title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Devin J. Weaver, 19 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Weaver was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on January 18, 2023, Weaver, a convicted felon, was riding around Fort Wayne in a vehicle waving a Glock pistol while live-streaming on social media. Weaver discharged the firearm several times outside the vehicle in a populated area. Officers were able to locate and arrest Weaver and recovered the firearm. Weaver has been convicted of firearms related offenses on two prior occasions. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. 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: Gary Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison

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

body_text: HAMMOND- Bobby Wright, 41 years old, of Gary, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Wright was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Wright sold fentanyl on two separate occasions in September and October 2021. At the time of the sale, Wright was on federal supervised release for his 2019 felony conviction for distributing heroin and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a school. Wright was also previously convicted in 2009 for felony dealing in cocaine in Lake County, Indiana. This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and DEA North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Eamonn P. Sheehan.


title: Suspended Kentucky Attorney and Wife Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Willful Failure to Pay Tax

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A suspended Kentucky attorney and his wife were sentenced in federal court today for wire fraud and willful failure to pay tax. The former attorney was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months imprisonment and his wife was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months imprisonment. United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Cincinnati Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, made the announcement. According to court documents, Andrew Nicholas Clooney , 55, was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. Christel Marie Clooney , 51, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Andrew Clooney and Christel Clooney were also ordered to pay $663,965.16 in restitution to former clients. Andrew Clooney practiced as a personal injury attorney through the Clooney Law Office. Christel Clooney served as the office manager for the Clooney Law Office. From August 2016 through October 2018, the Clooneys used funds that belonged to clients of the Clooney Law Office on personal expenses. Further, the Clooneys made approximately $426,098 in income in 2016, on which they owed approximately $107,140 in federal income taxes. The Clooneys neither filed a tax return for tax year 2016 nor paid any of their outstanding tax liability for that year. The United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory prosecuted the case. ###


title: Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking Crimes

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LESLIE PARKER , age 42, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 12, 2023 to 120 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $300 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. PARKER previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846; use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating the commission of felonies under the Controlled Substances Act, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2; and possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). According to court documents, a federal Drug Enforcement Administration investigation revealed that PARKER, along with others, was involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, PARKER regularly distributed amounts of methamphetamine. On October 19, 2021, officers conducted surveillance on PARKER , which ultimately led to the seizure of a bag containing 98.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Laboratory Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Healthcare Kickback Scheme

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Terry Wilks Jr., age 41, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks. The Court further sentenced Wilks to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $5,017,861.03 and forfeit $447,249.52. Laboratory Sales Representative, Leslie McHugh, age 38, of Palmetto, Florida, was previously sentenced by Chief Judge Dick to 12 months and one day in federal prison for her involvement in the scheme. The Court further sentenced McHugh to serve two years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. According to court documents and admissions made as part of both Wilks’s and McHugh’s guilty pleas, Wilks was an owner and the CEO of Acadian Diagnostic Laboratories, LLC, a clinical laboratory based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. McHugh worked as a sales representative for Acadian. In late 2016, McHugh was excluded from participation in the Medicare program. However, despite her exclusion, McHugh continued to refer doctors’ orders and specimens for testing by Acadian, in exchange for kickbacks paid by Wilks. These referrals caused the submission of claims by Acadian to Medicare and TRICARE. During the period that McHugh was excluded, Wilks made cash and wire payments, totaling over $69,000, to McHugh in exchange for referrals. As a result of those referrals, Acadian submitted over $500,000 in claims to Medicare and TRICARE and was reimbursed over $127,000. In addition to McHugh, Wilks admitted to paying another sales representative of Acadian over $2.3 million in kickbacks for his referrals to the lab from January 2016 through December 2018, which resulted in over $40 million billed to Medicare and Louisiana Medicaid. In turn, Medicare and Louisiana Medicaid reimbursed Acadian over $4.8 million. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG, Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, FBI, and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana. Trial Attorneys Samantha E. Stagias and Justin M. Woodard of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig of the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.


title: Former Missouri Doctor Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Defrauding Medicare, Medicaid

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a Moberly, Missouri doctor to 22 months in prison for falsely using his father’s name to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medical services. Justin G. LaMonda was also ordered to repay $537,332. LaMonda’s crimes originated after the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts suspended his medical license for 30 days in 2017 after he was accused of engaging in sexual activity with his office manager and prescribing her controlled substances “without sufficient examination and outside of the usual course of professional practice,” LaMonda’s plea agreement says. On Dec. 20, 2018, a Medicare administrative contractor revoked LaMonda’s Medicare Part B privileges after determining that he submitted reimbursement claims for services performed when he was suspended. LaMonda and his father, who was also a doctor, agreed to bill Medicare for services performed by LaMonda as if they had been performed by his father. On Sept. 12, 2019, the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit terminated Dr. LaMonda’s provider number. LaMonda and his father then expanded their scheme to include Medicaid claims. LaMonda instructed his billing personnel to use his father’s unique billing provider number on claims for payment, on referrals to other health care providers and on orders for durable medical equipment, falsely claiming that the father had performed the medical services or ordered additional equipment or treatment, his plea agreement says. When LaMonda’s father received payments from Medicare and Medicaid for services purportedly performed by him, he would transfer the funds to his son. LaMonda admitted causing total losses of $537,322 to Medicare and Missouri Medicaid. LaMonda “flagrantly violated” the revocation of his Medicare and Medicaid billing privileges by fraudulently billing those programs, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Health care professionals who intentionally submit such blatant fraudulent information can adversely affect individuals who depend on Medicare and Medicaid for access to safe and effective health care services. The laws are meant to ensure both the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” stated Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency collaborates frequently with our law enforcement partners to investigate providers who undermine our federal health care programs and the well-being of patients by submitting fraudulent claims.” LaMonda, 42, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of making false statements related to health care matters. His medical license has been revoked. LaMonda’s father, Dr. Gary LaMonda, died in September 2021. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky Celebrates Funding Awarded to the Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet for the Continued Fight to Combat Violence Against Women

body_text: Louisville, KY – United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett joins the United States Department of Justice, and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), in commemorating of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promote a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $2,445,428.00 under the STOP Program to the Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet to enhance the capacity for communities across the country to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable. The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet is the second largest cabinet in state government with more than 7,000 employees. The cabinet oversees five departments, including the Kentucky State Police, Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Criminal Justice Training, and the Department of Public Advocacy. The cabinet also administers the Office of the State Medical Examiner and the Office of Drug Control Policy. “Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers,” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.” “The violence goes beyond the victim and the abuser. Children, friends, relatives, and the entire community suffer,” stated United States Attorney Bennett. “Through this important financial support of our state partners, we continue to use all the tools at our disposal to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.” ###


title: MT. JULIET MAN SENTENCED FOR EXTORTING AND THREATENING CHILDREN INTO PERFORMING SEX ACTS ON CAMERA

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – A Mt. Juliet man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for extorting and threatening multiple minors into performing sexual acts on camera. That term of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. According to court documents, Caleb D. Jordan, 22, of Mt. Juliet, met three minors online through a video gaming platform. Jordan told the minors, who were between 11 and 14 years old, that people were coming to “get them” and threatened to kill or sexually assault their parents unless the minors created videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity. Jordan instructed them to perform and record specific sex acts and used these minors to create nearly 400 sexually explicit videos, some of which depict the minor victims crying or in visible distress. Jordan then attempted to sell the videos over an encrypted internet chatting application. Electronic devices seized from Jordan’s home also contained more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement. HSI Nashville investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by HSI offices in Phoenix, Arizona, and Fort Myers, Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ####


title: Oakland County Businessman Sentenced To 28 Months In Federal Prison For Paying Bribes To Rick Johnson

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that John Dawood Dalaly, 71, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 28 months in federal prison and fined $25,000 for paying bribes to Rick Vernon Johnson, the former Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board. Following his release from prison, Dalaly will serve two years on supervised release. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Beckering. “John Dalaly bribed a public official. He corrupted a process designed to give people a fair shot at entering this promising new market,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten “Now, he’ll serve time in a federal prison. Public corruption is a poison to our democracy, and we will hold offenders accountable whenever and wherever we find them.” Rick Johnson was a member and the Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) between May 2017 and April 2019. Prior to his appointment to that Board, Johnson worked as a lobbyist in Lansing, Michigan, and served as Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. John Dalaly operated two companies that were formed with the purpose of obtaining various operating licenses from the MMLB or exploring the licensing of a digital currency platform for medical marijuana financial transactions. Dalaly admitted paying at least $68,200 in cash and other benefits (including private charter flights) to Johnson while he served as the Chair of the MMLB. In return, Johnson voted in favor of approving the prequalification status for one of Dalaly’s companies and voted in favor of granting medical marijuana licenses to that company. Johnson also provided valuable non-public information about the anticipated rules and operation of the MMLB and assistance with license application matters to Dalaly and others who paid him money. “The corrupt activities uncovered in this case were facilitated by men whose desire for favorable treatment outweighed notions of integrity and fair play,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “Public corruption is the FBI's top criminal investigative priority and anyone who seeks to influence public officials through bribery will be thoroughly investigated.” Rick Johnson’s sentencing for accepting bribes is scheduled for Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in Grand Rapids before U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering. U.S. Attorney Mark Totten is scheduled to attend Johnson’s sentencing hearing and provide comments outside immediately following. On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, sentencing hearings have been scheduled for Brian Pierce at 11 a.m. and Vince Brown at 1:30 p.m. in Grand Rapids before U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher O’Connor and Clay Stiffler are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. ###


title: Norfolk Man Convicted of Drug, Firearm, and COVID Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Norfolk man yesterday on charges involving the simultaneous sale of cocaine and firearms, distribution of cocaine, use of a firearm in the commission of narcotics trafficking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and fraudulently receiving $83,330 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2021. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between 2021 and 2022, Bonas was apprehended by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents after he participated in a scheme involving a group of co-conspirators who distributed approximately one kilogram of cocaine and 15 firearms. Bonas participated in four controlled purchases in the summer of 2021 which involved three firearms, two of which were stolen, and approximately 3.5 ounces of cocaine. He was also identified as a prolific distributor of crack cocaine in Norfolk and Virginia Beach during the same period. As part of their investigation, ATF agents discovered through bank records that Bonas received four Small Business Administration-guaranteed PPP loans of $20,833 each and spent the money on various personal expenses, including the purchase of a luxury vehicle, restaurant and bar tabs, clothing, jewelry, sports gambling, and over $16,800 on rental cars. Bonas also sought and obtained forgiveness of the $83,330 in loans using the same fraudulent data. Bonas faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on January 16, 2024. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson returned the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherrie S. Capotosto is prosecuting the case. Congress authorized PPP loans under the CARES Act as a source of funds to allow small businesses to continue making payroll and other business-related expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 17, 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force , led by the Deputy Attorney General, to bring together the full resources of the federal government to bolster fraud enforcement efforts. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-25.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted For Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Sherron Gary (40, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Gary faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to a life, in federal prison. According to the indictment, on April 9, 2023, Gary possessed a Walther Creed 9mm semiautomatic pistol, 12 rounds of Blazer 9mm ammunition, 1 round of Starline 9mm ammunition, and 1 round of Sig 9mm ammunition. Gary has multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and armed burglary of a dwelling, trafficking of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is 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: Former Licensed Registered Nurse Sentenced to 15 Months for Product Tampering

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dawn Drum, 54, Janesville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 15 months in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and fined $30,000 due and payable immediately. On May 8, 2023, Drum pleaded guilty to one count of product tampering while employed as a Registered Nurse at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Janesville in November 2021. Drum tampered with vials of fentanyl by withdrawing the drug from the vials and replacing it with saline and then resealing the vial stopper with what appeared to be superglue. Drum then put the tampered vials back into the Pyxis machine, an automated medication dispensing system, so that the tampered fentanyl vials would be available for use with other patients at the hospital. An audit of the Pyxis transactions in Drum’s name revealed that she had an excessive pattern of fentanyl overrides and wastes when compared to other employees in 2021. When confronted by hospital management in November 2021 with this discrepancy, and asked to take a drug test, Drum refused and instead resigned from her position at the hospital. At today’s sentencing hearing, Drum expressed remorse for her actions and noted that her illegal conduct was driven by her addiction to opioids. She indicated that the harm she caused to her patients by her actions will haunt her for the rest of her life. In imposing sentence, Judge Conley told Drum that he understood that she acted out of character because of her addiction. However, he also noted that her decision to steal fentanyl, and then tamper with the vials and return them to the medication dispenser for use with patients, was the reason he was sentencing her to prison. Judge Conley explained to Drum that her actions harmed others and she needed to face the consequences for those actions. Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, with the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office, emphasized the dangers caused by this type of crime, “Health care professionals who tamper with medications from patients not only harm patients but also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.” The charges against Drum were the result of an investigation conducted by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber handled the prosecution of the case.


title: Lehigh Acres Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm During Drug Transaction

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mar’tavious Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Brown faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on August 19, 2022, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in Fort Myers. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. Morgan. 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: Brevard County Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Distributing Fentanyl And Methamphetamine

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Marquis Terrell Bryant (32, Brevard County) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Bryant had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023. According to court documents, between November 30, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Bryant sold drugs on six different occasions to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. In total, Bryant was responsible for distributing 111.23 grams of fentanyl and 276.3 grams of pure methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.


title: Osceola County Mortgage Loan Officer Sentenced For Bank Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft Charges Involving Forging Of Judges’ Signatures

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron has sentenced Omayra Ujaque (52, St. Cloud) to two years and eight months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Ujaque was convicted at trial on April 13, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, Ujaque, in her capacity as a licensed mortgage loan officer, created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting the financial institution where she worked. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, Ujaque falsified the borrowers’ income by fabricating or inflating the amounts of their monthly child support payments on mortgage loan applications that she signed and certified to the financial institution’s underwriting department. In furtherance of her scheme, Ujaque created fictitious Final Judgments of Dissolution of Marriage and Final Orders Modifying Child Support that fraudulently represented that the borrowers were entitled to receive non-existent monthly child support payments. Ujaque then used the names of judges from the Circuit Court of the Ninth District of Florida and forged their signatures on the fabricated Final Judgments of Dissolution of Marriage or Final Orders Modifying Child Support. Ujaque also created bogus Florida Department of Revenue statements listing fraudulent monthly child support payments, as well as phony prepaid debit card statements listing fake borrower withdrawals of the non-existent monthly child support payments. In most cases, the borrowers did not have the listed children and/or had never been married. Ujaque submitted bogus paperwork to the financial institution to support the false monthly income on the loan applications. Based on Ujaque’s misrepresentations, the financial institution approved and funded the mortgage loans. This case was investigated by Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Owner of New Jersey Construction and Real Estate Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to evading federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, Salvatore Caravella, Jr. of Kinnelon, New Jersey, operated construction and real estate companies, including 2-C Construction Company Inc., Bella Construction of North Jersey LLC and 203 Harrison Street LLC. Caravella oversaw all aspects of the businesses’ operations, including ensuring that all necessary tax returns on behalf of the companies were filed with the IRS. For 2015 through 2018, however, Caravella willfully did not report approximately $692,185 in self-employment income he earned from his businesses on his personal tax returns (Form 1040). Caravella’s conduct caused a total tax loss to the IRS of $235,999. Caravella faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani, formerly of the Tax Division, is prosecuting the case.


title: Marion County Man Arrested For Possession Of Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Matthew Allen Gahan (24, Summerfield) on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Gahan faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to evidence presented in court, on or about September 13, 2023, Gahan was in possession of multiple videos portraying the sexual abuse of young boys. Gahan also used the dark web to distribute and receive child sex abuse materials. A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Kissimmee Resident Pleads Guilty To  Conspiracy To Commit Bank Fraud

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carlos Ferrer (46, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ferrer faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to the plea agreement, Ferrer, co-conspirator Maria Del Carmen Montes, and others conspired to create and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, the conspirators created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and IRS Form W-2s in the names of companies for which the borrowers had never worked. The bogus income documents falsely indicated that borrowers had worked at these companies, including companies formed and controlled by Ferrer, for a certain period and earned income that they had not. These fictitious paystubs and W-2s were submitted to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions. To further deceive the mortgage lenders, Ferrer filled in the false employment and employment and income on Verifications of Employment (VOE) sent by the financial institutions. Ferrer then falsely certified and emailed VOEs sent by the financial institution in the names of borrowers that he knew did not work for his companies and lied to the financial institutions during verbal VOE verifications. Based on Ferrer’s misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Fulton County Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Running Narcotics Distribution Conspiracy in Capital Region

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dion Underwood, age 46, of Johnstown, New York, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, for running a narcotics distribution conspiracy in the Capital Region. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarantino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement. Underwood previously pled guilty and admitted that between January and December 2021, he supervised members of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin in the Capital Region, including Albany, Schenectady, and Montgomery Counties. As part of his plea and today’s sentence, Underwood also agreed to forfeit $39,403 seized by federal agents as proceeds of the conspiracy. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.


title: Canton Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a Minor

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Canton man was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking a minor who had been reported missing. Keion Rowell, 24, was convicted following a four-day jury trial of one count of sex trafficking of a child. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2023. Rowell was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022. “Justice was delivered today. Mr. Rowell preyed on a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, grooming her and then trafficking her and pocketing the money. This conduct is despicable and has no place in a civilized society. This prosecution should send an unmistakable message that this office and our law enforcement partners are dedicating all the resources needed to make sure predators like Mr. Rowell will face the full weight of the law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Sex trafficking causes immeasurable physical and long-term emotional suffering, and this office will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for the brave survivors.” “Keion Rowell forced a 15-year-old child into sexual servitude, for his own greed and financial gain,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force can’t erase the harm he’s done, we’ve made him answer for it. We thank the jury for bringing justice for his victim and ensuring Mr. Rowell can’t claim anymore.” According to evidence presented at trial, on or about Jan. 18, 2021, Rowell met the 15-year-old victim, who had recently run away from home. Almost immediately, Rowell created and posted numerous online commercial sex advertisements that contained photos of the victim, including nude photos, and told her that she would have to engage in prostitution. Rowell then communicated with sex buyers and sent the victim to meet with those men to have sex in exchange for money he kept. On Jan. 28, 2021, approximately 10 days after the victim had been reported missing, law enforcement participated in an undercover operation to rescue her. When she was recovered, the victim had Rowell’s phone which contained photos of the victim, photos of Rowell and information about his personal bank accounts, links to online advertisements for commercial sex and communications with sex buyers. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. The charge of sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office; the Boston and Belmont Police Departments; and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Tochka are prosecuting the case.


title: Man Sentenced for Extorting and Threatening Children into Performing Sex Acts on Camera

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for extorting and threatening multiple minors into performing sexual acts on camera. According to court documents, Caleb D. Jordan, 22, of Mount Juliet, met three minors online through a video gaming platform. Jordan told the minors, who were between 11 and 14 years old, that people were coming to “get them” and threatened to kill or sexually assault their parents unless the minors created videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity. Jordan instructed them to perform and record specific sex acts and used these minors to create nearly 400 sexually explicit videos, some of which depict the minor victims crying or in visible distress. Jordan then attempted to sell the videos over an encrypted internet chatting application. Electronic devices seized from Jordan’s home also contained more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement. HSI Nashville investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by HSI offices in Phoenix and Fort Myers, Florida. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: WEST VIRGINIA MAN SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON ON CHILD EXPLOITATION CHARGES

body_text: NASHVILLE – Shaun J. Sanders, 45, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 22 1/2 years in federal prison for the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. That term of imprisonment will be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. In July 2022, the defendant, who was a registered sex offender, communicated with an FBI online covert employee, who was posing as a thirteen-year-old female, on an online dating platform. The defendant engaged in sexually explicit chats with the online covert employee, sent the online covert employee an explicit photo of himself, and requested nude photos and videos of the person he believed to be a minor female. A federal grand jury indicted the defendant in 2022 on one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to an individual under the age of sixteen, and the penalty for registered sex offenders. On May 8, 2023, he pled guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . # # # # #


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison  for Drug Trafficking on Choctaw Reservation

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 68 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. According to court documents, Terll Shell 42, of Philadelphia, distributed methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation from May 2019 to April of 2020. A federal grand jury indicted Shell in August 2020. On December 11, 2020, Shell entered a plea of guilty to count one of the indictment charging conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Burns.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in connection with distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills, to a cooperating source. Luis Sonier Bautista Moreta, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to four years in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Bautista pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Bautista’s relative negotiated two sales of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Bautista handled the sales transactions, which took place on Oct. 22, 2021, in Attleboro and on Nov. 1, 2021, in Dorchester. Both times, Bautista entered the car of a cooperating source acting on behalf of the undercover officer and delivered fentanyl. The first transaction involved one kilogram of fentanyl and 6,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl; the second transaction involved an additional kilogram of fentanyl. Bautista’s relative arranged for Bautista to sell 1,000 more pills to the undercover officer on Nov. 5, 2021, but Bautista left before completing the deal. On Nov. 10, 2021, a search of Bautista’s residence resulted in the seizure of 1,000 pills containing fentanyl. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Newton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Distribution and Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon residing in Newton, Mass. pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to cocaine distribution and firearm offenses. Shawn Craig, 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2023. Craig was charged in January 2022. Craig coordinated three drug transactions with an undercover agent between September and October 2022. Craig met with the undercover agent near his Newton residence on three separate occasions – Sept. 12, Oct. 20 and Oct. 26, 2022 – to conduct the deals, during which Craig provided cocaine in exchange for cash. Prior to the third meeting, on Oct. 26, 2022, Craig sent an image of a firearm to the undercover agent and indicated that he could sell it to the agent. During the subsequent meeting, Craig provided the undercover agent with a firearm, ammunition and a quantity of cocaine. At the time of the conduct, Craig was on federal supervised release for a 2014 federal conviction for possessing a stolen firearm and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Craig was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release in that case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Newton Police Chief John F. Carmichael Jr. made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Ludlow Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: BOSTON – A Ludlow man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover agent and others online. Robert Avrett, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release. In March 2023, Avrett pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography. Avrett was identified as the owner of a Kik messenger account that shared numerous videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to an undercover law enforcement agent. The CSAM Avrett distributed depicted the sexual exploitation of minor victims as young as approximately three-years-old. During search of Avrett’s residence on Nov. 21, 2022, Avrett admitted that he was the operator of the Kik messenger account and that he used the account to share and receive CSAM. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Florida Man Sentenced in Maryland to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Nationwide Scheme that Defrauded Elderly Victims of More Than $2.5 Million

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Eghosasere Avboraye-Igbinedion a/k/a “Ego” and “Ghost,” age 28, of Miramar, Florida, to 66 months in federal prison and one year of home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud, in connection with a scheme in which he and his co-conspirators defrauded more than 85 elderly victims of more than $2.5 million. Judge Bennett also ordered Avboraye-Iginedion to pay restitution in the amount of $1,695,600. Avboraye-Igbinedion was convicted by a federal jury on June 15, 2023, after a six-day trial. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the evidence presented at trial, from January 2018 through November 2019, Avboraye-Ibginedion was part of a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by persuading them to send thousands of dollars in cash to members of the conspiracy, falsely stating that the money would be used to help the victims’ relatives pay legal or other expenses for crimes and other incidents that had not actually occurred. Conspirators targeted elderly victims throughout the United States, calling and posing as a police officer, lawyer, or other individual, falsely telling the victim that a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild, had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime, and needed money—often tens of thousands of dollars—for bail, legal fees, and other expenses. Witnesses testified that during the telephone calls, the conspirators directed victims to send cash to particular addresses via an overnight delivery service. The conspirators even posed as the victims’ relatives to further induce them to send the cash. Once the victims did send money, the conspirators called the victims asking for more cash, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims. To prevent the victims from sharing the information with anyone, the conspirators told the victims that a “gag order” had been placed on the case requiring secrecy, or that the situation was embarrassing for the grandchild and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it. The evidence proved that Avboraye-Ibginedion’s part in the scheme was to retrieve packages of cash sent by elderly victims and deliver the packages to a co-defendant, Medard Ulysse. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators traveled from Florida to Maryland and other states and identified residential locations where the cash should be sent, typically locations that were either vacant or for sale, so that no one would be at those locations at the time of the deliveries. Once the packages were delivered, Avboraye-Ibginedion and others retrieved the packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators also relayed directions to other participants in the scheme about where and when to retrieve packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion then delivered the packages to Ulysse or to other conspirators. Co-defendant Medard Ulysse, age 38, most recently of Miami, Florida, was sentenced earlier this year to nine years in federal prison, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to multiple fraud schemes, including the elder fraud “grandparent” scam. Judge Bennett also ordered Ulysse to pay restitution totaling $2,485,512, of which $1,866,745 is for the elder fraud scam. Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov . Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Canadian Sûreté du Québec for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Christine Goo, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help seniors, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/elder-justice-initiative . # # #


title: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting U.S. Probation Officer While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison today for assaulting a U.S. Probation Officer during a supervised release home visit. Andre Eugene Shaw, 39, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, on April 14, 2021, two U.S. Probation Officers conducted a home visit with Shaw at his Portland residence. At the time, Shaw was on supervised release for multiple federal crimes, including extorting individuals engaged in the production of child pornography, money laundering, and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, and restricted from possessing certain electronic devices, including cellphones. During the home visit, the probation officers observed an unauthorized cellphone in Shaw’s hallway closet. When one of the officers attempted to seize the cellphone, Shaw struck the officer in the face. He then grabbed the officer by her shirt and pushed her to the ground before fleeing his residence. The officer sustained cuts to her lip and nose. The second probation officer pursued Shaw on foot outside the residence, ordering him to stop. Shaw ran away from the home and temporarily out of the officer’s view. Soon after, Shaw reappeared, began walking back toward the probation officers with his hands behind his head, and was placed under arrest. The cell phone Shaw prevented the probation officers from seizing was never recovered. On April 16, 2021, Shaw was charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer. Later, on May 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Shaw with assaulting a federal officer and assaulting or resisting a person authorized to make searches and seizures. In August 2019, Shaw was involved in a similar confrontation with staff at a community reentry center for recently incarcerated individuals. When staff at the facility attempted to seize Shaw’s cellphone, he ripped it out of a staff member’s hand and swallowed the SIM card. Shaw was sentenced to 14 months in prison following the incident. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato and Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.


title: Box Elder man sentenced to prison for assaulting and strangling partner on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — Alex George Deserly, 43, of Box Elder, was sentenced today after admitting to an assault charge for strangling a woman on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris sentenced Deserly to 30 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate partner in April 2023. The government alleged in court documents that on June 25, 2022, medical personnel and law enforcement responded to the victim’s home for a report of a domestic assault. Deserly had left the home prior to the police arriving. The victim told law enforcement that she had confronted Deserly over messages she had seen and asked him how long he had been using methamphetamine. Deserly grabbed the victim, shoved her into a wall and strangled her. The victim tried to escape, but Deserly continued to assault and strangle her until he eventually stopped. The victim was treated for injuries. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rocky Boy’s Police Department.


title: Tennessee man appears on charges in drug overdose death

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Tennessee man accused of dealing fentanyl pills which resulted in an overdose death appeared in federal court on drug charges on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Malice Clark, Jr., aka Greg Clark, aka “Greed,” 57, had an initial appearance on an Indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. If convicted, Clark faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine and at least 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge John T Johnson presided. Clark was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court document that between February 2021 and April 2022, Clark knowingly possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to other people and that he did knowingly distribute fentanyl to John Doe, which caused John Doe’s death. An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-41. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl


title: Yuba City Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing and Selling Guns

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Billy Glyn Sims Jr., 29, of Yuba City, pleaded guilty today to one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between April 1, 2022, and March 9, 2023, Sims, who is not a licensed firearms dealer, unlawfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms. In three separate transactions in motel and apartment complex parking lots, Sims sold an FBI confidential source a Mossberg Shotgun, a Ruger single-action revolver, and a black powder revolver and a box containing .45 caliber ammunition. The transactions occurred in Yuba, Yolo, and Sutter Counties. At least one of the transactions occurred after Sims became aware that the source was a “double felon” and thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Sims also offered to sell the source several other firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle, although these transactions were never completed. Sims was prohibited from possessing any firearms because of his own prior felony convictions, including for domestic violence and burglary. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Lee and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case. Sims is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on January 18, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully dealing in firearms, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results


title: Arrest and Arraignment in 10-Year Old Cold Case

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Samuel Sampson Peaks, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2013 cold case involving an armed sexual assault of a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court documents, on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim, who was a stranger to him, at the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 6:00 a.m. He followed her and eventually brandished a handgun and forced her to perform a sexual act. After the assault was over, the victim immediately called police, who responded and recovered evidence. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. In 2020, the defendant was arrested for an unrelated crime in Prince George’s County, Maryland, at which time his DNA was collected and entered into CODIS, ultimately matching the DNA profile obtained from the evidence in the armed sexual assault case. On March 10, 2022, a District of Columbia Superior Court Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Peaks in the cold case with one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances. On February 17, 2023, the defendant was sentenced to a period of incarceration after conviction in the Prince George’s County case. Peaks was brought to D.C. and arraigned on the sexual assault indictment on September 14, 2023. If convicted of the D.C. sexual assault, Peaks faces a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a possible fine of up to $125,000, no less than five years of supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for life. This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, designed to work with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: District Man Sentenced to 35 Years for 2017 Murder and Participation in a Criminal Street Gang

body_text: WASHINGTON - Saquan Williams, 22, Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, participation in a criminal street gang, and other charges for his role in a 2017 brazen shooting into a courtyard in the Potomac Gardens area of Southeast Washington. A jury found Williams guilty on July 18, 2022. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and October 2017, the defendant and others were members of a criminal street gang operating in the area of Wellington Park, within Washington, D.C. Williams, and others, were involved in a number of “beefs” with individuals from other areas of the city, many of which started as the result of petty feuds among local rival rap groups. On Sept. 10, 2017, at approximately 6 p.m., as victim Carl Hardy was standing outside in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood, Williams and three others circled the neighborhood three times looking for individuals to target. On the fourth trip around the block, the vehicle stopped, and the driver paused to allow Williams and two other men to exit the vehicle armed with multiple weapons, to include an assault rifle. Williams and the two other shooters opened fire on the crowded courtyard, firing over 30 rounds and striking Mr. Hardy. The group then fled the scene. Mr. Hardy, 24, was transported to the hospital where doctors operated multiple times in their efforts to save him. Ultimately, on Oct. 1, 2017, Mr. Hardy succumbed to his injuries. Shortly after Mr. Hardy’s death, an arrest warrant was obtained for Williams charging him with the murder. A second shooter, Quincy Garvin, also was arrested and convicted at trial. Garvin’s sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2023. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Daniel Lenerz, and Sharon Donovan; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Lead Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Meridith McGarrity; Former Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas who prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican citizen imprisoned for child pornography received on peer-to-peer sharing platform

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 38-year-old Mexican citizen residing in Weslaco has been sent to federal prison for receiving material that contained child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jose Arturo Barrera-Torres pleaded guilty June 30. U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Barrera-Torres to 97 months. The court also heard additional information today including victim impact statements detailing the life-long turmoil and fear victim’s feel as a result of their abuse being continuously circulated online. Furthermore, the court heard that Barrera-Torres received, watched and deleted child pornography from the peer to peer platform from 2021 to the most recent downloads in February 2023. Not a U.S Citizen, he is exoected to face reomoval proceedings following his imprisonment. Barrera-Torres was further ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the victims. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Barrera-Torres will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Between Sept. 12-Oct. 14, 2021, authorities conducted an investigation on a peer-to-peer sharing platform for offenders sharing child pornography. Law enforcement identified a computer downloading videos of child pornography connecting the IP address to a location in Weslaco. On Feb. 16, authorities contacted Barrera-Torres at that residence, at which time he admitted to using a peer-to-peer file sharing program on his computer to download and watch videos containing child pornography. He also acknowledged deleting the files. Barrera-Torres received and downloaded approximately 80 to 100 videos of child pornography from 2021 to 2022, with the most recent downloads in February 2023. Law enforcement discovered 31 video files and 83 image files of child exploitation materials on his laptop. The ages of the victims ranged from over 3 years of age to under 12 years of age. Barrera-Torres will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task force conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Jamaican National Convicted Under Federal Kingpin Statute for Orchestrating Large-Scale, Nationwide Cocaine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – After deliberating for five hours, a jury found Racoco Williams guilty of six counts, including violating the federal “Kingpin” statute for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as additional narcotics, conspiracy, and money laundering offenses, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Williams, 41, was convicted on September 8, 2023, following a three-week trial before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The evidence at trial established that Williams managed, supervised, and organized more than a dozen individuals in a large-scale drug trafficking enterprise that operated for approximately five years in multiple states. Williams obtained substantial quantities of cocaine near the Southwest border, in Phoenix, Arizona, and in other locations in western states, and then arranged for the cocaine to be transported to various cities in the eastern United States, including Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, and Pittsburgh. As part of the enterprise, Williams took steps to hide his involvement in the cross-country transportation of drugs and cash proceeds. Proof at trial showed that Williams used a series of young women, often facing difficult financial circumstances, to transport the cocaine through checked luggage on domestic airline flights. These women also transported the proceeds of Williams’s cocaine trafficking back to Phoenix via secret compartments in suitcases. Williams controlled members of the organization through threats of violence, including threatening to kill one young woman and her entire family if she cooperated with law enforcement. During the conspiracy, Williams was associated with multiple seizures involving kilogram-quantities of cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry. For example, a search in 2012 resulted in the seizure of $337,000 in cash concealed in secret compartments in eight suitcases. Later, in 2014, Williams was arrested in Arizona, and a search of two suitcases in his vehicle uncovered approximately $160,000 in cash. In April 2017, law enforcement found a suitcase in a residence connected to Williams containing six kilograms of cocaine and $78,500 in cash. Less than a month later, in May 2017, a search of Williams’s car and hotel room revealed approximately $120,000 in cash and valuable jewelry. And about three months later in August 2017, a search of another hotel room in Williams’s name resulted in the seizure of 17 kilograms of cocaine, approximately $192,000 in cash, and $150,000 in jewelry. Even while he was incarcerated following the August 2017 seizure, trial evidence showed that Williams continued to orchestrate shipments of cocaine from Phoenix to the Pittsburgh area, including five kilograms of cocaine that he arranged to have concealed in a BMW sports utility vehicle loaded on a car carrier traveling from Arizona to Pittsburgh. In reaching its verdict, the jury specifically determined that Williams was responsible for trafficking 150 kilograms or more of cocaine. “For over five years, Racoco Williams stayed in the shadows and used a series of young women to move hundreds of kilograms of cocaine across the country for distribution in communities throughout the East Coast, including in the Pittsburgh area,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “This successful prosecution demonstrates our commitment to shining a light on those who seek to profit from the large-scale distribution of narcotics and sends a message that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend our law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this important and complex case.” “The partnership between HSI Philadelphia’s Pittsburgh office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Police continues to demonstrate the excellence in law enforcement that can be achieved through cooperation, information sharing, and side-by-side investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “The agents, officers and prosecutors involved in this case have effectively brought down a criminal syndicate while freeing vulnerable young women from a life of criminality and violence. Well done to all involved.” The law provides for a mandatory life sentence. On September 13, the jury also found that approximately $400,000 in cash, $200,000 worth of jewelry, and the BMW sports utility vehicle should be forfeited to the government. Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Karen Gal-Or represented the United States at trial. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police led the investigation that resulted in the prosecution of Williams. Those agencies received valuable investigative assistance from numerous other law enforcement entities in Pennsylvania and Arizona, including: the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Allegheny County Police, the Swissvale Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona), and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona).


title: Felon Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm Possession

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

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Quintan Kimbrough, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kimbrough to 90 months in the Bureau of Prisons. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Kimbrough will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On June 10, 2022, Omaha police officers observed a silver Pontiac turn right on North 24th Street without coming to a complete stop at the stop sign. The vehicle was then observed driving in excess of the posted speed limit on North 24th Street before turning left on Ogden Street without signaling the turn. A traffic stop was made as the vehicle pulled into the driveway of a private residence where Kimbrough was contacted as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers detected signs of impairment and a DUI investigation was completed. Eventually, Kimbrough was placed under arrest for DUI 4 th Offense. Kimbrough's vehicle was searched, and officers located a Ruger .45 ACP handgun, fully loaded with a 15-round magazine in a brown leather handbag on the driver's seat of the vehicle. Kimbrough was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, specifically: robbery (2008) in Douglas County District Court, Nebraska; being a felon in possession of a firearm, in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska (2010); and possession with the intent to distribute (2015) in Douglas County District Court, Nebraska, on two occasions. Kimbrough was sentenced to 180 days in jail and his license suspended for 15 years for the state DUI conviction. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Omaha Police Department.


title: ST. CROIX MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Elvin Wrensford, 38, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson, III to Murder Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone. According to court documents, on May 10, 2012, Wrensford and Craig Muller were at Ben’s Car Wash in St. Croix when an argument ensued with Gilbert Hendricks, Jr. Wrensford and Muller left the car wash but later returned and approached Hendricks who tried to escape by running towards Food Town Supermarket. Wrensford and Muller followed Hendricks, and Wrensford fired several shots at Hendricks from the passenger side of their vehicle. Two days later, Hendricks succumbed to injuries caused from being shot twice in the head. Within one hour of the shooting, Wrensford was apprehended in Estate St. John, approximately one and a half miles from the crime scene and six feet from a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Muller was apprehended several days after the shooting in Puerto Rico on his way to New York. Forensic analysis conducted on the shell casings recovered from the crime scene was linked to the firearm and the vehicle used by Wrensford and Muller in the attack. The shooting occurred within 1,000 feet of the St. Croix Christian Academy. Sentencing for Wrensford is scheduled for January 17, 2024. Muller was convicted by a federal jury in March 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment. This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Evan Rikhye.


title: Agat Mother Sentenced to 11 Months in Federal Prison for SNAP Fraud

component: USAO - Guam & Northern Mariana Islands

body_text: Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Eugena Palomo Lane, age 39, from Agat, Guam, was sentenced to 11 months imprisonment by the District Court of Guam. Lane was convicted of Wire Fraud and Unauthorized Use, Transfer, Acquisition, Alteration, or Possession of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and 7 U.S.C. § 2024. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $56,271, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. Defendants convicted of SNAP fraud are barred from further participation in the program. From April 2015 to February 2022, Lane defrauded the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) in order to obtain SNAP benefits to which she was not entitled. DPHSS is responsible for determining eligibility and issuing SNAP benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps. SNAP is a 100% federally funded program that provides financial aid to eligible recipients for use at authorized retail food stores. One factor DPHSS considers in issuing SNAP benefits is the applicant’s household size. Lane falsely reported to Guam DPHSS that her children were part of her household in her SNAP applications when in fact she was living separate and apart from her children. Lane admitted to using the SNAP benefits she received for her own personal gain and not for her children. As a result of Lane’s deceit, she received $56,271.00 in fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits. “Federal SNAP funding provides important nutritional benefits to children facing food insecurity,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Unfortunately, many children go hungry in our communities. This prosecution sends a message of deterrence to those who stand in the way of the benefits they deserve.” This investigation was conducted by Guam DPHSS Investigation & Recovery Office and prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.


title: Justice Department Secures Settlement with American Samoa Government to Resolve Employment Discrimination Case Involving Harassment of Transgender Woman

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement with the American Samoa Government (ASG) to resolve the department’s lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for Hawaii alleging that the ASG discriminated against a former employee, Simeonica Tuiteleleapaga, because she is a transgender woman, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion and sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices. Under the consent decree that the district court approved yesterday, the ASG is required to pay $125,000 to compensate Ms. Tuiteleleapaga for the harassment she suffered at the hands of her supervisor. The consent decree also requires the ASG to adopt new policies and procedures to handle sex based discrimination complaints and to provide its employees training on these new policies. “Discrimination against transgender employees is discrimination based on their sex, and no employee should have to tolerate a supervisor’s hostile comments about their gender identity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Transgender employees must be free from discrimination, harassment or derision in the workplace. The Justice Department will not tolerate discrimination based on an employee’s sex or gender identity and will safeguard the rights of vulnerable workers, including LGBTQI+ employees.” According to the department’s complaint, then-director of the ASG’s Department of Human and Social Services, Mr. Meki Solomona, harassed Ms. Tuiteleleapaga and another transgender employee on multiple occasions, despite the employees’ complaints about his misconduct. The complaint describes one humiliating instance when Mr. Solomona singled out Ms. Tuiteleleapaga at a department-wide meeting, where he threatened to eliminate her position, asked her if she was a “girl or a boy” and told her to “[t]ake it off” and “let us see if you are a woman.” After Ms. Tuiteleleapaga left the meeting in tears, Mr. Solomona continued his tirade for 40 minutes, repeatedly referring to her as a “thing” or an “it.” After the meeting, as described in the complaint, Mr. Solomona attempted to transfer her to another work location; misgendered her to her supervisor; attempted to terminate her; and refused to allow her routine work travel authorizations. The ASG failed to take any actions to stop his harassment. The Hawaii District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated and attempted to resolve Ms. Tuiteleleapaga’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Justice Department as an enforcement action. More information about the EEOC’s jurisdiction is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov . The enforcement of Title VII and other federal employment discrimination laws is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section . Senior Trial Attorney Jeffrey Morrison of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section handled this case. american_samoa_consent_decree_september_2023.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Georgia celebrates funding awarded for legal services and improved court responses to domestic and sexual violence

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is proud to announce that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $2,450,000 to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. “Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 to catalyze federal efforts to combat crimes against women associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other offenses. I am pleased to announce that our district has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women to provide critical resources to improve the coordination of these investigations,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is proud to partner with each of the recipients of these grants and dedicated to collaborating even more closely with these organizations, and others, to combat the scourge of domestic violence to make our communities safer.” “The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system’s approach to supporting families affected by violence,” stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. “These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don't merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety.” The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety. • OVW awarded $1,350,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the Northern District of Georgia. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. • OVW awarded $400,000 under the Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) to the Northern District of Georgia. ELSI, which operates under the LAV Program, supports developing new legal services programs. • OVW awarded $700,000 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to the Northern District of Georgia. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence. OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw . The U.S. Attorney’s Office conducts training for local law enforcement officers on federal domestic violence topics, including through the Georgia Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (FBI GA LEEDS). Our office has implemented two case referral programs with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and at the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Through these strategic enforcement initiatives, we expect to identify and prosecute the most serious perpetrators of domestic violence – including offenders who use and possess firearms, which greatly increases the risk of serious injury or death to the victim. 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: Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Return to the United States After Removal  and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Mexican man pleaded guilty to unlawful return to the United States after removal, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. According to court documents, on March 23, 2023, the Pearl Police Department received a report of an intoxicated man with a gun at a Pearl apartment complex. Law enforcement officers responded to the area and located Antonio Andrade-Hernandez, 36, with a gun pointed at his head. With small children in the immediate area around Andrade-Hernandez, law enforcement was able to get him to surrender peacefully. A records check revealed that Andrade-Hernandez was an illegal alien who had previously been removed from the United States. Additionally, since Andrade-Hernandez is a Mexican national illegally in the United States, it is contrary to federal law for him to possess any firearm. Andrade-Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Pearl Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Piedmont Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Conspiracy to Distribute Over 4,000 Grams of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Randy Kennedy, 35, of Piedmont, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Kennedy facilitated the mailing of over 4,000 grams of methamphetamine into South Carolina in 2019. Kennedy also instructed another person on how to carry out the methamphetamine business during the course of the conspiracy. Kennedy faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision to follow his prison term. United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kennedy after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Nabors Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###