title: Honolulu Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempted Child Enticement

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Brent Leroy Gaston, 65, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months imprisonment for attempted child enticement by U.S. District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi. Gaston pleaded guilty in February to attempting to engage in sexual contact with two children who Gaston believed to be a nine year-old boy and an eleven year-old girl. In addition to his sentence, Gaston must register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. According to information produced to the court, an undercover law enforcement officer posted a profile on a social media and dating application of an adult who would be visiting Honolulu and “wanted to find some like-minded pervs like me.” When Gaston responded to the profile, the officer added that he would be with his two children ages 9 and 11, to which Gaston responded, "Please clarify. You are wanting your children to participate?" Gaston continued to communicate with the officer, expressing sexually explicit suggestive plans regarding the officer's purported minor children. Gaston was arrested when he arrived at a meeting purportedly to meet with the officer and the children. “Protecting children from the depravity of defendants like Gaston is among our highest priorities as a law enforcement community,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “These sanctions deter others from engaging in such devastatingly harmful conduct, and we will continue to seek them in all cases where vulnerable members of our community are targeted in this manner.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case is the result of an operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting the case.


title: Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally  Reentering the United States After Being Deported

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced on August 9, 2024, to more than four months in federal prison. Edwin Junech-Pastor, age 37, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Decorah, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. In a plea agreement, Junech-Pastor admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Junech-Pastor was previously deported in June 2008. On March 22, 2024, immigration officials learned Junech-Pastor had illegally returned to the United States and found Junech-Pastor at the Winneshiek County Jail following his arrest on state charges. In the plea agreement, Junech-Pastor also admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent Permanent Resident card, also known as a “green card,” both bearing his name, to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in June 2019 at a business in Decorah, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The number on the Social Security card was assigned to a United States citizen and the number on the Permanent Resident card was assigned to a Mexican male. Junech-Pastor was previously convicted in May 2008 in the Northern District of Iowa following an immigration enforcement action in Postville, Iowa, of using fraudulent documents to unlawfully gain employment in the United States. Junech-Pastor was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Junech-Pastor was sentenced to 138 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Junech-Pastor is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2014. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Earlville Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Prison for Using Drugs and Possessing Multiple Firearms

body_text: An Earlville man who assaulted his girlfriend and shot at her was sentenced today, August 9, 2024, to 97 months in prison. Christopher Wuchter, age 38, from Earlville, received the prison term after a February 7, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user. Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearing revealed that on January 9, 2023, Wuchter was arrested for domestic abuse following an incident that occurred at his residence. Officers later executed a search warrant at the residence and found drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, multiple rounds of ammunition, and over 30 firearms. Two of the firearms were determined to be sawed-off shotguns. During their investigation, investigators learned that in August 2022, Wuchter and his girlfriend at the time had gotten into an argument. Wuchter assaulted his girlfriend’s minor son causing a bloody nose. Wuchter then fired three shots from a second-story bedroom at his girlfriend as she was trying to leave the residence. At the time of both incidents, Wuchter was a user of methamphetamine and marijuana. Wuchter has a criminal history, which includes 11 prior adult criminal convictions. Wuchter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wuchter was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-2024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Two Iranian nationals and one Pakistani national indicted for providing material support to terrorists

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A superseding indictment was returned yesterday charging two Iranian citizens, brothers Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), and one Pakistani citizen, Muhammad Pahlawan, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program resulting in death and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction resulting in death. Pahlawan is currently awaiting trial, while Shahab and Yunus remain at large. According to court documents, Shahab and Yunus work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Muhammad Pahlawan, 48, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a smuggling vessel, known as a dhow, named the “Yunus,” which is owned by Shahab. Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, and Shahab paid Pahlawan in Iranian Rials from a bank account in Shahab’s name. Pahlawan allegedly arranged to receive payments from Shahab and Yunus in Iran and distribute the money to his family and others. On Jan. 11, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard, boarded the dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction. As alleged, the U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan. During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team allegedly located and seized what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Preliminary analysis of the advanced conventional weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is allegedly consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In addition to the charges described above, Pahlawan is charged with providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s captain, and witness intimidation for threatening one of the crewmembers on the dhow. Pahlawan, Shahab, and Yunus all face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-41. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Four Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

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

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee, returned an eight-count indictment against four defendants—Mark O’Neil Robinson, 41, of Atlanta, Georgia; Christopher Harold Roberts, 57, of Knoxville, Tennessee; Brian Kirksey, 44, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Donnie Lee Oliver, 55, of Powell, Tennessee. According to the indictment filed with the court, all defendants are charged with a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A). Robinson is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, including a firearm equipped with a silencer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Roberts is also charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). Robinson had his initial appearance on July 22, 2024; Oliver and Kirksey had their initial appearances on August 5, 2024; and Roberts had his initial appearance on August 6, 2024. Each defendant’s initial appearance in this case was in the United States District Court at Knoxville, before the Honorable Judge Debra C. Poplin, United States Magistrate Judge, and each defendant entered a plea of not guilty. This case has been set for trial on September 24, 2024, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Knoxville. If convicted, Robinson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 60 years and up to life, as well as other penalties; Kirksey and Oliver each face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and up to life in prison and other penalties; Roberts faces a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of 15 years and up to life in prison and other penalties. United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. This indictment is the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Quencer and Caroline Poore will represent the United States. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. ###


title: McCurtain County Resident Sentenced To Life For Sexually Abusing A Child

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brett Dewayne Cole, age 34, of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison for each of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and for one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. The sentences are to run concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On March 7, 2023, Cole was found guilty by a federal jury. At trial, the United States presented evidence that from January to May of 2019, Cole sexually assaulted a minor female in his custody and care whom he knew to be under the age of twelve. Two other witnesses testified that Cole also assaulted them when they were under the age of twelve. The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Thanks to the bravery of the victims who testified in this case, Mr. Cole will never again be able to abuse another child, and our community is a much safer place for everyone,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Skarda of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The three life sentences handed down today plainly reflect the gravity of the crimes, along with the FBI’s commitment to putting child predators behind bars.” “Mr. Cole’s appalling crimes against children warrant these life sentences,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “My heart goes out to the brave individuals who survived Mr. Cole’s assaults, and who summoned the courage necessary to report and provide witness to his crimes. Together with investigators and prosecutors, they have ensured that Mr. Cole is no longer at liberty to prey on others.” The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Cole will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States at the sentencing hearing.


title: Justice Department Announces That It Will Provide Technical Assistance to the Boston Police Department under COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative

component: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

body_text: The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced it will engage with the Boston Police Department (BPD) through the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative’s Critical Response program. The COPS Office, in conjunction with the National Policing Institute (a Critical Response provider), will provide a review and assessment of operations within BPD’s Human Resources section to determine whether processes and structures within this area can be adapted to increase operational efficiencies and effectiveness. “We applaud the Boston Police Department for requesting this review,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We know that agencies that are transparent about the work that they do and how they do it increase their ability to build public trust and advance public safety.” “The COPS Office has been able to see first-hand the positive changes that agencies undergo when they commit to the type of assistance offered under our Critical Response program,” said Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. of the COPS Office. “And that commitment, in turn, has a big impact on public trust.” The Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs (complete details of these programs can be found at cops.usdoj.gov/collaborativereform ). Managed out of the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and promote community policing practices nationwide. The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies experiencing high-profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. Critical Response is highly customizable by providing flexible assistance to law enforcement agencies that have recently experienced a critical incident or identified an issue of significant community concern in their department’s operations. The TA generally falls into three categories: (1) immediate delivery of TA to address a pressing and acute need, (2) data analysis, and (3) after-action reviews to understand and learn from law enforcement and public safety responses to critical incidents or issues. The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.


title: Brooklyn Man Charged with Throwing Explosive Device into Verizon Utility Van in Road Rage Attack

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, an indictment was unsealed charging Kevindale Nurse with arson for allegedly throwing an explosive device into a Verizon utility work van during a road rage attack in Crowns Heights, Brooklyn. Nurse was arrested today and will make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and indictment. “As alleged, Nurse deliberately threw an explosive device into the window of another vehicle on a public road, endangering the lives of the vehicle’s occupants and others in the area,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Unfortunately, road rage is an all-too common occurrence in our communities. But this dangerous and senseless attack on a busy intersection in the heart of Brooklyn was beyond the pale. We will vigorously prosecute this case.” “The defendant committed an unconscionable act by using explosives during a road rage incident, disregarding the potentially deadly consequences when he threw an explosive device in a neighboring vehicle. Thanks to strong law enforcement partnerships and the investigative efforts of ATF NY’s Arson & Explosives Task Force comprised of ATF Special Agents, FDNY Fire Marshals and NYPD Detectives, the NYPD 71st Precinct Detective Squad, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York this defendant will now face the consequences of his horrific actions,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller. “There is no place in civil society for the spreading of fear through intimidation, violence, and destruction,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend the work of our NYPD investigators, along with our law enforcement partners at the ATF and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, for their dedication and collaboration in bringing this accused criminal to justice.” As described in court filings, on the evening of January 31, 2024, Nurse, who was driving a white minibus, or commuter “dollar van,” also occupied by his four-year-old son, cut off a Verizon utility van. The two Verizon repairmen in the van were working that day on high-speed data lines and fiber optic equipment. Surveillance video captured Nurse driving erratically before stopping the white minibus next to the Verizon van at the intersection of President Street and Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights, and opening the door of the minibus. Nurse allegedly threw an explosive device into the driver’s side window of the Verizon van, causing an explosion inside the vehicle. The two Verizon repairmen inside sustained multiple injuries, and their van was extensively damaged by the blast. The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Nurse faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Larkin is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : KEVINDALE NURSE Age: 36 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-322 (MKB)


title: Norton Shores Man Sentenced To Seven Years In Federal Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Anthony Bradell McMillan, 37, of Norton Shores, Michigan was sentenced to seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine pills, cocaine, and MDMA . U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering noted at sentencing that McMillan’s possession of a gun during his offense and his history of domestic violence precluded her from granting McMillan’s request for a shorter sentence. “Mr. McMillian helped flood our communities with potentially lethal drugs and has a history of domestic violence, including the circumstances that gave rise to this case,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “Disrupting the flow of poisons that are taking so many lives and protecting victims of gender-based violence are central to our mission.” On January 21, 2024, officers from the Norton Shores Police Department responded to McMillan’s home after 911 dispatchers received complaints that McMillan was inside and reportedly abusing his girlfriend. Upon arriving, officers knocked on the front door and several other doors and windows with no answer. After several attempts, McMillan’s girlfriend eventually emerged. Officers observed injuries, confirmed that McMillan had been beating her, and learned that during the assault, he threatened her with a pistol. As a previously convicted felon, McMillan was not allowed to possess firearms. Officers obtained a warrant to search McMillan’s residence. Inside the house, officers seized a digital scale, controlled substance packaging material, MDMA pills, and two digital scales. In the yard, officers found a black trash bag that McMillan had discarded after police arrived. The trash bag contained a .45 caliber Glock 21 pistol, over 2,700 methamphetamine pills, over 100 grams of cocaine, and a banking card with McMillan’s name on it. McMillan was located and taken into custody without incident. McMillan was subsequently charged by indictment and, in April 2024, pled guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Norton Shores Police Department, Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office, and Muskegon Heights Police Department investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Fauson prosecuted it. ###


title: Randolph Man Arrested for Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Randolph man has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Kesler Xavier Saget, 43, was charged with transporting child pornography and possession of child pornography. Saget was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 12, 2024. According to the charging documents, after landing at Boston Logan International Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, CSAM was allegedly detected on Saget’s phone during a border search. Further review of the phone allegedly showed payments Saget made in exchange for access to CSAM. The charge of transporting child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing child pornography provides for a sentence up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. 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 . Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Chenango County Man Admits to Posting Facebook Threats and Illegally Possessing Three Firearms

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – James Kenyon, age 52, of Smithville Flats, New York, pled guilty yesterday to transmitting a threat to injure in interstate commerce and unlawfully possessing three firearms while subject to a domestic violence order of protection. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Kenyon admitted that on December 10, 2022, he made a profanity-laced Facebook post in which he threatened to decapitate another individual and told the individual to move out-of-state. Kenyon also admitted to possessing two rifles and a shotgun on December 29, 2022, while subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited him from possessing any firearms. The charges to which Kenyon pled guilty carry a combined maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Kenyon also agreed to forfeit all three firearms. The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.


title: 73-Year-Old Greenacres Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Threatening to Kill a Member of Congress and the Congressperson’s Children

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Yesterday, U.S. District Judge David S. Leibowitz sentenced Michael Shapiro, 73, to 24 months in prison during a hearing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for leaving three voicemail messages threatening to kill a member of Congress and the Congressperson’s children. According to court records, on Dec. 19, 2023, Shapiro called and left five voicemail messages at a U.S. Congressional Office in Washington, D.C. from his residence in Greenacres, Fla. In three of the messages, Shapiro threatened to kill the Congressperson and the Congressperson’s children. Specifically, Shapiro stated, “I'm gonna come after you and kill you [expletive]." In another call, Shapiro stated, “I'm gonna come and kill your children you mother-[expletive]. I'm gonna kill your children.” Shapiro was arrested at his home on Jan. 3. On May 17, Shapiro pled guilty to the indictment charging him with transmitting threatening communications. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), announced the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80007. ###


title: Australian National Pleads Guilty to Participating in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: MIAMI – On July 29, Jordan Curry, 42, an Australian national from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to launder money and import cocaine from South America through the United States to Australia. According to the agreed upon factual proffer, from 2019 to 2021, Curry led an international drug trafficking and money laundering organization. While based in Dubai, Curry partnered with other conspirators, to launder drug proceeds and traffic in ton-size quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine from South America and Mexico, to Australia and Europe. Further, Curry, his co-defendant, and other conspirators in Australia formed a commission of high-level drug traffickers to keep drug prices up. Once the cocaine arrived in Sydney, they distributed it to Melbourne. Curry discussed having full control of drug trafficking in Australia since it was their organization who controlled the trade in-country. On June 28, 2019, Curry coordinated two separate cash drops in Greater Sydney, Australia. The total amount delivered by Curry, via his couriers, was $1,000,200 Australian Dollars (AUD) ($692,628.50 U.S. dollars (USD)). The money was sent to various U.S. based bank accounts. Curry created a group chat on July 8, 2019, which included a co-conspirator in Colombia, to coordinate the delivery of the pesos in Bogota, Colombia. Between July 10 and July 25, 2019, there were six separate payouts in Bogota totaling $1,885,161,000 Colombian pesos, all of which were given to couriers at the direction of Curry. Each time, either Curry or his co-conspirator, or both, confirmed the payments were received. On July 23, 2019, Curry stated that he wanted to finalize laundering as quickly as possible to “get my job over the line” (to get a cocaine load released into the country). Starting in 2020, during an undercover operation, Curry negotiated for a load of cocaine to be sent from Colombia through Mexico to the U.S., specifically Los Angeles, and from there to Australia. Curry said he wanted “powder please bricks.” On April 8, 2021, Curry was to receive 50 kilograms of cocaine for the first delivery. In order to obtain the cocaine, Curry was going to send a courier in Australia with the cash payment. Curry set up a group chat that included his money courier. In the group chat, the courier sent photos of three duffle bags all full of Australian dollars that were neatly bundled in rubber bands and sealed in cellophane wrap. Australian law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the courier’s vehicle and discovered the three bags containing a total of $2,996,610 AUD (approximately $2,284,876 USD). Curry is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16 before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. He faces up to life in prison. Judge Altonaga will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division announced the plea. DEA Miami Field Division conducted this investigation with the DEA Sydney Resident Office and the Athens County Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA would like to thank international law enforcement partners including Queensland Police Service, New South Wales Police Force, Western Australia Police Force, Australian Federal Police , Hellenic Police, and the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Justice, as well as Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their crucial assistance in this investigation. The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the US, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force carried out this case and prosecution. HIDTA was established in 1990. This program, which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, fosters intra-agency cooperation among law enforcement agencies in South Florida and involves them in developing a strategy to target the region's drug-related and violent crime threats to public safety, as with the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and the cocaine threat to our nation. South Florida HIDTA uses the funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, that sponsors a variety of law enforcement initiatives that target the region's illicit drug and violent crime threats to our community. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20270. ###


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed of a 6-Year-Old in Southeast Washington D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON –A Superior Court jury found Deon Cannon, 30, of Washington, D.C., guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed of a minor and other charges in a late-afternoon shooting that took place on Labor Day weekend in 2021 on Terrace Road SE at Naylor Gardens, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Cannon also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon committed against a minor, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. The verdict was returned on August 7, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2024. Cannon faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:40 p.m. on September 5, 2021, Cannon was pacing the sidewalk of Terrace Road SE, waiting for the victim to walk in that direction. The victim was walking from the playground with his 6-year-old son when Cannon fired two rounds aimed directly at the victims. In defense of his son, the father fired back. A second shooter came from around the corner and fired 17 more rounds aimed at the victim while his son ran away. Cannon followed the victims and was seen by officers within minutes of the shooting. He fled but was later caught and arrested. He has been in custody since. Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance video from the residences in the area that captured the shooting. At the time of Cannon’s arrest, he was wearing clothing that matched that worn by the suspect in the surveillance video. Additionally, the government presented DNA and ballistics evidence. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Matar and Mark Levy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Newburgh Duo Sentenced to Combined 25 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Pounds of Methamphetamine into Evansville

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Michael Jimenez, 37, of Newburgh, Indiana and Jordan Jimenez, 30, of Evansville, Indiana, have been sentenced to federal prison for ten and fifteen years, respectively, followed by five years of supervise release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jordan Jimenez also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, between May and July of 2022, the uncle and nephew duo worked together to buy and sell large quantities of methamphetamine in Southern Indiana. Jordan Jimenez obtained pounds of methamphetamine from his source of supply and then fronted a portion of that methamphetamine to his uncle, Michael, who would repay Jordan upon reselling the methamphetamine to his own customers. The pair often acted as a joint business, sharing a customer base and coordinating drug quantities and prices. On July 15, 2022, officers with the Evansville Police Department stopped Jordan for speeding and a K9 officer indicated the presence of illegal drugs in the car. During a search of the car, officers located a grocery bag filled with approximately five and a half pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officer subsequently conducted a court-authorized search of Jordan’s home. During the search, officers found a Taurus 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, an Andro .223 rifle, ammunition for the firearms, and a digital scale. Over the course of the conspiracy, the Jimenez duo was responsible for the distribution of at least twenty pounds, or more than nine kilograms, of methamphetamine. “The methamphetamine ravaging our families and neighborhoods doesn’t come from thin air,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Drug traffickers like the two men convicted in this case bring this poison from thousands of miles away and pump it onto our communities. We will continue to work with our partners at the DEA, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and the Evansville Police Department to dismantle these meth trafficking conspiracies and hold these criminals accountable for the harm they cause.” The Drug Enforcement Administration, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. This prosecution is also part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. U.S Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this 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: Two Iranian Nationals and One Pakistani National Indicted for Providing Material Support to Terrorists

body_text: Note : View the superseding indictment here . A superseding indictment was returned yesterday charging two Iranian citizens, brothers Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab) and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunis), and one Pakistani citizen, Muhammad Pahlawan, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program resulting in death and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction resulting in death. Pahlawan is currently awaiting trial, while Shahab and Yunus remain at large. According to the court documents, Shahab and Yunus work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pahlawan, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a smuggling vessel known as a dhow, named the “Yunus,” which is owned by Shahab. Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, and Shahab paid Pahlawan in Iranian Rials from a bank account in Shahab’s name. Pahlawan allegedly arranged to receive payments from Shahab and Yunus in Iran and distribute the money to his family and others. On the night of Jan. 11, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard, boarded the dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction. As alleged, the U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan. During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team allegedly located and seized what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Preliminary analysis of the advanced conventional weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles, including to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is allegedly consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In addition to the charges described above, Pahlawan is charged with providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s captain and witness intimidation for threatening one of the crewmembers on the dhow. If convicted, Pahlawan, Shahab and Yunus all face maximum penalties of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr. and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brownsburg Drug Dealer Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Continuing to Sell Methamphetamine While on Probation

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS-- Scott Planalp, 37, of Brownsburg, has been sentenced to twelve years in in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, in June of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating Planalp’s methamphetamine trafficking activities. On three separate occasions in June of 2022, DEA agents observed Planalp deal quantities of methamphetamine to different people in exchange for cash. For example, on June 15, 2022, Planalp sold 72.9 grams of pure methamphetamine to a person for $1,050. Planalp was recorded telling the buyer that he was currently in a drug court program as a result of a prior drug trafficking arrest and that he had to take three drug tests a week. In total, Planalp distributed 185.1 grams of pure methamphetamine during the DEA’s investigation. “Meth traffickers must be held accountable for the harm that their poison does to people and families impacted by substance use disorders,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This defendant was undeterred by prior arrests and shamelessly continued the criminal conduct that landed him in state court in the first place. The federal prison sentence imposed here reflects the seriousness of these repeated crimes and the need to protect the community from a drug dealer who acted with utter disregard for the law, the courts, and the harms he caused. I commend the work of the DEA for their efforts to get this meth trafficker out of our community.” The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Aiding Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who helped someone fraudulently purchase vehicles using stolen identities to one year in prison and ordered him to pay $89,263 in restitution. Lavell Caradine, 35, worked at a Florissant car dealership at the time. From June 24, 2019, until Aug. 23, 2019, he sold three vehicles to Naquan Powers, who used the personal information of others to buy and finance the vehicles. Powers texted the victims’ personal information to Caradine ahead of time so Caradine could confirm that Powers could use that information to make the purchase, Caradine’s plea agreement says. After using the dealership’s system to perform a credit check, Caradine discovered that some victims’ identities were unusable. In one case, the victim was deceased and in other, the person had their credit frozen, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke said. With Caradine’s help, Powers bought a Chevrolet Tahoe with a $42,086 loan, a Chevrolet Impala with a $18,098 loan and a BMW 428 with a $29,079 loan. Powers was trying to buy a Dodge Challenger when Caradine texted him a warning that police were at the dealership. Caradine pleaded guilty in February to two counts of bank fraud. Powers, 27, of Hazelwood, is serving a 111-month prison term after pleading guilty and admitting involvement in the vehicle purchases, a credit card scam and pandemic fraud. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.


title: Two Brookfield, Wisconsin-Based Companies and Their Owners Pay Over $10 Million to Resolve Allegations that They Evaded Customs Duties

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Precision Cable Assemblies, Inc. (PCA), Global Engineered Products, Inc. (GEP), and their principals, Ryan Schmus and Richard Horky, paid over $10 million to resolve allegations that the companies failed to pay millions of dollars in customs duties on goods imported from the People’s Republic of China. PCA and GEP are Wisconsin corporations with principal places of business in Brookfield. PCA sells wire harnesses, battery cables, and other wiring products. GEP sells power distribution products. Both companies import goods from China. When a company, such as PCA and GEP, imports goods into the United States, the importer is required to file entry documents with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including information about the value of the goods. The importer must declare that the values reported are true to the best of its knowledge and belief. The amount of duties owed depends, in large part, on the value of the goods and the applicable tariff rate. The United States alleged that PCA and GEP submitted and caused the submission of false commercial invoices to CBP that significantly undervalued the goods imported from China from 2016 through November 2021. More specifically, two Chinese suppliers sent PCA and GEP invoices in electronic spreadsheet format with the full, actual price of the goods imported. PCA and GEP, however, falsified the invoices by altering the spreadsheets to reduce the prices, generally by 70%, and then provided those altered invoices to its customs broker, which, in turn, unknowingly submitted the false invoices to CBP. The United States thus alleged that Defendants avoided payment of millions of dollars of duties on the imported goods, especially after additional duties were imposed on certain goods imported from China in 2018. GEP initially paid CBP approximately $4.2 million in duties lost from this undervaluation scheme. Pursuant to a settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office, Defendants paid another $6 million to the United States to fully resolve its liability for the alleged evasion of duties, including its potential liability under the False Claims Act. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to preventing fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Companies that import goods into the United States must provide Customs and Border Protection with truthful information and pay all of the applicable duties owed. This settlement sends a strong message to companies and their owners that they must follow the customs rules.” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, the Chicago Director of Field Operations for CBP, added, “Entities that attempt to defraud the U.S. Government, the American people, and our economy will not succeed.” The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims submitted to the government and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Grob v. Precision Cables Assemblies, Inc., et al. , Case No. 22-C-570 (E.D. Wis.) and was brought by Travis Grob, a former employee of PCA. Grob received $1,260,000. Along with auditors, import specialists, and attorneys from CBP and agents for Homeland Security Investigations, Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Carter and Carter Stewart of the Eastern District of Wisconsin handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov


title: Troy, Alabama Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug Conviction

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On August 7, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Troy, Alabama resident Emmanuel Youngblood, 34, to 210 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. The sentence is the result of Youngblood’s conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute the illegal drug. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. According to court records and evidence presented during his April 2024 trial, law enforcement observed Youngblood driving a vehicle in Troy on November 23, 2022. Knowing Youngblood had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, officers initiated a traffic stop. Youngblood initially attempted to elude the police and led officers on a brief car chase. Youngblood eventually stopped the car and fled on foot. Soon thereafter, officers apprehended him. When Youngblood fled, an adult female and four small children were left behind in the car. During a search of Youngblood’s vehicle, officers found more than half a kilogram of methamphetamine, along with a digital scale and other suspected controlled substances. Investigators found the methamphetamine in a microwave dinner box. The Troy Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and B. Chelsea Wilson prosecuted.


title: International Fugitive Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Over $10 Million  from a New Hampshire Investment Company

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for stealing over $10 million from a New Hampshire-based investment company, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Roberto Montano, a/k/a Jorge Roberto Montano Midence, a/k/a Roberto Pellegrini, a/k/a Alberto Yardi, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 60 months in prison and one year of supervised release. On February 13, 2024, Montano pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. “The defendant’s theft was egregious. Over the course of several years, he stole more than $10 million and squandered the funds on a series of failed investments. In addition, after the fraud was uncovered, the defendant fled the United States, evading law enforcement for almost a decade before he was arrested,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “This conviction and sentence underscore that this office and our law enforcement partners across the world will never stop to bring fraudsters to justice.” “Robert Montano actively led his client to believe they were investing responsibly, putting their money into low-risk projects. But as his lies continued and the losses mounted to $10 million, Mr. Montano engaged in a cover-up, trying to conceal this staggering fraud before fleeing the U.S.,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Simply put, this case is about greed and the serious abuse of trust. Today’s sentence holds Mr. Montano accountable for his clear disdain for the law, and highlight’s the FBI’s determination to bring financial fraudsters like him to justice, no matter where in the world they try to hide.” Montano is a Guatemalan citizen who managed two forestry projects in Guatemala for a New Hampshire-based investment adviser between 2007 and 2014. Beginning in approximately late 2009, Montano embezzled the projects' funds by (1) diverting cash and concealing the diversions using altered bank and financial statements; (2) mortgaging the projects’ properties without authorization and investing the proceeds in failed business ventures; and (3) stealing teak forestry subsidies paid by the Guatemalan government. To conceal his embezzlement, Montano altered or deleted entries in financial statements and moved funds back-and-forth between accounts during audits. For example, the defendant provided the victim a false bank statement reporting that one of the bank accounts had a cash balance of approximately $1,147,604 when it actually had a zero balance. After Montano was alerted to an investigation into the fraud in 2014, he participated in a Skype call with the victim in which he admitted to embezzling funds “many years ago.” He admitted he “cooked the books” and “illegally” mortgaged properties. At the time, Montano was in Miami and promised that he would travel to New England. He also said he would not flee and added, “If I have to go to prison, I’ll go to prison.” Montano instead fled the United States for Guatemala. While in Guatemala, the defendant participated in another call with the victim where he again admitted to embezzlement and fraud totaling approximately $10 million. However, the defendant was also wanted by Guatemalan authorities, and he moved to Nicaragua, where he has been living for several years under an alias. Most recently, Montano was known as “Alberto Yardi,” a purported life coach and yoga instructor. Since 2014, the FBI was actively engaged in efforts to locate and arrest Montano. In 2022, the FBI received multiple reports that Montano was living in a resort town on the Pacific Coast in Nicaragua. After that, Montano agreed to meet with federal agents at the airport in Managua, Nicaragua, and flew to Miami International Airport. Once he was arrested in Miami, Montano provided law enforcement a five-page document admitting his guilt. The first two sentences read, “I am guilty. I abused the trust [the victim] placed in me.” After Montano completes his sentence in the United States, he faces deportation to Guatemala, where he is charged with additional offenses. The FBI led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Republic of Guatemala, the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Panama City, Panama, the FBI Miami Field Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. State Department, specifically the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua, and the Embassy of Italy in Managua, Nicaragua. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. ###


title: Honduran National Indicted for Alleged Armed Robberies of Two Austin Stores

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A federal grand jury in Austin returned an indictment charging a Honduran national with four counts related to Hobbs Act robbery and firearm offenses. According to court documents, Christian Lopez-Burgos, 25, allegedly committed an armed robbery of two Austin convenience stores on or about Dec. 31, 2023 and Feb. 3, 2024. During the first robbery, Lopez-Burgos allegedly brandished a firearm. During the second robbery, he allegedly fired a pistol at a victim three times and pointed it at two others. Lopez-Burgos is charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each Hobbs Act violation, a minimum of seven years in prison for the brandishing charge, and a minimum of 10 years in prison for the discharge offense years in prison. Federal law provides that any punishment imposed as to the firearms charges is to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI, Austin Police Department, San Marcos Police Department and Houston Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Memphis Man Sentenced for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Fund of More Than $2,000,000

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Dardanius Coleman , 55 , of Memphis, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) designed to provide emergency financial assistance to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. United States Attorney Ritz said: “This federal program was designed to lift hardworking citizens and small businesses in a time of need. Instead, the defendant in this case cheated the program and misused relief funds. I commend our federal law enforcement partners for helping to bring this defendant to justice. This office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who defraud COVID-19 relief programs.” According to information presented in court, from April 2020 through November 2021, Coleman submitted fraudulent PPP applications for five purported businesses that he controlled. These applications contained false information and fake documents concerning the number of employees and the amount of payroll related to the purported businesses. Once Coleman received the loan proceeds, the monies were used for his personal benefit, not for the approved purposes for the funds such as rent or paying his employees. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the SBA Office of Inspector General. “As we’ve seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, criminals will exploit any opportunity to take advantage of programs intended to help businesses and individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of FBI Tennessee. “This sentencing demonstrates the ongoing commitment and dedication of the FBI to work with our partners to aggressively hold individuals accountable who perpetrate fraud against the American people.” “This sentencing underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of SBA programs,” said SBA – Office of the Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge, Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “Fraudulent activities undermine the purpose of these essential programs, designed to support legitimate small businesses struggling during the pandemic. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to ensuring that those who exploit federal programs are held accountable.” Coleman previously entered a guilty plea to a count of wire fraud. As a part of the sentence imposed, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker also ordered Coleman to pay $2,093,318 in restitution to the SBA and serve a three-year term of supervision after release from custody. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tony Arvin, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### F or more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Department Disrupts North Korean Remote IT Worker Fraud Schemes Through Charges and Arrest of Nashville Facilitator

body_text: NASHVILLE – Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee, was charged today for his efforts to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) illicit weapons program, which includes weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to court documents, Knoot, participated in a scheme to obtain remote employment with American and British companies for foreign information technology (IT) workers, who were actually North Korean actors. Knoot assisted them in using a stolen identity to pose as a U.S. citizen, hosted company laptops at his residences, downloaded and installed software without authorization on such laptops to facilitate access and perpetuate the deception, and conspired to launder payments for the remote IT work, including to accounts tied to North Korean and Chinese actors. “North Korea has dispatched thousands of highly skilled information technology workers around the world to dupe unwitting businesses and evade international sanctions so that it can continue to fund its dangerous weapons program,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Today’s indictment, charging the Defendant with facilitating a complex, multi-year scheme that funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to foreign actors, is the most recent example of our office’s commitment to protecting the United States’ national security interests.” “As alleged, this defendant facilitated a scheme to deceive U.S. companies into hiring foreign remote IT workers who were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in income funneled to the DPRK for its weapons program,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “This indictment should serve as a stark warning to U.S. businesses that employ remote IT workers of the growing threat from the DPRK and the need to be vigilant in their hiring processes.” “As today’s charges demonstrate, the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who aid the North Korean government’s illegal efforts to generate revenue,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Where illicit proceeds may be used to fund the regime’s kinetic capacity, we will prioritize our work to disrupt that flow of money. This indictment should demonstrate the risk faced by those who support the DPRK's malicious cyber activity.” The DPRK has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers to live abroad, primarily in China and Russia, with the aim of deceiving U.S. and other businesses worldwide into hiring them as freelance IT workers to generate revenue for its WMD programs. DPRK IT worker schemes involve the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the United States and elsewhere. As described in a May 2022 tri-seal public service advisory released by the FBI, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of State, such IT workers have been known individually earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s UN-prohibited WMD programs. The indictment unsealed today in the Middle District of Tennessee alleges that Knoot participated in a scheme to assist overseas IT workers to obtain remote IT work at U.S. companies which believed that they were hiring U.S.-based personnel. The IT workers, who were North Korean nationals, used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, “Andrew M.,” to obtain this remote IT work. The scheme defrauded U.S. media, technology, and financial companies, ultimately causing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. According to court documents, Knoot ran a “laptop farm” at his Nashville residences between approximately July 2022 and August 2023. The victim companies shipped laptops addressed to “Andrew M.” to Knoot’s residences. Following receipt of the laptops, and without authorization, Knoot logged on to the laptops, downloaded and installed unauthorized remote desktop applications, and accessed the victim companies’ networks, causing damage to the computers. The remote desktop applications enabled the North Korean IT workers to work from locations in China, while appearing to the victim companies that “Andrew M.” was working from Knoot’s residences in Nashville. For his participation in the scheme, Knoot was paid a monthly fee for his services by a foreign-based facilitator who went by the name Yang Di. A court-authorized search of Knoot’s laptop farm was executed in early August 2023. The overseas IT workers associated with Knoot’s cell were each paid over $250,000 for their work between approximately July 2022 and August 2023, much of which was falsely reported to the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration in the name of the actual U.S. person, Andrew M., whose identity was stolen. Knoot and his conspirators’ actions also caused the victim companies more than $500,000 in costs associated with auditing and remediating their devices, systems, and networks. Knoot, Di and others conspired to commit money laundering by conducting financial transactions to receive payments from the victim companies, transfer those funds to Knoot and to accounts outside of the United States, in an attempt both to promote their unlawful activity and to hide that transferred funds were the proceeds of it. The non-U.S. accounts include accounts associated with North Korean and Chinese actors. Knoot is charged with conspiracy to cause damage to protected computers, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, intentional damage to protected computers, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to cause the unlawful employment of aliens. If convicted, Knoot faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. Under the Department-wide “DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative,” launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” – locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers – and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. Today’s announcement follows successful action taken by the Department in October 2023 and May 2024 , which targeted identical and related conduct. The FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. The FBI, along with the Departments of State and Treasury, issued a May 2022 advisory to alert the international community, private sector, and public about the North Korea IT worker threat. Updated guidance was issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and in May 2024 by the FBI, which include indicators to watch for that are consistent with the North Korea IT worker fraud and the use of U.S.-based laptop farms. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. #####


title: Justice Department Disrupts North Korean Remote IT Worker Fraud Schemes Through Charges and Arrest of Nashville Facilitator

body_text: Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested today for his efforts to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) illicit weapons program, which includes weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The FBI, along with the Departments of State and Treasury, issued a May 2022 advisory to alert the international community, private sector, and public about the North Korea IT worker threat. Updated guidance was issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and in May 2024 by the FBI, which include indicators to watch for that are consistent with the North Korea IT worker fraud and the use of U.S.-based laptop farms. According to court documents, Knoot participated in a scheme to obtain remote employment with American and British companies for foreign information technology (IT) workers, who were actually North Korean actors. Knoot allegedly assisted them in using a stolen identity to pose as a U.S. citizen; hosted company laptops at his residences; downloaded and installed software without authorization on such laptops to facilitate access and perpetuate the deception; and conspired to launder payments for the remote IT work, including to accounts tied to North Korean and Chinese actors. “As alleged, this defendant facilitated a scheme to deceive U.S. companies into hiring foreign remote IT workers who were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in income funneled to the DPRK for its weapons program,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This indictment should serve as a stark warning to U.S. businesses that employ remote IT workers of the growing threat from the DPRK and the need to be vigilant in their hiring processes.” “North Korea has dispatched thousands of highly skilled information technology workers around the world to dupe unwitting businesses and evade international sanctions so that it can continue to fund its dangerous weapons program,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Today’s indictment, charging the defendant with facilitating a complex, multi-year scheme that funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to foreign actors, is the most recent example of our office’s commitment to protecting the United States’ national security interests.” “As today’s charges demonstrate, the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who aid the North Korean government’s illegal efforts to generate revenue,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Where illicit proceeds may be used to fund the regime’s kinetic capacity, we will prioritize our work to disrupt that flow of money. This indictment should demonstrate the risk faced by those who support the DPRK's malicious cyber activity.” The DPRK has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers to live abroad, primarily in China and Russia, with the aim of deceiving U.S. and other businesses worldwide into hiring them as freelance IT workers to generate revenue for its WMD programs. DPRK IT worker schemes involve the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the United States and elsewhere. As described in a May 2022 tri-seal public service advisory released by the FBI, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of State, such IT workers have been known to individually earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s UN-prohibited WMD programs. The indictment unsealed today in the Middle District of Tennessee alleges that Knoot participated in a scheme to assist overseas IT workers to obtain remote IT work at U.S. companies which believed that they were hiring U.S.-based personnel. The IT workers, who were North Korean nationals, used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, “Andrew M.,” to obtain this remote IT work. The scheme defrauded U.S. media, technology, and financial companies, ultimately causing them hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. According to court documents, Knoot ran a “laptop farm” at his Nashville residences between approximately July 2022 and August 2023. The victim companies shipped laptops addressed to “Andrew M.” to Knoot’s residences. Following receipt of the laptops, and without authorization, Knoot logged on to the laptops, downloaded and installed unauthorized remote desktop applications, and accessed the victim companies’ networks, causing damage to the computers. The remote desktop applications enabled the North Korean IT workers to work from locations in China, while appearing to the victim companies that “Andrew M.” was working from Knoot’s residences in Nashville. For his participation in the scheme, Knoot was paid a monthly fee for his services by a foreign-based facilitator who went by the name Yang Di. A court-authorized search of Knoot’s laptop farm was executed in early August 2023. The overseas IT workers associated with Knoot’s cell were each paid over $250,000 for their work between approximately July 2022 and August 2023, much of which was falsely reported to the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration in the name of the actual U.S. person, Andrew M., whose identity was stolen. Knoot and his conspirators’ actions also caused the victim companies more than $500,000 in costs associated with auditing and remediating their devices, systems, and networks. Knoot, Di, and others conspired to commit money laundering by conducting financial transactions to receive payments from the victim companies, transfer those funds to Knoot and to accounts outside of the United States, in an attempt both to promote their unlawful activity and to hide that transferred funds were the proceeds of it. The non-U.S. accounts include accounts associated with North Korean and Chinese actors. Knoot is charged with conspiracy to cause damage to protected computers, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, intentional damage to protected computers, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to cause the unlawful employment of aliens. If convicted, Knoot faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. Under the Department-wide “DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative,” launched in March 2024 by the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions, Department prosecutors and agents are prioritizing the identification and shuttering of U.S.-based “laptop farms” — locations hosting laptops provided by victim U.S. companies to individuals they believed were legitimate U.S.-based freelance IT workers — and the investigation and prosecution of individuals hosting them. Today’s announcement follows successful action taken by the Department in October 2023 and May 2024 , which targeted identical and related conduct. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Readout of Justice Department Officials’ Participation in National Night Out

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer participated in the 41st Annual National Night Out (NNO). Their participation in NNO events highlights the Justice Department’s partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement that have played key roles in its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime , which focuses federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Established in 1984 from a Justice Department Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant, NNO aims to build relationships with and between communities and law enforcement, promote police-community partnerships, and enhance neighborhood camaraderie. The community-building campaign provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. This year, NNO takes place as violent crime continues to decline nationwide, following an uptick during the pandemic in 2020. FBI data shows a decrease in violent crime in communities across the country in 2023 compared to the previous year, including an over 13% reduction in homicides. That is the steepest yearly decline in homicides in over 50 years. Early data from 2024 indicates that this trend is continuing. “Each year, National Night Out gives communities across the country the chance to celebrate and strengthen their partnerships with law enforcement,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This was a particularly meaningful National Night Out because it came after our country experienced one of the lowest nationwide violent crime rates in 50 years this past year. The Justice Department will never stop working to build on this progress because every person, in every neighborhood, in every community deserves to be safe from violent crime.” The Attorney General participated in National Night Out events in Des Moines, Iowa. He was joined by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kahl for the Southern District of Iowa at an event hosted by the Urbandale, Iowa, Police Department, where they had an opportunity to engage with local law enforcement and community members. This week, Attorney General Garland met with prosecutors and law enforcement partners from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Nevada, Eastern District of Wisconsin, Northern District of Iowa, and Southern District of Iowa. The Attorney General met with U.S. Attorney Jason Frierson for the District of Nevada and discussed his office’s work as part of the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program (OCDETF), which seeks to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level criminal and drug trafficking organizations. In Wisconsin, he spoke with federal, state, and local law enforcement leaders, including Milwaukee Sheriff Denita Ball and Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, about efforts to continue to decrease violent crime and reduce fentanyl on streets in the Milwaukee area. Attorney General Garland also touted the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northen District of Iowa to secure sentences for multiple gun and drug crime offenders. Deputy Attorney General Monaco attended two National Night Out events in Cincinnati with U.S. Attorney of Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio and Chief Teresa Theetge of the Cincinnati Police. She visited the Westwood and Roselawn neighborhoods, where she spoke with local community leaders and law enforcement officials about how they are partnering together to keep Cincinnati safe. Prior to her NNO stops, the Deputy Attorney General attended roll-call at the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD)’s Third District to thank the women and men of the force for their commitment to public safety. While in Cincinnati, the Deputy Attorney General visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio to hear from the dedicated prosecutors and professional staff of the office about their work to carry out the Justice Department’s mission, especially tackling violent crime. The Deputy Attorney General also toured the Cincinnati Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC), which imbeds ATF special agents and analysts with local law enforcement and prosecutors to swiftly identify unlawfully used firearms and their sources. Like the many other crime gun intelligence centers nationwide, the Cincinnati CGIC harnesses cutting-edge technologies — including the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and eTrace systems — to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads in order to drive case clearance rates up, which in turn can help drive violent crime rates down. Prior to traveling to Cincinnati, the Deputy Attorney General delivered the keynote address at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, where she emphasized the crucial role women in law enforcement play in protecting communities nationwide. Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer joined U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge Benny Mims of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Charlotte Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Glenn McNeill Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina to attend two National Night Out events in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Acting Associate Attorney General visited Tarboro Road Community Center and The Village at Washington Terrace, where he met with law enforcement partners and community members and discussed issues of importance in Raleigh. In addition to the federal, state, local, and Tribal partners, the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country are invaluable partners in the Department’s work to combat violent crime. All of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices visited this week by the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Acting Associate Attorney General maintain ongoing participation in the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative , which builds on existing programs in each district to reduce gun violence, gun crime, and sustain those reductions.


title: Four Men Charged in Philippine Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment today charging three executives of an election voting machine and service provider company and a former Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the Republic of the Philippines for their roles in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme to retain and obtain business related to the 2016 Philippine elections. According to the indictment, between 2015 and 2018, Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, 49, a Venezuelan citizen and resident of Boca Raton, Florida, and Jorge Miguel Vasquez, 62, a U.S. citizen and resident of Davie, Florida, together with others, allegedly caused at least $1 million in bribes to be paid to Juan Andres Donato Bautista, 60, the former Chairman of COMELEC. These bribes were allegedly paid to obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections and to secure payments on the contracts, including the release of value added tax payments. The co-conspirators allegedly funded the bribes through a slush fund that was created by over-invoicing the cost per voting machine for the 2016 Philippine elections. To conceal and disguise the nature and purpose of the corrupt payments, the co-conspirators used coded language to refer to the slush fund and caused the creation of fraudulent contracts and sham loan agreements to justify transfers. The co-conspirators then allegedly laundered funds related to the bribery scheme through bank accounts located in Asia, Europe, and the United States, including in the Southern District of Florida. Pinate and Vasquez are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and one substantive violation of the FCPA. Bautista, Pinate, Vasquez, and Elie Moreno, 44, a dual citizen of Venezuela and Israel, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments. If convicted, Pinate and Vasquez each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the FCPA and conspiracy to violate the FCPA counts. Bautista, Pinate, Vasquez, and Moreno each face a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of international laundering of monetary instruments and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Miami made the announcement. HSI’s El Dorado Task Force Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from IRS CI Miami. Trial Attorneys Michael DiLorenzo and Connor Mullin and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Emery for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Philippine Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman provided substantial assistance. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: District Man Sentenced in Possessing an AR-Style Pistol and Ammunition on U.S. Capitol Grounds

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ahmir Lavon Merrell, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for possessing an AR-style pistol and 73 rounds of ammunition on Capitol grounds in November 2023. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police. Merrell pleaded guilty on April 23, 2024, to one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper today ordered Merrell to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on November 7, 2023, at about 12:40 p.m., a U.S. Capitol Police officer, patrolling the Upper Senate Park between Union Station and the U.S. Capitol, was approached by a citizen who stated that while walking through Lower Senate Park he observed someone holding an object that appeared to be a firearm. Multiple officers responded to the scene and observed Merrell, holding an object that appeared to be firearm equipped with a magazine. Officers ordered Merrell to drop the firearm. Merrell refused and replied with words to the effect of "[f]or you to get this gun from me, you are going to have to kill me." One of the responding officers deployed a taser. Merrell fell to the ground and dropped the firearm. Merrell was taken into custody without further incident. Officers recovered a Diamondback Arms AR-Style pistol loaded with one .223 caliber round in the chamber and equipped with a 30-round high-capacity ammunition feeding device containing 26 rounds as depicted in Figure 1. Figure 1, Diamondback Arms AR-Style Pistol Possessed by The Defendant This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schneider with valuable help from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Harmon.


title: McAllen man imprisoned for using Instagram to solicit sexual images from young children

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced for attempting to coerce and entice a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Israel Ruiz pleaded guilty March 29. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Ruiz to 210 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard information regarding Ruiz’s methods of manipulation and extortion used against minor children to share photographs constituting child pornography. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Crane noted the danger this offense poses to the community. Ruiz must also serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Ruiz will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. From January to February 2020, Ruiz used Instagram to solicit explicit images from children as young as nine. The investigation revealed he used several tactics to obtain the pornographic materials including contacting the minor victims via the social media platform. He also intimidated the minors through threats to post other nude images of them or their friends online if additional images were not given to him. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.