title: Burlington County Man Admits Drug and Gun Charges

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to possess and distribute methamphetamine and illegally possess firearms, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nicholas Layton, 43, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court: In December of 2018, Layton and his conspirator were stopped in Crawford County, Arkansas, in possession of over three kilograms of methamphetamine. In July of 2019, Layton possessed two firearms; a rifle and a shotgun after having been previously convicted in the District of New Jersey of a drug trafficking offense. At the time of his arrest in August of 2019, Layton possessed approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine. The drug trafficking counts to which Layton pleaded guilty carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. The firearms offense to which Layton pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 15, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; the DEA Fort Smith Post of Duty under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, New Orleans Field Division; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, Newark Field Division; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw; and officers of the Arkansas State Police, under the direction of Col. Mike Hagar, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. layton.information.pdf


title: Level 3 Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography from a Minor He Solicited on TikTok

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to coercing a minor he found on TikTok to send him child sexual abuse material. Hector Acevedo, 33, of Jamaica Plain, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 24, 2024. Acevedo is a Level 3 registered sex offender. Acevedo was previously convicted in Suffolk County Superior Court on multiple child and sexual exploitation offenses including trafficking of a person for sexual servitude, extortion by threat of injury, posing or exhibiting a child in state of nudity or sexual conduct, dissemination of matter harmful to minors, dissemination of child pornography and purchase or possession of child pornography. On Feb. 13, 2018, Acevedo was sentenced to five-to-seven years in state prison and three years of probation. While on state probation, Acevedo solicited a minor via TikTok and coerced the victim to engage in sexual conduct over video chat. The charge of receipt of child pornography by an individual previously convicted of a child pornography offense provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting 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: Oregon Man Sentenced to 192 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: FORT WAYNE–Julian Muriera, 30 years old, of Hillsboro, Oregon, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after being found guilty by a jury of Attempted Child Exploitation, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Muriera was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between April and May 2019, Muriera engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover Officer who Muriera believed to be related to a minor with whom he was sexually active. Over the course of several online conversations, Muriera expressed his preference for teenage girls and an interest in watching a livestream of the purported relative engaging in sexual activity with the minor. Muriera also provided graphic detail he wanted to see in the anticipated sexual activity. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Hartford Gang Member Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses, Violating Supervised Release

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL DeLEON, JR., also known as “Psycho,” 42, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, and also to individuals in New York and Maine. On March 8, 2022, investigators approached DeLeon, who was sitting in his vehicle on Wolcott Street, after they had observed him meeting with Feliciano and engaging in suspected drug activity. DeLeon was arrested on state charges after he was found with packaged fentanyl and crack cocaine, and a loaded .22 magnum revolver. DeLeon’s criminal history includes multiple felony narcotics convictions, including a federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin, for which he was sentenced in November 2015 to 51 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release. He was released from federal prison in August 2018 and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest in March 2022. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On June 8, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment charging DeLeon, Feliciano, and 14 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses. DeLeon has been detained since his federal arrest on July 5, 2022. On January 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Judge Shea sentenced DeLeon to 57 months of imprisonment for the narcotics and firearm offenses, and a consecutive six months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release. Feliciano pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff, with the assistance of Law Student Intern Christopher D’Urso, through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Montana Man Pleads Guilty to Buying Firearms in Montana, Illegally Exporting Them to Mexico

body_text: A Montana man pleaded guilty today to buying firearms in Montana and selling them to individuals in Mexico. Cristyan Jose Gonzalez-Carrillo, 37, of Bozeman, pleaded guilty to illegal export before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto. According to court documents, an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that from February 2020 to May 2020, Gonzalez-Carrillo purchased approximately 31 handguns. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gonzalez-Carrillo’s residence in July 2020 and recovered firearms and ammunition, including semi-automatic handguns and AR style rifles. Receipts seized during the search were from multiple stores in Montana for the purchase of firearms during that period. In addition, the investigation determined that Gonzalez-Carrillo’s vehicle plate records would demonstrate multiple border crossings at San Ysidro, California, from April 2020 to June 2020. Investigators also learned that Gonzalez-Carrillo purchased and advertised firearms for sale on the platform WhatsApp and sold firearms to individuals in Mexico. “Every day across America, the Department of Justice is fighting the twin epidemics of gun violence and drug poisoning that shatter our communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “To win that battle, we must root out and prosecute those who traffic illegal firearms to Mexico – where weapons end up in the hands of violent cartels that send deadly drugs back to the United States. Today’s guilty plea represents another step forward, but also a sobering reminder that the fight against cross-border firearms-trafficking is a nationwide challenge.” “Buying guns in Montana and taking them to Mexico to sell is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana. “Fighting gun violence remains a top priority for our office and as today’s hearing showed, we will investigate and prosecute anyone who violates federal firearms laws.” “Preventing unlawful firearms trafficking is a top priority of the ATF,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “Whether the unlawful trafficking is destined for a gang in the United States or a cartel in Mexico, we will work with our partners to stop it and hold accountable those who violate our nation’s firearms laws.” Gonzalez-Carrillo faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for Feb. 15, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Gonzalez-Carrillo was detained pending further proceedings. ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott for the District of Montana is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Pine City Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Victim Child Exploitation and  Child Pornography Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Pine City man has pleaded guilty to five counts of producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and coercing and enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to his plea agreement and court documents, beginning in or about January 2019, Caleb Vincent McLaughlin, 26, created and used multiple social media accounts and communications applications to solicit and direct at least 14 minor girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years old in Minnesota, and a number of girls as yet to be identified in Minnesota, North Dakota, and elsewhere, to create sexually explicit images and videos to send to him. McLaughlin used a variety of aliases and Snapchat IDs including “Jake Benson,” “Lift11” or “Tech4cm,” in his scheme, and sometimes purported to be 17 years old to prey on minor girls he met online in order to entice and coerce them to create sexually explicit images and videos. In addition to producing child sexual abuse material, McLaughlin offered the minors drugs, alcohol, cash, and gift cards in exchange for sex acts. On July 17, 2023, McLaughlin was charged in a federal criminal complaint with soliciting, producing, receiving, and distributing images of child pornography, and enticing a child to engage in illegal sexual activity. McLaughlin pleaded guilty today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Law enforcement officials are still working to identify and confirm the identity of many of the minor victims involved. If you believe you or your minor dependent(s) have been victimized by Caleb McLaughlin, please contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with substantial assistance from the St. Paul Police Department, Pine County Sheriff's Office, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hillary A. Taylor and Rachel L. Kraker are prosecuting the case.


title: New Salem, PA Resident Sentenced for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Salem, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Jack Sparks, 49, of New Salem, PA. According to information presented to the court, on or about July 6, 2022, Mr. Sparks possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). In imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman highlighted in part the dangers and harms associated with drug trafficking and the need to deter similar conduct in the future. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sparks.


title: MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Two Murders on Long Island

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: An 11-count indictment was unsealed on October 4, 2023 in federal court in Central Islip charging Carlos Humberto Aquino-Hernandez, also known as “Caprichoso” and “Flaco” (“Aquino-Hernandez”), who is a member of the Coronados Locos Salvatruchas subgroup or “clique” of the MS-13, the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatruchas, and Gerson Hernandez, also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio,” who is a member of the Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas clique of the MS-13, with multiple racketeering offenses in connection with two murders, a narcotics trafficking conspiracy, as well as with related charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, firearms offenses, and narcotics trafficking offenses. Hernandez was arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst at the federal courthouse in Central Islip and was ordered detained pending trial. On October 6, 2023, Aquino-Hernandez was ordered removed in custody from the District of Maryland and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (“FBI”), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (“NCPD”) announced the indictment and charges. “The defendants allegedly committed two murders in furtherance of the MS-13 enterprise with all the gang’s hallmarks of senseless, brutal violence that endangers the entire community as evinced by unleashing gunfire outside a McDonald’s in broad daylight near a mother walking with her child,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants fleeing to another state proved futile thanks to the outstanding efforts of law enforcement to hold them accountable now in a federal courtroom on Long Island.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, the NCPD, and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office; as well as to the members of the FBI’s Baltimore Division and Cross Border Task Force, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County Division of the Maryland National Capital Park Police, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland for their tremendous assistance and partnership in this case. “The actions of Aquino-Hernandez and Hernandez remind us that gangs are responsible for a significant percentage of violent crime in many jurisdictions, putting innocent people at risk as they avenge their rivals. The violence caused by MS-13 has terrorized our communities for far too long, and the FBI is committed to dismantling this violent gang and putting an end their atrocities once and for all,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. The July 19, 2022 Murder of Walter Ochoa Walter Ochoa was targeted by MS-13 members who suspected him of being a member of a rival street gang. Ochoa’s murder was also committed in retaliation for the killing of an MS-13 member 11 days earlier which the MS-13 blamed on the 18th Street gang. On the evening of July 19, 2022, Ochoa was with another individual in Uniondale Park when they were approached by the defendants and a third MS-13 member, who were armed with a .45 caliber handgun and at least one knife. After they shot Ochoa to death and stabbed him in the neck and abdomen, the three MS-13 members fled the park. The September 14, 2022 Murder of Hector Valencia Gomez Surveillance footage from the McDonald’s restaurant revealed that on the afternoon of September 14, 2022, Hernandez and an MS-13 associate were being chased by Gomez towards a dumpster next to the McDonald’s drive-thru. Hernandez waved over Aquino-Hernandez who was armed with a 9-millimeter handgun. Aquino-Hernandez fired at Gomez, who was running in between cars lined up at the drive-thru. Gomez stumbled several steps before collapsing, after which point Aquino-Hernandez fired additional rounds at Gomez as he lay on the pavement. The MS-13 associate also struck Gomez in the arm with a large knife. The surveillance video also shows a mother and her small child, several feet away from the attack, running for cover during the shooting. Hernandez and Aquino-Hernandez were later arrested in Maryland where they had traveled to avoid apprehension for the murders. Finally, the defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, including purchasing firearms, ammunition and other weapons, and sending money to MS-13 leadership in Central America. The indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, the NCPD, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Suffolk County Probation Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in prison, or the possibility of the death penalty. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Justina L. Geraci, and Paul G. Scotti from the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. The Defendants : CARLOS HUMBERTO AQUINO-HERNANDEZ ( also known as “Caprichoso” and “Flaco”) Age: 22 Uniondale, New York and Baltimore, Maryland GERSON HERNANDEZ (also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio”) Age: 22 Hempstead, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-369 (JMA)


title: Monroeville Resident Sentenced for Violating a Federal Firearms Law

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Monroeville, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to imprisonment for 8 months on his conviction of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Matthew Alfaro, 23, of Monroeville, PA. According to information presented to the court, on or about December 29, 2020, Mr. Alfaro knowingly made a false statement in connection with the acquisition of two firearms from a licensed firearms dealer, intending to deceive the dealer. Mr. Alfaro purchased a Glock model 22, .40 caliber pistol and a Springfield Armory model Saint, 5.56 caliber pistol from a Pittsburgh-area licensed firearms dealer. Mr. Alfaro stated on ATF Form 4473 that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when in truth, he was purchasing them at the direction of another person, intending to deliver them to that person. In to imposing the sentence, Judge Ranjan highlighted in part the harm caused by firearms violence, the impact that straw purchases like those carried out by Mr. Alfaro have on the community, and the need to deter such conduct in the future. Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Benjamin C. Dobkin prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Alfaro.


title: Jeanette Resident Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court today on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced. According to information presented to the court, on or about February 22, 2019, Kenyetta Jones, age 27, knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jones also admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl at the time of the offense. United States District Court Judge W. Scott Hardy sentenced Jones to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jones.


title: Nine Arrested in Operation Targeting Ulster County Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nine defendants have been indicted and arrested for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in Kingston, Ellenville and other areas of Ulster County. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT). The organization is alleged to have distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl between March 2021 and January 2023, in Kingston, Ellenville and other areas of Ulster County. In executing search warrants on multiple residences in Ellenville, White Plains, the Bronx and Manhattan, law enforcement seized approximately 4 kilograms of fentanyl, 500 grams of cocaine, $600,000 in drug proceeds, and five firearms. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “With today’s arrests we have dismantled an organization that brought large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the Hudson Valley. This case is the result of the close collaboration among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that produces successful and significant drug trafficking prosecutions in Ulster County.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan Arvelo stated: “These 9 individuals are accused of drug-related crimes, all of which were allegedly part of their unlawful pursuit of money and power. But that ends today. HSI New York is proud to have partnered with the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police. Our shared commitment toward accomplishing our ultimate goal — justice — knows no bounds.” Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa stated: “Today’s operation is the culmination of hard work and collaboration between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, Ulster County District Attorney's Office and our Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Task Force. Today we dismantled a drug trafficking organization that would have continued to distribute fentanyl in New York City, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley that could have killed people. The crimes associated with this organization and the negative impact they had on our communities cannot be understated. Great job to all of the agencies involved.” The defendants arrested to date, all of whom are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, would face the following minimum and maximum terms of imprisonment upon conviction: Name Age Residence Minimum Term of Imprisonment Maximum Term of Imprisonment Christopher Baez, aka “Butta” 45 Manhattan, New York 10 years Life Joseph Logan, aka “Jazz” aka “Jabb” 32 Ellenville, New York 5 years 40 years Joshua Morales, aka “Young” 34 Ellenville 5 years 40 years Joshua Atkinson, aka “Swaggs” 26 Ellenville 10 years Life Luis Santiago, aka “Banks” 35 Ellenville 10 years Life Frankie Maldonado Jr. 36 Ellenville 5 years 40 years Justin Torres 35 Ellenville 5 years 40 years Erkan Denix, aka “E” aka “Ed” 38 Ellenville 5 years 40 years Daryl Livingston, aka “Whiz” 35 Huguenot, New York None 20 years Additionally, Deniz is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Atkinson is charged with distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, and Santiago is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. This case is being investigated by HSI; the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team), an inter-agency taskforce targeting drug dealers and gang members in Ulster County; the New York State Police; the Village of Ellenville Police Department; and the White Plains Police Department, with assistance from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmet O’Hanlon and Ashlyn Miranda are prosecuting this case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Utica Man Sentenced for Possession of Fentanyl for Distribution

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Harry Rodriguez, Jr., age 43, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today to serve 84 months in federal prison for his convictions for two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office. As part of his previous guilty plea, Rodriguez admitted that on July 21, 2021, he purchased approximately 36 grams of fentanyl for redistribution. He also admitted that on September 14, 2021, he purchased approximately 50 grams of fentanyl for redistribution. United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 3-year term of post-release supervision and a $200 special assessment. This was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), New York State Police, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, Utica Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Rome Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, New York Army National Guard Counter Drug Program, Yorkville Police Department, Whitesboro Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.


title: Oneida County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Distributing, Transporting and Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Chad Srogi, age 40, of Vernon, New York was sentenced today to serve 25 years in federal prison for distributing, transporting, and possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick Chiumento made the announcement. In previously pleading guilty, Srogi admitted that he distributed and transported child pornography on multiple social media platforms in 2018 and possessed more than a hundred child pornography files in October 2019. He also admitted that, in 2007, he was convicted in Florida of Promoting the Sexual Performance of a Child and Possessing Material Depicting the Sexual Performance of a Child. In addition to the 300-month imprisonment term, United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 25-year term of supervised release to begin after Srogi serves his term of imprisonment. Srogi also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and was ordered to pay restitution totaling $9,000 to the identified victims of his offenses. This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York State Police (Troop D Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Computer Crimes Unit) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ .


title: Baltimore Felon Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Two Stolen Firearms

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Tavion Thomas, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. “Removing from the community—by any legal means necessary—those most likely to commit gun violence, guides the accountability arm of our work,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As a convicted violent offender, Mr. Thomas knew that he was not allowed to have a gun—if you are caught illegally carrying a gun, you will be held accountable.” According to his guilty plea, on September 10, 2022, Baltimore Police officers were advised that Tavion Thomas had an open arrest warrant in Baltimore City for a violent crime. Officers went to the 3200 block of Belair Road in Baltimore, an area they knew Thomas was known to frequent, and located Thomas standing with a crowd of people. Thomas was arrested and the backpack he was wearing was searched. From the backpack, officers recovered a 9mm pistol loaded with one 9mm round in the chamber and one magazine containing 14 9mm rounds; a magazine loaded with 10 9mm rounds; eight mason jars containing a total of 1,696 grams of suspected marijuana; four plastic bags containing 28 grams of suspected marijuana; five plastic containers containing 100 grams of suspected marijuana; and one metal grinder with marijuana residue. Officers also searched Thomas and recovered from his waistband a 9mm pistol loaded with one 9mm round in the chamber and a magazine loaded with 10 9mm rounds. Thomas has a previous felony conviction and knew that as a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Investigation also revealed that the 9mm pistols Thomas possessed were reported stolen from Bel Air, Maryland and from Atlanta, Georgia. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Aubin, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Nineteen-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Trafficking 3D-Printed “Glock Switches” and “Auto-Sears”

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

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Washington, Illinois, man, Zavien James Ross, 19, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of machineguns. According to court documents, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made two separate undercover purchases of Glock switches from Ross in November 2022, purchasing a total of nine 3D-printed Glock switches and one 3D-printed auto-sear designed for an AR-15 rifle. Machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called “Glock switches” or “auto-sears,” are devices that convert ordinary semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Machinegun conversion devices are themselves considered machineguns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal to possess or sell in almost all cases. Later in the investigation Ross was arrested by the Peoria Police Department on November 28, 2022, for possessing a firearm in a car during a traffic stop. On November 29, 2022, ATF agents conducted a search of Ross’s residence and located a 3D printer, five additional 3D printed Glock switches, and two 3D printed pistol lower receivers. Ross was arrested and then indicted in February 2022. He was released on bond with pre-trial conditions. However, a petition for revocation of bond was filed in September 2023 when a probation officer found various pieces of counterfeit money and forged checks during a home visit. Ross surrendered shortly thereafter and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The statutory penalties for possession of machineguns are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a three-year term of supervised release, and a possible fine of $250,000. Ross also has pending charges in Peoria County, Illinois, for unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owners Identification card. ATF investigated the case, with the assistance of the Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Ross 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: Ithaca Man Convicted at Bench Trial of Wire Fraud and Engaging in Transactions in Criminally Derived Property

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ejembi Onah, age 60, of Ithaca, New York, was convicted yesterday at the conclusion of a non-jury trial of two counts of wire fraud and three counts of transacting in criminally derived property for fraudulently obtaining two Paycheck Program (PPP) loans during the pandemic, receiving over $140,000 in loan proceeds, and spending those proceeds, among other things, in three separate transactions each exceeding $10,000. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Thomas Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. PPP loans were United States Small Business Administration (SBA)-guaranteed, forgivable loans authorized in the Coronavirus Aid Relief, Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering adverse economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The government’s evidence at trial established that Onah submitted two fraudulent PPP loan applications to two different lenders in June 2020. Each application included false information about the payroll and number of employees at Onah’s company, which he claimed was engaged in a seasonal nanotechnology business, and were supported by falsified tax returns. Onah spent the more than $140,000 he received to, among other things, pay back rent at his personal residence, lease a luxury car, and fund his expenses of daily living. Sentencing is scheduled for February 15, 2024. Onah faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each money laundering count, a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years, restitution to the victims, and a fine of up $250,000 per count. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. In addition, the Court found during the trial that Onah must forfeit to the United States over $140,000 in loan proceeds and an additional nearly $100,000 of those proceeds that he spent in three different transactions exceeding $10,000 each. HSI and IRS-CI investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Joshua R. Rosenthal. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Idaho man sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking meth in Great Falls, Helena

body_text: GREAT FALLS — An Idaho man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in Great Falls and Helena was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Thomas Lee Dieruf, 40, of Osborn, Idaho, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement in Great Falls and Helena identified Dieruf as supplying meth, and in January 2022, investigators arranged for a purchase of meth from Dieruf. After agreeing to the deal, Dieruf left his home in Idaho and traveled to Montana, where law enforcement detained him at a gas station in St. Regis. Officers executing a search warrant on his car located approximately a quarter pound of meth, a digital scale, plastic baggies and two pistols. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force, Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Nicaraguan Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegally Using Social Security Number

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JUNIETH BETANCO-HERNANDEZ , age 19, plead guilty on October 10, 2023 to illegally using a social security number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). According to court documents, BETANCO-HERNANDEZ was first encountered, and subsequently arrested, by the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) near Hidalgo, TX, on or about September 30, 2022. BETANCO HERNANDEZ was later interviewed and determined to be unlawfully present and inadmissible into the United States. She was released from custody by U.S. Border Patrol and instructed to report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New Orleans, LA. In conjunction with her release, BETANCO-HERNANDEZ was enrolled in the “Alternative to Detention” program and provided a GPS device to monitor her location in the United States. On or about March 28, 2023, BETANCO-HERNANDEZ reported to the BI Incorporated office in St. Rose, LA as requested. During her interview by a case specialist, she was asked to present her immigration related documents. BETANCO-HERNANDEZ handed over a Louisiana state ID with her name and photo and a Social Security Card. Through further investigation, it was determined that BETANCO-HERNANDEZ was not the individual who was issued that social security number. Additionally, Homeland Security Investigations agents confirmed that the number BETANCO-HERNANDEZ presented was issued by the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration to another individual, and not BETANCO-HERNANDEZ . BETANCO-HERNANDEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Two Nez Perce County Men Sentenced for Federal Gun Crimes

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: COEUR D'ALENE – Shane Bohn, 35, and Matthew Durham, 24, both of Lewiston, were sentenced in separate cases to federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Bohn received a sentence of 42 months and Durham received a sentence of 15 months. After completing their sentences, the defendants will be placed on supervised release for four and three years, respectively. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit their firearms. According to court records, Bohn was found in possession of a firearm on November 30, 2022, after having been convicted of felony aggravated assault in Nez Perce County. Durham was found in possession of a firearm on December 29, 2022, after having been convicted of a felony drug charge in Nez Perce County. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force and the work of Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) April Smith. Smith is the Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Nez Perce County and is sworn as a SAUSA to file cases in federal court. “I greatly appreciate SAUSA Smith and Elected Prosecutor Coleman’s commitment to keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “These sentencings demonstrate the advantages of the SAUSA program and the excellent working relationship between my office and the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office.” “Working jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office has provided another way to protect our community. I want to thank their office for partnering with us and I want to recognize North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force Officer Cody Bloomsburg for his hard work in investigating both of these cases,” said Elected Prosecutor Coleman. These cases are 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: New Orleans Man Indicted for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY OFFRAY , age 49, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on September 22, 2023 in a recently unsealed three-count indictment by a federal grand jury, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The indictment alleges that OFFRAY distributed fentanyl and heroin on three occasions. Count 1 alleges that OFFRAY distributed quantities of heroin and fentanyl on July 24, 2023, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). For this offense, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment allege that OFFRAY distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of heroin on July 28, 2023 and July 31, 2023, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). For these offenses, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Baton Rouge Man Sentenced for Assaulting and Threatening Federal Officers

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KESHAWN KELLY , age 20, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced on October 3, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to twenty (20) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $125 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. KELLY previously pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with influencing federal officials by threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 115(a)(1)(B), and assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1). According to court documents, on February 15, 2022, KELLY was involved in a 21-minute standoff with police in the emergency department parking lot at the New Orleans VA Medical Center. During the standoff, KELLY possessed a fully loaded AR-15 rifle with a round in the chamber and the selector switch set to the semi-automatic firing position. KELLY , who continuously refused to get out of the car with his hands up, made various threats to shoot and otherwise assault the officers for the duration of the standoff. 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 United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Middlesex County Man Convicted of Persuading, Inducing and Enticing Victims for Prostitution

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was convicted today of four counts of persuading, inducing, and enticing women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jose Torres, 45, was convicted of all four counts of a second superseding indictment following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court. According to the documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: From May 2015 to October 2019, Torres persuaded, induced and enticed female victims, often commercial sex workers, to travel from out of state locations, including Canada and New York, to engage in prostitution with him. In each instance, Torres trolled prostitution websites and targeted out-of-state sex workers. He lured them to New Jersey with promises of large sums of payment. Once the women were in New Jersey, Torres refused to pay them. When the victims asked for payment, Torres became aggressive, often assaulting and raping them. Each charge of coercion and enticement carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Spiro and Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.


title: Law Enforcement Agencies in Western Washington receive more than $3.6 million in U.S. Department of Justice Grant Funding

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – More than a dozen law enforcement agencies in western Washington received U.S. DOJ Byrne grant funding to support local needs ranging from body-worn camera programs, to specialized equipment needs, to community outreach programs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The grants have been awarded over the last few weeks in advance of the new fiscal year. “The largest amount of Byrne Grant funding, some $2 million, goes to the King County Sheriff’s Office to pay for implementation of body-worn cameras and for hiring mental health professionals as part of the King County Crisis Intervention team,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But even the smaller grants can make a big difference in jurisdictions where leaders have identified specific needs in their communities.” The City of Seattle was awarded $918, 880 as the fiscal agent for a dozen neighboring jurisdictions. Some of the grant funding includes: $38,323 for fireworks emphasis patrols in Auburn; $10,861 for de-escalation tools in Des Moines; $11,310 for less lethal equipment in Shoreline; and $369,623 to help fund anti-crime coordinators in Seattle. The coordinators will work with populations that have special needs such as the elderly, immigrant, or disabled members of our community. These are the other Byrne grant recipients and the grant purpose: Bremerton - $17,240 – Crime prevention activities and initiatives Port Angeles/Clallam County - $13,720 – Body worn camera program Marysville - $13,541 – fingerprinting equipment, street cameras, language programs Puyallup - $13,396 – automated fingerprint equipment Longview - $11,852 – School resource officer Lynnwood - $11,780 – firearms and accessories for officers Everett - $39,544 – polygraph and police pursuit equipment Kitsap County - $45,613 – purchase of police training simulator Lakewood - $45,051 – video monitoring equipment and crime analysis software Bellingham/Whatcom County - $47,374 – equipment for the Civil Disturbance Unit and citizen engagement software. Whatcom Co. - officer safety equipment. Clark County - $140,576 – to strengthen community policing and enhance public protection Tacoma/Pierce County - $358,803 – Tacoma: youth crime reduction programs. Pierce County: sex offender records management and notification. The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22 years old.


title: Texas U.S. Attorneys unite against domestic violence

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – All four U.S. Attorneys from Texas converged in the Southern District for a historic event to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), honor Texas victims and survivors as well as salute the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, first responders and law enforcement. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani was joined by fellow U.S. Attorneys Damien Diggs, Leigha Simonton and Jaime Esparza of the Eastern, Northern and Western Districts, respectively, along with Gloria Aguilera Terry, CEO of the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), for this historic event. This is the first press conference to include all four Texas U.S. Attorneys. The audience heard how domestic violence takes a toll on families and affects communities, both socially and economically. The consequences of domestic violence, dating violence and intimate partner violence have a long-lasting impact. One of four women and one of 10 men will experience domestic or sexual violence in their lifetime. According to the TCFV Honoring Texas Victims 2022 analysis report, intimate partners killed 216 Texans in 64 Texas counties. This includes 179 women, 37 men and six LGBTQ+ victims. Of those, 96% of family members, friends and bystanders were killed with a firearm; 100% of those injured were shot; and 18 perpetrators had identified firearm prohibitions. The number of women a male partner killed has also nearly doubled in the last decade. A crucial part of combatting domestic violence and reducing violent crimes includes enforcing federal firearm prohibitions. The Texas U.S. Attorneys are committed to leveraging every federal resource available to go after abusers. They are collaborating with state and local partners by providing resources and initiative awareness. “Through our novel and long-running Domestic Violence Initiative, out violent crime prosecutors and our partner agents at Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives focus on investigating and prosecuting criminals who illegally possess guns and have a history of domestic abuse,” said Simonton. “This included those with previous assault conviction against an intimate partner.” “We are going to the shelters and letting our folks at the shelters and all the local stakeholders know we have this initiative, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Districts,” said Diggs. “We are here to help and we want to help.” "As U.S. Attorney for each of the four districts in Texas, it is our responsibility to deploy every available resource and forge strategic partnerships with local law enforcement and fellow prosecutors," said Esparza. "Our shared goal is to ensure victims have a clear path to safety and justice." “At the end of the day the goal is to bring people out of the shadows, those who are being abused, to come seek help,” said Hamdani. “We want the public to know the chief federal law enforcement officers of this state stand united and firmly with domestic violence victims and survivors.” If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or need resources, please visit the resources page for the Office of Violence Against Women . There is immediate help for domestic violence victims - Call Legal Aid for Survivors of Sexual Assault at 1-844-303-7233 , Stop Abuse for Everyone at 1-512-267-7233 (or text 1-737-888-7233 ) or Texas Advocacy Project on their Hope Line at 1-800-374-4673 or their Pro Bono Attorney line at 1-800-374-4674 .


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second Degree Theft for September Package Thefts Near H Street Corridor

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON –Daniel Greene, 41, of Washington, D.C., was indicted today by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on two counts of second-degree theft stemming from the Sept. 16, 2023, package thefts from the 600 block of G Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Greene is to be arraigned on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges. According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 16, 2023, at about 2:45 p.m., Greene approached homes in the 600 block of G Street NE and stole packages from the porches of two of them. He walked away and was stopped by members of the MPD while he was in possession of the stolen packages. Greene has more than two prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail. This case is being investigated by the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Skopicki. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl at Waterloo Hospital

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An Iowa nurse who diverted fentanyl at a Waterloo hospital pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Luis Ramirez-Cajas, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge. At the plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Ramirez-Cajas admitted that the State of Iowa granted him a nursing license in 2012. In August 2022, before Ramirez-Cajas began working at a Waterloo hospital, Ramirez-Cajas and the Iowa Board of Nursing’s Iowa Nurse Assistance Program (“INAP”) entered into an agreement under which Ramirez-Cajas promised to abstain from drugs and alcohol and to refrain from working with narcotics. Ramirez-Cajas previously had admitted to diverting and using narcotics in the emergency room of an Iowa City hospital in late 2021 and early 2022. The Iowa City hospital was an affiliate of the Waterloo hospital and in the same hospital network. Ramirez-Cajas knowingly violated his agreement with INAP by accepting employment at the Waterloo hospital. In September and October 2022, while working at the Waterloo hospital, Ramirez-Cajas diverted fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine to his own use. All these drugs are controlled substances. Ramirez-Cajas diverted the drugs mostly through purported wasting—falsely documenting in the Waterloo hospital’s records, for example, that he had wasted a full vial because a patient purportedly had refused the drug after Ramirez-Cajas pulled it. Instead of wasting the controlled substances, Ramirez-Cajas diverted them for personal use. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ramirez-Cajas remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ramirez-Cajas faces a possible maximum sentence of four years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release following any imprisonment. In December 2022, Ramirez-Cajas surrendered his nursing license to the Iowa Board of Nursing with leave to apply for reinstatement within one year. As part of his plea agreement, Ramirez-Cajas agreed to forfeit his nursing license to the United States. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-2049. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Cincinnati man sentenced to prison for Covid relief fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI– A man who filed for relief under the Paycheck Protection Program and fraudulently claimed that he was running a business during the time he was incarcerated was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 12 months and one day in prison. Willie Boyce, 42, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one count of wire fraud. As part of his sentence, he will pay $41,040 in restitution. According to court documents, Boyce was incarcerated in Hamilton County from March 2018 until September 2020, when he was released to a halfway house. Boyce acknowledged that he applied electronically for two PPP loans in April 2021, claiming he owned a business that provided taxi and ridesharing services. In his applications, Boyce fraudulently claimed a gross income of $98,500 for 2019 even though he was in prison for the entirety of that year. Boyce used his halfway house address as the business address and submitted a forged bank statement. Boyce claimed the money was for payroll for his company, and received payments on April 20 and May 5, 2021, but withdrew or spent all the money by the end of May 2021, on non-business-related transactions including payments to Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Expedia, Hampton Inn and Delta Airlines. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, in coordination with U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Investigations and Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Reynoldsburg man pleads guilty to crimes related to robberies, I-70 shootout

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Aden Abdullahi Jama, 20, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to being an accessory after the fact to bank robbery, two counts of aiding and abetting robberies and two counts of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the robberies. Jama and Faisal M. Darod, 23, of Columbus, were charged by a federal grand jury in a 10-count superseding indictment on Sept. 27. The two central Ohio men were allegedly involved in the July 6 shooting of a Columbus police officer. Jama admitted in court today to participating in related crimes on July 5 and July 6. According to his plea agreement, on July 5, Jama aided and abetted Darod and another individual after they robbed at gunpoint the Fifth Third Bank on Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington. Specifically, Jama met up with the men on West Sixth Avenue in Columbus and drove them to the Baymont Inn and Suites on Morse Road. This allowed Darod and the other individual to abandon a stolen Corvette they used during the robbery. While at the hotel, Darod and Jama recorded a video on Darod’s cell phone showing Darod lying on the bed surrounded by the recently stolen cash. In the video, Darod raps about “cheese” – i.e., money, being in the air and everywhere. The next day, on July 6, Jama served as a driver and/or lookout both before and after an armed robbery at Byers Imports in Whitehall. Shortly after the robbery, Jama and Darod met up with the car thief at townhomes on the southeast side of Columbus. The three men then drove the stolen Porsche Cayenne, sometimes exceeding 100 miles per hour, to Hilliard to commit another armed bank robbery. Jama again served as the lookout and aided and abetted the armed robbery and the use of a firearm during that robbery at Fifth Third Bank on Hilliard-Rome Road in Hilliard. Unbeknownst to the three men, Whitehall police detectives had been tracking their movements using the Porsche Cayenne’s onboard GPS system. The detectives surrounded the stolen car at Fifth Third Bank and ordered the men to stop the vehicle. The now-deceased driver drove the stolen Porsche through a gap in the detectives’ cars and fled over a grass embankment onto Hilliard-Rome Road, and, eventually, out to Roberts Road and the freeway. Columbus police officers then located the stolen vehicle on I-70 traveling eastbound. The men reached speeds more than 125 miles per hour near rush hour while attempting to flee law enforcement. The vehicle became damaged and came to an abrupt stop before Jama and Darod both fled on foot. The third man used a handgun with an extended magazine to ambush the responding officers. He opened fire from close range and struck one officer. That officer suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the stolen vehicle was struck several times and died of his gunshot wounds soon after. Following the gun battle on I-70, a coordinated manhunt ensued for Jama and Darod. Darod was arrested in Columbus on the evening of July 7. By then, he had conducted several internet searches for flights out of Columbus to Somalia. U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigation agents arrested Jama at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on July 8, bound for Turkey, with an ultimate destination of Somalia. Aiding and abetting a bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a potential penalty of at least five years and up to life in prison. Being an accessory after the fact of bank robbery is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a later hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Charges remain pending against Darod. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the United States Marshals in Columbus and Chicago; ICE and HSI Chicago; the Whitehall, Minerva Parka and Upper Arlington police departments; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the guilty plea entered this morning before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Quincy Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane – On October 11, 2023, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Joseph Thomas Schmitz, 35, of Quincy, Washington, to 120 months in federal prison for Receipt of Child Pornography. Schmitz pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023. Judge Rice also ordered Schmitz to pay $6,000 in restitution to two of his victims and special assessments totaling $7,000 to funds benefitting victims of human trafficking and child pornography crime. Judge Rice further ordered that Schmitz be federally supervised for 10 years after being released from prison. According to court documents and proceedings, Schmitz was identified as a suspect in May 2021 after his wife called the police and reported finding nude photos of an approximately 11 years old female in a hidden folder on Schmitz’s iPad. Pursuant to search warrants, federal agents searched Schmitz’s electronic devices and iCloud account and found child pornography files linked to 25 previously identified child pornography victims, in addition to more images and videos of the 11-year-old girl. Agents additionally found evidence of Schmitz using the Kik application back to November 2019, frequenting groups dedicated to the viewing and sharing of child sexual abuse and sharing links with others within these groups. “The sentence imposed in this case recognizes the ongoing and lasting harm caused by child exploitation. It sends a strong message to Mr. Schmitz and others who use what they believe to be online anonymity to exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “My office prioritizes these offenses against our community’s youngest and most vulnerable and will continue to prosecute those who harm children. This sentencing is yet another example of the impact federal and state law enforcement partnerships bring to the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “The success of this case lied in the vigilance of family members and our joint efforts to end further victimization.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Quincy Police Department and prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. 2:21-CR-097-TOR


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Aggravated Sexual Abuse And Abusive Sexual Contact

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Lance Pritchett, age 33, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. On July 8, 2022, a federal jury found Pritchett guilty at trial of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of one child over the course of several years, and of a single instance of Abusive Sexual Contact of a second child. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Cases like the one against Mr. Pritchett are some of the most heartbreaking, yet purposeful the FBI can investigate,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “I’m grateful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure he will never be able to harm another child.” “Although the abuse inflicted on these innocent victims cannot be erased, this office stands committed to ensuring those who abuse children see justice,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This sentence today brings a measure of assurance that the defendant will never be free to prey on children again.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Pritchett will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.


title: Mobile Cardiac PET Scan Provider and Founder to Pay $85 Million to Resolve Allegedly Unlawful Payments to Referring Doctors

component: Civil Division

body_text: Cardiac Imaging Inc. (CII), headquartered in Illinois, and its founder, owner, and CEO Sam Kancherlapalli, a resident of Florida, have agreed to pay a total of $85,480,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they paid referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise PET scans in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Physician Self-Referral Law (Stark Law). CII agreed to pay $75 million, plus additional amounts based on future revenues, and Kancherlapalli agreed to pay $10,480,000. These settlements are based on their ability to pay. “Healthcare providers that pursue patient referrals through illegal kickbacks and other unlawful financial arrangements will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to safeguard federal healthcare funds by rooting out financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians that can corrupt medical decisionmaking and increase the cost of care.” The United States alleged that between March 1, 2014, and May 31, 2023, CII and Kancherlapalli knowingly caused false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs arising from violations of the AKS and the Stark Law. Specifically, with Kancherlapalli’s oversight and approval, CII allegedly paid kickbacks to referring cardiologists in the form of above-fair market value fees of $500 or more per hour, ostensibly for the cardiologists to supervise the PET scans for the patients they referred to CII. The United States alleged these fees substantially exceeded fair market value for the cardiologists’ services because CII paid the referring cardiologists for each hour CII spent scanning the cardiologists’ patients, including time the cardiologists were away from CII’s mobile scanning units providing care for other patients or were not even on site. CII’s fees also purportedly compensated the cardiologists for additional services beyond supervision that were not actually provided. CII purported to rely on a consultant’s fair market value analysis that the United States alleged CII knew was premised on fundamental inaccuracies about the services referring physicians provided and that the consultant ultimately withdrew. “Paying illegal kickbacks to cardiologists so they refer patients undermines the integrity of federal healthcare programs and needlessly increases costs,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest or gain. This outcome emphasizes my office’s commitment to pursing justice, ensuring the public’s trust in the federal healthcare system and holding the corrupt accountable.” “Illegal kickback payments not only corrupt the medical decision-making process but also cause harm and financial loss to Medicare and other federally funded healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG works closely with our law enforcement partners to root out and hold accountable those who put profit and personal gain ahead of legitimate medical services.” In connection with the settlement, CII and Kancherlapalli entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other compliance provisions, that CII implement measures designed to ensure that arrangements with referring physicians are compliant with the AKS and the Stark Law. The CIA also requires that CII implement a centralized annual risk assessment and internal review process to identify and address the AKS and the Stark Law risks associated with arrangements and retain an Independent Review Organization to perform a systems and transactions review of arrangements. The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Lynda Pinto, a former billing manager at CII. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam action also raises claims against CII’s former President and part-owner Richard Nassenstein, which are not resolved in this settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Pinto v. Cardiac Imaging, Inc., et al. , No. 18-cv-2674 (S.D. Tex.). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, with assistance from the HHS-OIG, the Defense Health Agency Office of Inspector General, the Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General, and Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Samuel R. Lehman and Jake M. Shields of the Justice Department's Civil Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Green for the Southern District of Texas. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Kancherlapalli Settlement CII Settlement


title: Bradenton Felon Sentenced To Four Years For Firearms Trafficking

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Kranston Algeno Rolle (33, Bradenton) to four years in federal prison for firearms trafficking. Rolle had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023. According to court documents, on December 30, 2022, Rolle trafficked in and received multiple firearms, specifically: a Smith & Wesson Model SD9 VE 9mm caliber pistol, a Glock Model 45 .9mm caliber pistol and, a GForce Arms Model GF2P semi-automatic shotgun. Rolle discharged the firearms at a shooting range in Palmetto. Rolle had received the firearms knowing that receiving them would constitute a felony. Additionally, Rolle purchased a box of shotgun shells at the shooting range and signed a liability release form where he knowingly misrepresented his status as a convicted felon. On March 17, 2022, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Rolle’s residence and located two firearms that matched the type used by Rolle to the shooting range on December 30, 2022. Rolle confirmed his identity in a video recording showing him discharging the firearms. He also confirmed his identity in a photograph showing him posing with one of the pistols. Rolle later admitted to using the pistols at the shooting range and having unlawfully received and fired the shotgun. At the time of the offense, Rolle had multiple prior felony convictions including robbery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felony battery, and fleeing and eluding a police officer. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David P. Sullivan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Man Sentenced in El Paso for Trafficking Meth into U.S. from Mexico

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Cesar Tarango Cobos, 42, of Chihuahua, Mexico attempted to enter the United States from Mexico through the Presidio Port of Entry on Feb. 17. A secondary vehicle inspection revealed 94 brick-shaped bundles containing 38.72 kilograms of marijuana and 21 cylinder-shaped bundles containing 10.2 kilograms of methamphetamine stored in after-market compartments and in the rear bumper and side panel areas of the vehicle. “Agents at the ports of entry remain vigilant and I commend all of our law enforcement partners for their investigative work in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “As the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we are committed to working with our federal partners to prosecute drug traffickers and protect our communities from the detrimental effects of their crimes.” “With this conviction, FBI El Paso and our Drug Enforcement Administration partners are working together to have a positive impact at the local level,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “We are sending a strong and unified message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated, and, in turn, we are keeping our communities safer and free from methamphetamine which continues to cause horrific damage in too many of our communities.” “Over 100,000 Americans died last year due to illicit synthetic drugs, primarily fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Castañeda of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “The men and women of the DEA will continue to prioritize, with laser focus, those who traffic these harmful drugs.” The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Convicted in $67M “Doctor Chase” Genetic Testing Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, convicted a Florida man on Oct. 6 for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $67 million by tricking physicians into authorizing thousands of genetic tests that were completely unnecessary and not used in the treatment of the Medicare beneficiaries who took them. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jose Goyos, 37, of West Palm Beach, managed a call center that engaged in deceptive telemarketing calls targeting thousands of Medicare beneficiaries and their physicians. Goyos and his co-conspirators managed the so-called “doctor chase” division of the call center, which contacted the primary care physicians of targeted Medicare beneficiaries and tricked these medical providers into ordering and authorizing medically unnecessary genetic tests based on medical paperwork that the call center created. For example, Goyos directed call center employees to falsely represent to providers that the Medicare beneficiaries were “mutual patients” who requested these genetic tests, and that the beneficiaries had medical conditions justifying genetic testing, when neither statement was true. Goyos and his co-conspirators then used those doctors’ authorizations to submit claims to Medicare for the expensive and unnecessary genetic tests. In reality, the labs were shells; they had no equipment, did not conduct a single test, and had no lab personnel. Goyos and his co-conspirators referred all the genetic tests to other labs, which conducted them at a small fraction of the price that Goyos and his co-conspirators charged to Medicare. Finally, after the tests were conducted, the results often were not sent to the Medicare beneficiary’s primary care physicians and were not used in the treatment of the beneficiary. In total, between June 2020 and July 2021, Goyos and his co-conspirators submitted over $67 million of these false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which Medicare paid over $52 million. The jury convicted Goyos of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. To date, 20 other defendants have pleaded guilty in the scheme to various charges, including the leaders of the scheme – Daniel M. Carver, Thomas Dougherty, and John Paul Gosney Jr. – who are scheduled to be sentenced in December. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Queenan, Reginald Cuyler Jr., and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Undocumented alien and former Marietta teaching assistant have been sentenced to prison for firearms trafficking

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – A previously deported undocumented alien with a violent criminal history, and a former school paraprofessional who fatally abandoned a dog in a hot car while straw purchasing firearms, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in trafficking guns later used in shootings. “Firearms traffickers fuel gun violence in our communities placing citizens at risk of injury and death,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to partnering with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to pursue and prosecute criminals whose disregard for life contributes to the illegal flow of guns onto our streets.” “Although we are very pleased with the success of this operation, unfortunately this operation highlights the persistence of illegal firearms trafficking and demonstrates that this type of crime is real, extant, and must be continuously battled,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, state and local partners in furtherance of reducing gun crime.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between February 2022 and June 2022, DeAndre Cannon purchased nearly four dozen firearms on behalf of Conroy Samuels, a convicted felon and undocumented alien, who was living under the assumed identity of “Justin Sheffield.” Samuels used this alias after he served a prison term and was deported from the United States following a conviction for attempted murder. Cannon, to perpetrate the firearms trafficking scheme with Samuels, falsely represented to federally licensed firearms dealers in the metro-Atlanta area that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms even though he was buying the guns for Samuels and with Samuels’s money. In this way, Cannon sometimes illegally purchased up to 17 firearms in a week. After he received the guns from Cannon, Samuels would distribute them to others. At least two of the firearms that passed from Cannon to Samuels were recovered in Connecticut and linked to multiple shooting incidents in that state. Cannon and Samuels’s crime spree ended on June 15, 2022, after ATF special agents saw Cannon receive money from Samuels and enter and exit a Jonesboro, Georgia, pawn shop. Although the temperature that day exceeded 95 degrees, Cannon left a dog inside his car for approximately an hour and a half while he straw purchased guns at the pawn shop. When agents encountered Cannon later, they saw that Cannon’s pet was suffering from extreme heat stress. The dog later died despite receiving emergency treatment from Clayton County animal control officers. On August 2, 2023, Conroy Samuels, also known as “Justin Sheffield,” 50, of Kingston, Jamaica, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to four years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Samuels was convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, conspiracy to make false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer, and reentry after deportation after he pleaded guilty on April 20, 2023. On September 20, 2023, DeAndre Cannon, 34, of Woodstock, Georgia, was sentenced by Judge Ross to four years, two months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cannon was convicted of conspiracy to make false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer after he pleaded guilty on June 1, 2023. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Clayton County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne M. Marek and Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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 .