title: Nationwide Home Healthcare and Hospice Provider To Pay $3.85M To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Intrepid U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and various wholly-owned subsidiaries (Intrepid) have agreed to pay $3,850,000 to resolve allegations that Intrepid violated the False Claims Act in connection with two lines of its business: first, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualify for the Medicare home healthcare benefit or where services otherwise did not qualify for Medicare reimbursement; and second, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for patients who did not qualify for the hospice benefit. The settlement is based on Intrepid’s ability to pay. The United States alleged that between 2016 and 2021, 19 Intrepid home healthcare facilities submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualify or were not properly certified as eligible for the Medicare home healthcare benefit, where the services provided were not reasonable or medically necessary, where the services were provided by untrained staff, or where services were not performed. Separately, the United States alleged that between 2016 and 2021, three Intrepid hospice facilities admitted patients to hospice care who were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit because they were not terminally ill or continued providing services to patients who should have been discharged because they no longer met the requirements for the Medicare hospice benefit. “Medicare’s hospice and home healthcare benefits provide critical services to vulnerable patient populations across the country,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reflects our commitment to ensuring that these benefits are used to care for those who need them and not just to enrich those who seek to provide them.” “The Medicare Program provides vital health insurance to the elderly and disabled population,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “Our office will vigorously pursue unscrupulous providers who choose to illegally and improperly bill the Medicare Program.” “Businesses who engage in improper Medicare billing practices undercut the legitimate provision of healthcare services for patients in need,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “This settlement reinforces the importance of holding accountable health care providers who seek financial gain above quality patient care.” “Home health is designed to increase health care access for our most vulnerable populations with mobility limitations, while hospice care aims to provide comfort and relief for the terminally ill. Exploiting these systems for financial gain is intolerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue health care providers who jeopardize the integrity of these services by prioritizing profit over medically necessary palliative care.” The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act in two different lawsuits. One qui tam action was brought by Jennifer Jones, a former travel nurse, and Pamela Joffe, a former Director of Quality Assessment Performance Improvement and New Business Development, for Intrepid. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Jones v. Intrepid USA Healthcare Inc., No. 19-sc-2973 (D. Minn.). The second qui tam action was brought by Marsha Rigney, a former Director of Clinical Excellence and Integrity, and Janet Watts, a former Regional Manager of Clinical Excellence, for Intrepid. This qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Rigney v. Intrepid U.S.A. Inc., No. 3:20-cv-95-RGJ (W.D. Ky.). Under the provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Relators Jones and Joffe will receive $333,985 from the settlement proceeds, and Relators Rigney and Watts will receive $359,014 from the settlement proceeds. The resolution of these matters was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. HHS-OIG assisted in the investigations. The investigation and resolution of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Trial Attorney Anthony Gill of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schecter for the Western District of Kentucky and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Rau for the District of Minnesota investigated the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug-Linked Murder in Butler County

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

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who fatally shot someone in Butler County, Missouri to protect a heroin conspiracy to 20 years in prison. James Odell Johnson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and one count of conspiracy to possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He admitted shooting a man in Poplar Bluff at the behest of Shanesha “Nikki” Burns in connection with a heroin distribution conspiracy. The victim’s body was discovered on May 20, 2018. The heroin conspiracy involving Johnson and Burns began at least as early as 2018, according to their guilty pleas. James Michael Cohen and others would transport heroin from St. Louis, Missouri to Butler County twice a month. Cohen and others would then sell the heroin. Members of the conspiracy used Burns’ home just outside Poplar Bluff to sell and store heroin. Burns also sold heroin. Johnson obtained heroin for his own use and for resale from Cohen and others in half-ounce to ounce quantities. Cohen also supplied firearms to Johnson at various times during the conspiracy. Two days before Johnson’s victim’s body was discovered, the Missouri State Highway Patrol learned that heroin was being processed and packaged at Burns’ home. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office went to the house and Burns agreed to let them perform a search. They found marijuana, heroin and cocaine base. Burns believed that someone who had just left the home had tipped off police and told Johnson that she wanted him killed. Johnson lured the victim to the home with drugs supplied by Burns and Cohen, and then invited the victim to a rural area to go shooting. When the victims’ gun jammed, Johnson shot him with his own 9mm handgun. Johnson was later arrested with murder weapon. Cohen was found in the possession of drugs and guns multiple times. On Jan. 28, 2019, police stopped him and digital scales, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, methamphetamine, heroin and $2,494 in cash. On Oct. 8, 2020, he was caught with another handgun, as well as about 444 grams of meth. On Feb. 23, 2021, Cohen was arrested at a St. Louis hotel with about 468 grams of fentanyl and 778 grams of meth. He had a pistol in his car. Burns, now 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and Judge Schelp sentenced her in March to 20 years in prison. Cohen, 37, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in February. The sentence for Johnson runs consecutive to a 10-year term that he received for a 2018 case in which he shot a Poplar Bluff police detective / Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer in the arm. Johnson received a total of 30 years in prison in that 2018 case. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Poplar Bluff Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Seven Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to Reproductive Health Services in Michigan

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted seven defendants today of federal civil rights offenses arising out of their blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on Aug. 27, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense. Two defendants were convicted of a second FACE Act offense arising out of a blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. “These defendants orchestrated an unlawful clinic blockade and physically obstructed patients seeking access to their doctors, without regard to the serious medical needs of the women they blocked from accessing reproductive health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These defendants intentionally broke the law. One woman’s fetus experienced fatal abnormalities and the defendants' coordinated campaign of physical obstruction posed a grave and real threat to her health and fertility. Make no mistake: every American enjoys the right to obtain and provide reproductive health services free from physical obstruction, and the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those that oppress the free exercise of that right. We thank the jury for the time, attention, and careful consideration of the facts of this case.” “My office is committed to protecting all of the legal rights of our district’s citizens, including the right to access reproductive health care,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The defendants convicted today sought to interfere with that right by physically blocking the doors of clinics providing such services. These defendants are entitled to their views, but they are not entitled to prevent others from exercising the rights secured to them by the laws of the United States. This case is about the rule of law, and today’s verdict is a victory for that principle.” According to evidence presented at trial, Calvin Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Caroline Davis, Joel Curry, Justin Phillips, Eva Edl and Eva Zastrow engaged in a conspiracy to prevent clinic employees from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services, a civil right secured by the FACE Act. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants participated in the “Michigan Holiness Revival Tour,” a camping tour organized by Calvin Zastrow with the express purpose of blockading a reproductive health clinic during the second week of the tour. During the blockade, the defendants sat or stood in front of the entrances to the clinic so that patients and employees could not enter. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendants blocked a patient, S.S., from entering. The evidence showed that S.S. and her husband had made an appointment at the clinic after learning that their fetus suffered fatal abnormalities, and that attempting to continue carrying the pregnancy carried serious risks to S.S.’s health and fertility. The defendants blocked S.S. from obtaining reproductive health care. The evidence further proved that Calvin and Eva Zastrow followed a clinic employee around the building in order to prevent her from entering an emergency exit, and that Gallagher and Edl attempted to stall the Sterling Heights Police Department in order to prolong the blockade. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients because the clinic was providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. According to evidence presented at trial, Edl and Idoni physically obstructed access to a second clinic, in Saginaw, Michigan, on April 16, 2021. The evidence proved that Edl obstructed access by sitting in front of one entrance with a doorstop wedged under the door such that the door could not be opened from the inside, while Idoni used a bicycle lock to chain herself in front of a second door. The evidence proved that Edl and Idoni violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients because the clinic was providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. The FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Bay City Resident Agency investigated the case. Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Sunita Doddamani for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov . For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers .


title: Jury convicts federal inmate for punching and injuring  deputy U.S. marshal

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a man with ties to the Humble area for the assault of federal officer resulting in bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Cedric Tyrone Walker, 42, guilty after a two-day trial. The jury heard that on Dec. 27, 2022, authorities learned that on two occasions Walker failed to return in a timely manner to the residential reentry center (RRC), also referred to as a halfway house, where he was serving a federal prison sentence. Law enforcement told the RRC Walker should be transported back to a federal detention center. However, Walker was reluctant to comply with instructions from authorities and struck a deputy U.S. marshal (DUSM) in the mouth with a closed fist. A struggle ensued on the ground, and authorities restrained Walker after two taser deployments. Law enforcement then took Walker to a federal detention center and refused medical attention. The injured DUSM arrived at the emergency room where he received treatment for a laceration on his lip which required 12 stitches. As a result of the assault, he also sustained two chipped teeth. “The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency, and for over 200 years they have performed some of law enforcement’s most dangerous work,” said Hamdani. “While Walker may have not known that long history, he should have known that striking a DUSM with a closed fist comes with severe consequences and would not go unnoticed. We noticed when we brought this case against Walker and so did 12 of his fellow citizens in handing down today’s guilty verdict.” The defense attempted to convince the jury Walker did not cause the injury. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Oct. 31. At that time, Walker faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Anna Swanson are prosecuting the case.


title: Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Offense

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs woman was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than Fifty (50) Grams of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs. According to court documents, Teri Lee Patton, age 41, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in the Hot Springs, Arkansas area. Between the months of February of 2023 and March of 2023, investigators were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Patton. On March 15, 2023, a search was conducted at Patton’s residence, resulting in investigators locating and seizing approximately 448.54 grams of pure methamphetamine. The methamphetamine seized during the search warrant and from the controlled purchases was subsequently forwarded to the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory for confirmatory testing and determined to be a total of 523.27 grams of pure methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hot Springs Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Pair of Clearfield County Men Charged in Connection with Targeted Bombing Resulting in Death of Victim Who Owed One Defendant Drug Debt

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Clint Addleman, 47, and Kris Joseph Nevling, 47, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by explosive or fire and possession of an unregistered destructive device, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Addleman is also charged with malicious destruction of property by explosive or fire resulting in death, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The four-count Superseding Indictment was returned today against Addleman of Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, and Nevling, of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania. According to the Superseding Indictment, Addleman was a drug dealer operating in and around Clearfield, Pennsylvania, who obtained large quantities of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, from one or more sources of supply and sold and redistributed the methamphetamine to his customers, including co-defendant Nevling and a Clearfield resident identified as S.L.C. In and around the summer of 2019, Addleman “fronted” several hundred dollars’ worth of methamphetamine to S.L.C.—i.e., he provided the drugs to S.L.C. without an upfront payment. As alleged, S.L.C. did not repay the drug debt owed to Addleman during the following months. On multiple occasions, Addleman allegedly threatened violence against S.L.C. in connection with her failure to repay him. The Superseding Indictment further alleges that, in and around early October 2019, Nevling and Addleman aided and abetted each other in the construction and possession of a destructive device—a bomb—which was subsequently concealed inside a package addressed to S.L.C. using her nickname. In the early morning hours of October 4, 2019, the package containing the bomb, pictured below, was delivered to a multi-unit rental property in Clearfield, where S.L.C. rented an apartment on the first floor. Later that morning, the bomb detonated inside S.L.C.’s apartment, killing S.L.C. and causing significant damage to the property, including by fire. A picture of the building after the fire was extinguished appears below: “As alleged, Clint Addleman and Kris Joseph Nevling were responsible for building a bomb that was used to murder one of Addleman’s methamphetamine customers and almost completely leveled the building where she lived,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “This conduct—involving lethal retaliation over nothing more than an outstanding drug debt—shocks the conscience and has no place in our communities or anywhere else. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners in our shared commitment to investigate and prosecute those whose conduct presents such a clear and present danger to others, whether in the form of distributing illegal drugs, building and detonating deadly bombs, or, in this case, both.” “Our ATF Special Agents worked tirelessly alongside our federal, state, and local partners to seek justice in this brutal murder case,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “The perpetrators tried to hide their crime through the illegal use of explosives, but using our unique forensic tools, we were still able to recover the evidence that ultimately indicted them.” The law provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million for Addleman and $250,000 for Nevling, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Addleman is currently incarcerated serving an unrelated state sentence, and Nevling remains detained after being arrested on his original Indictment last fall . Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Shaun E. Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment. A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A federal jury convicted seven defendants today of federal civil rights offenses arising out of their blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on Aug. 27, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense. Two defendants were convicted of a second FACE Act offense arising out of a blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. “These defendants orchestrated an unlawful clinic blockade and physically obstructed patients seeking access to their doctors, without regard to the serious medical needs of the women they blocked from accessing reproductive health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These defendants intentionally broke the law. One woman’s fetus experienced fatal abnormalities and the defendant’s coordinated campaign of physical obstruction posed a grave and real threat to her health and fertility. Make no mistake: every American enjoys the right to obtain and provide reproductive health services free from physical obstruction, and the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those that oppress the free exercise of that right. We thank the jury for the time, attention, and careful consideration of the facts of this case.” “My office is committed to protecting all of the legal rights of our district’s citizens, including the right to access reproductive health care,” said Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The defendants convicted today sought to interfere with that right by physically blocking the doors of clinics providing such services. These defendants are entitled to their views, but they are not entitled to prevent others from exercising the rights secured to them by the laws of the United States. This case is about the rule of law, and today’s verdict is a victory for that principle.” According to evidence presented at trial, Calvin Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Caroline Davis, Joel Curry, Justin Phillips, Eva Edl and Eva Zastrow engaged in a conspiracy to prevent clinic employees from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services, a civil right secured by the FACE Act. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants participated in the “Michigan Holiness Revival Tour,” a camping tour organized by Calvin Zastrow with the express purpose of blockading a reproductive health clinic during the second week of the tour. During the blockade, the defendants sat or stood in front of the entrances to the clinic so that patients and employees could not enter. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendants blocked a patient, S.S., from entering. The evidence showed that S.S. and her husband had made an appointment at the clinic after learning that their fetus suffered fatal abnormalities, and that attempting to continue carrying the pregnancy carried serious risks to S.S.’s health and fertility. The defendants blocked S.S. from obtaining reproductive health care. The evidence further proved that Calvin and Eva Zastrow followed a clinic employee around the building in order to prevent her from entering an emergency exit, and that Gallagher and Edl attempted to stall the Sterling Heights Police Department in order to prolong the blockade. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients because the clinic was providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. According to evidence presented at trial, Edl and Idoni physically obstructed access to a second clinic, in Saginaw, Michigan, on April 16, 2021. The evidence proved that Edl obstructed access by sitting in front of one entrance with a doorstop wedged under the door such that the door could not be opened from the inside, while Idoni used a bicycle lock to chain herself in front of a second door. The evidence proved that Edl and Idoni violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients because the clinic was providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. The FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Bay City Resident Agency investigated the case. Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Sunita Doddamani for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov . For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers .


title: White Swan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Intent to Commit Murder in Violent Stabbing Attack

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Taylor Thomas Rayne Sinclair, 23, of White Swan, Washington, was sentenced on one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 168 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of $13,625.10. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on the morning of November 19, 2022, Sinclair, who is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, entered the victim’s property through an open gate. The victim heard dogs barking and came outside. The victim didn’t recognize Sinclair and asked if he needed help. Sinclair pulled out a folding knife, ran up to the victim, and stabbed her several times, including in the face, abdomen, and hands. The victim and Sinclair wrestled for control of the knife. The victim was able to get ahold of the knife but at the same time, Sinclair put the victim in a chokehold. Sinclair eventually released the victim from the chokehold and the victim ran back inside the home. Sinclair attempted to follow, but the victim pushed Sinclair back outside and locked the door. The victim managed to call 911 with the help of her young child. The victim and her child ran into the bathroom and closed and locked the door. As the victim waited for help to arrive, she could hear windows being broken, loud banging noises, and Sinclair yelling inside the home. Law enforcement arrived a short time later and arrested Sinclair. Investigators noticed two windows had been broken as well as the front door broken in and partially off the hinges. Investigators also located blood on the porch and around the home. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for multiple stab wounds, including an orbital fracture and a collapsed lung. “I commend the bravery of the victim in this case. What began as an offer of help to a stranger, unexpectedly escalated to an unprovoked, violent attack. The victim courageously fought off her attacker, then, despite having serious injuries, managed to call for help and get herself, and her young child, to safety inside a locked bathroom,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “By working closely with our federal, tribal, and local law enforcement partners we will continue to hold those accountable who commit violent acts in tribal communities and work together to make Eastern Washington safer and stronger.” “Horrifying is the only word that describes what the victim experienced at the hands of Mr. Sinclair,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Thankfully she survived this vicious and unprovoked assault. Hopefully, she finds some comfort with the sentence delivered today.” This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department, and the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Murphy and Courtney R. Pratten.


title: Three more plead guilty in connection with conspiracy to use stolen credit card information to buy firearms online and pick them up in ‘straw purchases’

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – Three more people have pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to buy firearms online using stolen credit card information, and having the weapons shipped to Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees (FFLs) for pickup. Members of the conspiracy falsely claimed on federal forms that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in fact they were picking up at least some of the firearms for the co-conspirators who had placed the fraudulent online orders. This illegal practice is known as straw purchasing. Roderico “Rico” Allen, 27, pleaded guilty today to charges of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, in the spring of 2022, Allen attempted to place dozens of online orders for handguns using stolen credit card information. He placed all the orders in the names of other individuals whom he had recruited to pick up the weapons for him. Fraud prevention systems stopped some of the orders, but Allen and his co-conspirators completed the sale of at least six of the firearms. Three others charged along with Allen have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Nehamiah Jones, 24, pleaded guilty on Aug. 19 to using stolen credit card information during the spring of 2022 to purchase nine handguns from online retailers for shipment to, and pickup from, Cincinnati-area FFLs. He successfully completed the purchase of three of the pistols ordered in his own name, but the FFLs denied the transfer of six other firearms he had ordered in the name of a co-conspirator. Jones also pleaded guilty to submitting a fraudulent application for a pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in 2021, falsely claiming that he owned a business called “massage on air,” when in fact no such business existed. Aneesah Williams, 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of making false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, Williams successfully obtained eight firearms in illegal straw purchases and attempted to obtain three others. Williams and Jones were charged along with four others in April 2023. One co-defendant, Zephaniah Jones, has been sentenced to 79 months in prison. Making false statements during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for aggravated identity theft requires a mandatory two-year prison term in addition to any other sentences imposed. Making false statements to an agency of the United States is punishable by up to five years in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Jared Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; and Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced the pleas entered before U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia and Danielle Margeaux are representing the United States in these cases. # # #


title: Member of Russian cybercrime group charged in Ohio

body_text: CINCINNATI – A member of a Russian cybercrime group has been charged federally and appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today. A federal grand jury indicted Deniss Zolotarjovs, 33, of Moscow, Russia, charging him with conspiring to commit money laundering, wire fraud and Hobbs Act extortion. He was arrested by law enforcement in the country of Georgia in December 2023 and has remained in custody since. Georgia extradited Zolotarjovs to the United States this month. According to court documents, Zolotarjovs is a member of a known cybercriminal organization that attacks computer systems of victims around the world. Among other things, the Russian cybercrime group steals victim data and threatens to release it unless the victim pays ransom in cryptocurrency. The group maintains a leaks and auction website that lists victim companies and offers stolen data for download. It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was an active member of the Russian cybercrime group, communicating with other members, laundering cryptocurrency received from victims, and extorting victims. Zolotarjovs is the first alleged group member to be arrested and extradited to the United States. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. U.S. Attorney Parker and SAC Iatarola commend the FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Richmond and Salt Lake City for their vital roles in the investigation and officials in Georgia for their role in the extradition. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Zolotarjovs’s extradition from Georgia. An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Cincinnati man sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for sex trafficking missing teen

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in federal court here today to 162 months in prison for sex trafficking a missing teen girl. As part of his conviction, Payton Jamar Brown, 26, was ordered to pay nearly $58,000 in restitution to the minor victim and forfeit his home on Niagara Street in Cincinnati. Proceeds of the sale of his forfeited home will be paid to Brown’s victim as restitution. According to court documents, from June until October 2022 and again in February 2023, Brown sex trafficked the teenaged girl. Brown met the victim online and began a relationship with her. The victim began to reside with Brown, who created prostitution advertisements of her. Brown would transport the victim to hotels for prostitution dates that he had arranged. Brown arranged at least 40 prostitution dates in this timeframe and collected the proceeds from the victim. In October 2022, Colerain police officers responded to Brown’s residence and recovered the victim, who was subsequently taken to a juvenile facility in another state. In February 2023, the juvenile escaped the facility and messaged Brown on Instagram to pick her up. Brown drove interstate to pick up the victim and her friend and bring them to his residence. Brown again created a prostitution advertisement of the victim and arranged sexual encounters with other men for money. Throughout his time with the victim, Brown would regularly engage in sex acts with the minor and record those acts with a cell phone. He would then sell the photos and videos to others online. Brown was arrested by the FBI in February 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; and members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAYQUAN GRAY, also known as “Scooby,” 23, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven to unlawfully possessing a firearm, ammunition, and narcotics in New Haven. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 14, 2024, Gray, who had an active state arrest warrant, was observed participating in a drug transaction and was arrested on the state warrant. At the time of the arrest, he was found to be in possession of a Ziploc bag containing 80 small individual bags of cocaine, a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” loaded with six rounds of ammunition in the magazine, and over $1,200 in cash. Gray pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Possession with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a consecutive mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and up to life imprisonment. Gray has been detained since his arrest on March 14, 2024. Sentencing is scheduled for November 12, 2024 in Hartford. This matter is being investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo. 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Large-Scale Hartford-Area Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHNNY MILNER, also known as “Blaze” and “O.G.,” 46, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 10 years of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department received information from various sources that Milner was distributing fentanyl to street-level narcotics dealers in the SANA apartment complex located on Main Street in Hartford, which is commonly referred to as the “Sands,” and that he was using locations on Prospect Avenue and Bellevue Street in Hartford to store and distribute narcotics. On February 21 and March 15, 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Milner at a liquor store he operated on Hillside Avenue in Hartford. On March 29, 2023, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of locations in Hartford and New Britain connected to Milner. A search of the Bellevue Street apartment revealed packaged fentanyl, numerous items used to process and package narcotics, and a loaded .22 caliber Ruger rifle. A search of an apartment on Chestnut Street in New Britain that Milner used revealed approximately 64 grams of xylazine-laced fentanyl, several digital scales, a money-counting machine, and $221,301 in cash. Milner was arrested at the New Britain apartment. Milner has been detained since his arrest. On March 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. On January 22, 2024, Milner’s associate, James Jones, 42, who lived at the Bellevue Street apartment, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He awaits sentencing. In July 2021, during a separate drug trafficking investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators observed Milner carrying a shopping bag and entering the passenger side of a car that had just arrived at the Bellevue Street apartment. He then exited the car without the bag, but carrying a backpack. Investigators followed the car as it drove away, stopped it, and found the shopping bag. It contained $141,030 in cash, and was seized as suspected narcotics proceeds. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.


title: Sequoyah County Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault Of An Intimate Partner By Strangulation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lucas James Blackbird, age 40, of Vian, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling or Attempting to Strangle, in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on or about February 19, 2024, Blackbird assaulted the victim by strangulation. The crime occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Vian Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Blackbird will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces $600,000 False Claims Act Settlement With Medical Practice And Its Owners For Improper Medicare And Medicaid Billing

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil fraud lawsuit against ORANGE MEDICAL CARE, P.C. (“ORANGE MEDICAL”) and its owners, ASHIKKUMAR A. RAVAL and MANISH A. RAVAL (together, the “RAVALS” and with ORANGE MEDICAL, the “Defendants”). The RAVALS are physicians who own and operate ORANGE MEDICAL, a family medicine practice that provides primary care services to patients in Newburgh, New York. The settlement resolves claims that ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims for primary care services that were not rendered or supervised by the physician identified in the claim for payment and had, in fact, been rendered by non-credentialed providers. Under the settlement approved Saturday, August 17, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS will pay $268,800 to the U.S. and have admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Complaint as further described below. ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS have also agreed to pay $331,200 to the State of New York to resolve the State of New York’s claims, for a total recovery of $600,000. The settlement amount is based on the Office’s and the State of New York’s assessment of ORANGE MEDICAL’s and the RAVALS’ ability to pay based on the financial information they provided. The parties have also executed a Consent Judgment in the amount of $1,646,835, which may be enforced if the Defendants do not make the payments required under the settlement agreement. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Orange Medical and the Ravals submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, failing to accurately identify who was involved in their patients’ treatment. This Office is committed to ensuring that individuals and entities billing federal health care programs do so in an honest manner.” HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “As a part of this settlement, the defendants acknowledged that Orange Medical obtained funds from the Medicare and Medicaid programs for claims that did not comply with those programs’ billing rules. Individuals and entities that participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients.” As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court: From November 2006 through December 2022, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid that listed one of the RAVALS as the rendering provider even though the services had been rendered by non-credentialed providers, without the direct supervision of the RAVALS. On many such occasions, the RAVALS were traveling outside of the U.S. at the time the patient received the treatment. As part of the settlement, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the U.S., including the following: ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS understood that they were prohibited by relevant federal healthcare program rules from submitting claims for reimbursement to Medicaid in the State of New York for primary care services if the physician listed as the rendering provider on the claim for reimbursement had not actually rendered the services and, with respect to Medicare, if the services were not, at minimum, rendered “incident to” medical services actually provided by the physician listed on the claim. ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS further understood that, in order to receive reimbursement from Medicaid, a healthcare provider must be enrolled as a provider in the Medicare or Medicaid program at the time the services are rendered. Nonetheless, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS frequently submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare for primary care services that listed Manish Raval or Ashikkumar Raval as the rendering provider, even though they had not rendered the services for which reimbursement had been sought. In fact, the services had been performed by providers who had not enrolled in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Further, the providers that had rendered the services were often not physicians, but instead nurse practitioners or physician assistants. On many such occasions, the RAVALS had no personal involvement or supervision in the treatment of the patient and were traveling outside of the U.S. at the time that the services were furnished. ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS also altered patient records to reflect falsely that one of the RAVALS had seen a patient when, in fact, the patient had been seen by a different provider. As a result of the conduct described above, ORANGE MEDICAL received reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid for primary care claims that did not comply with those programs’ billing rules. In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act. * * * Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HHS-OIG, and he thanked the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the New York State Attorney General’s Office for its extensive collaboration in the investigation and resolution of this case. The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Farber is in charge of the case.


title: Duluth Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ATLANTA - Jorge Rodriguez-Martinez has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in distributing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine in the metro-Atlanta area. “Methamphetamine traffickers pose a grave threat to our communities and peddle these dangerous drugs in total disregard of the lives they place at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the coordinated and tireless efforts of our federal and state partners, Rodriguez-Martinez will now be held accountable for his crimes.” “Our communities remain under attack by drug traffickers with no regard for the harm and destruction they cause,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will continue to bring to justice the drug traffickers who drive addiction and destroy our communities.” “Under DEA leadership, the federal, state and local agencies assigned to the Atlanta Carolinas work tirelessly to thwart this poison from impacting so many communities in North Georgia,” said Dan Salter, Director of the Atlanta Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. This investigation, culminating with the sentencing of Rodriguez-Martinez, exemplifies that good always prevails and the effort and commitment by agents and task force officers is noble.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On October 7, 2020, a confidential source (CS) working with agents from the DEA, made multiple recorded phone calls to Rodriguez-Martinez to purchase several kilograms of methamphetamine. After the phone calls, Rodriguez-Martinez, who was being surveilled by federal law enforcement agents, travelled to a location in the metro-Atlanta area to meet with a drug supplier at a Dunwoody apartment complex. Rodriguez-Martinez traveled to the CS’s residence where he dropped off his truck containing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, switched vehicles, then drove away. The CS placed additional recorded phone calls to Rodriguez-Martinez, during which Rodriguez-Martinez confirmed that the drugs were in the truck and agreed to return to the CS’s residence to pick up the drugs. Rodriguez-Martinez next travelled to the CS’s residence, picked up the methamphetamine, and quickly departed. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia State Patrol stopped Rodriguez-Martinez’s vehicle and located approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine on the front passenger floorboard. Jorge Rodriguez-Martinez, 56, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones on August 16, 2024, to 10 years in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, followed by four years of supervised release. Following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Rodriguez-Martinez on April 25, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Atlanta Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McClellon D. Cox, III, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra E. Strippoli prosecuted the case. This case was previously prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel S. Lyons. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Rota Resident Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: SAIPAN, CNMI– SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Vincent Masga Songsong, age 40, from the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and sex offender registration anywhere Songsong lives, works, or goes to school. A restitution hearing is set for September 27, 2024. Songsong was convicted of the same crime in 2015 and sentenced to 78 months imprisonment. He began a term of supervised release thereafter. On June 23, 2023, a United States Probation officer visited Songsong’s place of employment on the island of Rota. Songsong was found in possession of a cellular phone not registered with the Probation Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the phone and, through forensic analysis, located more than 1,000 video and image files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. To date, approximately 123 victims have been identified. “The possession of CSAM is an unconscionable crime that affects the most vulnerable in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The harm to child victims can last a lifetime. Our Project Safe Childhood initiative continues to target those who seek to prey on children. Our office will pursue these cases whenever the evidence supports prosecution.” “The FBI is dedicated to ensuring the safety of children in the United States and its territories,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that crimes against children will never be tolerated. Our collective efforts to promote public safety in Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands remains steadfast, and the FBI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and hold accountable those who prey upon the children of our communities.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Albert S. Flores Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands. This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, PSC 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 PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Prison Sentence for District Man Who Sexually Assaulted Multiple Strangers

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Sharp, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on August 16, 2024, to over five years in prison for one third degree sexual abuse conviction and five misdemeanor sexual abuse convictions against six different victims. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced Sharp to 48 months of incarceration for the third degree sexual abuse count and 90 days of incarceration for each of the misdemeanor sexual abuse counts, to run consecutive to each other. In addition, Judge Okun ordered five years of supervised release with special conditions and ordered Sharp to pay a fee to the Victim’s Compensation Fund. Sharp will also have to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Sharp pleaded guilty to these charges on April 19, 2024. According to the factual proffer to which he plead guilty, and other court documents, at three separate times on the morning of August 13, 2023, Sharp approached three women who were walking on sidewalks in various parts of Northwest Washington, D.C. As he passed each of the women, he grabbed their breasts or buttocks. Two days later, on August 15, 2023, Sharp left the George Washington University Hospital. Upon the leaving the building, he saw a woman standing near the exit. Sharp smacked the woman’s buttock. Sharp then walked away in the direction of Washington Circle. Five minutes later, he encountered another woman walking in the 2100 block of K Street, Northwest. As Sharp and the woman passed each other, Sharp grabbed her buttock. A short time later, Sharp encountered yet another woman near the intersection of 19th Street, Northwest and Eye Street, Northwest. He approached her from behind, touched her vagina, and lifted her into the air. Sharp then walked several feet forward before sitting down on the sidewalk with the woman still in his grasp. Once on the ground, Sharp pinned the woman to the ground, pulled up her dress, and attempted to sexually assault her. His efforts were thwarted when bystanders intervened, forcing Sharp to release the woman. All six of the victims were total strangers to the defendant. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department Sexual Assault Unit and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raha Mokhtari and Kristin Sourbeer.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 136 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, to 136 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Michael Martin Meehan, 53, distributed methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions in January 2023, totaling more than 150 grams. After completing his term of imprisonment, Meehan will be required to serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Carter Lake Police Department.


title: Council Bluffs Woman Sentenced to 122 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Charges

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs woman was sentenced on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, to 122 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Demi Lynn Jahn, 33, conspired with other individuals to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs metro area between March and June 2023. Jahn conspired with others including Leonires Perez, also known as “Flaco,” who was sentenced in May 2024 in the District of Nebraska to 248 months for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and Virgil McIntosh, who was sentenced in April 2024 to 240 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm. After completing her term of imprisonment, Jahn will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charges

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, to 48 months in federal prison for two counts of possessing a firearm as a drug user. According to public court documents, Nicholas Paul Gilmore, 33, was found in possession of two firearms between August and September 2023. One of the firearms was stolen. During a search of Gilmore’s residence in August 2023, officers located methamphetamine, ammunition, and extended firearms magazines. After completing his term of imprisonment, Gilmore will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Council Bluffs Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Businessman Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for False Income Tax Return

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A businessman, formerly of Adel, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison for filing a false income tax return. According to public court documents, Mark Francis Davidson, 66, is the majority shareholder of a company called Collegiate Concepts, Inc., which rents dorm minifridges to colleges and college students across the United States. Beginning in 2015 and continuing until 2021, Davidson diverted over $3.8 million from the corporation to himself and failed to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service. Davidson concealed these payments from the corporation’s accountant and tax preparer by providing falsified check ledgers that falsely identified checks from the corporation to Davidson as seemingly legitimate business expenses. After completing his term of imprisonment, Davison will be on supervised release for one year. There is no parole in the federal system. Davidson was also ordered to pay $1,449,620 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and a fine of $20,000. “A prison sentence should send a message to anyone who consistently underreports their income each year that it’s just a matter of time before they land on the radar of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of CI’s St. Louis Field Office. “We strive to ensure the integrity and fairness of the nation’s tax code, so all taxpayers pay their fair share.” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation.


title: Clarksville Man Indicted on Robbery and Weapons Charges After Robbing, Beating and Raping Three Women at Clarksville Motels

body_text: NASHVILLE – Kenneth Moore, 45, of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been charged with robbing three women in Clarksville, Tennessee, brandishing a weapon during the robberies, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Charging documents and other publicly available information allege that on three separate occasions between October 2023 and February 2024, Moore arranged dates with women in Clarksville and subsequently robbed, raped, beat and pistol whipped them. All three victims were treated for their injuries at local hospitals. Moore was arrested by Clarksville Police Department officers on February 29, 2024. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee on July 17, 2024, and had his initial appearance in federal court in Nashville on August 16, 2024. If convicted, Moore faces a mandatory minimum of 7 years and up to life in federal prison on the weapons charges, up to 20 years on the robbery charges, and up to 15 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. If Moore is determined to be an armed career criminal, he faces between 15 years and life in prison. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clarksville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Risinger and Monica R. Morrison are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Ten Additional States Join Justice Department’s Suit Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Markets Across the Live Concert Industry

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Today, the Attorneys General of Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont joined a civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department, 29 other states and the District of Columbia against Live Nation-Ticketmaster for monopolization and other unlawful conduct in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. The department, and its now-expanded group of 40 co-plaintiffs, filed an amended complaint in the Southern District of New York. The amended complaint also alleges additional details about Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive course of conduct in markets across the live entertainment industry.


title: Third Individual Sentenced to Federal Prison Following Armed Robbery of Convenience Store

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama announced the sentencing of the third and final defendant for his role in the armed robbery of a convenience store. On August 15, 2024, 33-year-old Marquis Shawn McKeithen, from Montgomery, Alabama, received a sentence of 141 months in prison. Earlier, on October 19, 2023, Kallisa Ann Mendenhall, 27, a resident of Tyler, Alabama, received a sentence of 114 months. Finally, on July 13, 2023, 21-year-old Jon'derius Lashon Scott, also from Montgomery, received a 94-month sentence. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence. According to court records, on December 1, 2022, McKeithen, Mendenhall, and Scott entered a convenience store on U.S. Highway 331 in Montgomery County, Alabama, all carrying firearms. Scott watched the door with his firearm out and ready while McKeithen and Mendenhall approached the counter. McKeithen leapt over the counter and grabbed the clerk, placing his gun to the clerk’s head. Mendenhall remained on the other side of the counter with her gun pointed at the clerk. McKeithen demanded the clerk give them money from the register. Once McKeithen had the money, the three exited the station and sped away in a vehicle. McKeithen’s sentence reflects an additional unrelated charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On March 13, 2022, law enforcement in Shelby County found McKeithen in possession of a handgun. McKeithen has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Vestavia Hills Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.


title: Manhattan Franciscan Friar Charged With Wire And Mail Fraud Related To Fake Medical Charity In Beirut, Lebanon

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that, on Saturday, August 17, 2024, PAWEL BIELECKI, a/k/a “Paul Bielecki,” a/k/a “Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,” a/k/a “Dr. Phaakon Sonderburg-Glucksburg,” a/k/a “Father Paul,” a/k/a “Father Kowal,” was arrested on charges of wire fraud and mail fraud. BIELECKI will be presented in White Plains federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Pawel Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to gain the trust of victims across the country and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. Bielecki is now facing federal charges for allegedly illegally profiteering on the trust his victims placed in him.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] BIELECKI is a friar in the Capuchin Order, a Catholic order of priests and brothers. BIELECKI is a brother in a Province based in White Plains (the “Province”), which operates friaries in, among other places, New York City. To become a Capuchin friar, BIELECKI took a vow of poverty that requires him to renounce and not to hold any property or bank accounts in his name for his personal benefit. The Province provides friars, including BIELECKI, with a monthly stipend of approximately $250 for personal expenses, as well as a credit card, paid for by the Province, for friary-related expenses. [2] BIELECKI has engaged in an ongoing fraudulent scheme related to fake medical clinics he claims to operate in Lebanon. As described further in the Complaint, through appearances and advertisements on radio programs and online podcasts, as well as various other media, including campaigns on various crowdfunding websites, BIELECKI has fraudulently obtained donations from victims by claiming, among other misrepresentations, to run medical clinics in Beirut, Lebanon, when in fact BIELECKI was keeping victims’ donations for his personal use. For example, from at least in or about June 2015 through at least in or about December 2023, BIELECKI repeatedly appeared as a guest or through advertisements on a particular local New York radio show (“Radio Program‑1”). During these appearances and advertisements, BIELECKI repeatedly represented that he was a Catholic priest and physician living in Lebanon and running medical clinics there, with the goal of assisting Christians living in the Middle East. BIELECKI also made similar appearances on other radio programs and electronic media. For example, on or about April 1, 2023, BIELECKI appeared on a second radio show (“Radio Program-2”) to tell his “story” and to solicit donations for his purported medical clinics. Radio Program-2 continued to solicit donations on behalf of BIELECKI on numerous occasions from at least in or around June 2023 through at least in or around August 2024. In these radio and media appearances, BIELECKI falsely represented, in sum and substance, among other things, the following: BIELECKI is a physician, vascular surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and/or general surgeon, and he has also earned multiple Ph.D. degrees; BIELECKI runs two medical clinics in Lebanon and is raising money for medicine, medical equipment, baby incubators, food, and an ambulance for his clinics in Lebanon; And BIELECKI, at the time of recording certain shows, was physically present in Lebanon, and he was badly injured and his clinics badly damaged by a widely reported August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. These representations were false. In fact, BIELECKI is not a physician or surgeon of any kind, he has not also earned multiple Ph.D. degrees, and he does not operate any medical clinics in Lebanon. In fact, travel records show that BIELECKI was in the U.S. continuously from in or around December 2019 through in or around April 2022, and on specific dates when he claimed during media appearances to be in Lebanon working on behalf of his medical clinics, BIELECKI was actually present in New York. Indeed, on and around the date of the explosion in Beirut in which BIELECKI told victims he was injured, BIELECKI made several purchases at coffee shops, restaurants, and other businesses in New York, New York. BIELECKI has caused victims of his fraud scheme to send him donations through various means. Between approximately 2016 and 2019, BIELECKI directed victims from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, and Florida, among other locations, to send checks to the Province with “Fr. Paul Bielecki’s Mission” or a similar endorsement in the memo line. From at least April 2021, BIELECKI directed victims to send donations by mail to “St. Francis in Beirut Inc.”—a non-profit entity established in or about March 2021—at the address of a particular Capuchin Order friary in New York, New York, where BIELECKI resides. At various times during the fraudulent scheme, BIELECKI also obtained donations through crowdfunding websites and directly provided his bank account and Zell payment information to victims via email and other means of communication. Despite his vow of poverty, BIELECKI maintained multiple credit or debit card accounts and multiple bank accounts. Dozens of victims have cumulatively provided BIELECKI with at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations as a result of BIELECKI’s fraudulent misrepresentations. Between approximately December 2017 and approximately February 2024, BIELECKI withdrew almost $50,000 in cash from his bank accounts; transferred more than $600,000 to two credit card companies to pay for personal expenses, including spending up to $334.40 per month for a membership at a luxury gym chain, and paying for multiple trips to the Hamptons and numerous meals at high-end restaurants; spent thousands of dollars on an aesthetic plastic surgery procedure at a liposuction clinic; and paid for numerous other personal expenses through debit card payments and other means. There may be more victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact Special Agent Sean Smyth, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (914) 993-1900 or by following the instructions available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime. * * * BIELECKI, 48, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, each of which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Division. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. [2] The Province conducted an internal investigation of BIELECKI’s fraudulent scheme, referred the matter to law enforcement, and has since provided assistance in the law enforcement’s investigation.


title: Orlando Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Byron Louder (34, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Louder faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for November 6, 2024. According to court records, on December 25, 2022, officers from the Orlando Police Department observed Louder make several hand-to-hand transactions while possessing a firearm in his waistband. After arresting Louder, he admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing that he was prohibited from doing so. Prior to this incident, Louder was convicted of multiple felonies including delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff. 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: Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking, Armed Robbery, and Firearms Offenses in August 2023 Crime Spree

body_text: WASHINGTON – Montello Washington, 18, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during crimes of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Washington entered his guilty plea on August 16, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Judge Leibovitz scheduled sentencing for October 25, 2024. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of five years of incarceration. During the plea hearing, Washington admitted that at around 1:00 a.m., on August 16, 2023, the victim arrived at the courtyard of an apartment complex in the 5400 block of 9th Street NW after his work shift via Uber. When the victim got out of his Uber, Washington and another male got out of a red Hyundai sedan and approached him. Washington brandished a firearm with a red laser sight and pointed it at the victim, telling him it was a robbery. The victim handed over his phone, wallet, and keys. On the same day, at approximately 2:20 a.m., another victim parked his car, a white BMW, in the 1300 block of Missouri Avenue NW. The victim was closing the driver’s side door when a red sedan stopped next to his car. Washington exited the driver’s side of the red sedan, brandished a firearm, and demanded the victim’s car keys and phone. The victim gave Washington his car keys but refused to give up his phone. Washington then got into the victim’s BMW and drove away. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Sabena Auyeung of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Clarksville Felon Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Over $125,000 in Federal Benefits After Prior Conviction for a Similar Scheme

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: NEW ALBANY—Willie D. Watts, 42, of Clarksville, has been sentenced to eighteen months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to theft of federal benefits from the Section 8 Housing Voucher, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, and Social Security programs. According to court documents, from 2014 to 2021, Ms. Watts received benefits from four different federal programs intended to benefit eligible persons in need: Section 8 housing vouchers, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (“SNAP”), Social Security Survivors benefits, and Medicaid. To qualify for these programs, Watts lied and represented that one or more of her children was living with her and needed services, when all three of the children were actually living with other family members. She recertified this false information as required, generally on an annual basis. This resulted in Watts receiving benefits from the federal programs that she was not entitled to receive. For example, from February 2015 through September 2019, Watts fraudulently received Social Security Survivors Benefits intended for two of her children following the deaths of their fathers, by falsely certifying that they lived with her. Watts used the funds for her own purposes and did not provide them to her children. Watts also made false statements about her income and assets. She did not disclose that she owned a house in Jeffersonville, Indiana, or that she was receiving rental income from tenants who lived there. Watts knew that if she gave complete and accurate information to the government programs, her benefits would be reduced or eliminated. Her lies allowed her to receive $125,753.90 in federal benefits to which she was not entitled. Watts engaged in this scheme in Indiana after engaging in a nearly identical scheme in Kentucky. In 2016, Watts was charged with felonies in Jefferson County, Kentucky for stealing over $30,000 from government assistance programs, including SNAP and Medicaid. From 2011 through 2013 Watts lied and represented that one or more of her children was living with her and needed services, when they did not in in fact live with her. She was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to three years in prison, which was suspended to probation. Watts continued her Indiana scheme throughout her prosecution and sentencing in Kentucky. “Hard-working families and financially vulnerable children often are supported by federal programs at times of financial crisis,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Undeterred by prior felony convictions for the same conduct, this defendant chose to steal over $125,000 in public money from eligible recipients in need. The federal prison sentence here demonstrates that the Department of Justice will work closely with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify criminals who defraud public programs and hold them accountable.” “Watts’ selfish actions diverted critical taxpayer dollars from HUD-assisted housing programs intended for low-income families to have decent and safe housing,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.” “Willie Watts made false claims to the Social Security Administration to unlawfully receive Social Security Survivors Benefits. Her deliberate theft of Social Security Benefits was criminal and has led to this sentence that now holds her accountable for defrauding several federal benefit programs, including Social Security,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge, Chancellor Melvin, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Chicago Field Division. “SSA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud and seek prosecution as appropriate. I thank the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. (HUD OIG) and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration for working with us in this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller for prosecuting this case.” The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Media Advisory – Press Conference

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: EDENTON, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley, along with representatives from local, state, and federal law enforcement will hold a press conference on Tuesday to provide an update on the Albemarle Region Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP). The update will include information on recent arrests and seizures. WHERE: Edenton Town Chambers – 504 South Broad Street, Edenton WHEN: Tuesday, August 20 at 1:00 p.m. Media please arrive at the Police Department by 12:30 p.m. for set up . For logistical information in advance of the media availability, please contact the Public Information Office at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. No case specific information is available until the press conference. ###


title: D.C. Councilmember Arrested on Bribery Charge

body_text: WASHINGTON – Trayon White Sr., the D.C. Councilmember representing Ward 8, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with bribery. White, 40, is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees several agencies including the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The complaint alleges that, beginning in June 2024, White corruptly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position as a D.C. Councilmember to pressure government employees at Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and DYRS to extend several D.C. contracts. The contracts at issue were valued at $5.2 million and were for two companies to provide Violence Intervention services in D.C. As alleged, the $156,000 White agreed to accept in exchange for using his official position to pressure renewal of those contracts to particular companies was three percent of the total contract value. According to the complaint, White’s agreement with a confidential human source (the owner of the companies) – including the source’s payments to White of $35,000 in cash on four separate occasions (June 26, July 17, July 25, and August 9, 2024) and the source showing White a document reflecting how White’s three-percent cut was calculated based on those contracts – was captured on video. The arrest and charge was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. “Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our Office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. This ongoing investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping an Adult Victim and Transportation of a Minor Across State Lines

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Texas man was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison for 14 criminal offenses, including, among others, kidnapping an adult victim and transportation of a minor across state lines. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. “I commend the excellent work of the trial team and that of our law enforcement partners, the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Brentwood Tennessee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, for their combined investigative effort in bringing the defendant to justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The lengthy sentence imposed by the Court reflects the outrageousness of the defendant’s criminal conduct toward the victims in this case and ensures he will not reoffend for decades to come.” “The victims in this case never thought using an online dating service would subject them to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon them," said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “Today’s sentence affirms the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting our community from acts of violence and intimidation and is an important reminder to remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid predators, like this defendant, who wish to harm us all.” According to court documents, Bryan Douglas Conley, age 42, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by a 25-year period of supervised release, for 14 criminal offenses to include transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity, and inveigle and decoy kidnapping. To “inveigle” a person means to lure, or entice, or lead the person to do something by making false representations or promises or using other deceitful means. “Decoy” means enticement or luring by means of some fraud, trick, or temptation. He was also convicted of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate threats to ransom. The defendant was convicted of these counts following a jury trial in December of 2023. At trial evidence was presented that in November of 2018, Conley, used an online dating website to lure and entice a minor from Ohio to travel to Tennessee to meet with him. Conley created and used a false online profile named “Bryant” and offers of money and property to lure the minor across state lines. Conley and the false profile “Bryant” offered the minor money for sexual activity in Kentucky and Tennessee. Conley ultimately abandoned the minor several days later in Texas and stole her purse and phone. In January of 2019, Conley used an online date website to inveigle and decoy an adult victim. Conley created the online profile “Lance Debeers” and falsely claimed to be a modeling agent. Both Conley and “Lance” engaged the victim in discussions about modeling. On January 29, 2019, Conley met the victim in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. He took the victim’s phone and provided her an unknown substance to drink as part of the modeling contract. He bound the victim and drove around Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee issuing ransom demands to the victims’ parents in Tennessee. The ransom demands included threats to harm the victim if his demands were not met physically and sexually. On January 30, 2019, Conley retrieved a ransom placed by the FBI in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He was arrested shortly after retrieving the ransom. The victim was located in the car. Prior to the kidnapping, Conley met the victim and took her credit card and attempted to make purchases at a retail store in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He also attempted to access her credit card customer profile using the victim’s social security number. In June of 2019, after Conley had been arrested and released from custody and ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device, he removed the device and fled to Ohio. He was subsequently arrested and detained. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Brentwood Tennessee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Joel King prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal James Aaron Cooper. ###


title: South L.A. Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Using Instagram to Solicit Bank Account Holders to Deposit Stolen Checks

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that defrauded banks and credit unions out of at least $2.7 million by depositing checks stolen from the mail into bank accounts belonging to accomplices he recruited via Instagram. Carlos Corona, 37, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $2,722,632 in restitution. Corona pleaded guilty on May 1 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. From October 2020 to August 2023, Corona and other co-conspirators engaged in an elaborate bank fraud scheme using third-party bank accounts and stolen checks. Some co-conspirators stole checks from the U.S. mail stream, including from post office mail collection boxes located outside post offices. The conspirators took possession of the stolen checks. They, along with others, then solicited bank account holders through social media to provide their debit cards and bank account information, promising these account holders a cut of any fraudulent funds deposited into their accounts. To circumvent the fraud protections of the banks and credit unions, Corona and others specifically requested bank accounts that had been open for a certain amount of time so they could get access to the stolen funds more quickly. Bank account holders responded to the social media advertisements and provided members of the conspiracy with the information requested on the ads, including bank account numbers, PIN numbers, debit cards and online banking log-in information. Corona and other co-conspirators exchanged the bank account holders’ information with each other, and then they deposited the stolen checks into these bank accounts. In most cases, the stolen checks were falsely endorsed in the original payee’s name. Sometimes, the checks were washed or altered to make the payee name correspond to the bank account into which the checks were being deposited. Corona and others then rapidly depleted the fraudulently deposited funds from the account holders’ accounts by making cash withdrawals, electronic transfers, and debit card purchases. To conceal the fraud, members of the conspiracy instructed account holders – if the banks and credit unions contacted them about the fraudulent deposits – to claim that their accounts had been compromised. During the scheme, Corona intended to cause at least $5.3 million in losses to the banks and credit unions and caused actual losses to lenders of at least $2.7 million. Prosecutors have secured 10 convictions in this case. The United States Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Spielberger and Alexandra Michael, both of the General Crimes Section, prosecuted this case.