title: Former local non-profit VP sentenced to 3 years in prison for wire fraud, identity theft

body_text: CINCINNATI – The former vice president of a Cincinnati nonprofit and manager of a purported staffing corporation was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Teela Gilbert, 37, of Cincinnati, served as the vice president, academic affairs advisor and office manager of Hope 4 Change, a nonprofit organization that provided housing and care for adults with developmental disabilities, drug addiction problems and mental disorders. She also managed the operations of Black Wall Street Cooperative, a corporation registered with the state of Ohio that purported to create employment and business opportunities for low-income individuals. Gilbert and co-defendant Barry Rene Isaacs – the founder, owner, CEO and president of Hope 4 Change and founder of Black Wall Street Cooperative – induced payments for false invoices to a company. Specifically, Gilbert submitted more than 30 fraudulent invoices totaling approximately $246,000 for services not actually performed by Black Wall Street Cooperative. Her fraudulent invoices named individuals who did not work for the corporation, including the identity of one woman who had died in 2019. According to co-defendant Isaacs’s court documents, Hope 4 Change withheld FICA taxes from its 120 to 180 employees’ paychecks but did not pay over the employment taxes to the IRS for five quarters in late 2013 and 2014. Isaacs also fraudulently applied for an auto loan and credit card using someone else’s social security account number. Isaacs caused Hope 4 Change to spend thousands of dollars for clothing, massages, beauty care, travel and personal vehicles for Isaacs and Gilbert and their family. He was sentenced in November 2021 to 48 months in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General announced the sentence imposed on March 5 by U.S District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Generic Pharmaceuticals Manufacturer Pleads Guilty, Agrees to $1.5 Million Criminal Penalty for Distributing Adulterated Drugs and $2 Million to Resolve Civil Liability under the False Claims Act

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that KVK Research Inc., a generic drug manufacturer in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to criminal charges that it introduced adulterated drugs into interstate commerce. A criminal information filed in federal court in Philadelphia charged KVK Research and its corporate affiliate, KVK Tech Inc., with two misdemeanor counts of introducing adulterated drugs into interstate commerce in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Pursuant to a plea agreement, KVK Research pleaded guilty to the information and agreed to a proposed fine and forfeiture amount of $1.5 million. KVK Tech agreed to a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that will allow the company to avoid conviction on the charges in the information if it complies with the terms of the agreement, which include implementation of a compliance program designed to prevent and detect violations of federal regulations regarding current good manufacturing processes. The DPA also requires KVK Tech to engage an independent compliance monitor to evaluate the company’s corporate compliance program to address and reduce the risk of future violations. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III presided over the KVK Research plea hearing. “Consumers in this District expect that manufacturers will adhere to FDA regulations,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “When adulterated drugs are introduced into interstate commerce, that conduct has the potential to jeopardize patient safety. This case exemplifies my office’s commitment to holding manufacturers responsible for their crimes, as well as refocusing efforts on the company’s compliance to prevent future illegal conduct. In this case, the joint efforts between the office’s criminal and civil divisions to hold defendants accountable also returned money to those federal agencies affected by the defendants’ conduct.” “The FDA’s requirements for manufacturing generic drugs are designed to ensure that patients receive safe and effective medical treatments. Evading the FDA process and distributing adulterated drugs to U.S. consumers will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge George Scavdis of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and protect the public health of the nation.” As part of the plea agreement and the DPA, the companies admitted that between January 2011 and October 2013, KVK Tech introduced into interstate commerce at least 62 batches of adulterated hydroxyzine tablets. The tablets were manufactured with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) made at a foreign facility. KVK Tech failed to notify FDA or seek FDA authorization to use that facility as a source of API for its hydroxyzine products. The companies also admitted that between Feb. 27, 2019, and April 16, 2019, KVK Tech manufactured prescription drugs while failing to exercise appropriate controls over computer and related systems as required by current good manufacturing practices regulations. Under federal law, such drugs are deemed to be adulterated. Additionally, KVK Tech agreed to pay $2 million to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act arising from the company’s failure to exercise appropriate controls as required by current good manufacturing practice regulations, which caused KVK Tech to introduce into interstate commerce drugs deemed to be adulterated. During the Feb. 27, 2019, through April 16, 2019, time period, KVK Tech sold the adulterated pharmaceuticals, which resulted in alleged false claims submitted to the TRICARE program, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Labor, Office of Workers Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP), in violation of the False Claims Act. “Protecting the welfare of our nation’s military members and their families is a priority for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The introduction of adulterated pharmaceuticals into the TRICARE system endangers the lives of American service members and threatens our military readiness. The DCIS is committed to working with the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners to ensure that companies who engage in fraudulent activity, at the expense of the U.S. military, are investigated and prosecuted.” “We expect manufacturers to comply with all federal laws and regulations when they are serving federal health care recipients,” said Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Conrad J. Quarles of the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our investigative staff, and our law enforcement partners for their hard work protecting FEHBP enrollees and their families.” FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorney Alisha Crovetto of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Beth Leahy and Patrick Murray for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. Deputy Chief Charlene Keller Fullmer, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony D. Scicchitano and Auditor Dawn Wiggins for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the civil case. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Except to the extent that the defendants’ admissions are part of its criminal resolution, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Cincinnati man sentenced to prison for submitting false PPP loan application

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 18 months in prison for committing wire fraud as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain a Covid relief loan. Kelton McClarrin, 33, received nearly $21,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under false pretenses and used the money for personal expenditures including jail commissary services, CashApp, Grubhub, DoorDash, Facebook purchases and hotels. According to court documents, McClarrin applied for a Covid relief loan on May 16, 2021, falsely claiming in the application that he was the sole owner of a business named “Kelton McClarrin.” McClarrin claimed his business was established in 2019 and had a gross income of $100,000 for that year. McClarrin also submitted a forged bank statement in support of the loan application. McClarrin was sentenced to two years in prison in a Hamilton County case on May 7, 2019. He remained incarcerated until Nov. 17, 2020, when he was paroled to a halfway house. He used the address of the halfway house as his business address on the loan application. In April 2022, McClarrin applied for loan forgiveness for the $21,000 PPP loan. He stated on the application forms that he had 20 employees and had spent $20,000 of the loan on payroll costs. McClarrin was arrested in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in October 2023. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed on March 5 by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. The case was investigated by the Social Security’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Nigerian Man Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Federal Prison for Role in "Romance Scam"

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, ABDUL WARIS AKINSANYA , 26, a Nigerian citizen living in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud others, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 4, 2023, Akinsanya was charged by Information with conspiracy to defraud. According to the Information, in May of 2020 Akinsanya opened an account at City National Bank using an alias and a forged passport. The Information alleges that co-conspirators of Akinsanya used a fake persona online to trick a victim from Alabama into sending $2,650 in money orders through the mail. The fraud was carried out using a romance scam, in which fraudsters use fake personas to gain the trust of victims, leading to financial exploitation. Akinsanya later deposited the money orders into the City National Bank account. On October 12, 2023, Akinsanya pleaded guilty, and admitted to setting up bank accounts under false names, where he would deposit money obtained through romance scams, keeping a percentage of the money for his role in the scheme. At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Akinsanya to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and $2,650 in restitution. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the sophisticated nature of the scheme and the seriousness of the offense. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Farrior prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Michigan Return Preparers

component: Tax Division

body_text: The Justice Department filed a complaint today seeking to bar several Michigan tax return preparers from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others. The civil complaint against J&A Tax Services LLC, doing business as Equitax; Anne Heibeck aka Ann Marie Dziergas; Crystal Patrick; Debra Washington; Kianna Dancy; Sade Cooper and Tasha Washington was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The complaint alleges that the defendants, using a variety of schemes, knowingly took unreasonable or incorrect positions on tax returns they prepared that resulted in understating their customers’ tax liabilities or overstating the amount of refunds their customers were entitled to receive. The complaint alleges that the defendants prepared customers’ returns that included various false or fabricated deductions and credits, including falsely reporting business income or loss on Form 1040 Schedule C, either by reporting fictitious sole proprietorships or by manipulating authentic sole proprietorship income and expenses, fabricated child and dependent care expenses, fictitious credits for education expenses and false COVID-19 sick and family leave credits. The government further alleges that in 2022 alone, the defendants filed 865 returns, with at least 98% of the returns claiming a refund. By repeatedly reducing their customers’ tax liabilities or inflating their customers’ refunds, the complaint alleges that defendants harmed the United States through, among other things, the significant loss in tax revenue, estimated at over $2 million for the 2021 tax year alone. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details . J&A file stamped complaint.pdf


title: Brooklyn Woman Sentenced To 33 Months In Prison For Multifaceted COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TATIANA DANIEL was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. DANIEL participated in a scheme to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud by defrauding New York City’s COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program; committing unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits fraud; selling fabricated COVID-19 test results, both positive and negative; and obtaining fraudulent COVID-19 loans from both the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. DANIEL’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Tatiana Daniel repeatedly exploited resources offered to help people and businesses in crisis. Her misconduct included selling fabricated COVID-19 test results, which likely put members of the public at risk of contracting the deadly virus from one of her customers. Daniel’s sentence reaffirms that those who illegally exploit disaster relief programs and endanger the public should expect to go to prison.” According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: From June 2020 through September 2021, DANIEL conspired to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud through a variety of different means. First, DANIEL defrauded the COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program (the “Program”). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City created the Program. Funded by New York City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Program provided free hotel rooms for qualifying individuals throughout New York City. The Program was ultimately open to healthcare workers who needed to isolate because of exposure to COVID-19; patients who had tested positive for COVID-19; individuals who believed, based on their symptoms, that they were infected with COVID-19; and individuals who lived with someone who had COVID-19. As stated on the City’s website describing the Program, such individuals “may qualify to self-isolate in a hotel, free of charge, for up to 14 days if you do not have a safe place to self-isolate.” Those who wished to book a hotel room through the Program could either call a phone number or use an online hotel booking platform. DANIEL defrauded the Program in at least two respects. First, she secured free Program hotel rooms for herself by falsely claiming to be a healthcare worker — specifically, a respiratory therapist. Second, she sold at least approximately 144 nights’ worth of fraudulently obtained hotel rooms to customers who were ineligible for the Program. In connection with this scheme, DANIEL used Facebook to advertise the sale of Program hotel rooms, to communicate directly with potential purchasers of Program hotel rooms, and to communicate with a co-defendant who worked at a call center that handled phone calls and certain reservations for the Program for several months in 2020. Second, DANIEL conspired to fraudulently obtain more than approximately $97,000 in expanded COVID-19 UI benefits for both herself and others. She did so by making misrepresentations about herself and by stealing the identities of more than 10 individuals and collecting unemployment benefits issued for the benefit of those individuals, including an incarcerated individual. In addition, DANIEL filed unsuccessful UI benefits applications in other states. Third, DANIEL operated a fraudulent document mill, through which DANIEL sold, among other things, “COVID Results,” “COVID-19 Hardship Letters,” “Doctors Notes,” and more ( e.g. , pay stubs, W2s, work verification letters). As part of her fraudulent document mill, DANIEL sold fabricated COVID-19 test results, both positive and negative. These fabricated test results included the names of purported medical personnel. Fourth, DANIEL submitted fraudulent applications for COVID-19 loans through both the PPP and EIDL programs, resulting in the disbursement of thousands of dollars in pandemic loan funding to DANIEL and a co-conspirator. * * * In addition to her prison sentence, DANIEL, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $109,655 and to pay restitution of $401,206. DANIEL’s three co-defendants were previously sentenced by Judge Kaplan, and their sentences are as follows: Chanette Lewis was sentenced principally to three years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $360,330, and forfeiture of $289,536; Tatiana Benjamin was sentenced principally to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution of $294,624, and forfeiture of $51,088; and Heaven West was sentenced principally to time served, three years of supervised release, restitution of $59,644, and forfeiture of $23,684. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of agents, investigators, and analysts from the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this investigation. He also expressed gratitude to the New York City Police Department, the New York State Department of Labor, and the DOL-OIG Atlanta Regional Office for their assistance. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Four Individuals Arrested During Joint Law Enforcement Operation in Tuscaloosa County

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

body_text: TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A 3-month operation focused on combatting the illegal possession of “Glock switches” in the City of Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas resulted in the arrests of four individuals, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. “Possession of a ‘Glock switch’ by an individual is a threat to the peace and safety of our communities. Our hope is that these arrests and continuing enforcement efforts across North Alabama will have a deterrent effect,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “Our ongoing collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners is instrumental in reducing violent crime and removing illegal firearms from our communities.” “This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of working together to confront a growing threat to public safety,” said Tuscaloosa Police Chief Brent Blankley. “Combining resources to enforce and prosecute offenders is the most effective way to stop the threat before it becomes more widespread. These partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies will strengthen our efforts to remove dangerous firearms from our community.” In February, nine individuals were indicted on firearm charges. Of the nine, seven individuals were indicted on charges of illegal possession of machine gun conversion devices, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch” and two individuals were indicted on charges involving straw purchases of firearms. The federal indictments are the result of collaborative efforts with the ATF, Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Tuscaloosa District Attorney’s Office to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who illegally possess “Glock switches” and firearms in the Northern District of Alabama. 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 contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: District Man Found Guilty in the Kidnapping and Multiple Rapes of a Maryland Woman, a Total Stranger

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Mark A. Blue, 34, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in the December 2018 kidnapping, robbery, and multiple rapes of a total stranger. The jury verdict in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. The jury found Blue guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping while armed, robbery while armed, and two counts of first degree sexual abuse while armed. The Honorable Carl J. Nichols, who presided over the case, scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2024. This conviction carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. According to court documents, Blue, along with a co-conspirator, targeted the victim, who was walking home from a bus stop in Prince Georges County, MD. Blue stripped her naked, robbed her, forced her into a car, threatened to kill her, covered her eyes with her shirt so she would not be able to see, and sexually assaulted her in Maryland. Then Blue drove her to Southeast Washington, D.C., where he forced her to disclose her ATM information. His co-conspirator drained her bank account of nearly everything as Blue assaulted her again. Blue drove the victim to an alley where both men sexually assaulted her yet again. They left her naked in an alley, with her shirt covering her head. At the time of the attack, Blue was under supervised release for a 2013 armed robbery conviction. Elements of the crime were captured by surveillance footage and ATM cameras. Two days after the offenses, on December 5, 2018, Blue quit his job and fled to North Carolina. A tipster, who recognized Blue’s mugshot on a television news show, called law enforcement. The tipster stated that Blue had said he was wanted by police for robbing and kidnapping a girl. Blue was arrested on January 29, 2019, in North Carolina and has remained in custody since his arrest. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince Georges County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Rachel Forman, and Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson of the District of Columbia. The prosecution team received valuable assistance from Veronica Vaughn of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Allen, Nicholas Miranda, and Jessica Wash.


title: Houghton Area Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Gregory James Knuuttila Sentenced to 324 Months in Prison MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Gregory James Knuuttila, of Mohawk, Michigan, was sentenced for his role in distributing methamphetamine throughout Houghton and Keweenaw Counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Honorable Janet T. Neff, U.S. District Court Judge in Grand Rapids, sentenced Knuuttila to 324 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. “Methamphetamine continues to have devastating effects on individuals in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Gregory James Knuuttila trafficked these poisons, threatened violence, and then obstructed criminal proceedings. He now faces accountability for his crimes.” In July 2022, members of the Michigan State Police Hometown Security Team, in collaboration with the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), stopped Knuuttila and a passenger as they drove through Ontonagon County. During a search of the vehicle, investigators found 207.8 grams of high-purity methamphetamine. After being charged in federal court for his involvement in methamphetamine trafficking, Knuuttila attempted to deter potential witnesses from testifying in his case. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Neff called Knuuttila a “menace to the Upper Peninsula.” Judge Neff found during his sentencing that Knuuttila directed others to use violence to collect drug debts and possessed firearms. Judge Neff concluded Knuuttila was responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute more than two pounds of methamphetamine. Judge Neff also found that while his federal charges were pending, Knuuttila attempted to obstruct justice and attempted to smuggle drugs into a jail for purposes of redistribution. While imposing sentence, Judge Neff referred to Knuuttila’s criminal history as “atrocious” and found it “impossible to overlook the nature and extent of his criminal history.” Knuuttila had nearly unbroken involvement in the criminal justice system since he became an adult. Knuuttila’s first criminal convictions were in 1996. Over the intervening decades, he was convicted of more than twenty additional crimes, including robbery, breaking and entering, assault with a dangerous weapon, and domestic assault on two occasions. Knuuttila was nearly continuously in custody or under the supervision of a court from 1996 to 2022, when he was arrested for the offense to which he pleaded guilty in federal court. The Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team, Michigan State Police Hometown Security Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna L. Rutkowski and Ted Greeley prosecuted the case. Gregory James Knuuttila has been implicated in various other criminal activities throughout Houghton and Keweenaw Counties, and elsewhere. If you have additional information about Knuuttila’s criminal activities, please contact the Michigan State Police – Calumet Post at (906) 337-5145. ###


title: Fifteen Kokomo Methamphetamine Traffickers Dealers Sentenced to a Total of Over 175 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Fifteen individuals have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in a large drug trafficking operation based in Kokomo, Indiana. According to court documents, in 2020, the Kokomo Police Department Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement partners began an investigation into multiple individuals trafficking illegal drugs in Kokomo, Indiana. Over the course of two years, fifteen people were charged in the Southern District of Indiana on various drug trafficking-related charges. As a result of the years’ long investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 18.3 pounds of methamphetamine, 171 grams of fentanyl, 48 grams of heroin, $95,664 in U.S. Currency, and 11 firearms. The following individuals were charged and have sentenced to federal prison: Name, Age, Residence Offense Prison Sentence Demario Barker, 34, Kokomo Distribution of methamphetamine 25 years Shawn Brent, 45, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 17.5 years Deriq Watters, 33, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 21 years, 10 months Janie Maxieson, 56, Fishers Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 15 years Eddie Maxieson, 52, Fishers Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 15 years Carl Chandler, 44, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 15 years Zachary Burkhead, 38, Kokomo Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine 14 years, 2 months Cody Long, 27, Kokomo Distribution of methamphetamine 11 years Jerry Glenn, 36, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 11 years Cassandra Shepard, 42, Kokomo Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine 10 years Shaquille Cannon, 32, Kokomo Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine 7 years, 8 months Cynthia Ponder, 37, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 5 years Amy Lowe, 33, Kokomo Distribution of methamphetamine 5 years Sirtorry Carr, 33, Kokomo Felon in possession of a firearm 3 years, 1 month served Matthew Vance, 32, Kokomo Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine 3 years, 10 months “Methamphetamine and other deadly controlled substances have devastating impacts on users, their loved ones, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Drug traffickers like these fifteen defendants, responsible for pushing this poison into our neighborhoods, must be held accountable for the suffering they cause in search of quick profits. This large-scale, multi-year operation is an outstanding example of the impact we can have with the help of our state and local law enforcement partners. I commend the efforts of the DEA and Kokomo Police Department to make our communities safer by getting meth and armed meth dealers off our streets.” “This investigation serves as another example that drug trafficking in Kokomo will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent for the safety of our community,” said Kokomo Police Chief, Douglas Stout. “The Kokomo Police Department is very thankful to be able to work with partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney’s Office, and we commend them for all their assistance in the prosecution of offenders in our community.” The Kokomo Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges, Sarah Evans Barker, James P. Hanlon, Jane Magnus-Stinson, James R. Sweeney, and Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Each of the defendants will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for between three and ten years following their release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Brady, who prosecuted these cases. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation . 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: Arizona Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Leticia Ashley was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Ashley, 38, of St. Michaels, Arizona and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Oct. 2, 2023. A federal grand jury indicted Ashley on Feb. 23, 2023. According to publicly available court documents, on July 29, 2022, Ashley consumed a half-pint of Fireball liquor before she got into the driver’s seat of her truck with her four young children as passengers and started to drive. Ashley was speeding when she lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway and roll over several times. The crash was reported to law enforcement by a motorist who came upon the scene shortly afterward and narrowly missed encountering the speeding truck. Ashley’s unrestrained five-year-old daughter died as a result of the vehicle crash and her other children were injured. Ashley was airlifted was University of New Mexico Hospital with a severely broken arm and spinal injury. Upon her release from prison, Ashley will be subject to three years of supervised release. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Crownpoint Police. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: North Augusta Man Sentenced to 5 Years of Federal Probation for Cockfighting

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Roosevelt Curry, 69, of North Augusta, was sentenced to five years of federal probation after being convicted of a felony cockfighting violation. Evidence presented to the court during trial showed that Curry and several others gathered at a home on Clayton Lane in Ridgeville, South Carolina on March 12, 2022, for a cockfighting tournament. Curry and others fought their chickens against one another and gambled on the outcomes of their birds fighting to death. Deputies received an anonymous tip about the gathering and when they arrived, they saw 30 individuals standing around a cockfighting pit, a blue barrel full of dead chickens with fighting wounds, and razor-sharp instruments that participants attach to the chickens’ legs to make them more lethal during the fights. Deputies searched the property and located Curry on scene along with his truck which contained cockfighting equipment and chickens, some of which sustained obvious wounds during fighting. Seven of the individuals on scene were indicted in federal court for their crucial role in organizing the fight or their longstanding history of participation in these illegal events. Six of those individuals pled guilty. Curry went to trial and was found guilty of felony sponsoring or exhibiting an animal in an animal fighting venture. Curry has a prior 2009 misdemeanor state cockfighting conviction on his record. United States District Judge Bruce Hendricks sentenced Curry to five years of probation with 480 days of house arrest with an electronic monitor. This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Bianchi and Chris Lietzow prosecuted the case. ###


title: Utah Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Pedro Lee Benally was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Benally, 23, of Moab, Utah, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact on Nov. 2, 2023. According to publicly available court documents, between April 1, 2022, and November 29, 2022, Benally engaged in sexual contact with Jane Doe, a child who had not attained the age of 12 years, on multiple occasions. The incidents occurred at Jane Doe’s grandmother’s house in Shiprock and Benally told Jane Doe not to tell anyone about his abusive conduct. Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender upon his release. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Woman Indicted on Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A teacher from Mayagüez, PR, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct. On February 29, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico indicted Kiara Ramos Meléndez, 29, with one count of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and one count of Receipt of Child Exploitation Material. Today, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested Ramos Meléndez. According to court documents, from November of 2022 through October of 2023, the defendant used her cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services to persuade and entice a male minor, between 13 and 14 years of age, to engage in sexual activity and to request and receive sexually explicit images of the minor. From November of 2022 through April of 2023, Ramos Meléndez received sexually explicit images of the male minor via WhatsApp. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute persons who exploit minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant, who was entrusted by the community to protect and teach our children, violated that sacred trust by assaulting a child. As this case demonstrates, we will aggressively target those who prey on children.” Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge, said: “Individuals in a position of public trust have the responsibility to protect our most vulnerable. A teacher is one of the first lines of protection of our minors. Predators don’t have a profile, they come in all genders, it is our job to investigate them all and protect our children. HSI is vigilant, and we will not let one individual tarnish the name of all the amazing teachers that have a real commitment to teach and most importantly protect their students.” If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life, and for receipt of child pornography she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years, all charges followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Daynelle Álvarez Lora from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 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: Additional Contractors Indicted for Rigging Bids and Defrauding the U.S. Military in South Korea

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned a superseding indictment today charging a third South Korean national and a South Korean company for their roles in a bid-rigging conspiracy and a scheme to defraud the United States in connection with operation and maintenance work for U.S. military installations in South Korea. According to the superseding indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Hye Yeon “Rachel” Jo was the CEO of DESCA Co. Ltd. (DESCA), a company that performed subcontract work on U.S. military installations in South Korea. Beginning at least as early as November 2018, Jo and DESCA, along with others, conspired to rig bids and fix prices for subcontract work, and defrauded the U.S. Department of Defense to obtain millions of dollars in repair and maintenance subcontract work at U.S military installations in South Korea. Hyuk Jin Kwon and Hyun Ki Shin, who conspired with Jo and DESCA, were previously indicted on similar charges on March 16, 2022. “These alleged crimes targeted United States military installations overseas, where we make significant investments to protect our strategic interests,” said Director Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). “The Antitrust Division and our PCSF partners around the globe will continue to investigate and pursue charges for illegal conduct that targets U.S. military spending, wherever it occurs.” “Fair and open competition is crucial to protecting the interests of the American taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office. “The dedicated professionals of DCIS, along with our partners from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), FBI and PCSF, remain vigilant in our efforts to bring to justice those who threaten the integrity of our military procurement system.” “This adjudication was made possible by combining the investigative forces of Army CID’s Far East Fraud Resident Agency and the Republic of South Korea. These international partnerships are invaluable and help protect the integrity of the contracting and bidding process of the U.S. military,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Army CID’s Fraud Field Office. “The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable all those who would attempt to defraud the U.S. government and the American people.” “Today’s indictment continues the results of the FBI’s investigation into a South Korean company for conspiring to defraud the United States,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The defendants orchestrated a scheme to rig bids and fix prices to obtain millions of dollars in contract work on military bases. As this case demonstrates, the FBI is committed to taking meaningful action to maintain a fair and free marketplace both at home, and abroad.” The eight-count indictment charges Jo, DESCA, Kwon and Shin with one count of conspiracy to restrain trade (violating the Sherman Act), one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. This indictment is the second in an investigation into bid rigging and price fixing for operation and maintenance work for U.S. military installations in South Korea. A South Korean company was previously sentenced for participating in the conspiracy and fraud scheme on Sept. 12, 2023. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations for the violation of the Sherman Act. They also face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for violating the wire fraud statute. The maximum fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum. Upon a conviction, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section, Army CID, FBI and DCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Daniel E. Lipton and Daniel P. Chung of the Antitrust Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Devlin for the Western District of Texas. Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint . The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Harrison County Man Admits to Selling Fentanyl

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Edward Breeden, age 30, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to selling fentanyl in Upshur County. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, deputies were told Breeden was selling fentanyl in the area. Investigators searched Breeden’s motel room and found 277 fentanyl stamps. Breeden faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided. ###


title: Berkeley County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Russell Dane Crown, age 54, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for a drug trafficking charge. According to court documents and statements made in court, Crown was selling methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base from his home in Berkeley County. Investigators found fentanyl capsules, cocaine base, crystal methamphetamine, three firearms, and cash in his house. Crown will be required to report for supervised release for three years following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided. ###


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of Toddler

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of a toddler to 30 years in prison. Judge White also ordered Kyle J. Gipson, 23, of Jefferson County, to pay a $5,000 assessment that will go into a fund for victims and prevention programs. Gipson was the monitor and gatekeeper for a social media group focused on child sexual abuse material, bestiality and rape, according to his guilty plea. He possessed child sexual abuse material involving the 2-year-old victim and others. He also discussed his sexual abuse of the victim with others on social media. In March of 2023, an undercover FBI agent in an online group dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse learned of Gipson. The agent and Gipson began communicating on the social media platform Wickr and later moved to Telegram. Gipson sent the agent a picture of the victim and said he had sexually abused her, his plea agreement says. He also sent a nude picture of her and offered to provide access so the girl could be sexually abused, his plea says. Gipson was arrested after a court-approved search of his home on March 13. Gipson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in November to one felony count of production of child pornography. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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 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: Chicopee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Chicopee man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for creating and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Michael Geoffroy, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. On Feb. 16, 2023, Geoffroy pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. “There is no higher priority in this office than protecting vulnerable children. As this case demonstrates, we will continue to devote significant resources to holding accountable in individual who engages in the sexual exploitation of children,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Michael Geoffroy sexually abused a little girl and documented it for his own twisted gratification. His trove of horrific images of that child and others represents an unimaginable level of pain and trauma inflicted on young victims,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Locking this sexual predator up doesn’t undo that damage, not by a long shot. But it does keep him from hurting anyone else and for that we are thankful.” In December 2020, Geoffroy used a minor to create two videos and two images of CSAM. Geoffroy then distributed the videos and images in a chat group that same day. Geoffroy was arrested the following day and, during a search of his cellphone, was found in possession of more than 100 videos and images that depicting CSAM. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicopee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit 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 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: Florida Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Sexual Exploitation Of Minors

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: FLINT — Petar Vuk Pejic, 23, of Hollywood, Florida was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami, Florida office, Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson, Genesee County Sheriff and David Leyton, Genesee County Prosecutor. U.S. District Court Judge F. Kay Behm imposed sentence on Pejic following his guilty plea to sexually exploiting a Michigan minor and distributing child pornography that he produced of the minor. According to court documents, after Pejic met the Michigan minor online, he requested that the minor send him sexually explicit videos, and the minor complied. In February 2022, Pejic travelled from Florida to Michigan to have sex with the minor, whom Pejic knew was 12 years old at the time. Pejic then took the minor to a hotel and engaged in sexual acts with the minor, which he recorded. He subsequently distributed videos of the minor engaged in sexual conduct using the internet. As part of his plea agreement, Pejic also admitted to using the internet to entice two other minors to engage in sexual activity. In March 2022, he travelled from Florida to the states of Oregon and Washington to engage in sexual activity with those minors, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time. Pejic also admitted to possessing, receiving, and distributing other child pornography. Law enforcement first learned of Pejic’s activities in Michigan when the suspected sexual abuse of the Michigan minor was reported to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office, local law enforcement officers in Florida, and the FBI then worked together to arrest Pejic and investigate his sexual exploitation of children, with the additional assistance of local law enforcement officers in Oregon and Washington. “This investigation highlights the importance of child sexual abuse reporting requirements. It was because of the initial abuse report in this case that law enforcement officers were able to identify and stop Pejic from continuing to sexually exploit children online and in person,” said United States Attorney Ison. “The strong cooperation between federal and local law enforcement partners across the country then helped bring Pejic to justice. “The safety and security of our children remains one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “With the help of our partners, we remain committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who victimize our most vulnerable. I would like to especially thank the FBI Miami Field Office and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this case.” “The FBI will do everything in our power to protect children and punish those who prey upon society’s most vulnerable people and inflict irreparable damage upon those innocent lives,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office. “I commend the close cooperation and professionalism we encountered with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Detroit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the numerous other law enforcement agencies in Florida, Oregon, and Washington whose cooperation and commitment were essential for this case.” Prosecutor Leyton stated, “This case highlights the very real and very dark side of child sexual exploitation but, at the same time, it highlights the very real and very positive side of law enforcement working together at every level from the local Sheriff and Prosecutor to federal agents and U.S. Attorneys across multiple state lines. I am proud of the work we have done together to stop this child predator in his tracks and to see justice through in a court of law.” This investigation was conducted by the Genesee County Sheriff’s office and special agents of the FBI’s Flint Resident Office and Miami, Florida, with additional assistance from local law enforcement officers in Florida, Oregon, and Washington. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ann Nee, Katharine Hemann and Anthony Vance.


title: Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy convicted at trial of COVID-19 relief fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On March 5, a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale convicted a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy of two counts of wire fraud for her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. In 2021, Stephanie Diane Smith, 53, of Sunrise, Florida, applied for and received two PPP loans for herself as a sole proprietor doing business as Children 1st Basketball Training and Agape Smith Vending, respectively, based upon materially false information about each business’s total amount of gross income for the year 2019, including a falsified IRS tax form submitted with each application. Smith also sought and received forgiveness of both fraudulently obtained PPP loans, which totaled over $31,000 in principal and interest. During the period of the scheme, Smith was employed as a deputy sheriff in BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement. The sentencing is scheduled for May 29 before U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn. Smith faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud conviction. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony of BSO made the announcement. FBI Miami, FRB-OIG and BSO investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Snider and Trevor Jones are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-60203. ###


title: Leesburg man pleads guilty to COVID relief fraud scheme

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Leesburg man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for his scheme to defraud a federal COVID-19 relief plan. According to court documents, Russell Laraway, 56, an Army Reserve officer, incorporated two business entities in Virginia that he purported to operate out of his home in Leesburg: Loudoun Innovation LLC (“LI LLC”) and Commonwealth Commerce LLC (“CC LLC”). Beginning in April 2020, Laraway submitted loan applications through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program that was intended to provide loans backed by the Small Business Administration to certain businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. In his applications, Laraway inflated the numbers of people his business entities employed and falsified payroll expenses and revenues for each company. Laraway sought loan forgiveness for some of the PPP loans by falsely certifying that the PPP money had been used solely for payroll or other authorized purposes, while he actually intended to use the money to engage in spurious investment ventures and pay off personal debts. Laraway fraudulently received two PPP loans for LI LLC and two PPP loans for CC LLC. The four PPP loans totaled approximately $488,952, some of which Laraway paid to foreign entities in scams of which he was a victim. Laraway is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh for the Eastern District of Virginia is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-44.


title: Spokane Man Who Repeatedly Failed to Register as a Sex Offender,  Sentenced to More Than 2 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Cecil C. Michel, 64, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 15 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Rice also sentenced Michel to an additional 18 months for violating his term of supervised release. According to court documents, Michel was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact Within Indian Country in 2004. As a result, Michel is federally required to register as a sex offender for 25 years. Michel has since been convicted of failing to register twice before. He also has repeatedly been sanctioned for violations of his supervised release conditions. According to court documents, In August of 2022, Michel left his home in Spokane and did not return. Michel did not register a new address with Spokane or Ferry County or notify Spokane County he was moving. In June of 2023, Investigators with the United States Marshal’s Service arrested Michel at a home in Inchelium, Washington. “Repeated disregard of the requirement to register as a sex offender puts Eastern Washington communities at risk, said U.S Attorney Waldref. “My office enforces these registration requirements to protect all those who call Eastern Washington home, including those who live in urban and rural communities and on Native American lands.” “A core mission of the United States Marshals Service is to track down, apprehend and prosecute those who flagrantly disregard registration requirements dictated by the Law,” stated Gavin K. Duffy, Chief Deputy United States Marshal for Eastern Washington. “In this case the U.S. Marshals worked with our local and tribal partner agencies to accomplish this mission and will continue to do so as long as there are offenders who continue to threaten the communities of Eastern Washington.” This case was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Cashman.


title: Doctor Sentenced To Prison For Unlawful Drug Distribution, False Statements To Medicare, And Paycheck Protection Program Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) to one year and one day in federal prison for unlawful drug distribution, false statements relating to health care matters, and Paycheck Protection Program fraud. The court also ordered Louisville to pay restitution in the amount of $35,319.23 to the Small Business Administration and $8,466.56 to Medicare. Louisville entered a guilty plea on November 3, 2023. According to court documents, Louisville was a Florida-licensed physician and Drug Enforcement Administration registrant. On May 30, 2019, the Florida Board of Medicine suspended Louisville from the practice of medicine for two years, thereby making him ineligible to lawfully prescribe controlled substances. Louisville continued to issue controlled-substance prescriptions after his medical license was suspended. Furthermore, he concealed the fact that he was not authorized to issue prescriptions from Medicare in connection with the submission to Medicare of the prescriptions for payment. Louisville eventually shuttered his medical business in November 2019. Between April 2020 and May 2020, Louisville used his closed business to fraudulently obtain a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $33,034. Louisville submitted an application that contained multiple fraudulent representations, including stating average monthly payroll suggesting he actively operated a medical business; stating he employed six employees; and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration (Tampa District Office), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Two Admit Stealing Mail in Chesterfield

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men have admitted stealing mail from mailboxes in Chesterfield, Missouri. Christopher Ali Pate, 31, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of mail theft. Eryk Campbell, 28, pleaded guilty to the same count on February 20. Both men admitted stealing mail from multiple mailboxes in Chesterfield on Aug. 28, 2023, at the direction of Pate. Pate and Campbell then drove to a gas station in St. Louis. When a police vehicle drove onto the gas station lot, Pate and Campbell fled and refused to stop for police. As they drove, they threw stolen mail out of the vehicle. Pate is scheduled to be sentenced June 27. Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced May 21. The mail theft charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.


title: Caldwell Man Sentenced to 46 months for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

body_text: BOISE – Gabriel Rendon, 25, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, on March 23, 2023, officers responded to shots being fired at a local business in Nampa. Upon arriving, Rendon fled from officers. Rendon was apprehended and a loaded handgun was found inside a satchel he was carrying. At the time of his arrest, Rendon was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 conviction for robbery. Rendon was also on parole for three prior felony convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled substance. Although Rendon admitted he was a gang member, he contends he dropped out of the gang during his previous prison sentence. “Part of our public safety mission is enforcing the law that prohibits felons from possessing firearms, especially those people with prior violent felony convictions such as this Defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will continue to prosecute those who are prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous dangerous felony convictions.” “This felon needs to be held accountable,” said Chief Joe Huff. “I am grateful no innocent community members and no police officers were injured or killed during this reckless incident, in the middle of the afternoon, in a busy commercial area of Nampa. I’m proud of the great teamwork between all of the agencies involved in bringing him to justice.” U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Rendon to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Rendon pleaded guilty to the federal charge in October of 2023. U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Nampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which led to the charge. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Zebari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler, who was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. 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: Chinese National Residing in California Arrested for Theft of Artificial Intelligence-Related Trade Secrets from Google

body_text: View the indictment here. Watch U.S. Attorney Ramsey's video statement here . A federal grand jury indicted Linwei Ding, aka Leon Ding, charging him with four counts of theft of trade secrets in connection with an alleged plan to steal from Google LLC (Google) proprietary information related to artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The announcement was made by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland this afternoon while participating in a “Fireside Chat” at the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime in San Francisco. According to the indictment, returned on March 5 and unsealed earlier today, Ding, 38, a national of the People’s Republic of China and resident of Newark, California, transferred sensitive Google trade secrets and other confidential information from Google’s network to his personal account while secretly affiliating himself with PRC-based companies in the AI industry. Ding was arrested earlier this morning in Newark. “The Justice Department will not tolerate the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies that could put our national security at risk,” said Attorney General Garland. “In this case, we allege the defendant stole artificial intelligence-related trade secrets from Google while secretly working for two companies based in China. We will fiercely protect sensitive technologies developed in America from falling into the hands of those who should not have them.” “While we work to responsibly harness the benefits of AI, the Justice Department is on high alert to its risks, including global threats to our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s charges, the defendant stole from Google over 500 confidential files containing AI trade secrets, while covertly working for China-based companies seeking an edge in the AI technology race. The Justice Department will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who would siphon disruptive technologies – especially AI – for unlawful export.” “Today’s charges are the latest illustration of the lengths affiliates of companies based in the People’s Republic of China are willing to go to steal American innovation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences. The FBI will continue its efforts to vigorously pursue those responsible for stealing U.S. companies’ intellectual property and most closely guarded secrets.” “Mr. Ding allegedly schemed to siphon off cutting-edge AI technology from Google while secretly trying to go into business with Chinese competitors,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, we will work relentlessly to find and hold accountable those who would steal advanced American technology and jeopardize our national security and economic prosperity.” “While Linwei Ding was employed as a software engineer at Google, he was secretly working to enrich himself and two companies based in the People’s Republic of China,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “By stealing Google’s trade secrets about its artificial intelligence supercomputing systems, Ding gave himself and the companies that he affiliated with in the PRC an unfair competitive advantage. This office is committed to protecting the innovation of our Silicon Valley companies. To that end, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute the theft of sensitive trade secrets by insiders like Ding, including criminal efforts to jump start illegitimate competition.” “In the one year since its inception, the Disruptive Technology Strike Force has been relentless in protecting advanced U.S. technologies, like artificial intelligence, from malign actors,” said Assistant Secretary Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Office for Export Enforcement. “Let today’s announcement serve as further warning – those who would steal sensitive U.S. technology risk finding themselves on the wrong end of a criminal indictment.” According to court documents, the technology Ding allegedly stole involves the building blocks of Google’s advanced supercomputing data centers, which are designed to support machine learning workloads used to train and host large AI models. According to the indictment, large AI models are AI applications capable of understanding nuanced language and generating intelligent responses to prompts, tasks, or queries. The indictment describes how Google developed both proprietary hardware and software to facilitate the machine learning process powered by its supercomputing data centers. With respect to hardware, Google uses advanced computer chips with the extraordinary processing power required to facilitate machine learning and run AI applications. With respect to software, Google deploys several layers of software, referred to in the indictment as the “software platform,” to orchestrate machine learning workloads efficiently. For example, one component of the software platform is the Cluster Management System (CMS), which functions as the “brain” of Google’s supercomputing data centers. The CMS organizes, prioritizes, and assigns tasks to the hardware infrastructure, allowing the advanced chips to function efficiently when executing machine learning workloads or hosting AI applications. According to the indictment, Google hired Ding as a software engineer in 2019. Ding’s responsibilities included developing the software deployed in Google’s supercomputing data centers. In connection with his employment, Ding was granted access to Goggle’s confidential information related to the hardware infrastructure, the software platform, and the AI models and applications they supported. The indictment alleges that on May 21, 2022, Ding began secretly uploading trade secrets that were stored in Google’s network by copying the information into a personal Google Cloud account. According to the indictment, Ding continued periodic uploads until May 2, 2023, by which time Ding allegedly uploaded more than 500 unique files containing confidential information. In addition, the indictment alleges that Ding secretly affiliated himself with two PRC-based technology companies. According to the indictment, on or about June 13, 2022, Ding received several emails from the CEO of an early-stage technology company based in the PRC indicating Ding had been offered the position of Chief Technology Officer for the company. Ding allegedly traveled to the PRC on Oct. 29, 2022, and remained there until March 25, 2023, during which time he participated in investor meetings to raise capital for the new company. The indictment alleges potential investors were told Ding was the new company’s Chief Technology Officer and that Ding owned 20% of the company’s stock. According to the indictment, unbeknownst to Google, by no later than May 30, 2023, Ding had founded his own technology company in the AI and machine learning industry and was acting as the company’s CEO. Ding’s company touted the development of a software platform designed to accelerate machine learning workloads, including training large AI models. As alleged in the indictment, Ding applied to a PRC-based startup incubation program and traveled to Beijing, to present his company at an investor conference on Nov. 24, 2023. As set forth in the indictment, a document related to Ding’s startup company stated, “we have experience with Google's ten-thousand-card computational power platform; we just need to replicate and upgrade it - and then further develop a computational power platform suited to China's national conditions.” The indictment alleges Ding’s conduct violated his employment agreement as well as a separate code of conduct that Ding signed when he became a Google employee. Further, the indictment describes measures that Ding allegedly took to conceal his theft of the trade secrets. For example, he allegedly copied data from Google source files into the Apple Notes application on his Google-issued MacBook laptop. By then converting the Apple Notes into PDF files and uploading them from the Google network into as separate account, Ding allegedly evaded detection by Google’s data loss prevention systems. Likewise, the indictment describes how in December 2023 Ding allegedly permitted another Google employee to use his Google-issued access badge to scan into the entrance of a Google building – making it appear he was working from his U.S. Google office when, in fact, he was in the PRC. Ding is charged with four counts of theft of trade secrets. If convicted, Ding faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and Commerce Department are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and Justice Department National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Today’s action was coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former College Track and Field Coach Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sextortion, Cyberstalking, and Cyber Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A former college track and field coach was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain thousands of explicit photos from over 100 women across the country through the use of nearly two dozen sham social media and email accounts. The defendant cyberstalked one female student-athlete and orchestrated another scheme to gain unauthorized access to other victims’ Snapchat accounts. The defendant previously worked as a track and field coach at several academic institutions, including Northeastern University, Penn State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago. Steve Waithe, 31, formerly of Chicago, Ill., and Somerville, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Among the terms of his supervised release conditions, Waithe will be prohibited from taking any jobs in which he could serve as a coach, teacher, mentor, or any similar role involving women or girls and his internet usage will be strictly monitored by probation. In November 2023, Waithe pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud; one count of cyberstalking; one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud; and one count of computer fraud, aiding and abetting. Waithe was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2021. “This defendant’s conduct is deplorable. He exploited his trusted role as a coach to college athletes to engage in a sextortion campaign that has left a trail of emotional devastation in its wake. We stand by the courageous victims who came forward and help this Office hold Mr. Waithe accountable. The array of on-line threats is striking, and this Office will be vigilant in investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The depth of deceit demonstrated by Steve Waithe in this case is deeply disturbing. This predator readily betrayed the trust of over 50 women, tricking them into sending him explicit photos which he then used to exploit and extort them. His reprehensible actions inflicted significant anguish on these victims who were living in fear of being so personally exposed,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence shows that cyberstalking and sextortion is not some sick game, they’re serious crimes, and the FBI will continue to unmask and hold accountable anyone who uses today’s technology in such a vile way.” While a track coach at Northeastern University, Waithe requested the cell phones of female student-athletes under the pretense of “filming their form” at practices and meets and then covertly sending himself explicit photos of the victims that had previously been saved on their phones. Approximately one year later in February 2020, and after he no longer worked at Northeastern University, Waithe began perpetrating an evolving series of schemes to deceive women into sending him nude or semi-nude photos of themselves. In total, Waithe victimized at least 56 women and attempted to victimize 72 more. Waithe used anonymized social media accounts with usernames like “anon.4887” and variations of the phrase “Privacy Protector” to contact prospective victims, including some of the same student-athletes from the Northeastern University track and field team, claiming that he had “found” compromising photos of them online and offering to “help” get the photos removed from the internet. Waithe also requested additional nude or semi-nude photos from victims that he could purportedly use for “reverse image searches.” Notably, none of the Northeastern University student-athletes were tricked by this scheme, though Waithe continued to try it on new prospective victims. Further, Waithe fabricated at least two female personas, “Katie Janovich” and “Kathryn Svoboda,” in an effort to obtain additional nude and/or semi-nude photos of women. Under the purported premise of an “athlete research” or “body development” study, Waithe emailed prospective victims pretending to be “Katie” or “Kathryn” with email accounts in their names. The emails described a phony study for athletes and requested information relating to height, weight, body fat and diet habits. The emails also included a request for the victims to send photos of themselves in order to “track their progress” and recommended that the photos show the women in a “uniform or bathing suit to show as much skin as possible.” The emails often included attachments of sample nude and semi-nude images to illustrate the types of photos that victims should send. Investigators identified 22 sham online accounts across at least seven different platforms used by Waithe and hundreds of photos sent by dozens of victims who thought they were emailing someone conducting a legitimate research study. Waithe also cyberstalked one victim, from at least June 2020 to October 2020, through text messages and direct messages sent via social media, as well as by hacking into her Snapchat account. He texted and sent nude photos of the victim to the victim’s boyfriend, stating, “I wanted to make you aware that someone hacked your girlfriend’s snapchat account and will leak it soon. I need your help to assure this does not happen.” Over the course of five months, Waithe sent harassing and intimidating messages to the victim and her boyfriend. The messages included explicit photos that Waithe had stolen from the victim’s phone when she was on the track and field team at Northeastern. In October 2020, Waithe conspired with another individual to hack into Snapchat accounts, ultimately gaining access to at least one account and its private “My Eyes Only” folder that contained nude and/or semi-nude photos. Additionally, Waithe provided his co-conspirator with the usernames and phone numbers for the Snapchat accounts of at least 15 women. Waithe and his co-conspirator then used this information to craft and send text messages purporting to be from the “Snapchat Support Team” and requesting security information, through which they gained access to at least one account. The investigation revealed that Waithe’s internet browsing history included visits to webpages with titles like, “Can anyone trace my fake Instagram account back to me?” and “How to Hack Someones Snapchat the Easy Way.” Waithe’s search history also included searches for, among other things, “how to hack snapchat with a username and phone number.” Waithe distributed some of the stolen images on websites where stolen and so-called “leaked” photos are posted, shared, and traded. In one post, Waithe wrote, “Does anyone want to trade nudes? I’m talking girls you actually know. Could be exes or whatever. I have quite a few and [am] down to trade over snap[chat] or something.” In total, Waithe posted or otherwise offered to trade images of victims on no fewer than 55 occasions. After being released on conditions following his arrest in April 2021, Waithe continued to engage in virtually identical conduct while under pre-trial supervision. Specifically, Waithe accessed his Instagram account on more than a hundred occasions, soliciting new prospective victims and requesting that they send him photos of themselves via direct messages. In one Instagram conversation in late May and early June 2022 – approximately one year after his initial charge and arrest in this case, and months after being indicted by a federal grand jury – Waithe complimented a young woman via Instagram direct message and offered to pay her in exchange for allowing him to make “drawings” using photos of her. In another Instagram conversation with a separate prospective victim in June 2022, Waithe told a young woman that she is in “such great shape” and offered her $50 to participate in a “study.” Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Northeastern University Police Department provided substantial assistance with the investigation. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Chicago Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Former Army lieutenant colonel sentenced to federal prison for possessing child pornography

body_text: MIAMI – On March 5, a former Army lieutenant colonel was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, after pleading guilty in December 2023. On March 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a residential search warrant at home of Edgar Ali Cerda, 49, of Cooper City. An examination of Cerda’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of children under 12 years of age, with one victim as young as two years old. Evidence also revealed that Cerda shared images within a group chat. Law enforcement officers arrested Cerda, who was home at the time. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. FBI Miami and BSO investigated the case with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay J. Alexander 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-60115. ###