builder created two contracts, one with the agreed-upon purchase price and one with a deflated purchase price. The latter contract listed a purchase price that was $160,000 lower than the contract price, which was the amount Kennedy had paid in cash as a down payment to the home builder. To induce the bank to provide him a mortgage for part of the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy submitted the deflated home purchase contract to the bank. Just prior to trial, Kennedy pleaded guilty to filing false individual income tax returns. According to court documents and statements made in court, for tax years 2009 through 2014, Kennedy filed false tax returns that did not report all the cash and checks he received from his golf course management. In total, Kennedy underreported his income by more than $1 million, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $300,000. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni for the District of Massachusetts ordered Kennedy to serve three years of supervised release. Judge Mastroianni will determine the amount of restitution at a later date. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant Chief Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Desroches for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Partners with Local Law Enforcement to Commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, along with the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Fayette County Attorney’s Office, the Lexington Police Department, the Office of the Fayette County Sheriff, and the Federal Bureau of Prison’s Federal Medical Center commemorated 2024’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) (April 22-26, 2024) at the Lexington Crime Victims’ Rights Luncheon. The luncheon is a collaboration of local law enforcement partners, to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights, and to remind the community of the important resources and services available. In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Of those, only about 42% were reported to police. This local partnership commemorates and celebrates the advancement of victims’ rights and honors those who have provided outstanding victim service. Awards were given by each agency to recognize the remarkable efforts provided by prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and victim assistance professionals across the Eastern District of Kentucky. The U.S. Attorney’s Office honored Justin Blankenship, an Assistant United States Attorney, with the Office’s Danny Ray Smith Crime Victims’ Rights Award, named after the Office’s first Victim Witness Coordinator. AUSA Blankenship was recognized for his extraordinary efforts in a demanding child exploitation prosecution . Through his dedicated support of the victim and tireless prosecution, the perpetrator was convicted and sentenced to a substantial prison term. Other award recipients from the Lexington 2024 NCVRW Luncheon include: Crystal Happy-Clay, honored by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Marisol Contreras, honored by the Lexington Police Department Debbie Price, honored by the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Office Amy Smith-Brantley, honored by the Fayette County Attorney’s Office Dr. Megan Schuster, Ph.D., honored by the BOP Federal Medical Center The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) of the U.S. Department of Justice leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme -- How Would You Help? -- invites all of us to consider how we can help crime victims, both in our professional and personal capacities. This includes ensuring our criminal justice agencies are victim-centered, trauma-informed, and prepared to help crime victims in every way we can. Personally, we should consider how we might help crime victims by being prepared if someone confides in us about victimization and becoming familiar with the many victim services our communities offer. For more information about help for victims, visit ovc.ojp.gov/help-for-victims/overview . “Ensuring the rights of victims is critically important to the criminal justice system, and we simply must celebrate and recognize this fundamental support that allows victims’ voices to be heard,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our Office is proud to partner with members of the law enforcement community to honor this dedicated support, and to renew our full commitment to victims of crime.” OVC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our local partners, encourage widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. On April 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice will host OVC’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony, in Washington, D.C., to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime. For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, and how to assist victims in your community, please visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office website, at www.justice.gov/usao-edky . For additional ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov . — END —


title: Former Comptroller General of Ecuador Convicted for $10M International Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador yesterday for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador. “This verdict is a reminder of our office’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting corrupt foreign officials who bring their criminally obtained funds to South Florida to buy real estate,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, Polit abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over $10 million in bribes and then laundering the illicit funds in Miami,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for the illicit funds of corrupt officials.” From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida. “This conviction shows that despite your wealth, title, or influence, nobody is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and its partners on the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Forces will continue to pursue corrupt foreign officials who utilize their official positions for their own illicit gain”. The jury convicted Polit of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 in the Eastern District of New York to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador. HSI’s Miami Field Office investigated this case. The FBI International Corruption Squad investigated the Odebrecht case and provided substantial assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 22-CR-20114. ###


title: Group of Mobile Mail Thieves and Fraudsters Sentenced in Federal Court

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Five defendants from Mobile were sentenced for their roles in a scheme to commit bank fraud relating to theft of mail and fraudulent deposits of counterfeited and forged checks. According to court documents, Jennifer Denise Johnson, 43, Julian Wayne Roberts, 36, Nicholas O’Neal Martin, 24, Maranda Lynn Slate, 34, and Micki Leigh Walker, 38, each pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud between July 2021 and September 2022. The scheme involved Johnson and her coconspirators stealing mail from homes and businesses in the Mobile area, taking checks and other identification documents from the stolen mail, and generating counterfeits and forgeries to be deposited into bank accounts. Between August and October 2021, Johnson, Roberts, Martin, and Slate made numerous fraudulent check deposits and withdrawals at various Regions Bank branches in Theodore and Tillman’s Corner, as depicted on surveillance video. Federal agents also obtained text messages and Facebook messages that the defendants exchanged with one another in furtherance of the scheme. In September 2022, Mobile police arrested Johnson and Walker after they attempted to cash another forged check that had been stolen from the mail and bore the identifiers of an elderly victim. Inside Johnson’s vehicle, agents found several bags full of stolen mail, identification cards belonging to mail-theft victims, and numerous stolen debit and credit cards belonging to victims. In a recorded interview with investigators, Johnson admitted that she was “addicted” to stealing mail and had been engaged in a mail-theft and fraud conspiracy with her codefendants for more than a year. Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Johnson and Roberts each to 36 months’ imprisonment, and Walker to 12 months and one day in prison Martin and Slate received sentences of time served. Upon release from custody, each defendant will serve a five-year term of supervised release, during which time they will receive drug and/or mental health treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose fines, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered the defendants to pay a total of $600 in special assessments and victim restitution in the following amounts: $2,500 (Johnson and Roberts); $2,000 (Martin); and $500 (Slate). U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Mobile Police Department, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Man Who Claimed to be Delta Force Veteran Found Guilty of Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A federal jury convicted a Manor man for four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between April 2021 and July 2023, Saint Jovite Youngblood, aka Kota Youngblood, 52, committed wire fraud against his victims by claiming Mexican drug cartel members were planning to commit violence against them. Youngblood falsely claimed to have been part of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force special operations unit and offered protection to his victims from the cartels in exchange for money. Youngblood also represented that funds obtained from his victim “investors” would be paid back with a significant return on the money. Instead, Youngblood allegedly used most of the money on junkets to Las Vegas to gamble in casinos. Youngblood was arrested July 31, 2023. He now awaits a date to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman, facing up to 20 years in prison for each of the four wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for the money laundering count. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel D. Guess and Matt Harding prosecuted the case. ###


title: Clemency Recipient List

component: Office of the Pardon Attorney

body_text: President Joseph R. Biden Jr. today is granting clemency to 16 individuals, consisting of 11 pardons and five commutations. President Biden is pardoning the following 11 individuals: Jason Hernandez – McKinney, Texas Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine/cocaine hydrochloride; distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school (three counts); establishing a place for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance (two counts); Eastern District of Texas Sentence: 240 months in prison (as commuted on Dec. 19, 2013); eight years of supervised release; $3,500 fine (as amended by order of Feb. 29, 2016); Oct. 2, 1998 Beverly Denise Holcy, also known as Beverly Canty – Palatka, Florida Offense: Knowingly, willfully, and intentionally distributing a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack”; Middle District of Florida Sentence: 60 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $1,000 fine; June 22, 1994 Jeffrey Alan Lewis – Douglasville, Georgia Offense: Use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony; Eastern District of Virginia Sentence: Six months in prison; one year of supervise release; Feb. 17, 2006 Bobby Darrell Lowery – Jackson, Mississippi Offense: Possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute; felon in possession of a firearm; Northern District of Mississippi Sentence: 60 months in prison (as amended on Oct. 4, 2000, Sept. 21, 2001, Oct. 3, 2001, and Oct. 11, 2002); five years of supervised release; May 28, 1999 Jesse Mosley, also known as Jessie Mosley – Ponchatoula, Louisiana Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug offense; Eastern District of Louisiana Sentence: 28 months in prison; five years of supervised release; June 20, 2001 Katrina Polk – Washington, D.C. Offense: Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; Southern District of West Virginia Sentence: One day in prison; four years of supervised release; July 5, 1988 Glenn Ray Royal Jr. – San Antonio, Texas Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Western District of Texas Sentence: 30 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $500 fine; May 23, 1996 Alexis Sutton – New Haven, Connecticut Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin; District of Connecticut Sentence: 48 months of probation; Feb. 25, 2014 Ricky Donnell Tyler, al so kn own as Rick Tyler – Columbia, South Carolina Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (three counts); District of South Carolina Sentence: Time served (as amended on Aug. 17, 1999, and June 15, 2007); five years of supervised release; Sept. 12, 1996 Stacy L. Wilder – Albany, New York Offense: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine base; Northern District of New York Sentence: 70 months in prison; five years of supervised release; Jan. 7, 2003 Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez – Fairfax, Virginia Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Virginia Sentence: 42 months in prison (as amended on May 11, 2007); three years of supervised release; Sept. 23, 2004 President Biden is commuting the sentences of the following five individuals: Daequon Charles Davis – Johnson City, Tennessee Offense: Conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine (Eastern District of Tennessee). Sentence: 262 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (July 13, 2017). Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 120 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence. Jophaney Hyppolite – Miami Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams cocaine base; distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base (Middle District of Florida). Sentence: Life in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Jan. 22, 2013). Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 360 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence. Xavier Martez Parnell – Clarksville, Tennessee Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base (Middle District of Tennessee). Sentence: 300 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 18, 2012). Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 210 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence. Leshay Nicole Rhoton – Bristol, Tennessee Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine (Western District of Virginia). Sentence: 240 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 5, 2013). Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 150 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence. Margaret Ann Vandyke – Ellenville, New York Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (crack cocaine) (Northern District of New York). Sentence: 60 months in prison; three years of supervised release (Jan. 19, 2022). Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on Aug. 22, leaving intact and in effect the three years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Bennigan’s Restaurant of Mandan, North Dakota

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK : United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota completed its investigation and entered into a settlement agreement with Bennigan’s restaurant of Mandan, North Dakota to resolve allegations that Bennigan’s violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Specifically, a complaint alleged that Bennigan’s refused to allow a veteran with a disability who uses a service animal to enter Bennigan’s with their service animal. During its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that the complainant attempted to enter Bennigan’s with their service animal. A Bennigan’s employee told the complainant they were not allowed to have the service animal in the restaurant and incorrectly told the complainant they needed documentation for the service animal. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities who use service animals may enter places of public accommodations, such as restaurants, with their service animals. The service animal must be allowed in any part of the restaurant customers are normally allowed to be. There is no requirement that individuals with disabilities show any documentation, licensure, or certification, nor is there a requirement that the service animal be wearing any vest, harness, or collar that indicates it is a service animal. A service animal is simply any dog trained to work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. If a place of public accommodation is unsure whether an animal is a service animal, under the ADA they may only ask two questions: Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Under the settlement agreement, Bennigan’s agreed to adopt a service animal non-discrimination policy for its restaurant, provide relevant training to its employees regarding the ADA, post signage indicating service animals are welcome, and pay $1,000 in damages to the complainant. “People with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal are entitled to come and go freely in the community,” said United States Attorney Schneider. “Bennigan’s cooperated throughout this investigation, and I commend its commitment to take swift remedial action. The corrective measures agreed to by Bennigan’s will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy a great restaurant with legendary Irish hospitality in North Dakota, as is required by the ADA. We hope other proprietors will proactively comply with this important civil rights law. Service animals play an important role to ensure the independence of people with disabilities, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities will have full and equal access to places of public accommodation.” This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa H. Burkland of the District of North Dakota. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in North Dakota is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 701-297-7400. ######


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth, Fentanyl

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: ALPINE, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Alpine to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to court documents, Marcos Kenedy Ledezma Campos, 35, attempted to enter the Presidio Port of Entry when, during inspection, agents extracted 69 bundles from the gas tank of his vehicle. Further analysis revealed the bundles contained approximately 2.4 kilograms of fentanyl pills and 33.8 kilograms of methamphetamine. Ledezma Campos was taken into custody. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 24. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case. ###


title: District Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the STAY DC Tenant Assistance Program

body_text: WASHINGTON – Khin Phoo Ngon, 27, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in Superior Court to six felony counts arising from her defrauding a Covid-19 tenant assistance program of more than $245,000, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas. According to the government’s evidence, to which Ngon admitted in her plea, in 2021 Ngon submitted seven fraudulent applications to the Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC) program, a DC government program established in 2021 to help cover unpaid rent and utilities for renters suffering hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time she submitted all seven applications, Ngon was the sole tenant of an apartment at 1111 New Jersey Ave SE in the District. Two of her fraudulent applications listed her actual address and stated accurate information about unpaid rent she owed, but falsely stated that her 2020 income was $17,270 and that her projected 2021 income was $12,000. In 2020, however, Ngon had actually received income well in excess of $57,650, the STAY DC program’s minimum qualifying threshold for a household of one, and was on pace to exceed that threshold for 2021 when she submitted both applications. Ngon also submitted two applications in which she listed her residence as 3210 ½ O Street NW, an apartment she had moved out of in the summer of 2020 with her rent paid in full. Ngon attached a fictitious lease to that application and falsely stated in her application that she was residing at the O Street address and owed 19 months of unpaid rent. Based on that fraudulent application, Ngon received $37,000 from the program. In her guilty plea, Ngon also admitted to submitting two STAY DC applications in her stepfather’s name without his knowledge or permission. Ngon falsely stated in those applications that her stepfather lived at 3632 N Street NW in the District and owed tens of thousands of dollars in back rent. In fact, Ngon’s stepfather lived in Virginia, and had never lived at that address. Ngon admitted that she attached stolen and doctored documents to both applications, including her stepfather’s expired driver’s license and federal and DC tax return documents. Ngon fraudulently obtained $82,800 from these two applications. Finally, Ngon admitted to submitting a seventh STAY DC application, on behalf of an associate of hers. Ngon created a fraudulent lease document for an apartment at 450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, falsifying the lease term and monthly rent due. Based on those and other fraudulent representations, the STAY DC program issued Ngon’s associate a check for $78,200. Through a series of transactions involving other individuals, Ngon received at least $38,500 of those funds. Ngon pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Fraud, two counts of First-Degree Felony Theft, and two counts of First-Degree Identity Theft. Her plea included the admission that, in total, she defrauded the DC government out of approximately $246,020. The Honorable Jason Park accepted Ngon’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for August 9, 2024. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming, on detail from the DC Office of the Attorney General to prosecute matters involving fraud and public corruption.


title: KC Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., tax preparer pleaded guilty in federal court today to aiding the preparation of dozens of false tax returns. Linzell Harris, 67, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Harris owned and operated The MJM Group, Inc., a tax preparation business, from 1999 through 2022. By pleading guilty today, Harris admitted that he willfully exaggerated and fabricated multiple deductions and credits for his clients to obtain large refunds. The total tax loss to IRS for tax years 2015 through 2019 as a result of Harris’s false tax returns was $124,308. Harris prepared returns for at least 12 taxpayer clients, resulting in at least 43 false income tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2019. In addition to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, Harris admitted he did not file personal tax returns for 2015 and 2016, causing a tax loss of $60,753. The total tax loss caused the Harris’s preparation of false tax returns and his failure to file personal tax returns is $185,061. Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a sentence of up to three years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.


title: Man convicted for sending nude photos and explicit texts to 13-year-old child

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas – A federal judge has returned a guilty verdict against a Brazoria man for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown found George Jimenez, 45, guilty of coercion and enticement of a minor following a one-day trial that commenced April 3. Judge Brown entered the order late April 23. Prior to trial, Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor. In April 2019, law enforcement discovered Jimenez had sent pictures of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and other contacts in his phone. Five were the minors’ 12 and 13-year-old classmates. Authorities executed a federal search warrant and discovered Jimenez was using the TextNow application to disguise himself as a teenage boy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors. From March until April 2019, Jimenez engaged in those communications, including sending at least five pictures of his genitals to the 13-year-old child. In approximately 17 communications, Jimenez asked the minor victim for pictures of either her breasts, buttocks or genital area. In a text exchange, the minor shared information with Jimenez that she shaved her genital region. Jimenez then sent messages asking to see images of it. At the trial, the defense attempted to convince the court the messages he sent to the minor did not arise to the level of attempting to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He did not believe those claims and found Jimenez guilty as charged. In his ruling, the court stated, “these requests were direct, specific and unambiguous. They were not shrouded in innuendo or bashfulness. Simply put, there is no question that Jimenez repeatedly asked [the minor] to take and send him pictures of her genitals and pubic area.” Judge Brown has sentencing for June 12. At that time, Jimenez faces 10 years to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Sherin S. Daniel are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced for Firearms Offense and Possessing Crack Cocaine Near a School

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – DeAngelo Wayne McNeil, 37, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 36 months for unlawfully possessing a firearm and, while near a school, possessing cocaine base with the intent to sell it. The sentence, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. McNeil pleaded guilty January 24, 2024, to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base near schools. In addition to the three-year prison term, Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg ordered McNeil to serve six years of supervised release. According to court documents, when he was arrested on September 21, 2023, McNeil was on release in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia for similar conduct: unlawfully possessing a gun and possessing cocaine. He also had a 2018 conviction for possessing a gun and possessing cocaine with the intent to sell it. Police took McNeil into custody near 1919 I Street, Northeast, which is about 850 feet from Phelps High School, located at 704 26th Street Northeast. Officers recovered a set of vehicle keys in McNeil’s hand. In addition, police found McNeil was carrying nearly 20 grams of a rock-like substance that field tested positive as crack cocaine. In his front left pocket, McNeil was carrying $545.25 in cash and a small digital scale. McNeil’s car was located nearby. Police searched the vehicle and recovered $4960 in cash and a Glock model 30 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from the locked glovebox. The gunwas loaded with one round in the chamber and 12 rounds of ammunition in the magazine. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Lipes and Jared English.


title: Lincoln, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 156 Months for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Lincoln, Illinois, man, Curtis Kelly, 35, was sentenced on April 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 156 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. Kelly was indicted in January 2023 and pleaded guilty in August 2023. He has been detained by the United States Marshals Service since December 21, 2022. At sentencing, the government showed that Kelly conspired with Darryl Verser and Richard Dinger to distribute approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine to include specific drug transactions in November and December of 2022. Dinger is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2024. The charges against Verser and another co-defendant, Nicholas Steele remain pending. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Kelly 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: Child Predator Sentenced for Life after Federal Jury Conviction

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Garrin Michael Thompson, 50, of Catoosa. Thompson was found guilty by a federal jury in Sep. 2022 for the Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country; and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Heil ordered Thompson to serve life in prison. If released, Thompson will be supervised for life and required to register as a sex offender. “One of the five essential components to Project Safe Childhood is accountability ,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “Thompson knew his victims and exploited their trust. Life imprisonment ensures that Thompson is held accountable for his actions.” Four victims boldly testified at trial as to the molestation, abuse, coercion, or enticement they experienced as children in his care. Prosecutors showed during the trial that Thompson’s predatory acts went back to 2000 or 2001. He placed a video camera in his home and another in a vacation rental to record the victims. Thompson also abused and attempted to assault or molest a victim. Investigators further found on Thompson’s computer indicators that he may have been viewing child pornography or incest. One of the victims is a tribal member. Thompson will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and the Catoosa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Suspended DEA Special Agent Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Taking Bribes

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOHN COSTANZO JR. was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to four years in prison for participating in a scheme in which his co-defendant, MANUEL RECIO, and others funneled tens of thousands of dollars to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing sensitive law enforcement information to assist defense lawyers. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “With today’s sentence, John Costanzo Jr. finally faces the consequences of selling his office as part of a bribery scheme. By disclosing sensitive information in exchange for money, Costanzo endangered his fellow officers, interfered in significant criminal investigations, and violated the laws he had sworn to uphold. Such conduct demands serious punishment, and today’s sentence does just that. Let this be a message to all public officials who are tempted to profit illegally from their service — there will be serious consequences.” According to the evidence presented in court during the trial: JOHN COSTANZO JR. was a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) special agent most recently assigned to DEA Headquarters. He was a Group Supervisor in the DEA’s Miami Field Office until June 2019. MANUEL RECIO is a former DEA special agent who retired as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Miami Field Office in November 2018. Upon his retirement, RECIO began operating his own business, which provided private investigative services to criminal defense attorneys and also helped defense attorneys to recruit clients. From around the time of RECIO’s retirement through around November 2019, RECIO agreed with COSTANZO to provide benefits to COSTANZO in exchange for COSTANZO providing RECIO with nonpublic information about DEA investigations. COSTANZO provided RECIO with information about nonpublic investigations, such as the identities of individuals charged and the anticipated timing of indictments and arrests, and intelligence which COSTANZO obtained from the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (“NADDIS”), a DEA database that contains information about individuals who are or have been under investigation by the DEA. RECIO paid COSTANZO for this information, which RECIO used to help recruit new clients for criminal defense attorneys. Among the benefits paid to COSTANZO were a $2,500 payment made in November 2018, shortly after RECIO’s retirement from the DEA, which was funneled to COSTANZO through a company owned by a close family member of COSTANZO. At the same time that this payment was made, RECIO began asking COSTANZO to run searches in NADDIS to provide RECIO with nonpublic DEA information about DEA targets and investigations. Following that initial payment, RECIO and others continued to provide benefits to COSTANZO, including tens of thousands of dollars that were funneled from RECIO through a company created by a DEA task force officer and $50,000 that was paid to COSTANZO through a close family member for COSTANZO’s purchase of a condominium in January and February 2019. In return, COSTANZO continued to provide nonpublic DEA information to RECIO, including information about the timing of forthcoming indictments and information about DEA arrest plans of particular targets. COSTANZO also searched NADDIS for names of particular individuals requested by RECIO on dozens of occasions during the scheme and provided RECIO with information and assistance with particular charged defendants represented by attorneys for whom REICO was working. During the scheme, COSTANZO and RECIO took steps to conceal the existence of the scheme, including by structuring the payments from RECIO to COSTANZO through third parties and through COSTANZO’s use of a cellphone provided by RECIO for communications related to the scheme. * * * In addition to the prison term, COSTANZO, 49, of Coral Gables, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $98,250. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General and thanked the DEA’s Office of Professional Responsibility for its support in this matter. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Emily Deininger, and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLYLE HENRY, 39, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for a drug trafficking and firearm possession offense. According to court documents and statement made in court, shortly before midnight on October 12, 2022, Henry crashed his vehicle on a retaining wall on the Yale University campus. Carlyle was arrested after Yale Police found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and a bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine, packaged heroin and fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Carlyle has been detained since his arrest. On November 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Henry’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearms possession and narcotics distribution offenses, and a federal narcotics conviction in 2006 for which he received a sentence of 50 months of imprisonment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Yale Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Registered Sex Offender Admits New Child Sex Crime

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from northeast Missouri on Wednesday admitted crossing state lines to engage in sex with a minor. Joshua T. Wilson, 23, of Monroe County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to a charge of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity. As part of his guilty plea, Wilson admitted that he met a 16-year-old girl in the spring of 2022. Wilson and the victim began interacting on an almost-daily basis via online apps. They engaged in sexual conversations and exchanged sexual images. Wilson also met the teen for sex, and took her to Kansas, where he engaged in unlawful sexual activity with her. Wilson is a registered sex offender. The charge against Wilson carries a mandatory prison term of 10 years, and is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The FBI and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Colby CPA accused of defrauding business client

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance before a federal judge following an indictment for defrauding clients of his accounting firm. According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 43, of Colby is charged with seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, two counts of false statements, and six counts of money laundering. Flanagin, a certified public accountant (CPA), is part owner of the accounting firm, Williams Consulting. The owners of Diamond M. Farms in Thomas County contracted the firm to perform CPA duties for the company. Flanagin acted as signatory for Diamond M Farms bank accounts and prepared payroll. Flanagin created a fictitious business called Middle Finger Ranch and added the company name to his personal bank account. Between December 2021 and August 2022, the defendant allegedly wrote multiple checks and initiated wire transfers totaling approximately $409,710 from Diamond M. Farms to Middle Finger Ranch under the guise of being payments for farm operations. In 2021, Flanagin hired a construction company to build him a new house. The transaction records indicate he paid the contractor from the Middle Finger Ranch bank account within days of the funds being transferred from Diamond M. Farms The defendant made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gwynne E. Birzer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak 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: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on April 17, 2024, charging two Louisville men with conspiracy to traffic heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Brent Goldsberry , 40, and Marcus McGinnis , 33, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances that included heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. These offenses occurred between January 18, 2024, and April 10, 2024. McGinnis made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered McGinnis detained pending trial. Goldsberry is currently in state custody and has not been scheduled for an initial court appearance yet. If convicted, Goldsberry and McGinnis each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF and LMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Picayune Man Pleads Guilty to Possession  with Intent to Distribute 13 Grams of Fentanyl

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Picayune man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 13 grams of fentanyl. Brandon Lamont Myers, 41, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, on August 14, 2023, law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for the residence of Brandon Lamont Myers in Pearl River County, Mississippi. Agents seized $61,276 and 13 grams of fentanyl. They also seized a box of clear plastic bags and several digital scales. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl . Myers pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2024, and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Picayune Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Knox county man pleads guilty to committing child pornography crimes while on federal supervised release

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A repeat sex offender pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to committing new child pornography crimes while on federal supervised release. Lee Allen Goudy, 30, of Howard, Ohio, admitted to distributing and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court in April 2018 to 78 months in prison for distributing pornography of pre-school-aged children. As a previous offender, Goudy will face a prison sentence of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison for his current offense. According to court documents, in August 2023, the FBI received a tip that Goudy was a Tier II registered sex offender and was believed to have uploaded child pornography online. At least four cyber tipline reports related to Goudy were generated from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The investigation revealed that Goudy had distributed child pornography from a Reddit account via Kik messenger and on Twitter. Goudy used the same email address to trade child pornography that he used in his prior federal conviction. Approximately 650 videos and 100 images of child sexual abuse material were recovered from Goudy’s iPhone. His collection included sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and the sexual torture of babies. For example, one video depicted a newborn infant being smacked in the face, grabbed by the throat and shaken back and forth. Goudy’s iPhone search history also included web searches like “supervised release monitoring iPhone” and “does federal monitoring work on iPhone.” A second cell phone of Goudy’s also revealed searches for content related to violence, rape and sex acts against infants and toddlers. That phone included 150 images of child sexual abuse material that Goudy had traded on Discord. Goudy was arrested in September 2023 for violating his federal supervised release warrant. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea offered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Odessa Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Veterans Affairs Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Anthony J. Salomone (64, Odessa) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Salomone faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11, 2024. According to court documents, Salomone’s mother received Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits as the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran. The benefits were direct deposited into the mother’s checking account to which Salomone had access via a power of attorney. Salomone’s mother died on October 2, 2017. Salomone did not report his mother’s death to the VA, which continued to deposit monthly benefits for her until March 2022, thinking she was still alive. Salomone took those benefits, to which he was not entitled, and spent them on his own personal and business expenses. In total, he stole $63,359.92 in funds belonging to the United States. This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Del Mastro and Suzanne Huyler.


title: Former Berklee College of Music Student Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Individual Promoting Democracy in China

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Berklee College of Music student, who is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today for stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers around campus in support of democracy in China. Xiaolei Wu, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Wu was convicted by a federal jury on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication. “Mr. Wu’s criminal conduct is very serious. He harnessed the fear of potential retribution from the PRC government to harass and threaten an innocent individual who had posted an innocuous, pro-democracy flier on the Berklee campus. Mr. Wu’s violent threats achieved his goal of instilling fear in his effort to silence this brave victim and others who might want to speak out against the PRC government,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate efforts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights. Censorship and repression campaigns will never be tolerated here.” “Today, Xiaolei Wu learned there are serious consequences for harassing, threatening, stalking, and infringing on a fellow student’s constitutional rights solely because she was critical of the ruling Communist Party of China,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Mr. Wu did – in weaponizing the authoritarian nature of the People’s Republic of China to threaten this woman – is incredibly disturbing. We’d like to thank her for her bravery in coming forward, and remind others that the FBI will do everything it can to ensure that those who try to infringe on our fundamental rights – will face similar consequences.” On Oct. 22, 2022, while Wu was attending the Berklee College of Music, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” Beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022 through Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” Wu told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. Additionally, Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online. Wu also told the victim that he had reported the victim’s information back to a member of the Chinese government. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Alathea E. Porter of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case with the assistance of Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney Menno Goedman.


title: Felon Who Possessed A Loaded Handgun Sentenced To Almost Nine Years In Prison

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Lamar Nolan Ryan has been sentenced to 105 months in prison following his conviction at trial for illegally possessing a loaded firearm, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, Senior United States District Judge. Ryan, 42, of San Francisco, was convicted at a bench trial in December 2023 on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). A federal grand jury had indicted him on that offense in August 2023. The evidence presented at trial showed that, on July 1, 2023, Ryan possessed a loaded, semi-automatic Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number that he had concealed in a holster underneath his clothes. Law enforcement officers detained Ryan in South San Francisco after receiving a report that he had taken a woman there and was attempting to coerce her to perform commercial sex work. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, the defendant met the woman at a San Francisco motel, where he paid her $500 for sex. After having sex with the woman, however, the defendant took the money back and tried to convince the woman to perform commercial sex acts under his management, in exchange for a 30 percent cut of her profits. The woman reluctantly agreed to go with the defendant, and he brought her to South San Francisco, where the defendant rented a motel room and showed the woman a handgun, telling her she would be “protected” while working for him. Not long thereafter, South San Francisco police officers found the defendant and the woman—whose family had tracked her location using her cellphone—in a car parked outside a laundromat. In addition to sentencing Ryan to prison, Judge Orrick ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Buszin and Alexandra Shepard are prosecuting the case with assistance from Maribel Gallegos. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and ATF.


title: Alleged Hatchet Wielding Man Indicted for Multiple Federal Crimes

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly stole from a dollar store and a jewelry business while armed. According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, Carlos Anthony Martinez, 24, of Salt Lake City, robbed, at gunpoint, a dollar store employee in Grantsville, Utah, of money and merchandise. On May 26, 2023, Martinez allegedly entered Fred Meyer Jewelers inside Smith’s Marketplace in Bountiful. Martinez carried a hatchet in one hand and a handgun in the other and smashed the top of a glass display case with the hatchet. At this time, an employee confronted Martinez and Martinez pointed the handgun in the employee’s direction. Martinez stole jewelry and ran out of the store, leaving the hatchet on the display case. Bountiful Police officers responded to the scene and searched for Martinez. Martinez was arrested April 15, 2024, following a signed arrest warrant by the court. Martinez is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is April 26, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police department, investigators from the Department of Public Safety State Bureau of Investigation, and other officers from the Utah Highway Patrol and Bountiful Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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: Pittsfield Man Charged With Transporting a Minor With Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

body_text: BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Springfield for transporting a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity. Paul Newton-Irelan, 50, was indicted on one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Newton-Irelan will make an initial appearance in Springfield federal court at a later date. The indictment alleges that on Nov. 26, 2023, Newton-Irelan transported the minor victim to New York and Massachusetts with the intent that the victim engage in sexual activity. The charge of possession of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years in prison, no less than five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Abington Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – An Abington man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute oxycodone pills. Kenneth Veiga, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2024. Veiga was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. Between November 2022 and May 2023, intercepted communications revealed that Veiga and others were involved in an oxycodone drug trafficking organization. Specifically, Veiga allegedly obtained oxycodone pills from co-conspirator Cristan Russell who redistributed to others. During a search of Veiga’s previous residence in July 2023, oxycodone pills along with a polymer-80 9 mm pistol and nine rounds of commercially manufactured ammunition were seized. Additionally, fentanyl pills, oxycodone pills and approximately $58,000 were seized during a separate search of Veiga’s current apartment. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Former Fall River Police Officer Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison for Assaulting Man in Custody and Filing False Reports

body_text: BOSTON – A former Fall River Police Officer was sentenced today for assaulting a man in custody with a baton and failing to report the assault in subsequent reports. Nicholas M. Hoar, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In February 2024, Hoar was convicted of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of false reports. On Dec. 21, 2020, while on duty as an officer with the Fall River Police Department, Hoar struck an individual who had been arrested in the forehead with a 22-ounce, steel, expandable police baton, resulting in an injury to the arrestee that required stitches. Hoar then submitted two official police reports which omitted any mention of the fact that he had struck the arrestee in the forehead with a baton; in one of the reports Hoar falsely blamed the victim’s injury on a fall. “Police officers take an oath to uphold the law and the vast majority of men and women in uniform bravely protect and serve the public across this District each and every day,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Nicholas Hoar violated his oath and broke the law. This lengthy prison sentence sends a message to the entire community that we will continue to hold members of law enforcement accountable when they violate a person’s civil rights.” “What Nicholas Hoar did is indefensible and a serious divergence from the oath he took to faithfully serve and protect the citizens of Fall River,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “There is no question police officers have a challenging job, but it doesn’t give them the right to beat someone in their custody and lie about it. Those under arrest retain the same civil rights you and I do. Know that the FBI is determined to defend those rights, and root out corrupt law enforcement officers, on behalf of the vast majority who carry out their duties with honor.” Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and John J. Reynolds III of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Operator of Two Municipal Golf Courses Sentenced to Prison for Tax Conspiracy and Making False Statement

body_text: BOSTON – The former operator of two municipal golf courses in Western Massachusetts was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for conspiring to defraud the United States and making a false statement. Kevin M. Kennedy, 45, of East Longmeadow was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution to be determined at a later date. The government argued for a sentence of 21-27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $351,565. On Dec. 11, 2023, Kennedy was convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States and making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. The defendant was acquitted of embezzlement from a local government receiving federal benefits, wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions. “Stealing from the taxpayers is far from a victimless crime. It diverts scarce resources that are needed to fund important services like education and elder care and public safety,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Every honest law abiding citizen is a victim of this type of embezzlement from the city.” “Today’s sentencing of Kevin Kennedy demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Kennedy’s status as a professional golfer could not insulate him from the consequences of his actions to defraud the America taxpayers. Today’s sentencing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigations commitment to investigating all financial crimes and ensuring equity in our tax system.” Kennedy owned and operated Kennedy Golf Management Inc., through which he managed the City of Springfield’s two public golf courses, Franconia Golf Course and Veterans Memorial Golf Course. Kennedy skimmed money from the company without reporting that money to the IRS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kennedy conspired with two individuals to evade taxes he owed on money received from his company. Kennedy used a substantial amount of cash to pay for the construction of two custom homes in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod. To induce the bank to provide him a mortgage for part of the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy submitted a home purchase contract to the bank that falsely reflected a total purchase price reduced by the $160,000 cash downpayment he had made. Just prior to trial, Kennedy also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing a false individual income tax return for 2011 through 2014, during which he also admitted to filing a false return in 2009 and 2010. For each of those years, Kennedy did not report to his return preparer all of the cash and checks his management company received from his operation of the golf courses. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and IRS SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography in Plot to Molest a Young Girl

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eleanor Hunton Hoppe, 46, of Charlottesville, Va., today pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography in a plot to molest a young girl. The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hoppe pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, who scheduled sentencing for September 23, 2024. The terms of Hoppe’s plea agreement call for her to serve 135 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In addition, she will have to register as a sex offender for a minimum period of 25 years. According to court documents, in late February 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer encountered Hoppe on a social media site where individuals discuss their sexual interest in children and child sexual abuse material. Hoppe distributed three images of child pornography to the undercover officer and repeatedly expressed an interest in sexually abusing his purported 8-year-old daughter. On March 16, 2023, P Hoppe arranged to have the undercover officer bring his daughter from D.C. to a hotel in Warrenton, Va., where she would meet them to sexually abuse the child. Police arrested Hoppe when she arrived at the hotel. This case was investigated by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Rachel Forman.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA Host Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Summit

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – The United States Attorney’s Office along with the Drug Enforcement Administration hosted a community conversation focused on fentanyl awareness and prevention. Stakeholders from across the Twin Cities, including healthcare advocates, elected officials, outreach workers, community-based organizations, as well as families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning, convened today to raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic. The summit included information on current regional drug trends, myths surrounding the fentanyl crisis, and action steps to intervene and help save lives during an overdose situation. “The goal of this summit is to raise awareness, dispel myths, identify trends and, most importantly, discuss how we as a community can collectively turn the tide on fentanyl deaths in Minnesota,” said United States Attorney Andrew Luger. “I am grateful to the addiction and recovery specialists, the outreach workers, and to the family members who have shared their expertise and their heartbreak. The work must continue. We owe it to our families, our friends, and our communities.” “The Drug Enforcement Administration is proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an effort to amplify messaging about the dangers of fentanyl in our Minnesota communities,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “Last year, DEA investigators seized approximately 2.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Minnesota. It’s more important than ever that we talk with our loved ones about the consequences that can come from taking just one pill or experimentation with drugs.” Each year in April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which honors crime victims and those who serve them. This year’s theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” This theme underscores the importance of our individual and collective responsibilities to empower victims through relevant and impactful support services. It highlights the power of collaborative efforts to promote community safety and well-being. For more information please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2024/overview


title: Jackson Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison  for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on April 16, 2021, Samual McCray, 26, was found in possession of a firearm when Jackson Police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment. Upon arrival, officers located two firearms in the apartment that belonged to McCray. When taking McCray into custody, officers found an additional firearm in his front left pants pocket. McCray has a previous felony conviction for manslaughter and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. McCray pled guilty on July 26, 2023, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The FBI and Jackson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Carthage Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute  13 Grams of Methamphetamine and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Carthage man pled guilty to possession of 13 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, in September 2023, Roby Lee Jackson, Jr., 31, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Red Water Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Court documents revealed that Jackson also possessed two firearms at the time of his arrest. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2024, and faces a penalty of not less than five years and a maximum of forty years in prison on the methamphetamine charge, and not less than five years and a maximum of life in prison on the firearms charge. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.