title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: WASHINGTON – Brennen Holloman, 26, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms offense stemming from his possession of a loaded “ghost gun” in October 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Holloman pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Christopher R. Cooper scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 28, 2025. According to court papers, on October 11, 2023, uniformed MPD officers patrolling the 1500 block of Maryland Ave., Northeast, encountered a group of men that included Holloman. In response to the officers’ presence, Holloman began jumping up and down and manipulating his pants. Because it appeared that Holloman was attempting to conceal a firearm, officers stopped him and conducted a limited pat down. A loaded 9mm black and grey Polymer80 privately made firearm (i.e., a “ghost gun”) was recovered from inside Holloman’s pants. The firearm was loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition in its chamber and 17 rounds in its extended magazine. Federal law prohibits Holloman from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, including a 2019 conviction for grand larceny in the Fairfax, Virginia, Circuit Court; a 2018 conviction for attempted robbery in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and a 2017 conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery in the Alexandria, Virginia, Circuit Court. In November 2023, a federal grand jury empaneled by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Holloman with the October offense. On December 15, 2023, MPD officers arrested Holloman on the federal charges and discovered that he was in possession of another loaded firearm. Holloman has remained held without bond since his December 15, 2023, arrest. Holloman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney. 23cr407 ### Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube


title: Trucking Company Owner Sentenced to Prison as Part of Federal Investigation That Dismantled Mexico-to-Chicago Drug Pipeline

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHICAGO — The owner of a Texas trucking company has been sentenced to 25 years in prison as part of a federal investigation that dismantled a Mexico-to-Chicago drug pipeline. JOSE FARIAS owned a trucking company in McAllen, Texas, and resided in Mexico. In 2015 and 2016, Farias arranged with truck drivers to transport dozens of kilograms of narcotics to the Chicago area hidden in the hollowed-out wheel axles of tractor-trailers. Farias supervised numerous traffickers who unloaded the trucks in the Chicago area and distributed the drugs to sellers. The traffickers then hid narcotics proceeds in the trucks for transport back to Texas and Mexico. Farias’s drug trafficking organization used warehouses in Naperville, Ill. and Sugar Grove, Ill., as well as an abandoned auto lot in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago and an auto repair shop in Channahon, Ill. During the investigation, law enforcement searched these locations and seized approximately 54 kilograms of heroin and nearly 17 kilograms of cocaine, as well as $630,200 in illicit cash proceeds. In all, the drug trafficking organization distributed approximately 130 kilograms of heroin and approximately 45 kilograms of cocaine in the Chicago area. Seven other defendants were also convicted in federal and state courts as part of the investigation. A federal jury in Chicago in 2021 convicted Farias, 44, on drug conspiracy and possession charges. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on Monday sentenced Farias to 25 years in federal prison. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “The drugs defendant caused to be distributed were resold to thousands of people, fueling addiction, tearing families apart, and decimating communities — all for the profit of defendant and his co-conspirators,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Kristen Totten argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.


title: Hammond Man Indicted For Identity Theft

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNEST X. TAYLOR, JR. (“TAYLOR”) , age 39, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was indicted on September 20, 2024 for identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028(a)(7) and 1028(b)(1)(D). According to court documents, in December 2021, TAYLOR used means of identification belonging to a victim to obtain a $25,000 loan from Collins Community Credit Union. Specifically, TAYLOR used identification in the victim’s name, without the knowledge or consent of the victim. If convicted, TAYLOR faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.


title: Bronx Man Sentenced to 151 Months’ Imprisonment for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Christian Brazoban, also known as “Bison,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 151 months in prison for distributing child pornography to three minor victims. Brazoban pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2024. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William S. Walker, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the sentence. “Today’s sentence brings justice to a minor victim whom the defendant terrorized with a barrage of sickening images of child pornography and death threats,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s actions with respect to this victim, and others with whom he also communicated, illustrate the menace of sexual predators preying on children on the Internet. I urge parents and caregivers to talk to their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers and anyone who may exploit them.” “Christian Brazoban’s depraved crimes are among every parent’s worst nightmare. This case highlights HSI's commitment to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, especially against a perpetrator like Brazoban who not only exploited young children, but threatened their lives through his sextortion scheme,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “HSI New York stands united with our law enforcement partners in our mission to protect the public wherever and whenever possible.” “Thanks to the hard work of detectives from the NCPD Special Victim’s Unit, in cooperation with HSI and all our federal partners, a dangerous threat to the children of Nassau County has been caught and brought to justice,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. “We are dedicated to keeping the internet safe from disturbed individuals like the defendant who prey on the vulnerable and we hope this case serves as a warning to those that target children that we will never lower our resolve. You will be found and punished.” As set forth in court filings, between approximately March 2021 and March 2023, Minor Victim 1, a minor who resided in Nassau County, engaged in online communications, including video chats, with Brazoban. On March 3, 2023, after Minor Victim 1 rebuked Brazoban for expressing sexual interest in a friend of Minor Victim 1’s who was in the seventh grade, Brazoban sent online messages to Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victims 2 and 3 (a relative and a friend of Minor Victim 1), which contained numerous images of child pornography. When Minor Victim 1 told Brazoban to stop, he sent her additional online messages threatening to kill her and her family. For example, Brazoban wrote: “lil girl shot dead on Long Island”; “I’m thinkin I tie you and just beat you to death with a mallet.” On March 15, 2023, HSI agents and NCPD officers executed a search warrant at Brazoban’s residence in the Bronx and recovered a cellphone containing images of child pornography and threats that he had sent to Minor Victim 1. The search also revealed that the defendant had distributed child pornography to two other minor victims. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : CHRISTIAN BRAZOBAN (also known as “Bison”) Age: 26 Bronx, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-138 (JMA)


title: Alva Man Sentenced To 24 Years In Federal Prison For Drug And Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Richardson Bien Aime (35, Alva) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Bien Aime pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024. Earlier this year, his wife, Christi Bien Aime (31, Alva) was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in a separate but related federal case involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Richardson Bien Aime in August 2023 after learning from a source that he was obtaining large shipments of methamphetamine from California via the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, law enforcement purchased methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl from Bien Aime during multiple undercover transactions at his Alva residence. Investigators also seized a parcel from the mail stream containing more than two pounds of pure methamphetamine destined for Bien Aime. In November 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bien Aime’s residence and seized more than a half a pound of methamphetamine, $6,000 in cash, and two firearms. Bien Aime, who had a lengthy criminal history including convictions for manslaughter and 10 felony drug offenses, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.


title: Iowa Drug User Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: On September 24, 2024, Richard Quintana, 24, from Dolliver, Iowa, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm. Quintana pled guilty on May 23, 2024, to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Quintana illegally purchased and possessed firearms on five occasions between 2021 and 2022. Despite being a drug user, Quintana marked on his firearm purchasing forms that he was not. As a drug user, defendant was prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms. Three of the firearms Quintana purchased were later recovered by law enforcement as part of crimes committed by other individuals. In December 2023, law enforcement observed Quintana driving a vehicle in Fort Dodge, Iowa. As law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle Quintana was driving, he led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through residential areas of Fort Dodge before ultimately stopping and being arrested. 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. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Quintana was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and must serve a two-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Quintana remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Fort Dodge, Iowa Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3034. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA. # # #


title: FORMER INKSTER MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY TO AGREEING TO ACCEPT $100,000 IN BRIBES

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – The former Mayor of the City of Inkster pleaded guilty to bribery, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patrick Wimberly, 50, of Inkster, served as the Mayor of the City of Inkster, Michigan, from 2019 through 2023. In the spring of 2022, Wimberly demanded $100,000 in cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the City to an outside party (referred to as “Person A”). Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. After the initial bribes, Wimberly explained that he was ready to increase the payments. Person A agreed. But when Person A later did not provide the amount Wimberly expected, Wimberly complained that he was due “10$ a month.” Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly for the purpose of winning the bid for subject property. The Federal Bureau of Investigation intervened before the property could be transferred to Person A. The bribery charge, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. “Public officials who act in their own best interests, motivated by greed, betray the trust of their communities and the general public,” United States Attorney Ison said. “ We will continue to aggressively prosecute corrupt public officials for their illegal actions.” “Investigating public corruption is a primary concern and priority of the FBI in Michigan,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. The former City of Inkster mayor, Patrick Wimberly’s guilty plea is a step forward in reminding public officials that they will be held accountable for their actions and should always operate with the highest level of integrity. Members of the FBI’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force will continue to investigate any allegations of criminal misconduct from our public officials, in an effort to maintain the public’s trust.” The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.


title: Six Block Gang Member Faces Minimum Of Ten Years In Federal Prison For Armed Drug Trafficking

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Al’Donta Easterling (26, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Easterling faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than October 2022 and continuing through July 2024, Easterling was an armed distributor for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that transported large quantities of marijuana from California to Jacksonville. Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely traveled to California, where they acquired marijuana and smuggled it back to Jacksonville in suitcases on commercial flights or through mail parcels. In Jacksonville, Easterling and his co-conspirators sold marijuana from short-term rental properties. At these residences, Easterling and his co-conspirators routinely carried and possessed firearms to protect themselves, the drugs they distributed, and proceeds from the drug sales. Federal agents seized more than 100 kilograms of marijuana from the DTO during the investigation. On May 22, 2024, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) arrested Easterling after finding a pound of marijuana and a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle. According to JSO, Easterling is a documented member of the Six Block street gang. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike. This case is 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: DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time. In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Violent Henderson Felon Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Gun

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

body_text: EVANSVILLE—Daniel Matthew Connell, 28, of Henderson, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 47 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on January 22, 2024, Daniel Connell was a passenger in a vehicle Indiana State Police troopers stopped for a traffic violation. Troopers observed a syringe in the center console. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, troopers found a loaded, .40 caliber handgun under the front passenger seat where Connell was seated. Troopers located a live .40 caliber round of ammunition in his pants pocket during a pat-down search, the same size and manufacturer as the rounds loaded in the seized handgun. Connell was arrested for possession of the syringe and illegal possession of a firearm and held in the Vanderburgh County Jail. While he was detained, Connell used recorded jail phone lines to make calls in which he openly admitted to possessing the firearm and attempted to get his mother to contact investigators and claim that it was her firearm to avoid prosecution. Connell is prohibited by law from ever possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions for second-degree robbery and first-degree possession of Methamphetamine in the Henderson, Kentucky courts. “Illegally armed felons drive gun violence and other criminal activity in our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with ATF and our state and local partners, will continue to prioritize federal prosecution of the armed criminals who pose the greatest danger to those closest to them and to the public. The sentence imposed today demonstrates that violent criminals who choose to illegally possess guns risk significant time in federal prison with no possibility of parole.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Indiana State Police and Evansville Crime Guns Intelligence Center investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Richard L. Young. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Former Pharmacy Chief Financial Officer and Former Pharmacy President Admit Roles in $33 Million Pharmacy Compounded Medication Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two individuals have admitted their respective roles in a multimillion dollar compounded medication kickback scheme that they and others ran out of a pharmacy in Clifton, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jeffrey Andrews, 73, pleaded guilty on Sept. 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Adam Brosius, 59, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court on Sept. 23, 2024, to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 through 2016, Andrews, Brosius and others used Main Avenue Pharmacy, a mail-order pharmacy with a storefront in Clifton, New Jersey, to run an illegal kickback scheme involving compounded drugs including scar creams, pain creams, migraine mediation, and vitamins. Andrews worked as the Chief Financial Officer for Main Avenue. Brosius worked as Main Avenue’s director of business development, and later as its president. The scheme identified compounded drugs that would yield exorbitant reimbursements from health insurers, including both federal and commercial payers. Once Main Avenue identified lucrative formulas for compounds, it would create large prescription pads with those formulas on it and distribute the pads to marketers across the country with whom it had contractual relationships. The marketing companies would in turn distribute the prescription pad to telemedicine companies and doctors with whom they had a financial arrangement. After filling prescriptions, Main Avenue submitted claims to health care benefit programs for reimbursement, including Medicare, Tricare, and commercial payers in New Jersey and elsewhere. After Main Avenue obtained reimbursement, it paid kickbacks to marketers who had generated the prescriptions. Main Avenue signed contracts with many of the marketers, which detailed the illicit kickback arrangement, which called for Main Avenue to pay each marketer money based on the volume of referrals of compounded prescriptions and the reimbursement amount that Main Avenue received. Main Avenue received approximately $33 million in reimbursements for compounded medications alone from health care benefit programs. Over $5.8 million of that amount was paid by TRICARE, a federal payer. The count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Both counts are also punishable by a fine of $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Brosius is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025, and for Andrews, Feb. 18, 2025. Charges remain pending against Chad Beene, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The charges and allegations against Beene are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Robert Schneiderman, 81, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of the Indictment. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division. andrews.indictment.pdf


title: Texas Businessman Accused of $1.9 Million COVID Test Kit Fraud

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Texas businessman has been indicted in St. Louis and accused of fraudulently seeking more than $4.5 million from Medicare for COVID test kits and obtaining more than $1.9 million. Rashid Naqvi, 51, of the Houston area, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on September 4 on four counts of wire fraud conspiracy and one count each of obstruction of a federal audit and conspiracy. He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. The indictment accuses Naqvi of fraudulently obtaining $1,974,479 from Medicare from March 2023 through September 2024 by billing for numerous COVID-19 test kits that were sent to patients who had never requested them. Many of the patients were dead, the indictment says. Naqvi obtained victims’ Medicare Numbers and identifiers without their knowledge or consent by paying a total of $488,435 in illegal kickbacks to co-conspirators, the indictment says. It says Naqvi used two laboratories that he owned to submit the false claims to Medicare, Elite Diagnostics Inc. in Missouri and Astro Diagnostics Inc. in the Southern District of Texas. The indictment says Naqvi attempted to conceal his scheme by disguising kickback payments as payments for COVID test kits, creating a sham contract with one of the companies supplying the information and submitting false documents to Medicare investigators during an audit. He continued submitting false claims to Medicare even after patients called to tell him that they did not request or want the test kits, the indictment says. Naqvi sought a total of $4,579,850 from Medicare. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Obstruction of a federal audit and conspiracy are each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. “Today’s indictment reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding Medicare and ensuring that its resources are used appropriately,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “There are serious consequences for individuals who seek to manipulate federal health care programs by exploiting enrollees’ personal information and participating in illegal kickbacks. HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold those accountable who undermine the integrity of our health care system.” The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Jury Votes to Acquit Rensselaer County Officials

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – A jury today voted to acquit Richard W. Crist, James R. Gordon and Leslie A. Wallace on all charges following a 13-day trial. The jury voted to acquit Crist, Gordon and Wallace of conspiring to violate the rights of Rensselaer County voters in connection with elections held in 2021. The jury also found Gordon not guilty of witness tampering and found Wallace not guilty of making false statements. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Steven D. Clymer prosecuted this case.


title: Dracut Brothers Agree to Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving Online Sales of Cosmetics

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two men have been charged with, and have agreed to plead guilty to, carrying out a scheme to obtain products of an online cosmetics company through fraud and to resell those products on Amazon and eBay for a profit. Brothers Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, 22, and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, 23, of Dracut, have agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud each. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging documents, between 2020 and 2021, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh and Nika Ashtar-Zadeh operated Amazon and eBay “stores” that offered various products for sale, including the products of a cosmetics company in Texas. It is alleged that the Ashtar-Zadehs offered the company’s products on these platforms to buyers for one-time payments that were typically equal to or below the company’s list prices for the same products. The Ashtar-Zadehs then enrolled these Amazon and eBay buyers in the company’s 30-day trial program for the same products. The brothers allegedly entered the buyers’ information on the company’s website, without the customers’ knowledge or consent, and caused the company to ship its products to those buyers for a trial period. It is alleged that, for these orders, the Ashtar-Zadehs presented the company with forms of payment that fulfilled initial charges of $19.95 but were declined when the company attempted to charge later installments, after buyers had kept the products past 30 days. The brothers sold the company’s products in this manner to hundreds of buyers on Amazon and eBay, each time pocketing the difference between what the buyers paid them and the initial $19.95 upfront payment to the company. As a result of the alleged conduct, the Ashtar-Zadehs cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Maryland Woman Sentenced To 18 Years In Federal Prison For Conspiring To Destroy The Baltimore Region Power Grid

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – On September 25, 2024, Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Sarah Beth Clendaniel, a Catonsville, Maryland resident, to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1366(a), and a concurrent sentence of 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 3 years of supervised release, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. “Such cowardice, designed to disrupt and endanger the lives of Maryland’s citizens, will not be tolerated,” said Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. “My Office remains committed to protecting the security and well-being of the community by prosecuting such conduct to the full extent of the law.” “Those who seek to attack our country’s critical infrastructure will face the full force of the United States Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Sarah Beth Clendaniel sought to ‘completely destroy’ the city of Baltimore by targeting five power substations as a means of furthering her violent white supremacist ideology. She will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively counter, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to launch these kinds of hate-fueled attacks that target our critical infrastructure, endanger entire cities, and threaten our national security.” “The defendant plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region and cause harm to thousands of people in pursuit of a racially motivated violent extremist agenda,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Her plan failed thanks to the great work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others that you will be held accountable if you attempt to carry out violent attacks on our infrastructure or threaten the safety of those in our communities.” “Sarah Beth Clendaniel engaged in a hate-filled scheme to destroy the infrastructure Marylanders rely on every day,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “Through rigorous investigation and law enforcement partnerships, her radical plan was halted. Today’s sentence underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting our national security and holding accountable those conspiring to commit violence.” According to her plea agreement and other court documents, in 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse. According to court documents, from at least December 2022 through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. As set forth in her plea agreement, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (“ECA”) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore region power grid to a confidential human source (“CHS-1”). Their plans began to coalesce on January 12, 2023, when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack. In the ensuing conversation, which continued through January 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On January 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day. At various times from January 21, 2023 through January 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately with Clendaniel and with Russell, in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack. On January 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil . . . ” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.” During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (“BGE”) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure. On or about January 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism. On February 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, Maryland for Robbery in 2006 and Robbery and Attempted Robbery in 2016. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin who are prosecuting the federal case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the U.S. Department of Justice’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach .


title: وزارة العدل تتوصل إلى اتفاق توفير الخدمات اللغوية مع  مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا في كاليفورنيا

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: أعلنت وزارة العدل اليوم أنها توصلت إلى اتفاق مع مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا في كاليفورنيا نتيجة للتحقيق حول ما إذا كان مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا ملتزمًا بعدم التمييز بموجب الباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 (الباب السادس). بموجب شروط الاتفاق، وافق مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا على اتخاذ عدد من الخطوات لتحسين الخدمات اللغوية المتاحة للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (LEP) في ولايته القضائية، حيث يحظر الباب السادس على الجهات التي تتلقى مساعدة مالية فيدرالية التمييز على أساس العرق أو اللون أو الأصل القومي، وقد تشكل المعاملة التفضيلية القائمة على اللغة المستخدمة - بما في ذلك استبعاد الأشخاص ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية من مزايا البرامج والخدمات أو حرمانهم منها - تمييزًا على أساس الأصل القومي مما يشكل انتهاكًا للباب السادس. صرحت مساعدة المدعي العام كريستين كلارك في قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل: "إن قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل ملتزم بضمان تمكن وكالات إنفاذ القانون في بلادنا من خدمة وحماية الجميع في مجتمعاتهم، بغض النظر عما إذا كانت كفاءتهم محدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية، ومن خلال هذه الاتفاقية، يظهر مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا التزامه واتخاذه خطوات هامة نحو تحسين الخدمات المقدمة للمجتمعات التي يخدمها". بدأ تحقيق الوزارة بشأن مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا بعد تلقي معلومات تثير القلق إزاء احتمال عدم تلقي الأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية خدمات لغوية كافية أثناء لقاءاتهم بموظفي مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا. من خلال هذا الاتفاق، سيضع مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا توجيهًا رسميًا لتوفير الخدمات اللغوية على مستوى المكتب، ويعين أحد أفراد موظفيه كمنسق للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (LEP) لمكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا ويوفر تدريبات للموظفين على المساعدة اللغوية، ويحسن ضوابط الجودة للمطالبة بخدمات المساعدة اللغوية الدقيقة ذات جودة تم تقييمها ويخضع لفترة مراقبة إدارية. يعد هذا الاتفاق جزءًا من مبادرة إتاحة الخدمات اللغوية لجهات إنفاذ القانون (LELAI) التابعة للوزارة، وهي جهد وطني لمساعدة وكالات إنفاذ القانون في التغلب على الحواجز اللغوية لخدمة المجتمعات وحمايتها بشكل أفضل والحفاظ على سلامة الضباط. بقيادة قسم الحقوق المدنية، توفر المبادرة الموارد التقنية المساعدة و الأدوات التي يمكن أن تساعد وكالات إنفاذ القانون على مستوى الولاية والمستوى المحلي في توفير الخدمات اللغوية للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية؛ وتعمل بشكل إيجابي على إشراك وكالات إنفاذ القانون التي تريد مراجعة وتحديث و/أو تعزيز سياسات وخطط وتدريبات توفير الخدمات اللغوية؛ وتعزز العلاقة بين وكالات إنفاذ القانون والجهات المعنية في المجتمع والمجموعات ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية. تتوفر معلومات إضافية حول قسم الحقوق المدنية على www.justice.gov/crt ومعلومات حول الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية والباب السادس متوفرة على www.lep.gov . تتوفر مزيد من المعلومات حول LELAI على www.lep.gov/law-enforcement . يمكن للأفراد من العامة الإبلاغ عن انتهاكات الحقوق المدنية المحتملة من خلال civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in California

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a resolution agreement with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in California resolving an inquiry into whether ACSO is in compliance with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Under the terms of the agreement, ACSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in its jurisdiction. Title VI prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Differential treatment based on language spoken, including exclusion from or denial of the benefits of programs and services to people with LEP, may constitute national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI. “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that our nation’s law enforcement agencies can serve and protect everyone in their communities, regardless of whether they may have limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to and has taken major steps toward improving services to the communities it serves.” The department’s inquiry into ACSO began after receiving information raising concerns that individuals with LEP may not receive adequate language services during encounters with ACSO personnel. Through this agreement, ACSO will establish a formal, office-wide language access directive, designate a member of its personnel as the LEP Coordinator for ACSO, provide staff trainings on language assistance, improve quality controls to require accurate and quality-assessed language assistance services and undergo a period of departmental monitoring. This agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in overcoming language barriers to better serve and protect communities and keep officers safe. Led by the Civil Rights Division, the initiative provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP; affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training; and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov . More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda, en California, sobre el acceso lingüístico

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo de resolución con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda (ACSO, por sus siglas en inglés) en California para resolver una investigación sobre si la ACSO está cumpliendo con sus obligaciones antidiscriminatorias en virtud del Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI). Según los términos del acuerdo, KCSO ha acordado tomar una serie de medidas para mejorar el acceso lingüístico para las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP) en su jurisdicción. El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal. El tratamiento diferencial basado en el idioma que uno habla, incluida la exclusión o denegación a personas LEP de los beneficios de programas y servicios, puede constituir discriminación por motivos de origen nacional, lo que contraviene el Título VI. «La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia se compromete a garantizar que las agencias de aplicación de la ley de nuestra nación puedan servir y proteger a todos en sus comunidades, independientemente de su dominio del inglés», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «A través de este acuerdo, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda ha demostrado su compromiso con las comunidades a las que presta servicios y ha dado pasos importantes para mejorar dichos servicios». La indagación del departamento en cuanto a la ACSO comenzó después de recibir información que planteaba inquietudes sobre la posibilidad de que las personas LEP no están recibiendo servicios lingüísticos adecuados durante encuentros con el personal de la ACSO. A través de este acuerdo, la ACSO establecerá una directiva formal de acceso lingüístico en toda la oficina, designará a un miembro de su personal como coordinador LEP para la ACSO, proporcionará formación al personal sobre el apoyo lingüístico, mejorará los controles de calidad para requerir servicios de apoyo lingüístico precisos y evaluados por la calidad y someterse a un periodo de supervisión departamental. Este acuerdo forma parte de la Iniciativa de Acceso Lingüístico en las Fuerzas del Orden Público (LELAI) , un esfuerzo nacional para ayudar a las agencias de aplicación de la ley a superar las barreras lingüísticas para servir y proteger mejor a las comunidades y mantener a los oficiales seguros. Dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en asociación con las Fiscalías Federales, la iniciativa proporciona herramientas y recursos de asistencia técnica que pueden ayudar a las fuerzas del orden público estatales y locales a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas LEP, trabaja afirmativamente con las agencias de aplicación de la ley que desean revisar, actualizar o fortalecer sus políticas, planes y capacitación de acceso lingüístico y fortalece la conexión entre las agencias de aplicación de la ley y las partes interesadas de la comunidad LEP y las poblaciones LEP. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en www.justice.gov/crt e información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov . Encontrará más información sobre LELAI en www.lep.gov/law-enforcement . Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट ने कैलिफोर्निया में एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस के साथ लैंग्वेज एक्सेस एग्रीमेंट किया

body_text: जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट ने आज घोषणा की है कि विभाग ने कैलिफोर्निया में एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस (ACSO) के साथ एक रिजोल्यूशन एग्रीमेंट किया है, इससे यह इन्क्वॉयरी रिजॉल्व हो गई है कि क्या ACSO सिविल राइट्स एक्ट, 1964 के टाइटल VI के अंतर्गत नॉनडिस्क्रिमेशन ऑब्लिगेशन्स का अनुपालन कर रहा है या नहीं। इस एग्रीमेंट की शर्तों के अंतर्गत, ACSO अपने ज्यूरिसडिक्शन में लिमिटेड इंग्लिश प्रोफिशिएंसी (LEP) वाले लोगों के लिए भाषा के बेहतर एक्सेस के लिए विभिन्न कदम उठाने हेतु सहमत हो गया है। टाइटल VI में ऐसा नियम है कि जो एंटिटीज फेडेरल फाइनेंशियल असिस्टेंस प्राप्त करती हैं, वे किसी व्यक्ति की नस्ल, रंग तथा राष्ट्रीय मूल के आधार पर उसके साथ भेदभाव नहीं कर सकती हैं, ऐसा करना निषेधित है। बोली जाने वाली भाषा के आधार पर भेदभावपूर्ण (डिफरेंशियल) व्यवहार करने समेत अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को लाभों या सेवाओं का लाभ से वंचित करने या मना करने को टाइटल VI के उल्लंघन में नेशनल ओरिजिन डिस्क्रिमिनेशन माना जा सकता है। “जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट का सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है कि हमारे राष्ट्र की लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज अपने समुदायों के सभी लोगों को सर्व एवं प्रोटेक्ट कर सकें, भले ही उनके पास अंग्रेजी भाषा की सीमित समझ ही क्यों न हो,” यह बात जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट के सिविल राइट्स डिजीवन के असिस्टेंट अटॉर्नी जनरल क्रिस्टेन क्लार्क ने कही। “इस एग्रीमेंट के माध्यम से एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस ने यह दर्शाया है कि वे जिन समुदायों को सर्व करते हैं, वे उनके प्रति प्रतिबद्ध हैं तथा उनके लिए सेवाएं बेहतर बनाने के प्रति महत्वपूर्ण कदम उठाए हैं।” ACSO के विरुद्ध डिपार्टमेंट की इन्क्वॉयरी उस समय शुरू की गई थी, जब ऐसा चिंताजनक जानकारी प्राप्त हुई कि अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को ACSO कर्मियों के साथ संपर्क के दौरान शायद पर्याप्त भाषा सेवाएं नहीं प्राप्त हो पाती। इस एग्रीमेंट के माध्यम से, ACSO एक औपचारिक, कार्यालय-व्यापी भाषा एक्सेस डायेक्टिव एस्टैबलिश करेगा, अपने कार्मिकों में से किसी एक सदस्य को ACSO के लिए LEP कॉर्डिनेटर नामित करेगा, स्टाफ को भाषा सहायता संबंधी प्रशिक्षण प्रदान करेगा, क्वालिटी कंट्रोल में सुधार करेगा ताकि एक्यूरेट तथा क्वालिटी एसेस्ड लैंग्वेज असिस्टेंस सर्विसेज दी जा सकें, तथा कुछ समय तक डिपार्टमेंटल मॉनिटरिंग करेगा। यह एग्रीमेंट डिपार्टमेंट के लॉ एनफोर्समेंट लैंग्वेज एक्सेस इनीशिएटिव (LELAI) का हिस्सा है, जो कि समुदायों को बेहतर तरीके से सर्व एवं प्रोटेक्ट करने हेतु भाषा बाधाएं दूर करने में लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज की सहायता करने के लिए एक राष्ट्रव्यापी प्रयास है। सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन के नेृतत्वाधीन यह पहल तकनीकी सहायता संसाधन तथा टूल्स प्रदान करते हैं, जो अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को अर्थपूर्ण भाषा पहुंच प्रदान करने में स्टेट और लोकल लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसी की मदद कर सकते हैं; लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज के साथ सकारात्मक रूप से जुड़ते हैं जो कि अपनी भाषा पहुंच नीतियों, योजनाओं, तथा प्रशिक्षण को रिव्यू, अपडेट, तथा/अथवा सुदृढ़ बनाना चाहती हैं; तथा लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज, कम्युनिटी स्टेकहोल्डर्स तथा अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों के बीच में कनेक्शन को सुदृढ़ बनाते हैं। सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन के बारे में अधिक जानकारी www.justice.gov/crt पर उपलब्ध है, तथा अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ तथा टाइटल VI संबंधित जानकारी www.lep.gov पर उपलब्ध है। LELAI के बारे में अधिक जानकारी www.lep.gov/law-enforcement पर उपलब्ध है। आम जनता, सिविल राइट्स के संभावित उल्लंघनों की रिपोर्ट civilrights.justice.gov/report/ पर कर सकती है।


title: ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਕੈਲੀਫੋਰਨੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਲਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ ਨਾਲ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਕੀਤਾ

body_text: ਅੱਜ ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ (Justice Department) ਨੇ ਐਲਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਕਿ ਉਸਨੇ ਕੈਲੀਫੋਰਨੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਲਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office) (ACSO) ਨਾਲ ਇੱਕ ਪ੍ਰਸਤਾਵ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਇੱਕ ਜਾਂਚ ਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕੀ ACSO 1964 ਦੇ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਐਕਟ (Civil Rights Act of 1964) (Title VI) ਦੇ ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਹੇਠ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਗੈਰ-ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਭਰੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ। ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਹੇਠ, ACSO ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਖੇਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੀਮਤ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ (LEP) ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਈ ਕਦਮ ਚੁੱਕਣ ਲਈ ਸਹਿਮਤੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ। ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਉਹਨਾਂ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਰਜਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਜਾਤੀ, ਰੰਗ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮੂਲ ਦੇ ਅਧਾਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਤਕਰਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂਸੰਘੀ ਵਿੱਤੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦੀਆਂਹਨ। ਬੋਲੀ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੇ ਅਧਾਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਵਾਲਾ ਵਿਵਹਾਰ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੈ, LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਲਾਭਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬੇਦਖਲੀ ਜਾਂ ਇਨਕਾਰ ਕਰਨਾ, ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮੂਲ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ ਧਾਰਨ ਕਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ। ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ (Civil Rights Division) ਦੇ ਸਹਾਇਕ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਜਨਰਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟਨ ਕਲਾਰਕ (Kristen Clarke) ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦਾ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਇਹ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਵਚਨਬੱਧ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀਆਂ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂਵਿੱਚ ਹਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਸੇਵਾ ਦੇ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ, ਭਾਵੇਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਦੀ ਸੀਮਤ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਹੋਵੇ।" । ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਇਸ ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ, ਅਲਾਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਨੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ, ਜਿਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਸੇਵਾ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪਣੀ ਵਚਨਬੱਧਤਾ ਦਰਸਾਈ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਲਈ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਵੱਡੇ ਕਦਮ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ।" ACSO ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਉਸਦੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਈ, ਜਦੋਂ ਚਿੰਤਾਵਾਂ ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਮਿਲੀ ਕਿ LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ACSO ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀਆਂਨਾਲ ਮੀਟਿੰਗਾਂ ਦੇ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਢੁੱਕਵੀਆਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ। ਇਸ ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ, ACSO ਇੱਕ ਰਸਮੀ, ਦਫ਼ਤਰ-ਵਿਆਪੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਤੈਅ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ACSO ਲਈ LEP ਕੋਆਰਡੀਨੇਟਰ ਵਜੋਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀਆਂਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਨਿਯੁਕਤ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਬਾਰੇ ਸਟਾਫ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਸਬੰਧੀਸਹੀ ਅਤੇ ਕੁਆਲਿਟੀ ਦਾ ਮੁਆਇਨਾ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਲਈ ਕੁਆਲਿਟੀ ਨਿਯੰਤਰਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਭਾਗੀ ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ ਦੀ ਮਿਆਦ ਤੋਂ ਗੁਜ਼ਰੇਗਾ। ਇਹ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੀ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਲੈਂਗੂਏਜ ਐਕਸੈਸ ਇਨੀਸ਼ੀਏਟਿਵ (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative) (LELAI) ਦਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂਨੂੰ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਦੇਣਅਤੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਅਤੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਰੁਕਾਵਟਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੂਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿਆਪੀ ਯਤਨ ਹੈ। ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਹੇਠ, ਇਹ ਪਹਿਲਕਦਮੀ ਤਕਨੀਕੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਸਰੋਤ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਧਨ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਜੋ LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਰਥਪੂਰਨ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਾਜ ਅਤੇ ਸਥਾਨਕ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ; ਸਕਾਰਾਤਮਕ ਰੂਪ ਨਾਲ ਅਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ, ਯੋਜਨਾਵਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਦੀ ਸਮੀਖਿਆ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ ਕਰਨਾ ਅਤੇ/ਜਾਂ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ; ਅਤੇ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ, ਭਾਈਚਾਰਕ ਸਟੇਕਹੋਲਡਰਾਂ ਅਤੇ LEP ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਆਬਾਦੀਆਂ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਸਬੰਧ ਨੂੰ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕਰਦੀਹੈ। ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਾਧੂ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.justice.gov/crt 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸੀਮਤ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਅਤੇ ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.lep.gov 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ। LELAI ਬਾਰੇ ਵਧੇਰੇਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.lep.gov/law-enforcement 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ। ਲੋਕ ਸੰਭਾਵੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੱਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਦੀ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ, civilrights.justice.gov/report/ ਤੇ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ।


title: Ang Departamento ng Hustisya ay Nakakuha ng Kasunduan sa Pag-access sa Wika sa  Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff sa California

body_text: Inanunsyo ngayon ng Departamento ng Hustisya na naabot nito ang isang kasunduan sa pagresolba sa Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff (ACSO) sa California na nagresolba sa pagtatanong kung ang ACSO ay sumusunod sa mga obligasyon nito na walang diskriminasyon sa ilalim ng Title VI ng Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) Sa ilalim ng mga tuntunin ng kasunduan, sumang-ayon ang ACSO na gumawa ng ilang hakbang upang mapabuti ang pag-access sa wika para sa mga indibidwal na may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles (LEP) sa nasasakupan nito. Ipinagbabawal ng Title VI ang mga entity na tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansyal mula sa diskriminasyon batay sa lahi, kulay at bansang pinagmulan. Ang pagkakaiba-iba ng pagtrato batay sa wikang sinasalita, kabilang ang pagbubukod o pagtanggi sa mga benepisyo ng mga programa at serbisyo sa mga taong may LEP, ay maaaring bumuo ng diskriminasyon sa pinagmulang bansa na lumalabag sa Title VI. “Ang Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Departamento ng Hustisya ay nakatuon sa pagtiyak na ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas ng ating bansa ay maaaring maglingkod at maprotektahan ang lahat sa kanilang mga komunidad, hindi alintana kung mayroon silang limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Departamento ng Hustisya. “Sa pamamagitan ng kasunduang ito, ipinakita ng Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff ang kanilang pangako at gumawa ng mga pangunahing hakbang patungo sa pagpapabuti ng mga serbisyo sa mga komunidad na pinaglilingkuran nito." Ang pagtatanong ng departamento sa ACSO ay nagsimula pagkatapos makatanggap ng impormasyong naghahayag ng mga alalahanin na ang mga indibidwal na may LEP ay maaaring hindi makatanggap ng sapat na mga serbisyo sa wika sa panahon ng pakikipagtagpo sa mga tauhan ng ACSO. Sa pamamagitan ng kasunduang ito, ang ACSO ay magtatatag ng isang pormal, pang-opisina na direktiba sa pag-access sa wika, magtatalaga ng miyembro ng mga tauhan nito bilang LEP Coordinator para sa ACSO, magbibigay ng mga pagsasanay sa kawani sa tulong sa wika, pagbutihin ang mga kontrol sa kalidad upang mangailangan ng tumpak at kalidad ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika at sumailalim sa isang panahon ng pagsubaybay ng departamento. Ang kasunduang ito ay bahagi ng Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI) ng departamento, isang pagsisikap sa buong bansa na tulungan ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas sa pagharap sa mga hadlang sa wika upang mas mapagsilbihan at maprotektahan ang mga komunidad at panatilihing ligtas ang mga opisyal. Sa pangunguna ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil, ang inisyatiba ay nagbibigay ng mga mapagkukunan ng teknikal na tulong at mga tool na makakatulong sa estado at lokal na pagpapatupad ng batas na magbigay ng makabuluhang access sa wika sa mga indibidwal na may LEP; apirmatibong nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas na gustong suriin, i-update at/o palakasin ang kanilang mga patakaran sa pag-access sa wika, mga plano at pagsasanay; at pinapalakas ang koneksyon sa pagitan ng mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas, mga stakeholder ng komunidad at mga populasyon na may LEP. Ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ay makukuha sa www.justice.gov/crt at ang impormasyon tungkol sa limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles at Title VI ay available sa www.lep.gov . Higit pang impormasyon sa LELAI ay available sa www.lep.gov/law-enforcement . Maaaring mag-ulat ang mga miyembro ng publiko ng mga posibleng paglabag sa karapatang sibil sa civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: Bộ Tư Pháp Đạt Được Thỏa Thuận Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ với  Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda tại California

body_text: Bộ Tư Pháp hôm nay thông báo rằng Bộ đã đạt được thỏa thuận giải quyết với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, hoặc ACSO) tại California để giải quyết cuộc điều tra về việc liệu ACSO có tuân thủ các nghĩa vụ không phân biệt đối xử theo Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền Năm 1964 (Tiêu Đề VI) hay không. Theo các điều khoản của thỏa thuận, ACSO đã đồng ý thực hiện một số bước để cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho những Cá Nhân Có Trình Độ Tiếng Anh Hạn Chế (Limited English Proficiency, hoặc LEP) trong phạm vi quyền hạn của mình. Tiêu Đề VI cấm các tổ chức nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da và quốc gia xuất thân. Sự đối xử khác biệt dựa trên ngôn ngữ nói, bao gồm việc loại trừ hoặc từ chối các quyền lợi của các chương trình và dịch vụ dành cho người LEP, có thể cấu thành hành vi phân biệt đối xử dựa trên quốc gia xuất thân vi phạm Tiêu Đề VI. Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý Kristen Clarke thuộc Bộ Phận Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cho biết: "Bộ Phận Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cam kết đảm bảo rằng các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật của quốc gia chúng ta có thể phục vụ và bảo vệ mọi người trong cộng đồng của họ, bất kể trình độ Tiếng Anh của họ có hạn chế hay không". “Thông qua thỏa thuận này, Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda đã chứng minh cam kết của mình và đã thực hiện những bước tiến lớn hướng tới việc cải thiện các dịch vụ cho cộng đồng mà văn phòng này phục vụ.” Cuộc điều tra của bộ phận này về ACSO bắt đầu sau khi nhận được thông tin nêu lên mối lo ngại rằng những cá nhân LEP có thể không nhận được các dịch vụ ngôn ngữ đầy đủ trong các cuộc gặp gỡ với nhân viên ACSO. Thông qua thỏa thuận này, ACSO sẽ thiết lập chỉ thị tiếp cận ngôn ngữ chính thức trên toàn văn phòng, chỉ định một thành viên trong đội ngũ nhân viên làm Điều Phối Viên LEP cho ACSO, cung cấp đào tạo cho nhân viên về hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, cải thiện kiểm soát chất lượng để yêu cầu các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ chính xác và được đánh giá chất lượng đồng thời trải qua giai đoạn giám sát của bộ. Thỏa thuận này là một phần của Sáng Kiến tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ Cho Cơ Quan Thực Thi Pháp Luật (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, hoặc LELAI) của bộ, một nỗ lực trên toàn quốc nhằm hỗ trợ các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật vượt qua rào cản ngôn ngữ để phục vụ và bảo vệ cộng đồng tốt hơn cũng như đảm bảo an toàn cho các sĩ quan. Dưới sự chỉ đạo của Bộ Phận Dân Quyền, sáng kiến này cung cấp các nguồn lực hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và các công cụ có thể giúp cơ quan thực thi pháp luật của tiểu bang và địa phương cung cấp quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho những cá nhân LEP; tích cực thu hút các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật muốn xem xét, cập nhật và/hoặc củng cố các chính sách, kế hoạch và đào tạo về quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của họ; và củng cố sự kết nối giữa các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật, các bên liên quan trong cộng đồng và những nhóm dân số LEP. Thông tin bổ sung về Bộ Phận Dân Quyền có tại trang mạng www.justice.gov/crt và thông tin về trình độ Tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu Đề VI có tại trang mạng www.lep.gov . Để biết thêm thông tin về LELAI, vui lòng truy cập trang mạng www.lep.gov/law-enforcement . Công chúng có thể báo cáo các trường hợp có khả năng vi phạm quyền công dân tại trang mạng civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: 司法部與加州阿拉米達縣警長辦公室 達成語言使用協議

body_text: 司法部今天宣布已與加州阿拉米達縣警長辦公室 (下稱「ACSO」) 達成解決協議，解決了對 ACSO 是否遵守 1964 年《民權法案》第六章規定的非歧視義務的調查。 根據該協議的條款，ACSO 已同意採取多項行動，以改善其管轄區內英語能力有限 (LEP) 的個人可使用的語言服務。《民權法案》第六章禁止接受聯邦財務援助的實體因個人的種族、膚色和國籍而作出歧視。任何基於所說語言而作出的差別待遇，包括排除或拒絕 LEP 人士享有計劃和服務的福利，均可能構成違反第六章下的民族血統歧視。 司法部民權司助理檢察長 Kristen Clarke 表示：「司法部民權司致力確保我們國家的執法機構能夠服務和保護社區中的每一個人，無論他們的英語能力是否有限。阿拉米達縣警長辦公室透過此項協議，展示了他們對改善社區服務而作出的承諾，並已採取重大行動來履行承諾。」 早前，司法部收到有關資訊，指 LEP 人士在與 ACSO 人員溝通時可能無法獲得足夠的語言服務。該部門其後開始針對 ACSO 進行調查。 在此協議下，ACSO 將制定正式的全辦公室語言服務指示，並指定一名員工擔任 ACSO 的 LEP 協調員。此外，他們為員工提供語言協助訓練，同時改善品質監控，以要求提供準確且經過品質評估的語言協助服務，並接受一段時間的部門監督。 此協議是司法部 《執法機構語言通達倡議》 (下稱「LELAI」) 的一部分。該倡議在全國範圍內協助執法機構克服語言障礙，以更好地服務和保護社區，並確保執法人員的安全。該計劃由民權司帶領進行，提供 技術援助資源 和 工具 ，以協助州和地方執法機關為 LEP 人士提供有意義的語言使用服務；積極吸引希望審查、更新和/或加強其語言使用政策、計劃和訓練的執法機關參與；並加強執法機關、社區利益相關者和 LEP 人士之間的聯繫。 有關民權司的其他資訊，請瀏覽 www.justice.gov/crt ，而有關英語能力有限和《民權法案》第六章的資訊，請瀏覽 www.lep.gov 。更多有關 LELAI 的資訊，請瀏覽 www.lep.gov/law-enforcement 。公眾可透過 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 網站報告可能違反公民權利的行為。


title: 司法部与加利福尼亚州阿拉米达县警长办公室 达成语言使用协议

body_text: 司法部今天宣布已与加州阿拉米达县警长办公室 (下称“ ACSO”) 达成解决协议，解决了对 ACSO 是否遵守 1964 年《民权法案》第六章规定的非歧视义务的调查。 根据协议条款，ACSO 同意采取一系列措施，改善其管辖范围内英语水平有限 (LEP) 的个人可使用语言服务。《民权法案》第六章禁止接受联邦财政援助的实体基于种族、肤色和民族血统做出歧视行为。基于所讲语言而做出的区别对待，包括排斥或拒绝向LEP 人士提供计划和服务的福利，可能构成违反《第六章》中的民族血统歧视。 司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀-克拉克（Kristen Clarke）表示：“司法部民权司致力于确保我们国家的执法机构能够为社区中的每个人提供服务和保护，无论他们的英语水平是否有限。通过这项协议，阿拉米达县警长办公室表明了他们致力于改善社区服务的承诺，并为履行这一承诺采取了重要措施。“ 早前，司法部收到有关信息，指出 LEP 人士在与 ACSO 人员沟通时可能无法获得足够的语言服务。随后，司法部开始对 ACSO 进行调查。 在此协议下，ACSO 将制定正式的全办公室语言服务指示，并指定一名员工担任 ACSO 的 LEP 协调员。此外，他们为员工提供语言协助训练，同时改善品质监控，以要求提供准确且经过品质评估的语言协助服务，并接受一段时间的部门监督。 该协议是司法部 《执法机构语言通达倡议》 (下称“LELAI”)的一部分。该倡议在全国范围内协助执法机构克服语言障碍，以更好地服务和保护社区，并确保执法人员的安全。在民权司的领导下，该倡议提供 技术援助资源 和 工具 ，帮助州和地方执法部门为有语言障碍的个人提供有意义的语言使用服務；积极动员希望审查、更新和/或加强其语言使用政策、计划和培训的执法机构参与进来；并加强执法机构、社区利益相关者和有语言障碍的人群之间的联系。 有关民权司的更多信息，请访问 www.justice.gov/crt 。有关英语能力有限和《民权法案》第六章的信息，请访问 www.lep.gov 。有关 LELAI 的更多信息，请访问 www.lep.gov/law-enforcement 。公众可通过 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 网站举报可能侵犯公民权利的行为。


title: Convicted Murderer Pleads Guilty In Crescent City Drug Distribution Ring

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Francisco Javier Arroyo (31, Crescent City) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Arroyo faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, between February and July 2021, Arroyo worked to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine along with a number of conspirators – including Alejandro Alvarado (30, Crescent City), Miguel Angel Perez (29, Deland), and Jose Martinez (43, Crescent City), Jonathan Arroyo Ontiveros (25, Crescent City), Noel Bueno Jr. (27, Crescent City), and others – all of whom lived in close proximity to one another in Crescent City. Miguel Angel Ortiz (29, Crescent City) also served as a courier to deliver multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine from Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia to the Crescent City neighborhood in which Arroyo and others operated. Arroyo delivered ounces of methamphetamine and cocaine primarily to Robert Wayne Watson (59, Seville), who operated out of his home in Seville. Watson, in turn, redistributed ounces of methamphetamine to mid-level dealers located throughout central Florida, including George Edward Sykes (46, Bunnell), Danny Wayne Holmes (61, Kathleen), Dina Dynnette Kempher (38, Satsuma), and David John Doerr (56, Astor). During the course of the investigation, the FBI monitored these conspirators as they arranged to obtain and distribute kilograms, pounds, and ounces of cocaine and methamphetamine. To date, 12 individuals have pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison terms in connection with this conspiracy . On July 16, 2021, the FBI arrested multiple individuals in Crescent City and Seville. One day earlier, Arroyo was arrested in Missouri for a homicide that he had committed on July 13, 2021. Arroyo was later convicted of second-degree murder, along with two counts of attempted second degree murder, for the events occurring on July 13, 2021. After that conviction, Arroyo was transported to federal court to face charges for drug distribution occurring during that same time. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the DEA, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: U.S. Attorney Johnson Announces $6.2 Million in  Justice Department Grants to Address Domestic Violence within Tribal Communities

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced the award of more than $6.2 million in Department of Justice grants to assist tribal governments within the Northern District of Oklahoma. The grants were awarded by the Department's Office of Justice Programs. “This funding allows Tribal Governments with the Northern District of Oklahoma to build, support, and advance the citizens within their tribe,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “In return, Tribal organizations, crisis centers, and law enforcement agencies benefit from these investments and make our communities safer.” The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program assists Tribal governments and authorized designees of Tribal governments to: Decrease the incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities; strengthen the capacity of Tribes to exercise their sovereign authority to respond to these violent crimes; and ensure that perpetrators of these violent crimes are held accountable for their criminal behavior. The following organizations received funding from the Grants to Indian Tribal Government Program: Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma received $1,169,642 Eastern Shawnee Tribe received $793,463 Miami Tribe of Oklahoma received $792,148 Quapaw Nation received $600,000 Delaware Tribe of Indians received $282,632 The 2024 Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Tribal Victim Services Program is for implementing services for victims of crime that meet needs identified by the community and reflect tribal community values and traditions. The following organizations received funding from the 2024 Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Tribal Victim Services Program: The Eastern Shawnee Tribe, the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and the Osage Nation each received $441,989. The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma received $394,653 The Seneca Cayuga Tribe Oklahoma received $254,413 The Shawnee Tribe received $229,973 The awards announced above are part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. The Office of Justice Programs grant page has more information about these and other funding opportunities. About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . The Awards in Action The Miami Tribe Office of Public Health/Wellness, the Quapaw Nation’s Family Service Department, the Eastern Shawnee Haven Program, and the Peoria Shield are agencies of the Oklahoma Tribal Government that work to address violence against American Indian/Alaska Native women by providing survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking referrals to local agencies and Tribes operating programs to meet various identified needs. The Miami Tribe Office of Public Health/Wellness will use the funding to engage in building activities to plan and implement a new, comprehensive domestic violence program that includes direct services and community outreach. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has partnered with the Community Crisis Center of Northeast Oklahoma, a local non-profit, to plan this project. The Quapaw Nation’s Family Service Department will use the funding to: 1) expand outreach and education activities, 2) they will provide victim advocacy and client assistance services, 3) they will provide legal assistance to victims. The Quapaw Nation has partnered with the Native Alliance Against Violence, a Tribal coalition, to plan this project. The Eastern Shawnee Haven Program is using the funding to 1) provide transitional housing to victims, 2) provide advocacy and emergency victim assistance to victims, 3) provide community outreach and education, and 4) provide training and self-care for advocates. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe has partnered with an advisory committee, including women from the community to be served, to plan this project. The Peoria Shield is using the funding to 1) expand victim services beyond crisis intervention services, 2) develop a housing assistance program for victims, and 3) develop and implement a supervised visitation/safe exchange program. The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma has partnered with the Native Alliance Against Violence, a Tribal coalition, to plan this project.


title: Former Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to More than Six Years for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Role in Procurement Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Michael Kenneth Cox, age 49, was sentenced to 74 months followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and a procurement mail and wire fraud conspiracy. On March 24, 2024, Cox, who was employed by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) from 1996 until he retired as the head of the drug unit in 2018, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and marijuana. Cox also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud with his co-defendant Christopher Worth in connection with contracts his business received from WCSO. On July 24, 2024, Worth also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Worth is scheduled to be sentenced next month. Worth joined the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) in 1993 and most recently served as the Major of Enforcement where he was responsible for overseeing support services and the WCSO drug unit. Worth retired from this position in 2023. The criminal activity of Cox and Worth were uncovered as part of a larger operation investigating the trafficking of methamphetamine and other drugs in Onslow, Craven and Wayne Counties that began in 2020. To date, 41 defendants, including Cox and Worth, have been convicted. Most recently, a federal jury convicted Tamarcus Ellis on three charges of trafficking methamphetamine . The operation has also netted the seizure of 36 firearms, 16 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of heroin, ¾ of a kilogram cocaine and 450 grams fentanyl – enough for more than 225,000 potentially lethal doses. “What started as an investigation of drug trafficking in Eastern North Carolina, led us to public corruption in law enforcement. Michael Cox and his co-defendant both took the sacred oath to uphold the law and protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The majority of our law enforcement officers abide their promise, but these two chose a different path. Instead, they entered into a conspiracy to profit from upfitting law enforcement vehicles and Cox joined a drug trafficking conspiracy with the criminals he was supposed to investigate.” According to court documents and other information presented in Court, while Cox was a sheriff’s deputy, he helped two drug traffickers operating in Wayne County evade charges. Cox accomplished this by, among other things, providing protection under the ruse that they were confidential informants. This allowed Cox to provide them with sensitive law enforcement information and shield them from investigations. As a result of these efforts, the Goldsboro Police Department began to view one of the drug traffickers as “untouchable” due to his relationship with Cox. In exchange, Cox used the drug traffickers to supply him with Percocet and Oxycodone that he provided to other people. For example, in 2017, Cox observed one of his protected drug traffickers making a purchase from the target of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation. Rather than arrest the trafficker, he seized the drugs and reimbursed him $2,000 for the sale and gave him another $200 as a “Confidential Informant fee,” claiming it had been a planned, controlled purchase. Cox’s support of the drug traffickers went beyond his purchase of Percocet and Oxycodone. He arranged a cocaine transaction between the two protected drug traffickers when one of them was low on supply. One trafficker indicated that Cox approached him about conducting a home invasion of a location that was thought to contain a large amount of drug proceeds. Just ten days later, a violent home invasion occurred there. “Tonight, Michael Kenneth Cox will have a different view of prison bars. He will be looking out from the inside of a federal cell for the next six years. Law enforcement officers are entrusted with an incredible responsibility to serve our communities and ensure justice. Anyone who tarnishes their badge for their own profit will be held accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Robert M. DeWitt. “The FBI will root out public corruption and defend the vast majority of hard-working officers who carry out their duties honestly and honorably.” Even after his retirement from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Cox continued his efforts to protect the drug traffickers. In 2019, a confidential informant working for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office was shot, called 911, and informed the 911 operator that he had been shot by one of Cox’s protected drug traffickers. Cox found out about the shooting and contacted investigators that same night to provide an alibi for his protected drug trafficker. Cox then assisted the drug trafficker with obtaining a defense attorney. During a subsequent federal investigation of the shooting, Cox lied about his contacts with the protected drug trafficker following the shooting. In 2021, one of the protected drug traffickers was the target of a federal wiretap investigation. After finding a GPS device on his car, he called Cox and referenced his recent trips to Cox’s home for Oxycodone deliveries. Cox immediately contacted former colleagues within the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office to ask about the tracking device and then informed the protected drug dealer that it belonged to the ATF. After learning about the federal investigation, the protected drug dealer and his conspirators took steps to thwart the investigation. This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Duffy and Nick Hartigan are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-260.


title: Citizen of El Salvador Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, announced that FREDY ADALBERTO GUARDADO SALGADO, also known as “Fredy Guardado” and “Fredy Salgado,” 43, a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, Guardado was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador following a felony conviction in December 2010 in Connecticut Superior Court for assault in the second degree involving a stabbing. He illegally reentered the U.S. and, on August 6, 2023, was arrested by Hamden Police on state assault and breach of peace charges for allegedly using a wooden bat to hit multiple victims in the head. On June 28, 2024, Guardado pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. The state charges against him are pending in Meriden Superior Court. Guardado is detained in federal custody. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.


title: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Transporting a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – John Oathout, age 54, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison for transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Oathout admitted that after a romantic relationship ended with the victim’s mother, the victim’s mother permitted the defendant to take her daughter on overnight trips to Virginia and New York. During the week of Thanksgiving 2021, the defendant arranged to pick up the 5-year-old child from her home in Delaware and transport her to a hotel in Kingston, New York, where he subjected the child to sexual contact. In addition to sentencing Oathout to serve 25 years in prison, Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which Oathout will begin serving after he is released from prison, at which time Oathout will also be required to register as a sex offender. The FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this case. The Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Maryland Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Destroy the Baltimore Region Power Grid

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and a concurrent sentence of 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. “Those who seek to attack our country’s critical infrastructure will face the full force of the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Sarah Beth Clendaniel sought to ‘completely destroy’ the city of Baltimore by targeting five power substations as a means of furthering her violent white supremacist ideology. She will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively counter, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to launch these kinds of hate-fueled attacks that target our critical infrastructure, endanger entire cities, and threaten our national security.” “The defendant plotted to disable the power grid around the entire Baltimore region and cause harm to thousands of people in pursuit of a racially motivated violent extremist agenda,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Her plan failed thanks to the great work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Today’s sentencing should serve as a warning to others that you will be held accountable if you attempt to carry out violent attacks on our infrastructure or threaten the safety of those in our communities.” “Such cowardice, designed to disrupt and endanger the lives of Maryland’s citizens, will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “My office remains committed to protecting the security and well-being of the community by prosecuting such conduct to the full extent of the law.” According to her plea agreement and other court documents, in 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse. According to court documents, from at least December 2022 through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. As set forth in her plea agreement, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (ECA) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore region power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1). Their plans began to coalesce on Jan. 12, 2023, when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack. In the ensuing conversation, which continued through Jan. 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On Jan. 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day. At various times from Jan. 21, 2023, through Jan. 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately with Clendaniel and with Russell, in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack. On Jan. 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil . . . ” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.” During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (BGE) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure. On or about Jan. 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism. On Feb. 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, Maryland, for robbery in 2006 and robbery and attempted robbery in 2016. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the Justice Department’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Attorney General Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.