title: Union County Man Admits COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joseph McKeon, aka “Jay McKeon,” 54, of Westfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From February 2021 through February 2022, McKeon submitted fraudulent PPP loan and forgiveness applications for $900,000 on behalf of a New Jersey company he owned. In support of those applications, McKeon lied about the number of employees the business employed and the income the employees earned. McKeon also submitted forged documents, including fake payroll information, bank statements, tax return documents. After the victim lender funded the loan, McKeon withdrew a significant amount of the loan proceeds as cash and made several large transfers between bank accounts, including one transfer for $315,504, that was sent to an Indiana title company. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. The money laundering conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . mckeon.information.pdf


title: Alberton trafficker sentenced to more than eight years in prison for role in bringing drugs from Mexico to Missoula

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MISSOULA — A federal judge today sentenced an Alberton man to eight years and seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking scheme in which he worked with sources in Mexico to bring meth to Montana and to launder the proceeds, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Waylon Jack Greco, 44, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The government alleged in court documents that Greco was close to a source of supply in Mexico and worked to transport the drugs from the Mexican border to Montana. Greco’s drug distribution involved pounds of meth over several months, and he was a known drug distributor from about April 2023 through September 2023. Greco also worked with co-conspirators to launder drug proceeds back to Mexico, including devising a scheme to create business fronts through which to launder the money and by suggesting he marry a Mexican woman to whom he could legally make international transfers. Members of the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office executed a state search warrant on Greco’s vehicle in May 2023 and located approximately 13 grams of meth, $1,001 in U.S. currency and three cell phones. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. 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 Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Federal Prisoner Arrested For Second-Degree Murder

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brandon Ejae Elliot (34, Tampa) on a criminal complaint charging him with second-degree murder. If convicted, Elliot faces up to life in federal prison. According to court records, on December 3, 2022, Elliot was a federal inmate in the United States Penitentiary-II in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. During a lockdown at the prison, other inmates heard fighting and yelling coming from Elliot’s cell. When prison staff opened the cell, they found Elliot’s cellmate unresponsive with multiple puncture wounds to his body. The victim was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. An investigation revealed that Elliot had multiple scratches on his body that were consistent with the victim attempting to fight off the attack. Staff members also located a sharp metal object in Elliot’s cell. Another inmate told investigators that Elliott had talked to him through an air vent after the attack and had admitted to killing the victim. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This case is being prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.


title: Sunset Chief of Police Charged with Federal Civil Rights Offense

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury in Lafayette, Louisiana, has returned an indictment charging Luis Enrique Padilla a/k/a Louis Padilla, Chief of Police of the Sunset Police Department, with a federal civil rights violation for willfully using unreasonable force against an individual. The indictment alleges that on or about December 1, 2023, Padilla, acting in his official capacity as Chief of Police, used unreasonable force against an individual during an investigation and detention. The indictment further alleges that without legal justification, the individual was restrained in handcuffs, and Padilla forcefully twisted the individual’s thumb and wrist in a manner intended to cause pain, which resulted in bodily injury to the individual. Padilla has been arrested and is scheduled to make his initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst at 3:30 p.m. An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Padilla faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog. # # #


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison

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

body_text: HAMMOND- Hamidullah Tribble, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Tribble was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on July 19, 2022, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Tribble in LaPorte County, Indiana. Tribble fled the scene at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic and exceeding speeds of over 100 miles per hour. His pursuit continued through Porter County and into Lake County, where he collided with a semi-trailer and another vehicle. During his arrest, law enforcement officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol from Tribble’s waistband. His criminal history revealed that he had prior Illinois felony convictions for possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a stolen vehicle, and criminal sexual abuse, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearm or ammunition in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Pill Distributor Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Trafficking Tens of Thousands of Pills Containing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today for distributing tens of thousands of pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Angel Joel Diaz, a/k/a “Guero,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison. In April 2024 , Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and methadone. In January 2023, an investigation began into Diaz’s fentanyl pill manufacturing and distribution operation. An undercover officer contacted Diaz posing as a potential drug customer seeking to buy counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl. On Jan. 11, 2023, Diaz provided the undercover officer with 208 pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Diaz told the undercover officer that the pills were made with “fentanyl” and they were “knocking people down in New York.” On two subsequent occasions, Jan. 27, 2023 and Feb. 7, 2023, Diaz distributed thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing suspected fentanyl to the undercover officer. On Feb. 14, 2023, Diaz sent a photo of fentanyl pills to the undercover officer and said, “even making it with a mask makes you want to vomit and everything.” On Feb. 15, 2023, Diaz was arrested while carrying a shopping bag containing 31,142 fentanyl pills separated into seven plastic bags. During a subsequent search of Diaz’s Haverhill residence, two pill presses; thousands of pills; powder containing fentanyl and methadone; stamps used to make counterfeit pills; several masks; and chemicals used in manufacturing pills were discovered. In all, more than 6 kilograms of substances containing fentanyl, 381 grams of substances containing methamphetamine, and 81 grams of substances containing methadone were seized from Diaz. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Haverhill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: FCI Schuylkill Inmate Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Possession Of A Weapon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shaquill Morris, age 34, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. to 24 months’ incarceration for being a federal inmate in possession of a weapon. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Morris was an inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Institution at Schuylkill on July 26, 2024, when a corrections officer noticed that he was using a cellphone. Upon search of Morris, he was also discovered to be in possession of two shanks. Morris’s sentence was run consecutively to a 216 month sentence he previously received in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Detroit-Based Cocaine And Heroin Trafficker Sentenced To 110 Months In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that Joseph Michael McNoriell, also known as Mike X, of Detroit, 43, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. McNoriell was found guilty on April 18, 2024, after a three-day jury trial. “Mr. McNoriell helped traffic illegal street drugs across our state, which eventually made it into our neighborhoods – these poisons destroy lives and devastate communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “We will never prosecute our way out of this problem, but we will continue our work to dismantle the regional-level supply lines that distribute drugs across Michigan.” The evidence at trial showed that McNoriell worked with other individuals to deliver two kilograms of cocaine from southeast Michigan to Lansing. On June 2, 2022, McNoriell used a female drug courier driving a different car and followed her in his car to deliver two kilograms of cocaine. McNoriell was unaware that investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and troopers with the Michigan State Police (MSP) anticipated the delivery and seized the two kilograms of cocaine from the courier’s car. A photograph of the seized kilograms of cocaine is provided below: “This investigation emphasizes the mission of the DEA: combatting criminal drug networks like the one Mr. McNoriell was involved in,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene . “Along with our local, state and federal partners, we will relentlessly pursue individuals and organizations who prioritize greed and profit over human lives.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Michigan State Police, Lansing Police Department, and Holland Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vito S. Solitro and LaToyia T. Carpenter. # # #


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Dogfighting Charges

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to possessing dogs at his home for participation in a dogfighting venture. John D. Murphy, 51, of Hanson, pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury in March. “Dogfighting is a sadistic crime which subjects animals to cruel mistreatment for entertainment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked collaboratively to bring this case to justice.” “Mr. Murphy’s actions represent the calculated cruelty and inhumanity that dogfighting embodies – a barbaric practice that exploits and harms animals for entertainment and profit. Today’s conviction brings an end to Mr. Murphy’s reign of brutality and sends a clear message: dogfighting is a federal crime, and those who engage in this inhumane conduct will face justice,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “This case marks the first time federal criminal charges have been brought in the District of Massachusetts under the Animal Welfare Act, underscoring the seriousness of these crimes and our commitment to holding those who engage in this abhorrent conduct accountable. We urge anyone with knowledge of animal fighting or abuse to come forward and report it.” In 2021, Murphy was identified on recorded calls discussing dogfighting with a New York-based dogfighting target. A subsequent search of his Facebook accounts revealed Murphy’s years-long involvement in dogfighting. Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook and belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups. Photos and videos found on Murphy’s Facebook account showed dogs restrained and showing injuries consistent with that of dogfighting. A search of Murphy’s Hanson residence in June 2023 discovered numerous items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture like various breeding, training and medical supplies and dogfighting materials. In March, the United States also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, Massachusetts, that were possessed for participation in an animal fighting venture. In September and October, the court ordered all dogs be forfeited to the United States. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) being cared for by a USMS-contractor. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young for the District of Massachusetts scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025. For each of the nine charges, Murphy faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at: usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121. The Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; USMS; Maine State Police; New Hampshire State Police; Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor; Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Hanson, Boston and Acton, Massachusetts, Police Departments. Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danial E. Bennett and Kaitlin J. Brown for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case. Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit for the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Caitlyn F. Cook of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section are prosecuting the civil forfeiture case.


title: Eastern Panhandle Residents Admit to Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three individuals have admitted to their roles in a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Eastern Panhandle. Andrew Ross Hose, age 40, from Bunker Hill, West Virginia pled guilty to the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Bradley Allen Lopp, age 35, also of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, and Marilynn Hope Baker, age 27, of Shanks, West Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hose was the organizer of the drug trafficking conspiracy, distributing drugs to others for sale and selling from his home. Lopp and Baker were distributors, selling drugs in Berkeley, Hampshire, and Morgan Counties. Hose faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Lopp and Baker each face up to 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced for Possessing 15 Pounds of Cocaine

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Terrall Lamar Johnson, 33, for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Judge Heil ordered Johnson to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents, in July 2023, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers pulled over Johnson on US Highway 69 near Big Cabin. Johnson allowed troopers to search his vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, Troopers discovered suspected cocaine in six individually wrapped bundles. Further investigation revealed that the six bundles weighed 15.3 pounds and tested positive for cocaine. Johnson will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey prosecuted the case.


title: Ghanian Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Two-Million Dollar International Wire Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – On November 26, 2024, Wigbert Bandie, 34, currently of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to 63 months by United States District Judge, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Bandie will be on supervised release for three years. Bandie was also ordered to repay $2.18 million in restitution to the 11 victims in this case. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bandie pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1343. According to the filed court papers, Bandie, along with members of the conspiracy, assumed false identities on social media, dating websites, and other internet-based platforms in a scheme to trick primarily elderly victims into entering friendships and romantic relationships. Bandie then played various roles in exploiting those connections to convince individuals to send them money via wire, check, U.S. mail, and package delivery services. As part of the conspiracy, romance scammers or “handlers” posed as potential friends or romantic partners and entered online relationships with unwitting victims, many of whom were elderly. The relationships usually developed quickly through social media contact, text messages, email, and phone calls. Once the victim was clearly engaged in the scam, the scammer would begin to ask for emergency financial assistance or dupe victims into non-existent investment opportunities. If the victim sent money, the scammer would ask for increasingly larger amounts of financial assistance. There were victims throughout the United States who each lost amounts ranging from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. For example, one victim who resided in the Eastern District of Tennessee lost over $280,000 to this scheme over the course of several months. Other co-conspirators functioned as “money mules” in the conspiracy. That is, they worked in conjunction with other members of the conspiracy to move the financial proceeds of the scams from the United States overseas through bank wire transfers or through the mail. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne H. Sullivan represented the United States. ###


title: Federal Way man indicted for kidnapping

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 24-year-old Federal Way, Washington man will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle today following his indictment for kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Daniel Lopez was indicted by the grand jury on November 6, 2024. Lopez was arrested in Texas and has been in state custody on charges originally filed in King County Superior Court. Lopez is indicted for the October 13, 2024, kidnapping of an Auburn, Washington woman. The woman was abducted at gunpoint from her home and ultimately was found safe in Guatemala. According to records filed in the case, the woman’s husband reported her missing on October 14, 2024, after arriving home and finding her belongings at their apartment. Two witnesses reported seeing the woman leaving with two men, one of whom was carrying a firearm. This man was subsequently identified as Lopez. Lopez was initially identified based on surveillance video from across the street showing vehicles in the apartment complex parking lot. Officers then reviewed traffic camera pictures to obtain license plate information and ultimately determined Lopez was a registered owner of one of the vehicles. Lopez was ultimately traced to Houston, Texas and was arrested on October 19, 2024, at a hotel. The victim was identified by immigration authorities in southern Mexico and was transported to Guatemala where she has family members. Law enforcement is working to determine any other coconspirators in the kidnapping scheme. Kidnapping is punishable by up to life in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Auburn Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.


title: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU - A sex offender from southeast Missouri on Tuesday admitted being caught again with child sexual abuse material. Thomas O. Stroud Jr., 43, of Wappapello, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to the possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Stroud has a prior federal conviction for possessing child pornography in 2009. Following his release from federal prison, Stroud was required to register as a sex offender. He was also placed on a 40-year term of supervised release. Last March, while Stroud was serving his term of supervised release, Stroud’s probation officer discovered that he had been using a cell phone to communicate with someone in Indiana. During the communications, Stroud obtained several images of child pornography. At his plea hearing Tuesday, Stroud admitted that he used a cell phone to obtain images of child pornography from the subject in Indiana. Stroud’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 25, 2025. He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the new child pornography offense. Stroud also faces an additional sentence of up to 24 months for violating the terms of supervised release. This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester is handling the prosecution.


title: Lawrence County Resident Sentenced for Role in Puerto Rico/Western Pennsylvania Region Drug Trafficking Operation

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 37 months of incarceration, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Luis Rivera Otero, 37. According to information presented to the Court, Rivera Otero was a member of an organized drug trafficking group that obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine via United States Postal Service parcel from Puerto Rico and then sold them in western Pennsylvania and elsewhere as part of an ongoing drug trafficking conspiracy. Specifically, Rivera Otero was responsible for retrieving five parcels containing cocaine and then delivering them to a co-conspirator in return for payment. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to Rivera Otero’s conviction in this case in close collaboration with the Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Castle City Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Department of Agriculture, Union Township Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police. This prosecution was 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. Lawrence County is one of six western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.


title: Former NOPD Sergeant Guilty of Six Counts of Wire Fraud for Double Billing and Billing for Time Not Worked

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TODD F. MORRELL (“MORRELL”) , age 57, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to six (6) counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to defraud the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and the New Orleans Fair Grounds, an entity that paid him to provide off-duty police details. According to court documents, MORRELL was a NOPD Sergeant with NOPD’s Special Operations Division, serving both on a Tactical Platoon and the Bomb Disposal Unit. He supplemented his NOPD income with security-oriented secondary employment ( i.e. , “police details”) while off-duty, including a detail with the New Orleans Fair Grounds Neighborhood Patrol (“Fair Grounds Patrol”). The Fair Grounds Patrol was created by city ordinance to enhance police service around the New Orleans Fair Grounds Racecourse. The Fair Grounds Patrol consisted of two patrol cars operating 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, with one off-duty NOPD officer per car. MORRELL signed annual certifications attesting to his understanding of NOPD policies, including the secondary employment policy , and acknowledging that he would “actively monitor my hours” and would “not engage in activities or personal business which would cause them to neglect or be inattentive to duty.” Notwithstanding these annual certifications, on numerous occasions between early 2017 and November 30, 2021, MORRELL submitted and certified timecards to NOPD and time sheets to the Fair Grounds Patrol,falsely claiming to have been on duty (for NOPD) and on detail (for the Fair Grounds Patrol) when, in actuality, MORRELL was not present for duty. Instead, MORRELL engaged in personal, recreational activities unrelated to his work duties. Often, MORRELL was engaged in recreational race car driving in Avondale, Louisiana, and Austin, Texas, while claiming to be on duty and on detail. Additionally, MORRELL “double billed” NOPD and the Fair Grounds Patrol by submitting time sheets to both entities reflecting that he was working for both entities simultaneously. The six counts to which MORRELL pled guilty, are representative examples of his scheme. These counts related to individual payments MORRELL received for submitting false and fraudulent time sheets for on duty and secondary employment shifts while a part of the Fair Grounds Patrol. The various dates he falsely claimed to work that constituted the six counts were: July 1, 2019, December 21, 2020, January 23, 2021, March 13, 2021, March 14, 2021, April 25, 2021, April 30, 2021, and October 23, 2021. “When anyone commits fraud, our office will vet, investigate, and if warranted, prosecute,” stated United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. “By pleading guilty today, Mr. Morrell admitted that he violated the public’s trust in his agency and position. This investigation exemplified the strong partnership that exists between our office, the FBI, and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General.” "Mr. Morrell abused his position of trust with this community and his role as a leader in the police department when he chose to steal from NOPD," said Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of FBI New Orleans. "His actions served as a horrible example for other officers, but today's plea serves as a promise that the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office will pursue every single case to ensure justice is served. We thank the New Orleans Inspector General's Office for their assistance in bringing this misconduct to light." For each count, MORRELL faces up to twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Zainey has been scheduled for February 25, 2025. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Brittany L. Reed also of the Public Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Casa Grande Man Charged with Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Agustin Julian Sauceda, 38, of Casa Grande, was charged by indictment last week, following a criminal complaint, with nine counts of Producing and Attempting to Produce Child Pornography, five counts of Distributing Child Pornography, and one count of Possessing Child Pornography. At the time, Sauceda was an employee of the Eloy Fire District. The indictment alleges that on nine dates between August 2, 2022, and July 5, 2024, Sauceda produced child pornography involving a girl who was under the age of 18. Then, on five dates between June 1, 2024, and September 23, 2024, Sauceda distributed child pornography via the BitTorrent file sharing network. On October 30, 2024, Sauceda possessed child pornography on two items—a cell phone and an SD card. Each count of Producing Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. Each count of Distribution of Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. Each count of Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01898-PHX-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-165_Sauceda # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Michoacan Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Alejandro Lagunas Penaloza, also known as Jose Alfredo Castro Reyes, 47 years old, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Lagunas Penaloza was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Lagunas Penaloza sold a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover law enforcement agent on March 7, 2023. Lagunas Penaloza was illegally present in the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, consisting of the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller. This case was 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: Northridge Man Indicted for Allegedly Checking Suitcases at LAX Containing Meth-Caked Clothes, Including a Cow Pajama Onesie

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was indicted today for allegedly possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items – including a cow pajama onesie – caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Australia. Raj Matharu, 31, of Northridge, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Matharu is scheduled to be arraigned on December 2 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is free on $10,000 bond. “Drug dealers are continually inventing creative ways of smuggling dangerous narcotics in pursuit of illicit profit – as alleged in the facts of this case,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “In the process, they are poisoning communities throughout the world. Law enforcement is committed to fighting drug trafficking, knowing that every seizure saves lives.” According to court documents, on November 6, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney. At the ticket counter, Matharu checked two luggage items, one pink suitcase and one gray suitcase. After Matharu checked the suitcases, screening officers X-rayed them. The X-ray revealed irregularities and officers pulled the suitcases for a secondary inspection. Upon opening the suitcases, law enforcement found the suitcases contained more than a dozen white or light-colored clothing items that were dried stiff and covered in a white residue. Law enforcement field-tested a sample of the residue, which yielded positive results for methamphetamine. The total weight of the clothing items with the methamphetamine caked into them was approximately 32.4 kilograms (71.5 pounds). Law enforcement later extracted more than one kilogram of methamphetamine residue from the clothing in Matharu’s suitcases. Officers intercepted Matharu on the jet bridge to his flight to Australia, and he was later arrested. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Matharu would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter. United States Customs and Border Protection provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Diane Roldán of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Two Highest-Ranking Leaders Of Gorilla Stone Bloods Gang Sentenced To 35 Years Each In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DWIGHT REID, a/k/a “Dick Wolf,” and CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE, a/k/a “Beagle,” were both sentenced to 35 years in prison, respectively, for their years-long leadership of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang (“Gorilla Stone”), a brutally violent street and prison gang that operates across the country. REID, the gang’s highest-ranking member, is the gang’s founder and prison leader, and was sentenced on May 21, 2024. ERSKINE, the gang’s street leader, also known as the “Sun,” is the gang’s second highest-ranking member, and was sentenced today. The sentencings were imposed by the Honorable Philip M. Halpern following a nearly three-week trial last year, in which REID and ERSKINE were convicted of racketeering and narcotics offenses. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Dwight Reid and Christopher Erskine are the two highest-ranking members of Gorilla Stone, a ruthless gang, and are responsible for terrible violent acts and trafficking dangerous narcotics across the country and state, including throughout the New York State prison system. Reid and Erskine’s convictions and lengthy sentences, as well as our successful prosecution of many of the gang’s most senior and violent members, send an important message to gang leaders that they will be convicted and sentenced to significant terms in prison.” According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court: REID founded Gorilla Stone over 20 years ago. Gorilla Stone has many members across New York State, including throughout New York City, Westchester, Upstate New York, and the New York State Prison System, and all over the country — such as in Florida. Gorilla Stone is comprised of various sets (or “Caves,” as they are called by gang members). Gorilla Stone is a highly organized and efficient street gang with an organizational commitment to violence that strictly enforces its internal laws. Among Gorilla Stone’s acts of violence are: a September 2020 broad daylight murder of a teenager on a busy Poughkeepsie street; an October 24, 2020 gang-related shooting outside of a Miami, Florida strip club, in which two rival gang members were shot and seriously wounded, requiring one to be airlifted from the scene; multiple shootings and attempted murders, including an August 8, 2018 shooting in Brooklyn, New York, July 5, 2020 gang shootings at a house party in Miami, Florida, and a July 20, 2020 drive-by shooting in New Rochelle, New York; a June 12, 2020 gunpoint drug-related robbery in Peekskill, New York; and a vicious January 12, 2018 face slashing of a rival gang member on 125th Street in Manhattan outside a subway station. As for the gang’s sources of revenue, in addition to some more traditional sources such as the proceeds of nationwide narcotics trafficking both inside and outside of prisons, Gorilla Stone is deeply involved in several fraud schemes that are well organized and sophisticated, and net a significant amount of money for the gang, including a fraudulent unemployment benefits scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic. * * * REID, 52, of the Bronx, New York, and ERSKINE, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, were convicted after trial of racketeering and narcotics offenses. All 21 defendants in the Gorilla Stone case before Judge Halpern have been convicted. Eighteen defendants have been sentenced and three defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing. The 18 defendants, including numerous Godfathers and Godmothers, who have been sentenced by Judge Halpern to date are: REID, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison; BRANDON SOTO, a/k/a “Stacks,” who was sentenced to 35 years in prison; ERSKINE, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison; AHMED WALKER, a/k/a “Ammo,” who was sentenced to 235 months in prison; Godmother NAYA AUSTIN, a/k/a “Baby,” who was sentenced to 234 months in prison; Godfather DONAVAN GILLARD, a/k/a “Donnie Love,” who was resentenced to 19 years in prison; Godmother BRINAE THORNTON, a/k/a “Luxury,” who was sentenced to 210 months in prison; JARRETT CRISLER, Jr., a/k/a “Jayecee,” who was sentenced to 207 months in prison; CASWELL SENIOR, a/k/a “Casanova,” who was sentenced to 188 months in prison; ROBERT WOODS, a/k/a “Blakk Rob,” who was sentenced to 188 months in prison; Godfather BRANDON NIEVES, a/k/a “Untouchable Dot,” who was sentenced to 110 months in prison; JAMAL TRENT, a/k/a “Trap Smoke,” who was sentenced to nine years in prison; DEZON WASHINGTON, a/k/a “Blakk,” who was sentenced to 97 months in prison; ROBERTA SLIGH, a/k/a “Trouble,” who was sentenced to eight years in prison; JORDAN INGRAM, a/k/a “Flow,” who was sentenced to eight years in prison; STEPHEN HUGH, a/k/a “Chino,” who was sentenced to seven years in prison; ISAIAH SANTOS, a/k/a “Zay,” who was sentenced to seven years in prison; and SHANAY OUTLAW, a/k/a “Easy,” who was sentenced to three years in prison. Three additional defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing: Godfather DESHAWN THOMAS, a/k/a “Don,” Godfather WALTER LUSTER, a/k/a “Shells,” and NEIKO CRUDUP, a/k/a “JhitRilla.” Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, New York City Police Department, Westchester County Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland District Attorney’s Office and the Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, and Clarkstown Police Departments. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, David R. Felton, Kathryn P. Wheelock, and Courtney L. Heavey, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Shannon Becker and Liam Ronan, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Migrant Smuggling Conspiracy

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cesar David Martinez-Gonzalez, 39, of Chester, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh in connection with a conspiracy to help smuggle and encourage and induce dozens of migrants from South America to enter the United States illegally so that he could profit from their labor. The object of the conspiracy, for the personal financial gain of Martinez-Gonzalez and others, was to illegally smuggle citizens of South American countries into the United States across the U.S.-Mexico border, and to encourage and induce them to enter the United States. Martinez-Gonzalez fronted money to “coyotes” in Mexico who guided migrants across the Rio Grande and through holes in the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and provided them with information to give to Customs and Border Protection so that they could be released—on parole—to his residences. Martinez-Gonzalez then paid for airplane flights to bring the migrants to Philadelphia, and, once they arrived, transported them to houses in and around Chester, Pa. At this point, Martinez-Gonzalez and his associates would impose upon the migrants thousands of dollars in “debts” owed to him, which the migrants would have to pay off through working long hours at low-paying jobs and forfeiting half of their wages to the defendant. Martinez-Gonzalez also helped the migrants obtain false identification and low paying jobs. The debts imposed by the defendant were well in excess of what it cost to get the individuals to Chester and house them there. Martinez-Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 120 years in prison. “Martinez-Gonzalez took advantage of vulnerable migrants for his own financial benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He induced them to come to the United States, then imposed thousands of dollars of so-called ‘debts,’ which they had to repay through weeks or months of labor. My office and our partners will continue to target these human smugglers, who both prey on disadvantaged populations and flout our country’s immigration laws.” The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara A. Solow, Louis D. Lappen, Eileen Castilla Geiger, and J. Andrew Jenemann.


title: Creston Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Creston man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. According to public court documents, between approximately September and November 2023, Bryan Michael Vannausdle, 34, communicated with a minor victim. Vannausdle used his cell phone to send, receive, and store images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including material of the minor victim. After completing his term of imprisonment, Vannausdle will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Creston Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigations. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.


title: Ohio Man Deceived into Transferring Life Savings in Cryptocurrency Scam

body_text: CLEVELAND - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 947,883 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $947,883. USDT is a virtual currency which are digital tokens of value circulated over the internet. Its transactions are publicly recorded on what is known as a blockchain. According to court documents, the cryptocurrency fraud scam began in or around October 2023, when an Elyria, Ohio, man was contacted via a pop-up window on this computer with instructions to call a number to resolve a tech issue. The victim was then told that his retirement account had been compromised and that his funds were being wired to accounts in China or Russia and a casino in Las Vegas. He was provided with a purported solution and told that the transactions could be stopped by wiring money. Thinking that he was protecting his retirement account, the victim gave remote computer access to the scammer who then proceeded to withdraw money and move funds into various cryptocurrency accounts. In total, the victim lost his entire life savings of $425,000 as a result of this cryptocurrency fraud scam. Investigators conducted a blockchain analysis and determined that the stolen funds were converted to USDT cryptocurrency and placed into a virtual currency wallet. Law enforcement officers executed a federal seizure warrant to recover 947,883 USDT tokens, on July 31, 2024, and then transferred these funds to a law-enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet. By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on Nov. 26, 2024, the United States seeks to forfeit the 947,883 USDT cryptocurrency. If successful, the United States would seek to provide compensation to the victim. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the additional cryptocurrency contained in the address is subject to forfeiture as the proceeds of fraud. The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and the United States must prove these allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at trial. The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford . The USAO would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in this matter. If you observe something that you believe might be fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.


title: Bergen County Man Admits Robbery of New Jersey Bank

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man admitted robbing a bank in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Tony Winst, 46, of Cresskill, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to an information charging him with bank robbery. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Nov. 17, 2023, Winst entered a bank in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, and handed a note to a teller stating: “this is a robbery.” He claimed to have a weapon. The teller gave Winst money and he fled from the bank. The count of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Mountain Lakes Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Shawn Bennett. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. winst.information.pdf


title: Durham Man Charged With Cyberstalking Members of LGBTQ+ Community

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Durham man with cyberstalking five victims. One of the charges alleges that the harassment began in 2016 and continued through this year. The indictment further alleges that the defendant, David Ryan Winters, targeted the victims due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. According to the indictment, Winters, age 38, sent electronic and text messages to the victims, and, in some cases, people close to them, attempting to intimidate and harass the victims. Winters, if convicted on all counts, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. This indictment and prosecution is a result of the work of the Civil Rights Team launched by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley in 2022, which prioritizes the investigation and prosecution of civil and criminal cases involving civil rights, such as gender or sexual identification, religion, race and national origin, the protection of voter rights, disability rights or access, and discrimination in housing, healthcare, lending, employment, and education. In 2023, the office added two new dedicated civil rights prosecutors to the team. The EDNC Civil Rights Team has pursued numerous matters this year arising from cyberstalking and threats targeting victims for their membership in protected groups. Earlier this month, an Alabama man was indicted for cyberstalking a local woman allegedly targeting her because of her sexual orientation. In May, a California man was arrested after making threats targeting multiple entities and individuals, including an elected official, members of law enforcement, and several synagogues located in North Carolina, while residing in California at the time the threats were made. “Everybody has an equal right to live, work, worship, and love in America” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We won’t tolerate those who threaten, stalk, or use violence just because they don’t like how somebody else lives. Everybody is treated equally and fairly under the law and we won’t normalize violence and intimidation. Our Civil Rights Team is squaring off against threats and hate-fueled violence of any kind and not slowing down.” If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement or the FBI . Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Raleigh and Durham Police Departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel is prosecuting the cases. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Mississippi Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Cyberstalking and Antisemitic Harassment of Synagogues, Jewish-Owned Businesses

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for cyberstalking and the antisemitic harassment of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses. According to a June 2023 indictment and superseding information filed this May, the defendant used a Voice Over Internet Protocol service to make a series of phone calls in April and May 2022 to synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In these calls, the defendant spoke to individuals answering the telephone calls on behalf of their respective institutions, at which time he repeatedly referenced the genocide of approximately six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, stating, among other things, “Heil Hitler,” “all Jews must die,” “we will put you in work camps,” “gas the Jews,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.” In June of this year, Parish pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. He also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion. “Donavon Parish’s harassment and hateful antisemitic threats terrorized those he targeted — their sense of security abruptly shaken by fears of escalation and physical harm,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “People of all faiths and backgrounds deserve to feel safe in their communities. That’s why my office and the FBI are committed to working these cases and bringing offenders like Parish to justice.” “No member of our community should live in fear, regardless of where they work, live, or worship,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence demonstrates the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such repeated and vile threats that seek to disrupt our community’s sense of safety and security, and we will bring the perpetrator to justice, no matter where they are.” The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Jeanette Kang of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division (Counterterrorism Section), with assistance from DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.


title: Murfreesboro Man Sentenced to 41 Years for July 2020 Violent Crime Spree in Murfreesboro and Franklin

body_text: NASHVILLE – Joshua Hallmon, 29, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 41 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee. Hallmon was convicted by a federal jury in August 2023, on all 12 counts he faced for a string of violent crimes he committed in Murfreesboro and Franklin. Hallmon and two co-defendants, Charles Melvin Walker and Walter Lee Williams, were charged by a federal grand jury in May 2021 with multiple counts of Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Additionally, Hallmon was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Prior to trial, Walker and Williams both pleaded guilty to all charges against them. Walker and Williams were sentenced last year, with each receiving sentences of 16 years in federal prison. The charges in this case related to a crime spree that spanned from July 6 to July 27, 2020, involving the armed robberies of Twice Daily and Mapco gas stations in Murfreesboro on July 6 and July 23, 2020. Then, on the night of July 26-27, 2020, Hallmon and his two co-defendants committed an armed carjacking and kidnapping in Murfreesboro, attempted to commit a second armed carjacking in Franklin, and committed a third armed carjacking and kidnapping in Murfreesboro in which Williams shot the victim in the face. “The defendant committed senseless and violent crimes against people apparently chosen at random. Today’s sentence keeps the community safe from the defendant for over four decades,” said Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. “I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work on this highly important case.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Murfreesboro Police Department; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; the Smyrna Police Department; the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; the Franklin Police Department; and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Suedekum and Rachel Stephens prosecuted the case. #####


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida Restaurant Group to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured an agreement with Anna Maria Oyster Bar Inc., a restaurant group based in Bradenton, Florida. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that the restaurant group routinely discriminated against lawful permanent residents when checking their permission to work in the United States. “It is unlawful for employers to reject valid documents from lawful permanent residents and require them to present a specific document because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Unnecessary and discriminatory obstacles in the onboarding process can harm those who wish to lawfully participate in our economy and deprive employers of their talents.” After conducting an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Anna Maria Oyster Bar had required a specific document — a Permanent Resident Card — from a worker to prove her citizenship status, even though she had already presented sufficient proof of her permission to work. IER also found that the restaurant group’s treatment of this worker was part of a larger practice of requesting documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security, typically Permanent Resident Cards, from lawful permanent residents to prove their citizenship status, which lasted from at least March 1, 2023, to at least Sept. 1, 2023. U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, those granted asylum or refugee status and other non-U.S. citizens with permission to work may legally work in the United States if they can prove their identity and permission to work. As explained in the department’s new fact sheet , lawful permanent residents (sometimes referred to as “green card holders”) can use different types of documentation to prove their permission to work. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker. Under the terms of the settlement, Anna Maria Oyster Bar will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring. IER is responsible for enforcing the INA’s anti-discrimination provision. This law prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . IER’s website has more information on lawful permanent residents’ rights under the INA and how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify), or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov ; sign up for a live webinar; watch an on-demand presentation ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un grupo de restaurantes de la Florida que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Anna Maria Oyster Bar Inc., un grupo de restaurantes con sede en Bradenton, Florida. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que el grupo de restaurantes discriminó de forma rutinaria a los residentes legales permanentes al verificar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. «Es ilegal para un empleador rechazar documentos válidos de residentes permanentes legales y requerir que presenten un documento específico debido a su estatus de ciudadanía a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Los obstáculos innecesarios y discriminatorios en el proceso de incorporación pueden dañar a aquellos que desean participar legalmente en nuestra economía y privar a los empleadores de su talento». Después de llevar a cabo una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que Anna Maria Oyster Bar había requerido un documento específico, una tarjeta de residente permanente, de una trabajadora para demostrar su estatus de ciudadanía, a pesar de que ya había presentado suficientes pruebas de su permiso para trabajar. La IER también descubrió que el tratamiento de esta trabajadora por parte del grupo de restaurantes formaba parte de una práctica más amplia de solicitar documentos emitidos por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, normalmente tarjetas de residencia permanente, de residentes permanentes legales para demostrar su condición de ciudadanía, que duró desde al menos el 1 de marzo del 2023 hasta al menos el 1 de septiembre del 2023. Ciudadanos de los EE. UU., nacionales de los EE. UU., residentes permanentes legales, aquellos con asilo o estatus de refugiado y otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que disponen de permiso para trabajar pueden trabajar legalmente en los Estados Unidos si pueden demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar. Como se explica en la nueva hoja informativa del Departamento, los residentes legales permanentes (a veces denominados «titulares de tarjetas verdes») pueden utilizar diferentes tipos de documentación para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador. Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Anna Maria Oyster Bar pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . El sitio web de IER tiene más información sobre los derechos de residentes permanentes legales en virtud de la INA y cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilegal al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Former Manchester Man and Sex Offender Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for the Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former Manchester man and convicted sex offender was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. James Aubuchont, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 57 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On June 13, 2024, Aubuchont pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. “A violent sex offender possessed two firearms and enough ammunition to equip a small militia,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Today’s significant sentence demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to ensuring that felons who possess firearms face swift consequences for their repeated disregard of the law.” “Removing violent offenders, especially those with a history of sex crimes, from our communities is critical to ensuring public safety,” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division “This case highlights the dangers posed by violent individuals who unlawfully possess firearms and ammunition. ATF and our partners remain committed to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.” Aubuchont has an extensive criminal record spanning three decades. In July 2023, a state warrant was issued for Aubuchont’s arrest. Law enforcement arrested him on July 12, 2023, near the Flat Mountain Pond Shelter in the White Mountains. During a recorded jail call, Aubuchont asked his then-romantic partner, Rebecca Aubuchont, to retrieve his two “fishing rods” from the campsite, including one that “we got from VJ, remember the one you bought?” Three days later, law enforcement recovered a rifle and pistol from Aubuchont’s campsite, along with over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The rifle had been purchased from a firearms dealer operated by an individual with the first and middle initials V.J. During that recorded call, Aubuchont had also asked Rebecca Aubuchont to remove some of his property, which he called “garbage,” from the jail. The “garbage” was a damaged cell phone with an intact Micro SD card containing over 1,300 images and 140 videos of child sex abuse materials, some of which depicted Aubuchont himself assaulting a minor. He is currently serving a separate state sentence of 33 years to life for aggravated felonious sexual assault of two minors, possession of child sex abuse images, and manufacturing child pornography. On July 2, 2024, Rebecca Aubuchont pleaded guilty to straw purchasing one of the firearms for Aubuchont. Rebecca Aubuchont is currently scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2024. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms led the investigation. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Forest Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Tiffany A. Scanlon prosecuted the case. ###


title: Society Hill Businessman Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Tax Crimes

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Murat Aslansan, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 12 months and one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine, and was ordered to pay $327,723 to the Internal Revenue Service for committing tax evasion. Aslansan was the sole owner and operator of MA-SA Construction LLC, a general contracting construction and maintenance company that provided home remodeling and maintenance services. Aslansan operated the business from his home in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. From 2016 to 2018, Aslansan cashed his business checks at a check cashing business and failed to report all of his gross receipts from his business on his tax returns. Specifically, Aslansan failed to report over $600,000 of gross receipts for this business on his 2016 to 2018 tax returns. In 2019 and 2020, Aslansan continued to use the check cashing business instead of his business bank accounts to cash business checks and failed to file tax returns in 2019 and 2020. As a result, Aslansan attempted to evade the assessment of his taxes and owed $327,723 to the IRS. Aslansan pleaded guilty to tax evasion in July of this year. “By evading his tax responsibilities of more than $300,000, Murat Aslansan cheated not just the government, but all taxpayers who dutifully, if ruefully, pay their fair share to the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Tax evasion may seem tempting, but be forewarned, it will wind up costing you dearly when you’re arrested, prosecuted, and even imprisoned for these crimes.” “Individuals like Mr. Aslansan, who intentionally violate the law to evade paying their fair share of taxes undermine public confidence in our tax system,” said Acting IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Amy MacNeely. “Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes.” The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright.


title: Former New Hampshire Resident Pleads Guilty  to Fraud Against Bedford Women’s Care

body_text: CONCORD – A former New Hampshire woman pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising out of her defrauding her prior employer, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Elizabeth Morse, 55, currently of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges. U.S. District Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for February 26, 2025. According to statements in court and from the public record, the defendant was a long-time employee of Bedford Women’s Care Associates (“BWCA”), a Bedford, NH-based medical group practice that specialized in Obstetrics & Gynecology until its closure in early 2023. Starting in 2020, the defendant became BWCA’s office manager and handled the processing of payroll through a third-party servicer. Taking advantage of the trust placed in her as office manager, defendant manipulated the payroll processes at BWCA, logging into the third-party servicer and changing her rate of pay to a higher amount than what she was entitled to. The defendant obtained these ill-gotten gains pursuant to the scheme over the course of approximately three years. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Through her plea agreement, defendant has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $168,366.66. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case. ###


title: St. Louis Man Admits Making, Selling Fraudulent ID

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted producing and selling fraudulent identification documents. David B. Crosby, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud with identification documents. Crosby admitted selling stolen and/or fraudulent identification documents and a Social Security number. He advertised fraudulent documents via social media. Crosby caused or intended to cause a total loss of at least $103,000. Crosby admitted selling a fraudulent Missouri driver’s license in October 2023, bearing the name and information of a victim but the photograph of someone else. He also sold the victim’s Social Security number to the same buyer. That identification document and information was subsequently utilized to attempt to purchase a roughly $70,000 BMW in Texas through a fraudulent loan, Crosby’s plea agreement says. Crosby also produced a fraudulent identification document with his photo but the identifying information of another victim, and used that identification document to attempt to lease an apartment and obtain a $33,000 automobile loan. Crosby is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2025. The charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both prison and a fine. The U.S. Secret Service, the St. Charles Police Department and the Wentzville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.


title: Siblings Sentenced in Murder for Hire Case

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A brother and sister from Clinton, Mississippi were sentenced today for their actions in a murder for hire plot. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Joshua Druid Bryan, 29, and Regan Emily Bryan, 30, sought to hire a hit man to murder their stepfather in order to obtain life insurance proceeds. Regan Emily Bryan was sentenced to 65 months in prison. She previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Joshua Druid Bryan was sentenced to 120 months in prison. He was previously found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and murder for hire following a trial that concluded on December 15, 2023. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The Bureau of ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Matthew Allen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: WASHINGTON – Deangelo Jones, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Jones appeared in court today and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing. According to documents filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, at approximately 10:47 a.m. on November 7, 2024, ShotSpotter technology alerted to the sound of five gunshots in the front of 78 53rd Place Southeast, Washington, D.C. When MPD responded to the area, they located a shooting victim in a car in the 5300 block of Central Avenue Southeast, Washington D.C. The victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to the left eye. During the initial interaction with law enforcement, officers determined the victim was driving southbound on 53rd Place Southeast when shots were fired. A review of surveillance cameras in the area showed the suspect at 53 rd place Southeast just two minutes before the shooting. Two minutes later, the victim’s vehicle traveled southbound and out of view. Just after, the suspect can be seen on the west sidewalk walking southbound. The suspect retrieved a large firearm and appeared to shoot the firearm multiple times southbound in the direction of victim’s vehicle. The suspect fired, then briefly ran south in the direction of the victim’s vehicle and out of camera view. Approximately nine seconds later, the suspect returned to the camera’s view and ran northbound on 53rd Place Southeast. A search of the suspect’s home led to discovery of a Glock firearm which was not the weapon used in the shooting but which the suspect admitted he had acquired. Jones has a prior conviction for carrying a pistol without a license, in D.C. Superior Court and a conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Yarbro. 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: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Five Years and Eight Months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Devin Dolphus, age 25, was sentenced on November 20, 2024, to five years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition was also ordered. Dolphus was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024, and pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024. On March 1, 2024, Dolphus was found passed out in a running vehicle at a gas station in New Underwood. As officers made contact with Dolphus they found him to be disoriented, with bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and hand tremors. A search of the vehicle recovered a Bushmaster model XM15-E2S rifle and two magazines, marijuana, pills, syringes with methamphetamine residue, and other drug related items. At the time of his arrest Dolphus tested positive for THC and methamphetamine. Dolphus is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously twice convicted of federal firearm convictions in 2019 and 2021. 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. This case was investigated by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case. Dolphus was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 11 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of a Sioux Falls Convenience Store

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Interference with Commerce by Means of Robbery and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024. Bryan Louis Archambeau, 21, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Archambeau was indicted for Interference with Commerce by Means of Robbery; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He pleaded guilty to Interference with Commerce by Means of Robbery and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence in July 2024. In the evening of November 2, 2023, Archambeau went to the 49’er Marathon C-Store in Sioux Falls wearing a medical mask. He entered the store and took two cases of Twisted Tea and exited the store without paying for the items. When confronted about the theft, Archambeau lifted his shirt, brandished a pistol, and then left the scene. Then, in the evening of November 3, 2023, Archambeau went to the Freedom Valu Center in Sioux Falls. He placed two-12 packs of Twisted Tea on the counter and pulled out a pistol from his waistband. He pointed it at the clerk, racked the slide of the pistol, and demanded money. Archambeau then left the scene. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Archambeau was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: COVID Relief Loan Fraud Lands Oklahoma City Woman in Federal Prison for Two Years

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – MADINAH MALIKAH MONTGOMERY , 33, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison for wire fraud and ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On March 19, 2024, Montgomery was charged by Amended Information with wire fraud. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Administration (SBA) expanded the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to provide loan assistance to struggling small businesses and other eligible entities. According to the Amended Information, on July 16, 2020, Montgomery submitted an application for an EIDL loan for $150,000 for her business. As part of the application, Montgomery falsely claimed she was the sole owner of a salon with 10 employees, which had gross revenues of $600,000. As a result of her fraudulent application, the SBA approved the loan, and deposited $149,900 to Montgomery’s bank account in Enid, Oklahoma. On April 3, 2024, Montgomery pleaded guilty, and admitted to filing a fraudulent EIDL application and receiving $149,000, some of which she used to pay personal expenses. At the sentencing hearing on November 22, 2024, the United States argued for a sentence of confinement highlighting that over a three-month span, Montgomery fraudulently applied for three separate EIDL loans totaling $385,000, and ultimately received $300,000. U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Montgomery to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Friot noted the seriousness of Montgomery’s offenses in that she defrauded the United Stated of $300,000 in loans meant for businesses suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Judge Friot highlighted the length and serious nature of Montgomery’s criminal history and that the sentences she had received had not deterred her from continued criminal activity. Along with the sentence of confinement, Montgomery was ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution to the United States. Public record reflects that Montgomery has previous felony convictions that include: possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2009-03754; grand larceny in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2014-4967; and bringing contraband into a jail/penal institution, unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute, and conspiracy in Beckham County District Court case number CF-2022-00142. Additionally, in a separate case in the Western District of Oklahoma, Montgomery has been charged by a federal grand jury with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in case number 24-CR-348. She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The public is reminded this charge is merely an allegation and that Montgomery is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the result of an investigation by United States Secret Service, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case. This case is also the result of an investigation by the Western District of Oklahoma Coronavirus Fraud Task Force. The Task Force combines the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on programs created or funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and it is designed to find the best ways to detect, deter, and punish those who take advantage of federal and state programs during the pandemic. These programs include, but are not limited to, fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), the Main Street Lending Program, unemployment insurance fraud, and fraud involving pandemic-related supplies. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography and Assaulting a Federal Officer in the Course of a Multi-Hour Standoff

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of Child Pornography and Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024. Brad Hicks, age 58, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200, and restitution in the amount of $39,000. Hicks must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. Hicks was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024. The conviction stemmed from Hicks creating an account through the application BitTorrent to send and receive images and videos of child pornography. He was found to be in possession of 3,045 images and 743 videos of child pornography, which included a victim as young as 3-5 years old. In addition, on February 27, 2024, when the U.S. Marshal Service attempted to take Hicks into custody, Hicks observed law enforcement outside of his home, retrieved a firearm, and proceeded to have a multi-hour standoff with the Sioux Falls SWAT team. The standoff ended after tear gas was deployed and Hicks finally surrendered. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and the U.S. Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Hicks was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.