title: Inkster Mayor Charged With Bribery

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A federal indictment was issued charging the mayor of the City of Inkster with bribery, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patrick Wimberly, 49, of Inkster, is the elected mayor of the City of Inkster, Michigan. According to the indictment, Wimberly demanded cash payments to facilitate the sale of property owned by the city (referred to as “Parcel 1”) to an outside party (referred to as “Person A”). Over several months, Person A provided Wimberly with monthly cash bribes to secure the purchase of this property. The monthly payments started at $5,000 but the parties agreed to eventually increase that amount. After the initial bribes, Wimberly explained that he was ready to increase the payments. Person A agreed. But when Person A later didn’t provide the amount Wimberly expected, Wimberly complained that he was due “10$ a month.” Person A then increased the monthly payments to $10,000. In total, Person A provided $50,000 in cash to Wimberly to assure a winning bid of Parcel 1. Wimberly was charged with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666. This bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. “Elected public officials owe a duty to their community to act in the citizens’ best interest,” United States Attorney Ison said. “Our office is committed to prosecuting those public officials who betray the public trust by accepting bribes.” "Mr. Wimberly was elected to serve the people of Inkster, yet he prioritized his personal interests and greed over their needs," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "The FBI considers public corruption its primary criminal investigative concern and will continue investigating allegations to maintain public trust in elected officials." The investigation of this case was conducted by the FBI's Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Cares and Eaton P. Brown. An indictment is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt.


title: Mexican national sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for East Texas drug trafficking violations

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs through the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Fernando Alfredo Rodriguez-Reyes, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth, heroin and cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant. According to information presented in court, on June 18, 2020, Rodriguez-Reyes was arrested when law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a residence on Lytham Drive in Dallas. The residence had been identified as a money and drug stash house distributing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin in the Dallas, Lewisville, McKinney, Carrollton, Fort Worth, and Plano areas. During the investigation it was discovered the drugs were sourced by a party in Mexico, with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, and shipped from Mexico, to California, and eventually to the greater Dallas area. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. ###


title: Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute and Possessing with Intent to Distribute Crack-Cocaine and Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Perry King, age 47, of Johnstown, PA, pleaded guilty to Count One of a Superseding Indictment and to Counts One and Two of an Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. In connection with the guilty plea, from on or about April 2019, to on or about July 2021, King did conspire to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Further, on or about October 31, 2019, King did possess with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as “crack”. Additionally, on or about January 14, 2020, King did possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as “crack:”. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for February 8, 2024. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000,000, or both, at Count One of the Indictment, and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both at Count One of the Superseding Indictment and Count Two of the Indictment. 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 Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of King. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Jacksonville Beach Nurse Pleads Guilty To Tampering With Medication

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Katherine Jee Rankin (30, Jacksonville Beach) today pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product, specifically injectable hydromorphone. Rankin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to the plea agreement, Rankin was a registered nurse and employed by a surgical center in Jacksonville. On October 13, 2022, after discovering that Rankin had forged an anesthesia record, a supervisor confronted Rankin and told her that she was being fired. After being terminated, but while still in the building, Rankin was seen by another employee, and captured on a surveillance camera, removing some vials from a controlled substances cabinet. While still at the surgical center, Rankin had a discussion with three other employees telling them that she had an addiction and that she had been taking drugs from the facility. She also said that the center’s drug count was going to be off. Rankin eventually turned over four vials of injectable hydromorphone, stating that the vials did not contain hydromorphone, but saline. Rankin explained that she had removed the hydromorphone, replaced it with saline, glued the caps back on, and then put vials back in the inventory so that surgical center’s drug count would be correct. Laboratory testing later showed that all four vials contained evidence of physical tampering (caps being removed and glued back on) and chemical tampering (each vial contained very diluted amounts of hydromorphone). A review of patient records showed numerous instances in which 200 ml of hydromorphone was documented as being administered to patients when that amount would have been unusual – 100 ml being more typical. On those occasions, the entries appeared to have been altered with a “2” being written over the “1.” There were also multiple records of hydromorphone supposedly being administered post-operatively (which also would be unusual), indicating that these records were falsified or altered to cover for Rankin’s diversion of drugs for personal use. As a trained and educated healthcare professional, Rankin knew that tampering with medication and falsifying records placed patients in danger of bodily injury and potentially death. This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office – Pharmaceutical Diversion and Designer Drug Unit attached to the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.


title: President of Metalhouse LLC Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Over $150 Million to Promote Russian Sanctions Violations

component: Criminal Division

body_text: John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, the president of Metalhouse LLC, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of U.S. sanctions by conducting transactions to acquire over $150 million in metal products from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch. According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine. On April 13, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned a 22-count indictment charging Unsalan with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 10 counts of violating IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and 10 counts of international money laundering. As set forth in court filings, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan conspired with others to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and sanctioned companies controlled by Kurchenko. Unsalan engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko and his companies were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited Unsalan from doing business with them. Unsalan and his business associates received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers. Unsalan pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of the IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Unsalan also agreed to forfeit $160,416,948.56 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. Pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement between Unsalan and the United States, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. On Sept. 13, co-conspirator Sergey Karpushkin pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit over $4.7 million in criminal proceeds. The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Seven Defendants Sentenced for Drug and Firearm Offenses Related to 2019 Burlington Murder

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that seven defendants have been sentenced in connection with drug and firearm charges related to the murder of Benzel Hampton on April 16, 2019, concluding today with the sentencing of James Felix. All seven defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, cocaine, and heroin, and conspiracy to use a firearm during and in relation to a drug conspiracy. According to court records, in late 2018, Lesine Woodson came to Vermont from Orlando, Florida, to sell cocaine base in partnership with Benzel Hampton, who was also from Orlando. Shortly after arriving in Vermont, Woodson refused to use the profits of the partnership’s drug sales to pay Hampton’s bail after Hampton was arrested and then attempted to take over the business of selling to Hampton’s Burlington-area drug customers. Woodson’s actions started a feud between she and Hampton, eventually leading to the murder of Hampton. Woodson brought several individuals to Vermont from Orlando, Florida, including her 18-year-old cousin, Brandon Sanders, her boyfriend, James Felix, and her childhood friend, Johnny Ford. During early 2019, the group sold cocaine base in and around Burlington and lived in an apartment located on Lafountain Street in Burlington that served as the base of operations for the drug and firearm conspiracies for which they have been convicted. Jennifer MacDonald and Devlin Koski worked for Woodson selling cocaine base on her behalf. The feud between Woodson and Hampton reached its apex on April 16, 2019, after Hampton sent a text message referring to Ford and stating, “this is my city” and “checkmate.” After receiving the message, Felix and his co-conspirators borrowed a drug customer’s car, and Felix and Ford retrieved firearms. The group located Hampton at 235 North Willard Street, the residence of a drug customer of both Woodson and Hampton. Ford, Felix and Sanders waited for Hampton near the door to 235 North Willard Street. When Hampton walked out of the building, Felix tackled Hampton. Hampton, too, was armed and shooting began. Both Ford and Felix shot Hampton. Felix was also shot several times. Ford, Felix, Woodson and Sanders fled while Hampton died of his wounds. Three .380 caliber bullets shot by Ford were found in Hampton’s body, causing fatal wounds to his chest and his head, and one .22 caliber bullet shot by Felix – causing a non-fatal wound – was found in Hampton’s head. Woodson and Felix were arrested after Felix was taken to UVM Medical Center. Angelina Pearson and another individual discarded the firearms in a wooded area in South Burlington, Vermont, where they were later located by police. Pearson and Sanders were arrested the following day during a motor vehicle stop on Interstate 95 in Enfield, Connecticut. Ford was arrested at a motel in Enfield, Connecticut, where law enforcement found more than 100 combined grams of heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, along with more than $17,000 of U.S. currency. United States District Judge Christina Reiss imposed the following sentences, each followed by a three-year term of federal supervised release, which were advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Johnny Ford – 180 months (15 years) James Felix – 138 months Lesine Woodson – 89 months Brandon Sanders – 49 months Angelina Pearson – Time Served Jennifer MacDonald – Time Served Devlin Koski – Time Served U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated: “This violent, drug-involved crime occurred in the middle of the day in Burlington as children and their parents walked home from school. It is exactly the kind of horrific and disruptive crime that we work every day to eradicate. This particular case was complex and required significant collaboration between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Burlington Police Department, and the Enfield (CT) Police Department. I am thankful for and applaud that collaboration and the determined efforts of all of our law enforcement partners who worked to solve this crime and who go to work every day seeking to make Vermont a safer place to live. You can be sure that as long as violent crime persists in the District of Vermont, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to expend significant resources in this area.” ATF Boston Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson stated: “These case results represent the epitome of law enforcement agencies working together to target and dismantle violent drug traffickers that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. The citizens of Burlington and all of Vermont have the right to a life free from gun crime. We hope our neighbors sleep a little sounder knowing ATF will never falter in our commitment to work with our local, state and federal partners to attack these dealers and remove violent criminals from our neighborhoods.” DEA New England Field Division SAC Brian D. Boyle stated: “DEA is committed to dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations. As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.” Burlington Police Department Chief John Murad stated: “This was a horrible crime. Murder is rare but when it does arrive we seek justice. I want to acknowledge the amazing work done by all our officers on scene. I am always humbled by the men and women of the BPD for the work they do for the city and the communities they serve. I want to thank and acknowledge our detectives who put a tremendous amount of time and resources into this investigation. We are grateful for our federal partners and especially thankful for the United States Attorney’s Office for stepping up and taking on such a complex case. And we are continuously thankful to our fellow law enforcement partners for working together throughout this case – this collaboration was vital.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nate Burris and Paul Van de Graaf. Johnny Ford was represented by Natasha Sen, Esq. and Heather Ross, Esq. James Felix was represented by David Sleigh, Esq. Lesine Woodson was represented by Peter Langrock, Esq. and William Vasiliou, Esq. Brandon Sanders was represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Angelina Pearson was represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq. Jennifer MacDonald was represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. Devlin Koski was represented by Paul Volk, Esq. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Pharmacy Owner And Money Launderer Plead Guilty To Multiple Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty pleas of NERIK ILYAYEV and MUKHIDDIN KADIROV for their respective roles in HIV medication fraud, no-fault automobile insurance fraud, and money laundering schemes totaling over $6 million. ILYAYEV pled guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud for using two different pharmacies to defraud Medicare and Medicaid in connection with HIV medication claims and to defraud no-fault automobile insurance providers in connection with other medication claims. KADIROV laundered several million dollars in fraud proceeds in connection with the HIV fraud scheme. ILYAYEV and KADIROV pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nerik Ilyayev brazenly defrauded Medicare and Medicaid and New York’s no-fault automobile insurance providers of over $6 million. To execute his schemes, Ilyayev sourced pharmaceuticals from illegitimate sources and worked with others to pay kickbacks to low-income individuals. Mukhiddin Kadirov facilitated the Medicare and Medicaid fraud by laundering millions in crime proceeds through shell companies. Both Ilyayev and Kadirov went to great lengths to conceal their role in these crimes, including using the identities of other people. Ilyayev and Kadirov will now pay for their crimes, and this Office will not stop pursuing those who seek to profit by defrauding our healthcare system.” According to the Complaint, Information, and statements made in open court: From approximately February 2021 through March 2022, ILYAYEV owned and operated a pharmacy in Manhattan (“Pharmacy-1”). ILYAYEV used Pharmacy-1 to pay illegal kickbacks to low-income HIV patients to recruit them to fill prescriptions for expensive HIV medications at Pharmacy-1 and to obtain HIV medications from unlawful sources. ILYAYEV, on behalf of Pharmacy-1, then submitted fraudulent insurance claims to Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of the HIV medications. In order to conceal his role in the fraud scheme, ILYAYEV used the identity of another person (“Individual-1”) and pretended to be Individual-1 to own and operate Pharmacy-1 using Individual-1’s identity. Medicare and Medicaid collectively paid approximately $5.2 million in fraudulent claims for HIV medications to Pharmacy-1. After shutting down Pharmacy-1, ILYAYEV took control of another pharmacy in Queens, New York (“Pharmacy-2”). Again, to conceal his role in the fraud, ILYAYEV used the identity of another person (“Individual-3”) and pretended to be Individual-3 to own and operate Pharmacy-2. Pharmacy-2 submitted fraudulent insurance claims to no-fault automobile insurance providers. Pharmacy-2 defrauded the no-fault automobile insurance providers of approximately $1.2 million. In addition, Pharmacy-2 unlawfully sold pharmaceuticals to other pharmacies that ILYAYEV had obtained from illegitimate sources. KADIROV participated in a money laundering network that primarily launders healthcare fraud proceeds (the “Money Laundering Network”) that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) has been investigating since approximately 2020. Members of the Money Laundering Network typically deposit checks from healthcare companies that represent healthcare fraud proceeds into New York-based bank accounts held by shell companies. The shell companies often purport to be wholesale companies and use terms like “wholesale” in the company name to make the check deposits from the healthcare companies appear less suspicious to banks and law enforcement. The conspirators controlling the shell companies collect cash typically from U.S.-based individuals who want to remit funds, often to Uzbekistan, through unlicensed channels. The conspirators controlling the shell companies then provide that cash, minus a fee, to the conspirators providing the healthcare checks. The conspirators controlling the shell companies next typically wire the check deposit proceeds from the shell companies to Chinese or other foreign companies to purchase goods from those foreign companies. The foreign companies ship the goods to importers in Uzbekistan. The importers pay the Uzbekistan-based partners of the conspirators operating the shell companies in U.S. Currency for the goods. Those Uzbekistan-based partners would then give the U.S. currency to the families and friends of the individuals who had provided the cash to the conspirators controlling the shell companies in New York. As part of his participation in the Money Laundering Network, KADIROV laundered approximately $4.2 million of Pharmacy-1’s fraud proceeds. KADIROV used three bank accounts in the name of three shell companies that were purportedly wholesale companies (the “Shell Companies”) to launder Pharmacy-1’s fraud proceeds. The Shell Company bank accounts were opened in the name of another person (“Individual-2”), although KADIROV controlled the bank accounts. KADIROV took other steps to conceal his role in the money laundering scheme, including using a burner phone in connection with the Shell Company bank accounts, and he concealed his face when using ATMs to conduct transactions using the Shell Company bank accounts. Pharmacy-1 deposited approximately $4.2 million in checks with the Shell Companies. Consistent with the operations of the Money Laundering Network, the Shell Companies wired most of the check deposits to companies abroad, including China, Ukraine, and Russia. * * * ILYAYEV, 36, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison. KADIROV, 44, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Mr. Williams also thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor for their assistance in the investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecilia E. Vogel is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Key West hotel housekeeping manager sentenced for tax and immigration conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A former housekeeping manager at a large Key West hotel, Nataliya Vasylivna Kasyanenko, was sentenced on Sept. 29, to eight months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States for her role in a tax and immigration conspiracy related to the operation of a labor staffing business, Phoenix ADB Services, Inc. (“Phoenix ADB”). From at least 2009 to October 2020, a large hotel in Key West used staffing services provided by several companies, including General Labor Solutions LLC, Liberty Specialty Services LLC, Paradise Choice LLC and Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC (collectively, “Paradise Choice”), AmeriHos LLC (“American Hospitality”), Golden Sands Management LLC (“Golden Sands”). and Phoenix ADB (collectively, “hospitality labor staffing companies”). As a manager, Kasyanenko used these companies to hire aliens for positions at her hotel whom she knew were not authorized to work in the United States and received kickbacks from the hospitality labor staffing companies for directing unauthorized workers to be placed on their respective payrolls. Kasyanenko knew that the operators of Phoenix ADB—who included her sons, Former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko and Roman Riabov—paid workers without withholding federal income or employment taxes from their gross wages and did not file with the IRS requisite tax forms for such workers employed at hotels, bars, and restaurants in Key West and at other locations in Florida. In a series of prior cases filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, operators of the hospitality labor staffing companies have been convicted and sentenced to prison for facilitating the employment of unauthorized workers in the Key West hospitality industry and violating the employment tax laws. Mykhaylo Chugay, one of the operators of General Labor Solutions LLC, Liberty Specialty Services LLC, and Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, was convicted at trial in June 2022, and sentenced to 292 months in prison. Two of Chugay’s coconspirators, Oleksandr Morgunov and Volodymyr Ogorodnychuk, each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 96 months and 48 months in prison, respectively. Batyr Myatiev, the owner and operator of American Hospitality and Golden Sands, pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced to 32 months in prison. In March 2022, Mikus Berzins, Igor Kasyanenko, Riabov, and Andrejs Kozlovs each pleaded guilty, acknowledging their respective roles in the operation of Phoenix ADB. Igor Kasyanenko and Riabov were sentenced to 22 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the same conspiracy to which Nataliya Kasyanenko pleaded guilty in this case. Mikus Berzins and Andrejs Kozlovs were sentenced to 28 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for knowingly hiring ten or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham ordered Nataliya Kasyanenko to serve two years of supervised release and to pay approximately $1.09 million in restitution to the United States. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the sentence. IRS-CI Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark, Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Tax Division prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-10001. ###


body_text: WASHINGTON – John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, the president of Metalhouse LLC, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of U.S. sanctions by conducting transactions to acquire over $150 million in metal products from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch. According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine. On April 13, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned a 22-count indictment charging Unsalan with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 10 counts of violating IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and 10 counts of international money laundering. As set forth in court filings, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan conspired with others to transfer over $150 million to Kurchenko and sanctioned companies controlled by Kurchenko. Unsalan engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko and his companies were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited Unsalan from doing business with them. Unsalan and his business associates received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers. Unsalan pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering to promote violations of the IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Unsalan also agreed to forfeit $160,416,948.56 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. Pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement between Unsalan and the United States, the government agreed to dismiss the remaining counts of the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. On Sept. 13, co-conspirator Sergey Karpushkin pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit over $4.7 million in criminal proceeds. The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Calhoun County Man Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Calhoun County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty for possession of a sexually explicit video of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. U.S. District Judge Annmarie Axon sentenced Joseph Skylar Weeks, 32, of Jacksonville, Alabama, to 97 months in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. In June, Weeks plead guilty to possession of child pornography. According to the plea agreement, On August 7, 2022, an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) responded to an ad posted by Weeks on a social media application. Between August 2022 and October 2022, Weeks communicated with the UC, whom Weeks believed to be a 14-year-old girl, about arranging a time to meet. On October 13th, Weeks arrived at the meeting location and was arrested by Homewood police officers. A search warrant was obtained for Weeks’ cell phone where investigators found a video containing child sexual abuse material. This conviction will require Weeks to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Operators And Attorney Of Global Multimillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme “AirBit Club” Sentenced To Prison

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SCOTT HUGHES, CECILIA MILLAN, and KARINA CHAIREZ were sentenced today for their roles in an internationally coordinated fraud and money laundering ring that deceived individuals into investing in AirBit Club, a purported cryptocurrency mining and trading company that was, in reality, a pyramid scheme. HUGHES, an attorney who laundered approximately $18 million in AirBit Club fraud proceeds, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. MILLAN, a senior level promoter of AirBit Club, was sentenced to five years in prison. CHAIREZ, another senior level promoter of AirBit Club, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. On September 26, 2023, PABLO RENATO RODRIGUEZ, co-founder of AirBit Club with GUTEMBERG DOS SANTOS, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. As part of their guilty pleas, the defendants in this case collectively have been ordered to forfeit their fraudulent proceeds of AirBit Club, which include seized or restrained assets consisting of U.S. currency, Bitcoin, and real estate currently valued at approximately $100 million. U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels imposed the sentences. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Hughes, Millan, and Chairez each played a key role in perpetuating the AirBit Club pyramid scheme. At the top-tier of promoters, Millan and Chairez for years aggressively solicited investments from and misled hardworking and unsophisticated investors to line their own pockets. Hughes abused his position as an attorney to launder millions in AirBit Club fraud proceeds and to give AirBit Club the false appearance of legality. Pyramid schemes like AirBit Club would not be possible without facilitators like Hughes, Millan, and Chairez. Today’s sentences send a message that anyone who facilitates cryptocurrency investment schemes — not only those at the very top of the pyramid — will face serious consequences for such crimes.” According to public court filings and statements made in Court: RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, HUGHES, MILLAN, and CHAIREZ participated in a coordinated scheme in which victim-investors (the “Victims”) were induced to invest in AirBit Club based on the false promise of guaranteed profits in exchange for cash investments in club “memberships” (the “AirBit Club Scheme” or the “Scheme”). Beginning in late 2015, AirBit Club, through its founders, RODRIGUEZ and DOS SANTOS, as well as its promoters (the “Promoters”), including MILLAN and CHAIREZ, marketed AirBit Club as a multilevel marketing club in the cryptocurrency industry. Promoters falsely promised Victims that AirBit Club earned returns on cryptocurrency mining and trading and that Victims would earn passive, guaranteed daily returns on any membership purchased. RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, HUGHES, MILLAN, and CHAIREZ traveled throughout the United States and around the world to places in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, where they hosted lavish expos and small community presentations aimed at convincing Victims to purchase AirBit Club memberships. In furtherance of the AirBit Club Scheme, the Victims were fraudulently induced to buy memberships in cash, including in the Southern District of New York. Following a Victim’s investment, a Promoter provided the Victim with access to an online AirBit Club portal to view the purported returns on memberships (the “Online Portal”). While Victims saw “profits” accumulate on their Online Portal, those representations were false; no Bitcoin mining or trading on behalf of Victims in fact took place. Instead, RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, MILLAN, and CHAIREZ enriched themselves and spent Victim money on cars, jewelry, and luxury homes, and financed more extravagant expos to recruit more Victims. HUGHES, an attorney licensed to practice law in California, had previously represented RODRIGUEZ and DOS SANTOS in a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) investigation related to another investment scheme known as Vizinova. He then aided RODRIGUEZ and DOS SANTOS in perpetrating the AirBit Club Scheme by, among other things, helping to remove negative information about AirBit Club and Vizinova from the internet. In many instances, as early as 2016, Victims who attempted to withdraw money from the AirBit Club Online Portal and complained to a Promoter were met with excuses, delays, and hidden fees amounting to more than 50% of the Victim’s requested withdrawal, if they were able to make any withdrawal at all. In April 2020, another victim received a notice on the AirBit Club Online Portal that his account was closed – and principal investment lost – due to “execution of financial sustainability Reserve, policy #34 of the AirBit Club Terms and Conditions, due to the economic and financial crisis caused by (Covid-19).” RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, HUGHES, CHAIREZ, and MILLAN sought to conceal the AirBit Club Scheme, as well as their respective control of the proceeds of that Scheme, by requesting that Victims purchase memberships in cash, using third-party cryptocurrency brokers, and by laundering the Scheme’s proceeds through several domestic and foreign bank accounts, including an attorney trust account managed by HUGHES (the “Hughes Trust Account”). The Hughes Trust Account was ostensibly intended to maintain custody of HUGHES’s law practice’s client funds. Instead, the Hughes Trust Account was used by RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, HUGHES, CHAIREZ, and MILLAN to conceal the nature and origin of the AirBit Club Scheme’s illicit proceeds. Through that account, HUGHES directed Victim funds to the personal expenses of RODRIGUEZ, DOS SANTOS, CHAIREZ, MILLAN, and himself, and funded promotional events and sponsorships designed to further promote the AirBit Club Scheme. * * * HUGHES, 47, of Newport Beach, California, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. MILLAN, 41, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. CHAIREZ, 47, of Modesto, California, was also sentenced to three months of supervised release. DOS SANTOS, 48, of Panama City, Panama, has pled guilty to charges including wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and bank fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 30 years in prison. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing will be determined by the judge. DOS SANTOS is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force. Mr. Williams further thanked the New York Waterfront Commission for its assistance in the forfeiture process and the attorneys and investigators at the SEC whose expertise and diligence were integral to the development of this investigation. If you believe you are a victim of the AirBit Club fraud, updated information regarding the case and victims’ rights, as well as contact information for the victim witness coordinator, is available here . The U.S. Attorney’s Office will contact victims who have previously contacted the victim witness coordinator regarding the restitution process. The case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher, Samuel L. Raymond, and Cecilia E. Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Milton Barth Reed, Jr., III, age 32, was sentenced today in federal court on charges of attempted mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced. According to information presented to the Court, Reed was part of a conspiracy that involved the use of personally identifying information belonging to other people to file fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits in states across the country, including Pennsylvania. On or about September 17, 2020, Reed traveled to Pittsburgh in an attempt to collect benefits that had been issued by Pennsylvania based on those fraudulent applications and were scheduled to be delivered in the area. Judge Cathy Bissoon sentenced Reed to a total of 36 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The United States Department of Labor, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.


title: Standing Rock Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Brandon Yazzie was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Yazzie, 30, of Standing Rock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact on May 25, 2023. According to court records, on September 22, 2021, the FBI received a referral from the City of Avondale Police Department, Avondale, Arizona. The referral documented the sexual assault of Jane Doe, a minor who was then under 12 years old, by Yazzie on multiple occasions between December 2020 and January 2021 at Yazzie’s residence in Standing Rock, New Mexico. Specifically, Yazzie engaged in sexual contact with the victim and afterward, told her “this never happened” with the intent that his acts would remain secret. Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Avondale (Arizona) Police Department, Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-239


title: Temich-Ramirez Charged with Illegally Possessing a Shotgun

body_text: Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Ciro Temich-Ramirez, 35, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegal possession of a firearm by an individual who is unlawfully in the United States. Temich-Ramirez initially appeared before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on October 3, 2023 and Temich-Ramirez was ordered detained pending trial. According to court documents, on September 30, 2023, a federal agent encountered Temich-Ramirez less than one mile south of the United States and Canada border in North Troy, Vermont. Temich-Ramirez was standing next to a vehicle. Following a brief conversation, a physical altercation ensued between the agent and Temich-Ramirez. Additional federal agents responded and, after they restrained Temich-Ramirez, found a shotgun in Temich-Ramirez’s car. Temich-Ramirez, who is a Mexican national, is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is an individual unlawfully in the United States. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Temich-Ramirez is presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. As presently charged, Temich-Ramirez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted as charged. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the federal district court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts and rapid response of the United States Border Patrol. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Temich-Ramirez is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls, Esq.


title: Civil rights hotline created for federal prison in West Virginia

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Federal authorities have established a hotline for information related to civil rights abuses occurring at Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Hazelton, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking information from persons who may have witnessed or were victims of physical assault while incarcerated at FCC Hazelton, which is located in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. Any witness or victim to any such crimes or attempts to conceal such crimes are asked to directly contact federal prosecutors in the Northern District of West Virginia by calling 1-855-WVA-FEDS, by sending an email to wvafeds@usdoj.gov, or by using the standardized complaint form here.


title: Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juan Valentin Manriquez, 21, of Antioch, was sentenced today to three years and eight months in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, co-defendant Andrew Jace Larrabure-Tuma used Snapchat to advertise narcotics and guns for sale. Law enforcement used undercover officers and a confidential informant to buy guns from Tuma. Tuma was 19 years old and could not legally purchase a gun in the state of California. Tuma ultimately introduced the informant working for law enforcement to his gun supplier, Manriquez. During the course of the following month, Manriquez sold the informant nine guns in exchange for cash. This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case. Tuma pleaded guilty to unlawful dealing and manufacturing firearms and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brittany King, 34, of East Bank, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. King admitted that she fraudulently obtained $176,118.73 through her employment with a business that cleaned local office space. According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King unlawfully obtained the personal identification information of multiple individuals through the access provided by the cleaning service that employed her. King and a co-defendant then used that personal information to reroute victims’ mail to King’s address in Charleston. Once mail was rerouted, King and the co-defendant would open lines of credit and bank accounts and obtain loans and credit cards. King admitted to using the unlawfully obtained personal identification information of one victim to submit a fraudulent online Change of Address form to the United States Postal Service as part of her scheme on June 6, 2022. King further admitted that she fraudulently used another victim’s personal identification information to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu from a Charleston business on September 30, 2022. King and the co-defendant caused a loss of at least $176,118.73 to more than ten victims as a result of their fraudulent schemes. King is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. King also owes $176,118.73 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Jonathan T. Storage are prosecuting the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson provided substantial assistance. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-14. ###


title: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Andre Leavell Pardue Jr., 35, of Nitro, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 16, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Pardue’s residence. Officers found a bag of fentanyl and cash in a pair of pants in Pardue’s bedroom, a Smith & Wesson model M&P 9 9mm pistol under Pardue’s bed. Officer also found a safe that contained cash, a second bag of fentanyl and a Smith & Wesson model M&P 40 Shield .40-caliber pistol. Pardue admitted to possessing the fentanyl found in his pants. Pardue further admitted that he intended both to sell and use the fentanyl found in the safe. Pardue also admitted that the cash found in his pants and the safe totaled $3,020 and was proceeds from his fentanyl sales, with a portion of the money intended for his drug supplier. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the invaluable assistance provided by the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-124. ###


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Travis Devon Woods, 35, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 6, 2022, law enforcement officers went to Woods’ Livingston Avenue residence in Charleston to speak with him. Before opening his door for the officers, Woods tossed a loaded Sig Sauer, model P250, .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol out a back window of his residence. Officers recovered the firearm. Woods admitted that he possessed the firearm and tossed it out the window because he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Woods knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on July 1, 2015, and first-degree robbery in Kanawha County Circuit Court on March 19, 2009. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-229. ###


title: Anchorage Man Arrested, Charged with Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was arrested on criminal charges after he allegedly robbed a bank yesterday morning. According to court documents, Michael Nash, 49, tried to enter the First National Bank branch located on West 36 th Avenue in Anchorage just after 9 a.m. on Oct. 2. Nash was unable to enter because the bank’s lobby did not open until 10 a.m. and the doors were locked. The defendant slipped a note through the doors to a bank supervisor stating that this was a robbery. The bank was secured immediately, and police were called. A bank security officer requested Nash leave but he refused. Law enforcement officers arrived and arrested Nash in front of the bank. Nash is charged with one count of bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2113(a) and §2113(f). If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. 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: Chesterfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Fentanyl Crimes

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man from Chesterfield, Missouri who was caught with more than 2,000 capsules containing fentanyl and two stolen guns to 72 months in prison. Travionne D. Shelton, now 30, pleaded guilty in June to two felony charges: possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute an analogue of fentanyl. Shelton admitted selling methamphetamine and fentanyl for $300 on Oct. 27, 2022, to someone working with law enforcement. Officers tried to stop Shelton’s car after the drug sale, but he fled and eventually abandoned his car in a residential neighborhood. He was arrested in someone’s driveway. Shelton told authorities that he kept drugs in his apartment and gave them consent to search it. They found nearly 700 grams of methamphetamine, almost 2,000 capsules containing fentanyl or an analog of fentanyl, 11 capsules containing a mix of methamphetamine, fentanyl and tramadol, 12 bags containing fentanyl and other drugs, $20,300 in cash, two stolen firearms and a Glock pistol with a fully loaded drum magazine, his plea says. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Charles Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case.


title: Three Individuals Convicted in $93M Home Health Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

body_text: A federal jury in Miami convicted a Florida man and woman today for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare by billing over $93 million for home health therapy services that were never rendered. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Karel Felipe, 42, of Miami Shores, and Tamara Quicutis, 54, of Hialeah, conspired with others to submit false bills to Medicare for three home health companies located in Michigan. Their co-conspirators recruited individuals from Cuba to sign Medicare enrollment documents and appear as the owners of the home health agencies to conceal the identities of Felipe, Quicutis, and others involved in the scheme. Felipe, Quicutis, and their co-conspirators used these home health companies to submit claims for services that were not rendered using lists of stolen patient identities. Felipe, Quicutis, and their co-conspirators used hundreds of shell companies and bank accounts to launder the Medicare fraud proceeds and convert the proceeds into cash at Miami-area ATMs and check cashing stores. After the trial commenced, a third defendant, Jesus Trujillo, 52, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. Trujillo oversaw a group of people that recruited nominee owners for home health agencies and shell companies and converted Medicare fraud proceeds into cash. The jury convicted Felipe and Quicutis of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each conspiracy charge. Trujillo is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jamie de Boer, D. Keith Clouser, and Emily Gurskis of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Convicted lab owner ordered to forfeit over $187 million in health care fraud proceeds

body_text: MIAMI – On Sept. 22, U.S. District Court Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, in Miami, ordered the defendant, Minal Patel, to forfeit over $187 million in health care fraud proceeds including over $30 million seized from personal and corporate bank accounts, a 2018 Red Ferrari Spider, a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover, and real property. Minal Patel, 44, of Atlanta, owned LabSolutions LLC (LabSolutions), a lab enrolled with Medicare that performed sophisticated genetic tests. Patel conspired with patient brokers, telemedicine companies, and call centers to target Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing calls falsely stating that Medicare covered expensive cancer genetic tests. After the Medicare beneficiaries agreed to take a test, Patel paid kickbacks and bribes to patient brokers to obtain signed doctors’ orders authorizing the tests from telemedicine companies. To conceal the kickbacks and bribes, Patel required patient brokers to sign sham contracts that falsely stated that the brokers were performing legitimate advertising services for LabSolutions, when, as Patel well knew, the brokers were deceptively marketing to Medicare beneficiaries and paying kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies for genetic testing prescriptions. Patel knew the telemedicine doctors robo-signed prescriptions for expensive genetic testing even though they were not treating the beneficiaries, often did not even speak with them, and made no evaluation of medical necessity. From July 2016 through August 2019, LabSolutions submitted more than $463 million in claims to Medicare, including for thousands of medically unnecessary genetic tests, of which Medicare paid over $187 million. Patel enriched himself with the fruits of his crimes, including with the purchase of luxury items like a 2018 Red Ferrari Spider. Exhibit from court record U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region, made the announcement. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jamie de Boer, Emily Gurskis, Reginald Cuyler Jr., Katherine Rookard, and Patrick Queenan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon handled the asset forfeiture proceedings. Related press release regarding sentencing available here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/lab-owner-sentenced-463m-genetic-testing-scheme Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 19-cr-80181. ###


title: Jefferson Parish Man Indicted for Making False Statement  to United States Coast Guard

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRICK FREMEN (“FREMEN”) , age 51, a resident of Jefferson Parish, was indicted for making a false statement to the United States Coast Guard, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3). FREMEN was arrested on September 28, 2023. According to court documents, FREMEN was a licensed merchant mariner and holder of a 100-Ton United States Coast Guard master’s license. In late 2018, FREMEN applied for a job to work on a vessel. The prospective employer required FREMEN to submit to a drug screening, which he failed. In response to the failed drug test, FREMEN submitted an altered medication prescription to the United States Coast Guard on July 1, 2019, to justify his failed drug test. If convicted of this violation, FREMEN faces a prison term of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. The matter is currently set for trial on December 4, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Gulf Region. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.


title: Leader of $20M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Ring Sentenced to 15 Years

body_text: The head of a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud ring and six of his co-conspirators were sentenced for fraudulently obtaining more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to court documents, Amir Aqeel, 54, of Houston, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $5,583,111.48 for leading the conspiracy, and for conspiring with at least 14 other individuals to submit 75 fraudulent PPP loan applications in 2020. In the applications, the defendants falsified the number of employees and the average monthly payroll expenses of the applicant businesses and submitted fraudulent bank records and fake federal tax forms in support of the PPP loan applications. Aqeel paid some of the defendants large kickbacks in exchange for their assistance with the false and fraudulent PPP loan applications. “During a time of unprecedented national peril, these defendants took advantage of a pandemic and stole millions of dollars in federal funds intended to help businesses keep their employees paid and their doors open,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The sentences demonstrate that the Department and law enforcement have and will continue to hold individuals accountable for committing fraud on the government.” “I salute the prosecutors and agents who exposed this fraud ring, brought these defendants to justice, and worked to return stolen funds to the American people,” said Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Michael Galdo of the Justice Department. “The Department will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those who committed pandemic benefit fraud to justice and use all appropriate tools to recover stolen pandemic relief funds.” “Amir Aqeel engaged in one of the largest PPP conspiracies in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “He and his cohorts stole millions from the public fund, using that money to buy houses, a Porsche, even a Lamborghini, all while taking advantage of programs intended to help those struggling during the pandemic. These sentences send a strong message to scammers looking for a quick and easy buck in the Southern District of Texas; you need to look elsewhere.” The defendants also laundered a portion of the fraudulent proceeds by writing checks from companies that received PPP loans to fake employees. The defendants cashed these fake paychecks at Fascare International Inc., dba Almeda Discount Store (Almeda), a company that Siddiq Azeemuddin owned. In total, the defendants cashed more than 1,100 fake paychecks for more than $3 million in fraudulent PPP loan proceeds at Almeda. “SBA-OIG will aggressively root out bad actors in SBA’s pandemic response programs and bring them to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Central Region. “These sentences demonstrate there are significant consequences for conspiring to fraudulently access SBA programs and steal from taxpayers. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.” “One unfortunate aspect of the pandemic relief programs has been how many people and institutions, including the Federal Home Loan Banks, were negatively affected by unscrupulous criminals who targeted a program meant to help all Americans at a critical time,” said Special Agent in Charge Catherine Huber of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s (FHFA-OIG) Central Region. “We are proud to work with our partner agencies to investigate and stamp out these schemes.” “While the rest of our country was reeling from the effects of an unprecedented global health crisis, these individuals conspired to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of taxpayer dollars from an emergency fund that was intended to help keep struggling businesses and employees afloat,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Working in conjunction with our federal law enforcement partners, we were able to uncover their scheme and hold them accountable for exploiting these government programs for their own profit.” Federal agents also executed 45 seizure warrants in conjunction with the case and have seized, among other items, a residence, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini purchased with illegally obtained funds. “Today, Aqeel and six of his co-conspirators in this case were brought to justice for their roles in a fraudulent scheme that swindled millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was created to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Anand Ramlall of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Dallas Region. “The FDIC-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who took advantage of these programs and threatened to undermine the integrity of our nation’s banking system.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration continues to aggressively pursue those who endeavor to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Gary Smith of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Gulf States Field Division. “We appreciate the efforts of the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners in this effort.” Five others had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced today for their roles in the loan fraud scheme. Khalid Abbas, 57, and Rifat Bajwa, 54, both of Richmond, Texas, were sentenced to two and a half years and three years in prison, respectively. Azeemuddin, 44, of Naperville, Illinois, was sentenced to two years in prison. Pardeep Basra, 54, of Houston, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison. Richard Reuth, 60, of Spring, Texas, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. In February, a federal jury convicted Abdul Fatani, 57, of Richmond, Texas, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced today to three years in prison. The SBA-OIG, FHFA-OIG, HSI, FDIC-OIG, and TIGTA are investigating the cases. Trial Attorneys Louis Manzo, Della Sentilles, Kate McCarthy, and Spencer Ryan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Kristine Rollinson for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the cases. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Leader of $20M COVID-19 relief fraud ring sent to prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON –The head of a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud ring and six of his co-conspirators have been sentenced for fraudulently obtaining more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Amir Aqeel, 54, Houston, was sentenced Oct. 2 to 15 years in prison for leading the conspiracy and at least 14 other individuals to submit more than 75 fraudulent PPP loan applications in 2020. In the applications, they falsified the number of employees and the average monthly payroll expenses of the applicant businesses and submitted fraudulent bank records and/or fake federal tax forms in support of the PPP loan applications. Some were paid large kickbacks in exchange for their assistance with the false and fraudulent PPP loan applications. “Amir Aqeel engaged in one of the largest PPP conspiracies in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “He and his cohorts stole millions from the public fund, using that money to buy houses, a Porsche, even a Lamborghini, all while taking advantage of programs intended to help those struggling during the pandemic. These sentences send a strong message to scammers looking for a quick and easy buck in the Southern District of Texas; you need to look elsewhere.” “During a time of unprecedented national peril, these defendants took advantage of a pandemic and stole millions of dollars in federal funds intended to help businesses keep their employees paid and their doors open,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The sentences demonstrate that the Department and law enforcement have and will continue to hold individuals accountable for committing fraud on the government.” “I salute the prosecutors and agents who exposed this fraud ring, brought these defendants to justice, and worked to return stolen funds to the American people,” said Justice Department Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Michael Galdo. “The Department will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those who committed pandemic benefit fraud to justice and use all appropriate tools to recover stolen pandemic relief funds.” The conspirators also laundered a portion of the fraudulent proceeds by writing checks from companies that received PPP loans to fake employees. These fake paychecks were cashed at Fascare International Inc. dba Almeda Discount Store (Almeda), a company Azeemuddin owned. In total, more than 1,100 fake paychecks for more than $3 million in fraudulent PPP loan proceeds were cashed at Almeda. “SBA-OIG will aggressively root out bad actors in SBA’s pandemic response programs and bring them to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Brady Ipock of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Central Region. “These sentences demonstrate there are significant consequences for conspiring to fraudulently access SBA programs and steal from taxpayers. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.” “One unfortunate aspect of the pandemic relief programs has been how many people and institutions, including the Federal Home Loan Banks, were negatively affected by unscrupulous criminals who targeted a program meant to help all Americans at a critical time,” said Special Agent in Charge Catherine Huber of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s (FHFA-OIG) Central Region. “We are proud to work with our partner agencies to investigate and stamp out these schemes.” “While the rest of our country was reeling from the effects of an unprecedented global health crisis, these individuals conspired to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of taxpayer dollars from an emergency fund that was intended to help keep struggling businesses and employees afloat,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Working in conjunction with our federal law enforcement partners, we were able to uncover their scheme and hold them accountable for exploiting these government programs for their own profit.” Federal agents also executed 45 seizure warrants in conjunction with the case and have seized, among other items, a residence, a Porsche and a Lamborghini purchased with illegally obtained funds. “Today, Aqeel and six of his co-conspirators in this case were brought to justice for their roles in a fraudulent scheme that swindled millions of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was created to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Anand Ramlall of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Dallas Region. “The FDIC-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who took advantage of these programs and threatened to undermine the integrity of our nation’s banking system.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration continues to aggressively pursue those who endeavor to defraud programs afforded to the American people under the CARES Act,” said Special Agent in Charge Gary Smith of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Gulf States Field Division. “We appreciate the efforts of the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners in this effort.” Five others had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced today for their roles in the loan fraud scheme. Khalid Abbas, 57, Richmond, and Richard Reuth, 60, Spring, both received two and a half years in prison, while Rifat Bajwa, 54, Richmond, Siddiq Azeemuddin, 44, Naperville, Illinois, and Pardeep Basra, 54, Houston, were sentenced to three years, two years and three years and five months in prison, respectively. A federal jury convicted Abdul Fatani, 57, Richmond, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering in February. He was sentenced to three years in prison. The SBA-OIG, FHFA-OIG, HSI, FDIC-OIG and TIGTA are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Kristine Rollinson are prosecuting the cases along with Trial Attorneys Louis Manzo, Della Sentilles, Kate McCarthy and Spencer Ryan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Springville nurse arrested, charged with possession and distribution of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Erik Hjemdahl-Monsen, 46, of Springville, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession and distribution of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in December 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted the New York State Police about an image of child pornography that had been uploaded on the Kik application. The NYSP began investigating and traced the image to Hjemdahl-Monsen, an Emergency Room Nurse at Oishei Children's Hospital. On Sept. 21, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Hjemdahl-Monsen’s residence and seized 10 items. During the search, investigators found a video containing child pornography video on Hjemdahl-Monsen’s iPhone that appeared to be stored on the device since 2020. On Sept. 29, 2023, the NYSP alerted the FBI and turned over the 10 items seized during the search warrant. A further review of Hjemdahl-Monsen's iPhone recovered several more videos containing child pornography. Hjemdahl-Monsen made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing on October 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Philadelphia Resident Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana

body_text: A resident of Philadelphia, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months’ imprisonment on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Hector Rodriguez, age 42. According to information presented to the court, from 2018 through 2019, Rodriguez conspired with others to traffic between 80-100 kilograms of marijuana from Philadelphia to the Western District of Pennsylvania. Prior to imposing sentence, Senior Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Monroeville Police Department, Penn Hills Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Allegheny County Adult Probation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rodriguez. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Three men arrested, charged with stealing mail

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Legend Terrance Davis, 20, and Nathan Romar Arnold, 23, both of Rochester, NY, and Blake Montel Crayon, 27, of Willoughby, OH, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a US Postal Service key and theft of mail. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, since January 2023, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Rochester office has been investigating a string of robberies involving the theft of postal mailbox keys. According to the complaint, early this morning, October 2, 2023, Postal Inspectors were headed to investigate a report that a blue USPS collection box across from the Brighton Station Post Office had been opened. On the way, they noticed two individuals walking in the direction of the Greece Post Office on Latta Road. The descriptions of those two individuals matched descriptions of suspects in previous robberies. A short time later, the Postal Inspectors noticed mail scattered on the ground near a Greece Post Office collection box. A review of video surveillance showed that the two suspects who allegedly robbed the collection box appeared to be the same ones that were seen walking down Latta Road. Subsequently, at approximately 2:35 a.m. this morning, three collection boxes at the Jefferson Road Post Office were being robbed. At that time, Postal Inspectors conducting surveillance approached with lights and sirens. Defendants Davis and Arnold ran away but were apprehended following a brief foot chase. A third defendant, Crayon, who was driving the getaway car, was also taken into custody. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: San Diego Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in Teenager’s Death

component: USAO - California, Southern

number: CAS23-1003-Jose Daniel Ramirez

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Jose Daniel Ramirez of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession with intent to distribute pills laced with fentanyl that killed a 19-year-old Poway resident, referred to in court records as K.W.P., on January 3, 2023. Ramirez admitted to selling the fentanyl pills, disguised as oxycodone, to K.W.P. and others. In a series of text messages, Ramirez agreed to sell “2 blues” to K.W.P. After receiving and consuming the pills, K.W.P. was found dead of a fentanyl overdose a few hours later. After learning of K.W.P.’s death, Ramirez changed his phone number, informed clients of his new number, and continued to sell fentanyl. On February 8, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Ramirez. Following Ramirez’s arrest, investigators secured a warrant and searched his residence. There they located two Glock handguns, over 250 rounds of various ammunition and approximately 2,600 blue pills containing fentanyl along with cocaine and other drugs. One of the handguns was fully loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber. “It is outrageous that this defendant continued to sell fentanyl even after learning of their customers’ deaths,” said acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Fentanyl deaths resulting from the actions of profit-seeking drug dealers will continue to be zealously prosecuted.” “Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and the defendants’ callous and irresponsible disregard led to the tragic death of a teenager,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “Overdoses due to fentanyl have dramatically increased – this is unacceptable. I commend the work of the HSI special agents and our partners who work tirelessly every single day to stop preventable drug poisonings from taking so many lives too soon.” “Since 2017, the San Diego Sheriff's Department has been a leader in investigating drug overdose death cases,” said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez. “The Sheriff's Department is dedicated to identifying and arresting fentanyl dealers who provide this deadly drug to our communities. During this investigation, Mr. Ramirez continued selling this dangerous drug, but we were able to stop him in the act of selling fentanyl to an 18-year-old at the time of his arrest. The actions of all involved likely saved the life of another teenager. We are proud of the collaborative effort of Sheriff's FAST Detective Morse and his federal partners with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney's Office. The Sheriff's Department will continue in these partnerships and target these dangerous drug dealers in our continued effort to combat this deadly epidemic.” Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro. Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation into K.W.P.’s death. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Dylan M. Aste. DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr00274-RBM Jose Daniel Ramirez Age: 20 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 18, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison AGENCY Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Sheriff Drug Enforcement Administration


title: Felon Indicted for Possessing Rifle and a Straw-Purchased Handgun

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mana Sambola a/k/a “Coffee,” age 41, a citizen of Liberia residing in Saratoga Springs, New York, was indicted for possessing two firearms and four boxes of ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Christopher Krom, age 36, of Lake Luzerne, New York, was indicted for acting as a straw purchaser for one of Sambola’s firearms. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, made the announcement. According to the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, law enforcement searched Sambola’s apartment on May 22, 2023 and found an Anderson Manufacturing AM15 rifle emblazoned with the names of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse: “Death,” “War,” “Famine,” and “Pestilence.” Investigators also recovered a Glock 43 pistol that Krom purchased on behalf of Sambola, as well as four boxes of ammunition. Sambola has prior felony convictions related to drugs and weapons, and as a result cannot lawfully possess these firearms or ammunition. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge filed against Sambola carries a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The charges filed against Krom carry a maximum term of 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart set conditions of release for Krom and ordered Sambola detained pending their trial before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. HSI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the Warren County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices; the New York State Police; and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.