title: Former Fugitive Sentenced for Laundering $1.5M Embezzled from Kuwaiti Embassy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Virginia man was sentenced today to three years in prison for laundering money he and others embezzled from the Health Office of the Embassy of Kuwait in Washington, D.C. According to court documents, from approximately January 2014 through September 2014, Ahmed El Khebki, also known as Ahmed Khider El Khebki, of Alexandria, and his co-conspirators stole money from the Kuwait Embassy’s Health Office that had been earmarked to pay for medical care for Kuwaiti citizens who traveled to the United States to receive treatment at, among other places, Johns Hopkins Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. To embezzle and launder the funds, El Khebki and his co-conspirators created fictitious entities with names such as “Hopiken” and “MedStars,” which were meant to mimic the names of actual U.S. healthcare providers that partnered with the Kuwait Embassy to provide care to Kuwaiti patients. The co-conspirators submitted fraudulent invoices in those entities’ names to the Health Office, claiming that they had provided medical services to real Kuwaiti citizens. The financial attaché for the Health Office, who participated in the conspiracy, and other co-conspirators who worked at the Health Office approved the invoices and wrote checks to El Khebki and his co-conspirators’ fake companies. The Health Office transferred to El Khebki and his co-conspirators more than $1.5 million in payments for fraudulent invoices. El Khebki personally deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen funds into accounts he controlled. In 2014, El Khebki fled the United States to avoid arrest for his involvement in the conspiracy and remained a fugitive until he was arrested in Cairo, Egypt, and returned to the United States in 2021. El Khebki pleaded guilty in May 2023 to participating in a conspiracy to launder more than $1.5 million from the Embassy of Kuwait. Two of El Khebki’s co-conspirators, Wael Sedik and Huwida Fadl, were previously sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Hussein Fadl Osman, El Khebki’s co-defendant and Fadl’s brother, remains at large. At the request of the Kuwaiti government, the United States dismissed criminal charges against the Health Office’s financial attaché and returned her to Kuwait to face prosecution. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement. HSI investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Jonathan Baum and Trial Attorney Shai D. Bronshtein of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) prosecuted the case. This case is part of the department’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated MLARS prosecutors in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to seize, forfeit, and repatriate those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should email kleptocracy@usdoj.gov or submit information at https://tips.fbi.gov/ .


title: Rockland Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Rockland man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Donald J. Caruso, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2023, Caruso pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In early November 2022, Caruso used an online encrypted communication platform to send an undercover agent multiple links to videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. On Nov. 7, 2022, a laptop hard drive was seized from Caruso’s residence and his cell phone was seized from Caruso’s person. Between both devices, hundreds of images and over three thousand videos depicting CSAM were recovered. The minors depicted in those CSAM files ranged in age from approximately less than one year old to approximately 11 years old. Caruso admitted to using on-line applications to send, receive and download child pornography using his cell phone and laptop. Forensic analysis of the devices also revealed numerous chat conversations between Caruso and others, including a user who purported to be 15 years old, and the chats appeared to be primarily sexual in nature and discussed the exchange of CSAM files. In total, 217 series victims have been identified in this case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigation’s in New England; Rockland Chief of Police Nicholas Zeoli; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Supplying the Fentanyl that Killed 19-Year-Old

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Tuesday sentenced a man who supplied the fentanyl that killed a 19-year-old in Jefferson County, Missouri to 22 years in prison. Judge Perry also ordered William Edward Martin, 23, to pay restitution to the victim’s family for her funeral expenses. On June 23, 2022, Martin met the 19-year-old victim in the parking lot of a Walgreens in Arnold, Missouri. She got into the black BMW he was driving, and Martin gave her fentanyl. A short time later, he took the incapacitated teen and concealed her upside down in the backseat of her locked car. After the victim failed to come home, her father began searching for her. He found her dead in her car early the next morning. Martin would later admit that he could have called 911 or brought the victim to the hospital. In text messages, he discussed the strength of the fentanyl he was selling and the overdose danger it posed. He also continued to sell fentanyl after the victim’s death. Arnold police spotted the BMW during the death investigation. The driver, Tanisha Payne, said she’d dropped Martin off at a gas station. Officers found a safe inside the car that contained fentanyl, hallucinogens, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia. They caught Martin behind a supermarket with a loaded pistol. Martin pleaded guilty in November U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four felonies: conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl with a resulting death, distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also admitted selling fentanyl to others. "This investigation was particularly tough as nothing could be more tragic than a parent finding their child dead," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "Illicit fentanyl is the worst drug DEA has encountered. The damage it caused to this family cannot be repaired by sending this defendant to prison, but DEA hopes it sends a message to other fentanyl dealers that we will do everything we can to make sure they face the same penalties." Steven “Lemon” Littler, 34, and Jacqueline Williamson, 34, admitted supplying fentanyl to Martin and Payne. Littler had been selling the drug to Martin for several months, Martin’s plea says. Littler also warned Martin of the potency of his fentanyl, calling it “deadly strong” and “dangerous.” When Williamson was arrested, investigators found fentanyl, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in her St. Louis home. Payne, now 23, also had fentanyl and drug paraphernalia when she was arrested. Littler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl and is serving a 210-month prison sentence. Williamson, who pleaded guilty to a fentanyl distribution charge, was sentenced to 72 months. Payne, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to time served. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Arnold Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the St. Louis County Police Department.


title: Oklahoma Chiropractic Clinic, Owner, and Referring Physicians Pay $465,000 to Settle Federal False Claims Act and Kickback Allegations

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Croas 1 LLC d/b/a Chiropractic Associates (“Chiropractic Associates”) and Scott Kirkpatrick, D.C. (“Dr. Kirkpatrick”), paid $365,000 to resolve allegations that they wrongfully paid physicians to induce referrals of durable medical equipment (“DME”), resulting in the submission of false claims to the Medicare program, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. In separate agreements Cash Biddle, D.O. (“Dr. Biddle”), and Chad Keeney, D.O. (“Dr. Keeney”), each paid $50,000 to resolve allegations they received remuneration from Chiropractic Associates and/or Dr. Kirkpatrick for the purpose of inducing referrals of Medicare DME orders. Chiropractic Associates was an Oklahoma limited liability company that provided chiropractic, medical, and DME services in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Dr. Kirkpatrick is a chiropractic physician licensed to practice in the State of Oklahoma and was the sole member of Chiropractic Associates. Dr. Biddle and Dr. Keeney are osteopathic physicians licensed to practice in the State of Oklahoma. The United States alleges that from October 2017 through July 2021, Chiropractic Associates and Dr. Kirkpatrick violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b (“AKS”) and/or the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the “Stark Law”) by paying remuneration to referring providers for the purpose of inducing referrals of Medicare DME orders. The United States also alleges that Dr. Biddle and Dr. Keeney received such remuneration at certain times. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs. The Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law, prohibits a DME supplier from billing Medicare for certain services referred by physicians with whom the DME supplier has an improper financial arrangement, including the payment of compensation that exceeds the fair market value of the services actually provided by the physician. Both the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law are intended to ensure that physicians’ medical judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and instead are based on the best interests of their patients. Claims submitted under the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law violate the False Claims Act. To resolve these allegations, Chiropractic Associates and Dr. Kirkpatrick paid $365,000 to the United States, and Dr. Biddle and Dr. Keeney each paid $50,000. In reaching this settlement, Chiropractic Associates, Dr. Kirkpatrick, Dr. Biddle, and Dr. Keeney did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreements allow the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case. Investigative assistance was provided by HHS-OIG and HHS-OIG Office of Audit Services.


title: Fall River Woman Indicted for Stealing Social Security Benefits

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River woman was arrested today for stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child. Nancy Taylor, 44, was charged with one count of theft of public funds. Taylor was released on conditions following an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein. According to the indictment, from May 2016 through May 2022, Taylor embezzled approximately $86,994.58 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sharon Resident Pleads Guilty to Cocaine, Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking Violations

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Nicholas Ostheimer, 26, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon to (1) conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of heroin between June 2020 and June 2021; (2) distributing cocaine on November 18, 2020; and (3) possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base on June 17, 2021. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ostheimer. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: New York Man Pleads Not Guilty to Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on April 2, 2024, Jose Merino-Lopez, 28, of Latham, New York, pleaded not guilty to a two-count indictment that charges him with using a facility of interstate and foreign commerce to entice, persuade, and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity for which a person could be held criminally liable, and with traveling interstate with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with another person. At today’s arraignment, United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Merino-Lopez to be detained during pretrial proceedings. According to court records and proceedings, in approximately July 2023, Merino-Lopez began communicating with a 14-year-old minor female victim (MV1) from Colchester, Vermont using various social media platforms. Merino-Lopez was living in New York when the communications with MV1 took place. On September 9, 2023, Merino-Lopez traveled from New York to Vermont, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with MV1 in a park in Colchester, Vermont. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Colchester Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the prosecution of Merino-Lopez. Merino-Lopez is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Steven L. Barth. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Missouri Man Admits Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Warren County, Missouri man on Tuesday admitted possessing hundreds of images containing child sexual abuse material on phones and a laptop. Jacob D. Beauchamp, 45, of Wright City, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Beauchamp admitted possessing 146 images containing child sexual abuse material on his Apple iPhone, about 1,800 on his Samsung phone and numerous images on a screensaver that was running on his laptop. The investigation was sparked by a minor female who said Beauchamp sexually abused her and recorded that abuse. Beauchamp denied that in his plea agreement. Beauchamp is scheduled to be sentenced July 17. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine. The Wright City Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Former Public School Information Technology Manager Sentenced for Damaging School's Computer Network

body_text: BOSTON – An Ayer man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for committing a cyberattack against the computer network of his former employer, an Essex County public high school. Conor LaHiff, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one month in prison and three years’ supervised release, the first 12 months to be served in home confinement. He was also ordered to pay $34,110 in restitution. In December 2023, LaHiff pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized damage to protected computers. “Individuals who exploit their specialized knowledge to retaliate against a former employer through costly and dangerous cyberattacks will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement counterparts to protect the security of the computer network we rely upon every day.” “Committing a cyber intrusion to settle a score with your former employer is a bad idea but that’s exactly what Conor LaHiff did, and in doing so, he deactivated a high school’s phone system along with thousands of network user accounts,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This short-sighted scheme has brought serious consequences and should serve as a warning to others: the FBI will track down and bring to justice cyber criminals, regardless of what their motivation is for willfully breaking the law.” LaHiff was employed as a desktop and network manager at an Essex County public high school until he was terminated in June 2023. After he was fired, LaHiff used his administrative privileges to deactivate and delete thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s Apple School Manager account – software used to manage student, faculty and staff information technology resources. LaHiff also deactivated more than 1,400 other Apple accounts and other IT administrative accounts and disabled the school’s private branch phone system, which left the school’s phone service unavailable for approximately18 hours. After his termination for the charged conduct, LaHiff had obtained a similar position at another public high school. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable investigative assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Haverhill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Eight Individuals Charged in Duluth Area Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – Eight members of a Chicago-based drug trafficking conspiracy have been indicted for fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in Duluth and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between December 2021 and February 2024, Carl Maurice Brown, 32, of Chicago, Robert Desean Chism, 35, of Chicago, Matthew James Erickson, aka “EZ,” 35, of Duluth, Anthony Lenard Green, 34, of Chicago, Ezell Cordero Lucas, aka “Cash,” 32, of Chicago, Arreal Dominique Timberlake, 30, of Chicago, Deandre Michael Westmoreland, 35, of Chicago, and Pharoo Nasun Witherspoon, 35, of Chicago, conspired to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout Duluth and the Twin Ports region. Lucas, who was identified by law enforcement as the leader of the conspiracy, arranged the fentanyl sales in Duluth and directed other members of the conspiracy to conduct the transactions. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers with the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force have seized large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine from conspiracy members. All eight defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Chism and Westmoreland made their initial appearances earlier today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois. Brown, Erickson, Green, and Lucas previously made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota. Witherspoon is currently serving a term of imprisonment in Cook County, Illinois. Timberlake previously made her initial appearance in the Northern District of Illinois. Timberlake’s and Witherspoon’s initial appearances in U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the Duluth Police Department, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the Superior (WI) Police Department, the Virginia Police Department, the Hibbing Police Department, and Arrowhead Regional Corrections, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett S. Fields is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to bank robbery and escape charges. Kim Daley, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of escape from custody. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2024. Daley was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022. In July 2017, Daley received a 100 month federal sentence followed by three years of supervised release for federal bank robbery convictions. On May 9, 2022, while serving the remainder of the custodial portion of that federal sentence at a Boston Residential Reentry Center (“RRC”), a facility in which he was lawfully confined at the direction of the Attorney General, Daley left the RRC with his belongings without permission and never returned. His whereabouts were unknown and he was classified as an escape on that date. On June 20, 2022, Daley walked into a TD Bank in Cambridge, passed a note to the teller demanding all the money and robbed the bank of $560 in US currency. Bank surveillance captured Daley entering the bank, passing the note to the teller and then leaving the bank a short time later with cash. Within approximately 40 minutes of the robbery, Daley was arrested in Cambridge and found to have $560 in US currency on his person. The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of escape from custody provides for a sentence of up to five 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christine Elow Cambridge Chief of Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Government Employee Arrested for Conspiracy to Defraud the District of Columbia to Benefit His Private Company

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging Ifediora Oli with conspiring with others to defraud the District of money, property, and the honest services of one of its employees. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office, Acting Inspector General Kevin B. Muhlendorf of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. Ifediora Oli, 41, was arrested this morning at his home in Silver Spring, MD. According to court documents, in addition to maintaining employment with the federal government, Oli is the Principal for Highbury Global Group, Inc. Oli has a long-term relationship with a person identified as Co-conspirator No. 1., who works at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Beginning in 2018, Co-conspirator No. 1 used his position at WMATA to steer business opportunities to Oli and Highbury. Another person, referred to in the affidavit as Co-conspirator No. 2, worked at WMATA from 2016 to January 2019, as a contract administrator. While they both worked at WMATA, Co-conspirator No. 1 introduced Co-conspirator No. 2 to Oli. Co-conspirator 2 later moved to the District’s Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP). At OCP, Co-conspirator 2 helped manage District government contracting activities such as advertising, negotiation, price analysis, bid selection, and contract implementation. In January 2021, OCP began the process of helping the District of Columbia’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) hire a vendor to provide DFS with COVID-19 testing supplies. On January 14, 2021, Co-conspirator No. 2 wrote to potential vendors, including Oli, and invited them to bid on the contract, which was ultimately awarded to Oli and Highbury. The COVID-19 testing supplies contract with Highbury on behalf of DFS was fully executed on February 4, 2021. The total contract amount was $659,099.22. The District of Columbia government ultimately paid Highbury over $630,000 on the COVID-19 testing supplies contract. As the contract was being implemented and ultimately closed out, Oli wired over $140,000 to Co-conspirator No. 1’s personal bank account. Of those amounts, Co-conspirator No. 1 kicked back $15,000 to Co-conspirator 2 in two cash installments, at Oli’s direction. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with the WMATA Office of the Inspector General and District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Minneapolis Man Charged with Bombing a Minneapolis Hair Salon

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been charged with maliciously damaging a Minneapolis hair salon by means of an explosive device, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on November 20, 2022, at approximately 2:49 AM, an explosive device detonated at a hair salon located in Minneapolis, causing damage to the exterior and interior of the business. A Ring video camera recording from the salon showed an adult male, later identified as Michael Allen Francisco, 59, placing the explosive device on the window of the salon. Francisco fled the area in a vehicle before the device detonated. According to court documents, on November 6, 2023, almost one year later, video footage captured Francisco vandalizing the same hair salon. Francisco threw a landscaping rock through the window of the salon, causing the window to break, before fleeing the scene. Investigators were able to collect DNA and other evidence that connected Francisco to both incidents. On March 28, 2024, officers and agents executed a search warrant at Francisco’s residence. Law enforcement recovered the jacket Francisco was wearing on November 6, 2023, during the brick incident; multiple explosive components including suspected energetic powders and fuses; a .32 caliber Iver Johnson Cadet revolver, with ammunition; and methamphetamine. Francisco has a prior felony conviction, prohibiting him from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The indictment charges Francisco with one count of maliciously damaging a building engaged in interstate commerce by means of an explosive device. Francisco made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing scheduled for April 8, 2024. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Recipient of Child Pornography Sentenced to Six Years in Prison, 10 Years of Supervised Release

body_text: WASHINGTON – Donte Mintz, 30, of Southeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for receiving numerous images and videos of child pornography, some of which depicted the rape and torture of real children as young as toddlers. The sentence, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Mintz pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography on June 14, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb. Judge Cobb accepted the guilty plea on April 2, 2024. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Mintz to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Restitution to Mintz’s victims is to be determined at a later date. According to court documents, Mintz possessed, received, and distributed child pornography. Specifically, in October 2020, an employee from Dropbox reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that there was suspected child sex abuse material (CSAM) found uploaded to Dropbox servers from Mintz’s account. On November 11, 2020, an employee working for the messaging application, KIK, reported to NCMEC that suspected CSAM had been found on its servers as well. KIK reported the user of two KIK accounts – both utilized by Mintz – sent the CSAM to other users through the chat feature of the application at the end of 2020. On Thursday, July 8, 2021, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Mintz’s apartment in Southeast Washington, D.C. During an interview on this same date, Mintz admitted to sharing, uploading, and viewing child sex abuse material. A review of Mintz’s cellular phones and laptop revealed thousands of files containing CSAM, including more than 230 known and identified victims. Mintz was a member of many online communities where he exchanged and discussed sexual abuse material. He then saved his child sexual abuse material to a Dropbox account and to electronic devices that he could access anywhere. This case was investigated by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth and Family Services Division, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Jocelyn Bond, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Buckner.


title: Active-Duty Airman Arrested for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

body_text: Wilmington, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced that an active-duty airman was arrested and charged today for the attempted enticement of a minor. According to publicly filed documents, Armand Nicholas Lu, 36, a Technical Sergeant (E-06) assigned to the Dover Air Force Base, met online, and began communicating via text message with an individual whom Lu believed to be a 14-year-old girl. In reality, and unbeknownst to Lu, the individual was a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Over the course of several weeks via text message, Lu expressed interest in meeting and having sex with the individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. On one occasion, Lu acknowledged that he could go to prison if he were caught. Ultimately, Lu arranged to meet with the “girl” on April 2, 2024, while her “mother” was at work. In advance of the meeting, Lu told the “girl” he had purchased intimate items in anticipation of their meeting, including condoms, honey, and lubricant. On April 2, 2024, Lu arrived at the pre-determined meeting location at which time he was placed in custody. During a search of Lu’s bedroom, law enforcement found condoms, honey, and lubricant. Lu has been charged via Complaint with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum period of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated this case, with the assistance of the FBI's Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and the Delaware State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is assigned to prosecute this case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER . A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. Attachments lu_complaint_redacted.pdf


title: Olympia, Washington, resident pleads guilty to threatening federal worker and agrees to hate-crime enhancement

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 42-year-old Thurston County resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to making a threat against a Black federal employee at the Social Security office in Olympia, Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven L. Veres was initially charged in July 2023, and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on June 25, 2024. According to records filed in the case, on February 16, 2023, Veres and a companion went to the Olympia Social Security Office seeking a replacement Social Security card. When a Black Social Security employee told Veres that Veres lacked the proper paperwork to obtain a new Social Security card, Veres became irate, threatening to assault and, per some witnesses, kill the worker. Veres also repeatedly yelled racial slurs at the employee. Veres pleaded guilty to Influencing a Federal Official by Threat. He also agreed to the application of the United States Sentencing Guidelines’ hate-crimes enhancement, which increases his offense level by three levels because he targeted the victim because of the victim’s perceived race or color. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both sides will ask for a sentence of 30 months in prison. If the court accepts the plea agreement at the sentencing hearing, the recommendation will bind the Court. As part of the plea agreement, Grays Harbor County will dismiss an unrelated prosecution against Veres for attempting to elude a police officer. The case is being investigated by the Federal Protective Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Dreher, Jocelyn Cooney, and Elyne Vaught in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.


title: Beverly Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting to Florida Jewelry and Other Items He Stole from Guests Staying at Luxury Hotel

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man pleaded guilty today to stealing jewelry and other items from victims staying at a luxury hotel last year, then traveling to Florida to sell the stolen goods. Jobson Marangoni De Castro, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. According to court documents, two victims – both residents of Brazil – traveled together to Beverly Hills in May 2023 to attend a fashion event scheduled several days after their arrival. On the evening of May 10, 2023, De Castro traveled by Uber to the victims’ hotel, tricked a hotel employee into giving him a key to the victims’ room, and – while the victims were away having dinner – stole six suitcases belonging to them. The suitcases contained jewelry, clothing, and accessories worth as much as approximately $1.8 million, prosecutors contend. Later that evening, the victims returned to their hotel room to discover all six of their suitcases were missing. The hotel staff then notified law enforcement about the theft. De Castro then traveled to Miami and, on May 17, 2023, messaged a buyer in Miami on Instagram. De Castro told the buyer he wanted to sell jewelry – a diamond necklace and luxury watch – but he did not have papers for them because he had found them in a box belonging to his late mother. The jewelry matched the description of that stolen from the victims in Beverly Hills a few days earlier, according to court documents. The next day, the buyer wired De Castro $50,000, for the jewelry, which De Castro brought to the buyer’s store in Miami. The name De Castro provided to the buyer was “Jobs Marangoni,” the same name he used for his Uber account. De Castro has been in federal custody since August 2023. United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera scheduled an April 30 evidentiary hearing for De Castro to determine the loss amount. A sentencing hearing is expected to be scheduled in the following months. The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander S. Gorin of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Birmingham Home Builder Pleads Guilty to $1.2 Million-Dollar Fraud

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to defrauding more than a dozen victims whose homes he had promised to build, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. Cecil Wayne Sanford , 58, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty before Judge Annemarie Carney Axon to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, Sanford was a residential builder in Alabama who operated through his business, Stone Pointe Builders, LLC. Between 2020 and early 2022, more than a dozen victims in the Birmingham area contracted with Sanford to build their homes and paid Sanford substantial sums of money (tens of thousands of dollars or more). Yet the victims saw little or no work done despite Sanford’s representations, draws on their construction loans, and invoices for construction-related expenses. Sanford made statements to victims about how their funds would be used and then spent the money in other ways, including to pay his own living expenses. In February 2022, days after closing with a family on a construction contract and collecting more than $27,000 from the family as a down payment, Sanford moved $10,000 into his personal bank account, withdrew it, abruptly closed the business, and left town. In his plea agreement, Sanford agreed to pay restitution to victims totaling more than $1.2 million. Sanford will be sentenced later this year. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is twenty years in prison. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting it. The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board assisted in the investigation.


title: Omaha Nonprofit Director Sentenced to 4 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that on April 2, 2024, Brenda K. Banks, 61, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for wire fraud. United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Banks to 4 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, Banks will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release, of which she is required to serve the first 8 months on home confinement. Banks was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $83,087.01 and was fined an additional $5,000.00. In 2018 and 2019, Banks, then-Executive Director of Angels on Wheels (AOW), submitted fraudulently altered documents to the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) to receive grant disbursements. These grants were awarded to AOW, a charitable nonprofit organization, to manage electronic collection and recycling events. Banks submitted applications and other documents to the NET to obtain the grant disbursements from the NET for two grants totaling $220,234. The NET required Banks to submit documentation, such as invoices or images of checks, prior to the distribution of any grant funds. In order to receive reimbursement for purported grant expenses, Banks repeatedly submitted false documents, to include altered check images and fictitious invoices, to the NET. For example, Banks fraudulently altered images of checks by whiting out the names of the individuals or companies that the checks had been paid to and writing names of other entities or organizations. Banks then presented the images of the altered checks to the NET. The NET relied upon Banks’s fraudulent submission of documents to award the grants, and to disburse funds in furtherance of the grants. Similarly, during the same period, Banks submitted applications and other documents to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to receive disbursements of funds from three additional grants for litter reduction & recycling totaling $184,141. As she did with the grants awarded by the NET, Banks submitted false documents, to include falsified check images, fictitious invoices, and unsupported payroll reports, to the NDEE. The NDEE relied upon Banks’s fraudulent submission of documents to award the grants, and to disburse funds in furtherance of the grants. Both the NET and NDEE are funded through the Nebraska Lottery and grants are made available for the completion of projects for the public good. In their respective agreements with grantees, grantees must not provide false or misleading information regarding actual documented expenses incurred during the application process or quarterly reporting process. In the case of each of the five grants awarded, Banks sought reimbursement for the full amount of the grant funds at least in part through her submission of altered and fabricated evidence of expenses. Additionally, on April 27, 2020, Banks applied to Great Western Bank for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of Angels on Wheels. As part of Angels on Wheels application to receive the PPP loan, Banks submitted a Board Resolution that falsely represented that AOW’s Board met on April 22, 2020, and that all of AOW’s Board members were present at a meeting and voted for Banks to be appointed as the individual who was authorized to apply for the loan on behalf of AOW. In fact, AOW’s Board of Directors held no such meeting and was not aware that Banks had applied for a PPP loan for AOW. On May 11, 2020, $60,420 of PPP loan funds were disbursed and deposited into the Great Western Bank account that Banks had opened using the fraudulent Board minutes. The PPP loan was later forgiven by Great Western Bank, though no funds were repaid. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm Possession

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

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jimmie D. Windham, III, 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced April 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Windham to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Windham’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On June 5, 2021, Omaha Police Department (OPD) gang unit officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by three males, one of whom had a warrant for his arrest. This led officers to seizing cell phones and ultimately searching them pursuant to a court authorized search warrant. A forensic investigation of one of the phones revealed several videos and photographs showing Windham possessing a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun. In videos, Windham is seen pointing the firearm at the camera and ejecting live ammunition from the gun. At one point, a partial serial number can be seen, which officers used to trace the firearm to its owner who revealed the firearm to have been stolen several months earlier. Investigators utilized metadata of the photographs and videos to find exact date and location where photographs were taken, revealing Windham to have been in Omaha, Nebraska during the time he possessed the firearm. Windham has the following prior felony convictions: Terroristic Threats and Witness Tampering (January 9, 2017), both in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska and Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm (October 27, 2015), in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Omaha Police Department.


title: Woman Sentenced for Voter Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Iowa woman was sentenced today to four months in prison, four months of home confinement, and two years of supervised release for a voter fraud scheme she perpetrated during the Iowa 2020 primary and general elections. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kim Phuong Taylor, age 50, of Sioux City perpetrated a scheme to generate votes in the June 2020 primary election and November 2020 general election. Taylor’s husband was an unsuccessful candidate for Iowa’s 4th U.S. Congressional District in the primary election, and subsequently a successful candidate for Woodbury County Supervisor in the 2020 general election. Taylor submitted or caused others to submit dozens of voter registrations, absentee ballot request forms, and absentee ballots containing false information. For example, although many of these documents required the signer to affirm that he or she was the person named in them, Taylor signed them for voters without their permission and told others that they could sign on behalf of relatives who were not present. A federal jury convicted Taylor in November 2023 of 26 counts of providing false information in registering and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax for the Northern District of Iowa; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office; and Acting Inspector in Charge Brad Mahs of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division made the announcement. The FBI Omaha Field Office and USPIS Denver Division investigated the case. Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons for the Northern District of Iowa prosecuted the case. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-4004. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Broken Arrow Resident Sentenced For Desecrating A Human Corpse

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lauren Ann Jackson, age 35, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for burning the body of a murder victim. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On June 8, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty in federal district court to one count of Desecration of a Human Corpse in Indian Country. According to investigators, between November 15 and 16 of 2021, Jackson assisted in burning the body of a victim murdered by Dayan Banks hours before. On January 29, 2024, Banks was convicted by a jury in state district court of one count of Murder in the First Degree—Deliberate Intent, and one count of Desecration of a Human Corpse. Jackson was prosecuted in federal court because she is a member of federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Jackson will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Launches Second Operation Aimed at Prosecuting Child Predators

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced the launch of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation is aimed at holding accountable child predators throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. Operation Clean Sweep II is partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force ( TACETT ) created by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). More than 40 federal, state, and tribal law enforcement committed resources to help prevent, identify, investigate and ultimately prosecute child exploitation. “Statistics show that crimes against children are growing at a large rate across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The Northern District of Oklahoma will remain steadfast in our battle against child predators and those who exploit children.” “Operations of this magnitude are necessary to identify and prosecute those who exploit children in our community,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, HSI Dallas – Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division. “HSI is committed to working with federal, state, and tribal partners to ensure those who victimize children are held accountable for their actions.” The operation’s first 11 defendants were arrested and charged with: Timothy Don Major, Jr. , 34 of Tulsa is charged with Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Nicholas Kyle Dietzel , 43, of Tulsa is charged with Attempted Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age; Attempted Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Person Under 18 Years of Age; Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Attempted Distribution of Child Pornography to a Minor; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Sequoyah Hinzo , 29, of Jay, a United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Tribe member, is charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1 and 2); Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Count 3); Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (Count 4); Receipt and Distribution of Child Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country (Count 5) Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country (Count 6). Lorenzo Ricky Jones , 34, of Tulsa, is charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender Kevin Lee Forney , 63, of Skiatook, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography Justin Lee Wheeler , 41, of Terlton, and member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor Tallo Dominic Williams , 48, of Bristow, is charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender Bryon Alan Lee , 31, of Sapulpa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Brandon Earl Presley , 29, of Bixby, is charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Production of Child Pornography; Possession of and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography Jason Wayne Case , 43, of Miami, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography Kyle Jackson Fugate , 26 of Bixby, is charged with Attempted Coercion or Enticement of a Minor The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Since its inception in 1998, the NCMEC’s CyberTipline has received more than 144 million reports. Statistics from 2023 provided by NCMEC show the following: The CyberTipline received more than 36.2 million reports which is a dramatic increase from 2019 when they received 16 million reports. The largest category reported in 2023 is related to suspected child sexual abuse material. An increase of 300% in online enticement reports between 2021 – 2023. This increase was due to the trend of financial sextortion, where offenders aggressively blackmail children for financial gain. More than 4,700 reports of child sexual abuse material were generated using GAI (AI) technology To combat the dramatic increase of exploitation of children, in December 2022, NCMEC launched a groundbreaking platform, Take It Down . This free and anonymous service allows users to submit a report online. This report can help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos that depict a child under 18 years old. For example, if a child sent a picture to someone and now that person is threatening to post it online. Whether the photo is posted or not, Take It Down helps remove it from places it might appear. Operation Clean Sweep II is led by Deputy Criminal Chief Christopher J. Nassar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert. The TACETT incorporates personnel from HSI Tulsa, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, LeFlore County District Attorney’s Office, Muskogee Police Department, Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, Pryor Creek Police Department, Skiatook Police Department, Broken Arrow Police Department, Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, Collinsville Police Department, Owasso Police Department, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Checotah Police Department, Sapulpa Police Department, Bristow Police Department, Glenpool Police Department, Tahlequah Police Department, Coweta Police Department, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Osage County Sheriff’s Office, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Each case listed above is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The U.S. Attorneys' Offices and Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page . If you or someone you know is a victim of child exploitation confidential help is available. Resources and contact information for child exploitation are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children . The CyberTipline can be found here . An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indiana Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Columbus, Ind. man, Raymond Anderson, 40, was sentenced last week, by U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning, to 132 months in prison, for his part in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving over 5,000 fentanyl pills that were pressed to appear as oxycodone pills. According to his plea agreement, between June 5 and June 8, 2023, Raymond Anderson conspired with Dominic Anderson, his cousin and co-defendant, and others to possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of a mixture of substance containing fentanyl. On June 7, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted a package that contained over 5,000 fentanyl pills before it could be delivered to a residence in Erlanger. The next day law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package to that residence. David Bradford, another co-defendant, and Dominic Anderson were arrested after each attempted to take possession of the package. Evidence revealed that Raymond Anderson had also been conspiring with Dominic Anderson, and others, to receive the package for subsequent distribution of the drugs inside. Dominic Anderson was previously sentenced to 170 months in prison. Bradford was previously sentenced to 60 months. Under federal law, Bradford and each of the Andersons must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, the Andersons will each be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Bradford will be supervised for six years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division; and Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The Investigation was conducted by the USPIS, NKDSF, and DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Shiprock Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges for killing two people and seriously injuring a third in a head-on collision while driving under the influence of alcohol. Brian Gonnie , 44, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation., is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleges that on December 1, 2023, Gonnie operated a motor vehicle without due caution and with a wanton and reckless disregard for human life, resulting in the deaths of John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury of John Doe 3. Gonnie appeared in federal court for an arraignment today and will remain on conditions of release pending trial. If convicted, Gonnie faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. This case is being investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Shelby County Man Indicted for Offenses Relating to Child Pornography, Encouraging Illegal Entry into the United States, and Making False Statements to a Federal Agency

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky.— In a federal indictment, returned on March 21, 2024 and unsealed Thursday, Natividad Aguilera Garcia, 37, of Shelbyville, Ky., was charged with one count of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in prohibited sexual activity, one count of transportation of a minor to engage in prohibited sexual activity, one count of encouraging illegal entry, one count of making a false statement to a federal agency, and one count of presenting a false document to a federal agency. The indictment alleges that, beginning on May 1, 2021, Garcia enticed a minor (“Minor A”) to engage in prohibited sexual activity, produced and received sexually explicit visual depictions of Minor A, and transported Minor A in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of prohibited sexual activity. The indictment further alleges that Garcia induced three aliens, including Minor A, to illegally enter the United States. Following Minor A’s illegal entry, the indictment alleges that Garcia made false statements and used false documents in an application to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (“ORR”), the subdivision of Health and Human Services that oversees the care of unaccompanied migrant children, claiming that he was Minor A’s uncle, knowing that he was not. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville Field Office; Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Regional Office; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Bruce Gentry, Shelbyville Police Department, jointly announced the indictment. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by HSI, HHS-OIG, Kentucky State Police, and Shelbyville Police Department. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton. Garcia appeared in federal court for his arraignment on Monday. For the production charge, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. — END —


title: Lynn Man Charged with Sex Trafficking Three Women

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man has been charged with allegedly trafficking three women to engage in commercial sex acts and transporting one of them to another state for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Anthony Coleman, 34, was indicted on three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of transporting a person for purposes of prostitution. He was arrested on March 29, 2024, and will appear in federal court in Boston at 11:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. “The indictment alleges that Mr. Coleman chose to prey on women who were struggling with employment and housing when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. He allegedly forced these women to sell their bodies, took their money and violently assaulted them to make sure they obeyed his commands,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Human trafficking is abhorrent whenever it occurs and it is typically the product of exploiting a victim’s vulnerability, in this case the onset of a pandemic. Mr. Coleman now faces real consequences for his alleged conduct and his victims will finally be free of his torment.” “Anthony Coleman is accused of staggering violence and cruelty against women he trafficked and forced into commercial sex. In a pattern we see over and over with human traffickers, Coleman allegedly targeted women in need and offered them security only to use violence and threats to control their money and their bodies. These cases are complex and can only be worked in close collaboration with our partners in law enforcement and victims support services who share our commitment to holding these human traffickers to account and working towards a life of dignity for survivors,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. According to the indictment, Coleman targeted victims who had lost their jobs or homes during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in March through August of 2020. It is alleged that Coleman had his victims move with him into a house in Lawrence, posted or controlled online commercial sex advertisements for them, provided them scripts to negotiate payment and terms with commercial sex buyers and transported his victims to hotels and other places to engage in commercial sex – requiring them to give him all the money they made. It is further alleged that Coleman also regularly coerced and forced his victims to have sex with him. Specifically, in March 2020, Coleman allegedly recruited one victim who had lost her job due to the pandemic. It is alleged that the victim would sometimes serve up to 10-16 clients per day, with Coleman taking all the profits. Coleman allegedly took the victim to Florida on multiple occasions and had her engage in commercial sex in Florida. It is further alleged that Coleman physically abused the victim – one time holding the victim underwater and threatening to drown her and another time requiring the victim to walk outside naked on broken glass when she disobeyed him. On one occasion, Coleman allegedly threw the victim against a wall, causing her to become concussed. On another occasion, Coleman allegedly threw a phone at the victim’s face, causing a visible injury to her eye. According to the indictment, around March and April 2020, Coleman recruited a second victim, convincing her to come live with him after she was kicked out of her home by a relative following their disagreements around COVID-19 safety practices. This victim was unable to get a job because many businesses were closed due to COVID-19. It is alleged that the victim began engaging in commercial sex for Coleman and, when she wanted to leave Coleman threatened her – telling her that if she left, he would hurt her mother and her sibling. It is further alleged that Coleman recruited a third victim who was homeless in the summer of 2020. The victim allegedly engaged in commercial sex and after a few days, was required to give Coleman all the money she earned. It is alleged that when the victim did something Coleman did not like or refused to engage in commercial sex, Coleman would physically and verbally assault her. On one occasion, Coleman allegedly hit the victim in the face with an open hand. Another time, Coleman allegedly struck the victim in the face, pulled her hair, strangled her and threw her to the ground. Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this alleged crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three 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 U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere and Cambridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indy Man Sentenced to Over 28 Years in Federal Prison for Molesting and Exploiting 12-Year-Old Boy While Babysitting

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Ronald May, 54, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 340 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. According to court documents, the victim was a twelve-year old boy living with his mother in Indianapolis. In the spring of 2023, Ronald May and the mother worked at the same company. The mother was a store manager, and her duties occasionally required her to work overnight shifts. May volunteered to babysit her son while she was at work overnight. Beginning on March 5, 2023, and continuing until April 28, 2023, May purchased items for the child, “wrestled” with him, required him to sleep in May’s bed together nude, showed the boy adult pornography, and discussed sexual activity with the child. Individuals with a sexual interest in children engage in these behaviors, often referred to as “grooming,” to build trusting relationships with potential victims and lower their defenses to sexual exploitation by adults. May sexually assaulted the boy during the forced “wrestling” sessions. May also used his cellphone to take at least 39 sexually explicit images of the child. On April 23, 2023, the mother discovered the abuse and reported May to police. After the police searched his home, May began to harass the mother by constantly calling and sending her text messages. May also drove by the mother’s home after the search and sent threatening messages including, “u can’t hide I know where u live.” “This criminal’s actions are every parent’s nightmare. Every day, children are horrifically abused by predators like this defendant, who work insidiously to build trust—while hiding the worst of intentions,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The exploitation of our children is utterly unacceptable in a civilized society, and pedophiles like this one will be held accountable for their crimes. Thanks to the hard work of investigators and prosecutors, this man will never harm another child.” The U.S. Secret Service and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Chief Judge Pratt ordered that May be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years following his release from federal prison and pay $10,000 in restitution to the child victim. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. ###


title: $6 Million Worth of Oregon Properties Forfeited in Connection to Interstate Marijuana Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it has forfeited on behalf of the United States 14 real properties located in Oregon—together worth more than $5.7 million—that were used by an interstate drug trafficking organization to illegally grow marijuana for redistribution and sale in other states. The owner of a 15th property agreed to pay the government $400,000 in lieu of having their property forfeited. Beginning at an unknown time, and continuing until September 2021, the properties, located in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties, were used as illegal marijuana grow houses by an interstate drug trafficking organization led by Fayao “Paul” Rong, 53, of Houston, Texas. On July 19, 2023, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, Rong was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. “This prosecution and yearslong effort to forfeit properties used by the Rong organization to grow and process thousands of pounds of marijuana demonstrate the long reach of our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable and mitigating the damage these criminal organizations inflict on neighborhoods and communities,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “The goal of drug traffickers is to generate profits through their crimes,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Field Division. “The DEA and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the Oregon State Police worked hard in this case to investigate and forfeit the ill-gotten gains of this organization, benefiting our entire community.” “The Oregon State Police is committed to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations operating within our state. Our priorities include safeguarding Oregon’s natural resources and mitigating the impact illicit marijuana has on them,” said Tyler Bechtel, Oregon State Police (OSP) Lieutenant. “This case is a great example of the results that can be achieved when all levels of law enforcement work together toward our common goals.” According to court documents, Rong purchased numerous residential houses in Oregon using several different identities and, with others in his organization, used them to grow and process marijuana and prepare it for transport to states where its use remains illegal. In a 12-month period beginning August 2020, Rong’s organization trafficked more than $13.2 million dollars in black market marijuana. In early September 2021, a coordinated law enforcement operation led by DEA and OSP targeted Rong’s organization. Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners executed search warrants on 25 Oregon residences and Rong’s home in Houston. During the precipitating investigation and ensuing search warrants, investigators seized nearly 33,000 marijuana plants, 1,800 pounds of packaged marijuana, 23 firearms, nine vehicles, $20,000 in money orders, and more than $591,000 in cash. The Rong organization takedown followed a 14-month investigation initiated by OSP after the agency learned of excessive electricity use at the various properties, which, in several instances, resulted in transformer explosions. Multiple citizen complaints corroborated law enforcement’s belief that Rong was leading a large black market marijuana operation. With the assistance of the Columbia and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices, OSP found associated marijuana grows in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, and Polk Counties. On February 18, 2022, Rong was arrested by DEA agents in Houston. This case was investigated by DEA, OSP, and the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Oregon Department of Justice; Portland Police Bureau; the Yamhill, Clatsop, Marion, Multnomah, Columbia, and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices; Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team; and Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings were handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division. The proceeds of forfeited assets are deposited in the Justice Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF) and used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of other law enforcement purposes. To learn more about the AFF, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/afp/assets-forfeiture-fund-aff . This prosecution is the result 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 U.S. 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: Marion County Man Admits to Federal Firearms Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jermel Matthew Williams, age 32, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge. Williams pled guilty to one count of making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, investigators uncovered that Williams, a known drug user, falsified forms to purchase firearms from a licensed dealer in Fairmont. Several of those guns later were discovered in crime investigations in California and Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided. ###


title: New Haven Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Gunpoint Robberies, Carjacking

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTIAN BORRERO, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for committing gunpoint robberies of convenience stores and an armed carjacking in 2022. According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF and the New Haven Police Department investigated a series of gunpoint robberies and a carjacking that occurred in late June and early July 2022. The investigation revealed that Borrero committed an armed robbery of a Citgo Gas Station located at 957 Foxon Road in East Haven on June 29, 2022; an armed carjacking followed by an armed robbery of a 7-Eleven Convenience Store located at 1089 Campbell Avenue in West Haven on July 3, 2022; and an armed robbery on an Xpress Mart Gas Station located at 180 Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia on July 7, 2022. In addition, on July 6, 2022, Borrero and his associate, Robert Smith, committed an armed robbery of a Shell Gas Station located at 195 State Street in North Haven. Borrero has been detained since July 13, 2022. On January 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On September 28, 2023, Smith, of New Haven, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He awaits sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Two Individuals Indicted for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl that Caused the Death of Transgender Activist

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a four-count indictment was unsealed charging Michael Kuilan and Antonio Venti with distributing the heroin and fentanyl that caused the death of New York transgender activist, Cecilia Gentili. Kuilan is also charged with unlawful gun possession. Kuilan and Venti are in custody and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges. “Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, the alleged perpetrators who sold the deadly dose of drugs to Gentili have been arrested,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our Office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug.” “Today’s indictment delivers a strong message to anyone who profits from poisoning our communities with illicit drugs: There are dedicated investigators, across multiple agencies, working tirelessly to disrupt your shameful industry by pinpointing the source of these unlawful substances,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “It is imperative that we continue to hold distributors accountable for their callous actions. I commend the NYPD’s partners at the DEA and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their ongoing commitment to this critical mission.” “These arrests result in the charges brought against the defendants for causing the death of transgender rights activist Cecilia Gentile. Drug poisonings take too many lives too soon from communities nationwide and DEA is committed to bringing to justice those responsible. Fentanyl is a deadly drug that dealers mix into their product and has accounted for 70% of drug related deaths nationwide. The more people that know about the dangers of today’s drug landscape, the more lives can be saved” stated Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino of the Drug Enforcement Administration - New York Division “The death of Ms. Gentile is a reminder of the dangers that illicit drugs have on all communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. I applaud the hard work by the DEA New York Division, NYPD Brooklyn South Narcotics and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York.” According to the indictment and court documents, on February 6, 2024, following a 911 call by Gentili’s partner, NYPD officers reported to Gentili’s home in Brooklyn, New York and found Gentili dead in her bedroom. Gentili died due to the combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine. Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence revealed that Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on February 5, 2024, and Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics. In addition, law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn belonging to Kuilan and found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun, and ammunition. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If found guilty, they face up to life in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Amir is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti. The Defendants : MICHAEL KUILAN Age: 44 Brooklyn, New York ANTONIO VENTI Age: 52 West Babylon, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-130 (BMC)


title: Tiverton Man Admits to Enticing, Transporting a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Tiverton man admitted to a federal judge that he enticed a 13-year-old girl he knew to be a minor to travel with him from her home in Pennsylvania to his family’s residence in Rhode Island, during which time he engaged in criminal sexual activity with her, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. William C. Stewart, 22, pleaded guilty on Friday to charges of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Stewart admitted that on June 17, 2021, he began communicating with the minor victim via SnapChat, quickly learning that she was 13 years old. During his ongoing communications, he persuaded the young girl to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Stewart admitted that in the middle of the night on June 30, 2021, he picked the girl up from outside her home and began to drive with her to his home in Tiverton, Rhode Island for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with her. Stewart drove with the girl through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. While enroute to Rhode Island, Stewart stayed at a hotel in New London, Connecticut, where he engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim. According to court documents, after arriving in Rhode Island, Stewart also engaged in sexual activity with the minor female. According to information presented to the court, upon arrival at his family’s Tiverton residence on July 4, 2021, Stewart introduced the minor victim to his family members, using a false name for her and falsely stating that she was soon to turn 19 years old. On July 7, the young girl contacted a friend via SnapChat and asked for help, after which the Tiverton Police identified the minor victim’s location and responded to Stewart’s home. Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Seaman and Denise M. Barton. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Tiverton Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police. ###


title: Romanian National Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Leading Scheme that Stole Benefits from Low-Income Families

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Romanian man has been sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for leading a group that used illegal skimmers on ATMs to harvest data, created counterfeit debit cards using the stolen account holder information, then used the cloned cards to make cash withdrawals from numerous victims, including low-income individuals on public assistance, the Justice Department announced today. Marius Oprea, 38, who most recently was residing in a short-term rental property in Port Hueneme, was sentenced late Friday by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. In addition to the prison term, Judge Frimpong ordered Oprea to pay $28,974 in restitution. Oprea – whom prosecutors believe illegally entered the United States – pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, admitting that he and his accomplices used counterfeit cards to fraudulently make withdrawals from the accounts of numerous victims. Using an alias, Oprea received sophisticated skimming devices shipped to a mail drop he rented, lived in a short-term residence, and maintained the master list of stolen account information, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors that called the criminal crew “unusually professional.” The skimming ring focused on Bank of America accounts, which provides debit cards for California anti-poverty programs, including those providing benefits for unemployed and disabled individuals. “[T]he individuals whose accounts are looted most frequently are those who depend on government payments to survive,” according to declaration by an FBI agent. “[Oprea] illegally entered our country for one purpose – to take advantage of the weaker ATM security here, which does not require cards containing computer chips,” according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He pursued fraud like a full-time job, netting thousands of victims’ accounts.” The FBI investigated this case and received significant assistance from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case. This case is the product of an investigation by the Vulnerable Communities Task Force, which is focused on investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities that prey on communities that typically are less likely to report crimes to law enforcement and historically have had less legal recourse to address the offenders targeting them. These groups may include immigrants and migrant workers defrauded in immigration schemes, indigent individuals reliant on public benefits, the elderly, and those who have been reluctant to seek assistance from government authorities.


title: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Pill Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to participating in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Lawrence M. Nagle Sr., 56, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing Aug. 2, 2024. Nagle Sr. was among 23 individuals charged in October 2022. According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area. As part of the conspiracy, Nagle Sr. stored various controlled substances including counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit methamphetamine pills containing methamphetamine at his apartment on behalf of the DTO. A search of his apartment in October 2022 resulted in seizure of various quantities fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as three loaded firearms and more than $26,000 in drug proceeds Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.