title: Young man sent to prison for attempted murder-for-hire plot

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican national residing in Houston has been sentenced following his conviction of murder-for-hire using interstate and foreign commerce facilities, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Alejandro Cardona-Rodriguez pleaded guilty May 11, 2023. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Cardona-Rodriguez to serve the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about his assaultive conduct against another inmate while pending sentencing. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his continued propensity for violence and the seriousness of the offense that involved negotiating with someone to kill another human being. Cardona-Rodriguez came to the attention of law enforcement around January 2023. He had been in communication with someone via Facebook as well as WhatsApp text and voice messages negotiating a fee for the murder of one of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriends. He also provided the location and photos of where the potential victim could be found. At the time of his plea, Cardona-Rodriguez admitted to using interstate and foreign facilities with the intent to commit murder and promise or agreement to pay for the murder. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ellen Smyth and Mike Makens prosecuted the case.


title: Vice President of Asphalt Paving Company Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company pleaded guilty today for his role in two separate conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan. According to court documents, David A. Coppola, vice president of Taylor-based Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt), conspired with Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied) and employees from those companies to rig their bids. Coppola participated in the two conspiracies from March 2013 through November 2018, and from June 2013 through June 2019, respectively. Today’s guilty plea is the ninth in the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into collusion in the Michigan asphalt paving industry. Coppola’s employer, Al’s Asphalt, and its president pleaded guilty in January, and, in 2023, Allied and two of its executives pleaded guilty, as did ASI and two of its former executives. On July 31, Al’s Asphalt was sentenced to pay a fine of $795,661.31. In both charged conspiracies, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company submitted intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators had already decided who would win the contracts. “Americans expect and deserve the benefits of competitive markets — including for vital aspects of our transportation infrastructure like asphalt paving services,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma M. Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable executives who seek to profit at the expense of consumers.” “The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division to target individuals who knowingly participate in bid rigging and other anti-competitive activities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of DOT OIG’s Midwestern Region. “Today’s guilty plea shows our commitment to bringing to justice those who engage in illegal and unfair practices that adversely impact transportation projects.” “Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General. “The guilty plea in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.” Coppola pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. Coppola faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and Offices of Inspectors General for the DOT and USPS investigated the case, as part of an ongoing operation investigating bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations .


title: St. Charles County Truck Driver Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography, Enticement

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man engaged in online sexual activity with three teens across the country to 15 years in prison, followed by a lifetime on supervised release. Tristin M. Davis, 27, had been communicating with hundreds of people online, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said in court Wednesday, many of whom appeared to be minors. Three victims have been identified fully by law enforcement. Davis used the screen name “muffinman130020” with the first two victims and “bacontaxi” with the third. They ranged in age from 14 to 16. Davis initially lied about his age to fool victims in to thinking he was a peer, only later admitting his real age. Davis induced or persuaded victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct with him online and received child sexual abuse material from all three. Davis engaged in “demeaning, derogatory and subjugating communications” with his victims, Anderson said, including discussions of rape, bondage and violence. Davis pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and three counts of receipt of child pornography. The St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Lansing Man Sentenced For Illegal Possession Of A Gun After Two-Year-Old Found The Gun And Killed Himself

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Case Reflects Grim Reality: Gun Violence is Now the #1 Cause of Death for Ki ds GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Avis Coward, 44, of Lansing, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. Coward previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing two guns. A two-year-old child found one of the guns in a car, suffered a gunshot wound and later died. Coward had previously been convicted of drug trafficking, carrying a concealed weapon, carjacking, and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence. “This two-year-old child is dead because Avis Coward flouted the law,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “And then – as if that was not enough – Coward attempted to hide his crime and evade justice.” Totten continued: “This case painfully represents a grim statistic that hangs over the nation: gun violence is now the #1 cause of death for our youngest Americans, ages 0-19. None of us should get used to this new reality. My team and I will use every tool we have to punish criminals who put our kids in harm’s way.” Two other Lansing residents were also charged in the indictment. Emma Huver pleaded guilty to possessing a pistol that was in the car and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. Gina Schieberl pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21. On October 24, 2023, Coward got out of a car at a Lansing gas station and went inside, leaving a two-year-old child and the child’s mother, Emma Huver, in the car. The child found Coward’s gun while playing in the car, then shot and killed himself. Surveillance video showed a bullet hole appear in the car window a minute after Coward exited the vehicle. Huver got out of the car holding her child, who had blood on his face from the gunshot wound. As she did so, Coward’s gun fell out of the car. Huver handed the child to Coward, who then passed the child to a third person who took the victim into the gas station and attempted to control the bleeding until medical personnel arrived. Coward returned to the car, picked up the gun off the ground, and put it back in the car. The surveillance video also showed Coward use his hand to break out the front passenger window, which had the bullet hole, in his first effort to destroy evidence. Coward then drove away. The child later died from his injuries. While in jail, Coward made several phone calls in an attempt to further hide evidence. Police later found the car, which was found burned-out and abandoned in a field in Lansing, and the barrel of Coward’s .45 caliber Springfield Armory semiautomatic pistol, which was hidden in the wall of a house in Lansing. The rest of the gun has not been recovered. Further details are available in the Government Response to Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum, which is attached to this press release. “This tragedy occurred because an individual who was prohibited from owning a firearm illegally possessed one, leading to a devastating outcome,” said Chief Rob Backus, Lansing Police Department . “Our thoughts are with the family affected by this loss. We appreciate U.S. Attorney Mark Totten and his team for their dedication in seeing this case through and ensuring accountability.” Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have declined since 2021, no level of violence is acceptable. Resources and information on the safe storage of firearms can be found by reviewing the U.S. Department of Justice Safe Storage of Firearms guide , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet , and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pamphlet . Anyone who possesses a gun must follow all local, state, and federal laws. This case was investigated by the Lansing Police Department, Michigan State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Over $6.2 Million in Justice Department Grants to Tribal Communities and Organizations in Arizona

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2024-133_OJP Grant Awards

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino today announced $6,285,698 in Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to tribal communities and organizations in the District of Arizona. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs to prevent and reduce crime and by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence. Specifically, the following organizations received funding: Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community awarded $1,250,000 under OVW Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative. San Carlos Apache Tribal Council awarded $963,000 under Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants Program. Gila River Indian Community awarded $873,094 under Adult Treatment Court Program. Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation awarded $610,000 under OVW Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program. Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition awarded $414,147 under OVW Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions. Hopi-Tewa Women’s Coalition to End Abuse awarded $414,147 under OVW Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions. San Carlos Apache Tribal Council awarded $315,724 under OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. Hopi Tribe awarded $315,724 under OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. Gila River Indian Community awarded $282,632 under OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community awarded $282,632 under OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. White Mountain Apache Tribe awarded $250,000 under SMART Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program. Yavapai Apache Nation awarded $229,973 under OVC Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. Pascua Yaqui Tribe awarded $66,071 under OVW Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Reimbursement Program. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indican Community awarded $18,554 under OVW Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Reimbursement Program. The U.S. Attorney’s office will hold its annual Tribal Listening Conference in November, during which it convenes with its law enforcement and sovereign tribal partners to listen to, engage with, and educate one another. While the issues covered by these grants are long-standing challenges in tribal communities, the Tribal Listening Conference will provide an opportunity for all of the stakeholders to rededicate themselves to preventing crime and violence in the affected communities. The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . More information about the Office of Violence Against Women, along with the recent grants, can be found at www.justice.gov/ovw . RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-133_OJP Grant Awards # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Long Island Businessman Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John B. Mensch, the former owner and operator of East End Bus Lines, Inc. and its affiliated entities (East End), pleaded guilty in connection with a nearly year-long bank fraud conspiracy. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Mensch faces up to five years’ imprisonment as well as financial penalties, including restitution to two victim banks of approximately $9.6 million. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, New York Office, announced the guilty plea. “Rather than take lawful steps to wind down his failing businesses, John Mensch resorted to criminality, operating a scheme to defraud two banks into advancing him millions of dollars that neither Mensch nor his company ever had, or had any realistic expectation of obtaining,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Mensch’s fraud resulted in the banks unwittingly subsidizing several months of his financial mismanagement. This Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute criminals like Mensch who, through fraud and deception, seek to use financial institutions as a personal piggy bank.” “This lengthy investigation brings down a ringleader who willfully swindled banking partners through the extensive use of fraudulent checks – siphoning millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains to his own coffers,” stated Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Freaney. “"I want to commend the many investigators who saw this comprehensive case to a successful conclusion. From the Secret Service Long Island Resident Office to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and our prosecutorial partners at the Eastern District of New York, the law enforcement community in New York remains steadfast in its commitment to hold these types of insidious criminals accountable.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated, "Desperate to restore his failing business, John Mensch, the owner of East End Lines, defrauded two banks of more than $9 million through an elaborate check-bouncing scheme. He exploited company privileges to immediately access fraudulent funds while his business was running on empty. The FBI will continue to investigate individuals who deceptively cash in on financial assistance programs." As set forth in the information and statements made during the plea proceeding, Mensch was the owner and operator of East End, a transportation company that provided busing services for students on Long Island and elsewhere. Between 2017 and September 2018, East End maintained numerous accounts—and was granted expedited check-clearing privileges—at banks located in Suffolk County and Orange County, New York. Those privileges meant that when East End deposited a check, the company would have near-immediate access to the deposited funds, even before the check cleared. Mensch and other East End executives abused those privileges by engaging in an elaborate “check-kiting” scheme—that is, passing fraudulent checks between East End’s various accounts to keep East End operational despite being effectively insolvent. Specifically, Mensch and other East End executives drew checks on East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #1, despite those accounts having insufficient funds to cover the checks. Those bad checks were deposited into East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #2, which, unaware that the checks would eventually bounce, allowed East End immediate access to the funds. East End withdrew those funds to meet various financial obligations and then, before the checks bounced, conducted the same process in the reverse, drawing bad checks on its Financial Institution #2 accounts and depositing them into its Financial Institution #1 accounts to create the false impression that funds were available to cover the earlier checks. This reciprocal process continued, with the banks advancing East End non-existent funds for several months until the scheme was detected in September 2018. By that time, East End had obtained millions of dollars from Financial Institution #1 and Financial Institution #2, all of which it had spent while continuing to operate at a deficit. In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) . As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including frauds directed at financial institutions, such as those Mensch committed. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Bagnuola and Adam R. Toporovsky are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant: JOHN B. MENSCH Age: 54 Quogue, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-334 (NJC)


title: Three Sentenced for Robbing Armored Car Driver of Cash, Gun

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced the last of three men who robbed an armored car driver of cash and a firearm in Overland, Missouri in 2023. Judge Pitlyk sentenced Phillip Keith Smith, 65, to 11 years in prison. Herman Leon Woods, 31, was sentenced last week to 42 months. David C. Greenwade, 62, received a 20-year sentence in July. All three admitted participating in the robbery in the 9400 block of Midland Avenue in Overland, Missouri on April 14, 2023. The armored car driver was making a cash drop at a store when two men wearing black clothing, ski masks and body armor arrived in a black Jeep. One robber, who has not yet been identified, approached the driver and said, “Don’t die over this money.” The robber pointed his handgun at the driver when the driver didn’t immediately turn over his gun. The driver handed over his firearm and then ran into the store for help. Smith, who was armed with a short-barreled rifle, and the other robber took a bag containing $2,000 and a duffel bag containing empty bank bags. Greenwade was driving the Jeep and planned the robbery. Woods, Greenwade’s nephew, owned the Jeep and allowed it to be used for the robbery and for practice runs. Woods and Greenwade each pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. Smith pleaded guilty to robbery and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence. In a separate case, Smith pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge and Greenwade pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge, a money laundering conspiracy charge and money laundering. Both men admitted helping to sell illegal drugs and launder the proceeds. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Overland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Criminal Charges In Multi-Year Fraud Scheme In The Market For Carbon Credits

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of charges against KENNETH NEWCOMBE and TRIDIP GOSWAMI in connection with a scheme to commit fraud in the carbon markets, which resulted in their company, CQC Impact Investors LLC (“CQC”), fraudulently obtaining carbon credits worth tens of millions of dollars and fraudulently securing an investment of over $100 million. Also announced today was the decision not to bring criminal charges against CQC, despite the alleged conduct of NEWCOMBE and GOSWAMI, in light of CQC’s voluntary and timely self-disclosure of misconduct, full and proactive cooperation, timely and appropriate remediation, and agreement to cancel or void certain VCUs. Also unsealed today is the guilty plea of Jason Steele in connection with his participation in the conduct. Steele pled guilty pursuant to an Information before U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett. Steele is cooperating with the Government. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Kenneth Newcombe and Tridip Goswami, among others, engaged in a multi-year scheme to fraudulently obtain carbon credits by using manipulated and misleading data. They then sold those credits to unsuspecting buyers in the multi-billion-dollar global market for carbon credits. The alleged actions of the defendants and their co-conspirators risked undermining the integrity of that market, which is an important part of the fight against climate change. Protecting the sanctity and integrity of the financial markets continues to be a cornerstone initiative for this Office, and we will continue to be vigilant in rooting out fraud in the market for carbon credits.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: The market for carbon credits emerged from an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While most carbon credits are created through, and trade in compliance markets, there is also a voluntary carbon market. Voluntary markets revolve around companies and entities that voluntarily set goals to reduce or offset their carbon emissions, often to align with goals from employees or shareholders. In voluntary markets, the credits are issued by non-governmental organizations, using standards for measuring emission reductions that they develop based on input from market participants, rather than on mandates from governments. The non-governmental organizations issue voluntary carbon credits to project developers that run projects that reduce emissions or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. CQC was a for-profit company that ran projects to generate carbon credits—including a type of credit known as a voluntary carbon unit (“VCU”)—by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. CQC profited by selling VCUs it obtained, often to companies seeking to offset the impact of greenhouse gases they emit in the course of operating their businesses. One type of project that CQC ran to obtain VCUs involved installing cookstoves in rural Africa and Southeast Asia, among other places (collectively, the “Cookstove Projects”). The cookstoves, if installed and used properly, were more efficient than the preexisting cooking methods many people in those regions used. To obtain VCUs from its Cookstove Projects, CQC collected data through surveys about, among other things, how much fuel people saved by using CQC’s cookstoves, as opposed to the preexisting cooking methods, and the number of CQC’s stoves that were installed and operational. That data went into a formula that an issuer of VCUs (“Issuer-1”) used to calculate the emission reductions CQC had achieved and to determine how many VCUs to issue to CQC. From at least in or about 2021, through 2023, NEWCOMBE, the CEO of CQC, and GOSWAMI, the Head of CQC’s Carbon & Sustainability Accounting Team (“CSAT”), along with others at CQC, including Jason Steele, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, submitted false and misleading data to Issuer-1, tricking Issuer-1 into giving CQC VCUs for emission reductions that, according to Issuer-1’s methodology for calculating such reductions, had not in fact been achieved. Members of the conspiracy manipulated data to make it appear as if certain of the Cookstove Projects were far more successful in reducing carbon emissions than was actually the case. For example, in or about August 2021, CQC received survey data for two projects in Malawi and two in Zambia. GOSWAMI reported to NEWCOMBE and Steele that the survey data reflected emission reductions that were only approximately half of what CQC had anticipated. NEWCOMBE responded by writing that “[t]his is a disaster for us.” NEWCOMBE, GOSWAMI, and Steele exchanged emails about possible solutions, and GOSWAMI ultimately informed them that the “[o]nly option left” was “to ‘revise’ the survey results.” Ultimately, NEWCOMBE, GOSWAMI, and Steele agreed to manipulate the survey data for the Malawi and Zambia projects and enlist a person from outside CQC to fill out fraudulent survey forms to reflect the manipulated numbers. CQC sent the manipulated survey data to Issuer-1 when claiming VCUs for the Malawi and Zambia Projects. NEWCOMBE, GOSWAMI, and Steele also fraudulently obtained VCUs from Issuer-1 by providing false and misleading information about the number of operational stoves in CQC’s projects. Issuer-1’s methodology for calculating emission reductions was designed to ensure that project developers, such as CQC, would receive VCUs only for stoves that were operational and in use. Beginning in or around 2020, NEWCOMBE set a new direction for CQC and decided to rapidly and aggressively increase the size of CQC’s Cookstove Projects. CQC’s rapid growth caused significant problems for the quality of its Cookstove Projects. To meet the targets set by NEWCOMBE, CQC had to rely on partners that did poor work installing stoves; installed stoves in locations that were outside of a project’s scope (e.g., installing stoves in a suburban area, instead of a rural area, because it was easier to meet targets in more populated areas); and sometime claimed to install stoves that they never installed. These logistical issues posed a meaningful problem for the number of VCUs that the company’s projects might generate—if stoves were not installed properly, or at all, it was likely that surveys would show low levels of stoves in operation, which could reduce the number of stoves for which CQC could claim VCUs. Rather than writing off and not claiming credits for stoves that were missing, broken, or not installed in correct locations, NEWCOMBE, GOSWAMI, and Steele conspired to conceal from Issuer-1 the true extent of problems with CQC’s Cookstove Projects. One way in which the members of the conspiracy concealed these issues and manipulated survey data about the number of stoves in use was by instituting a practice of having CQC employees rebuild or fix stoves in samples that were missing or broken, then reporting those stoves as operational. Through this fraud scheme, CQC received millions more VCUs than it otherwise would have, which were worth tens of millions of dollars at then-prevailing prices for VCUs. CQC sold VCUs it had fraudulently obtained to unsuspecting purchasers, who thought they were purchasing VCUs that reflected emission reductions calculated in accordance with Issuer-1’s methodology. Relying on data about those fraudulently obtained VCUs, NEWCOMBE and others at CQC also deceived an investor (“Investor-1”) into agreeing to invest up to $250 million in CQC. The agreement included Investor-1 purchasing some of NEWCOMBE’s shares in CQC for more than $16 million. * * * NEWCOMBE, 77, of Santa Barbara, California, and GOSWAMI, who resides in India, are charged with wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; commodities fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and commodities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. NEWCOMBE is also charged with securities fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Steele, 47, of Arlington, Virginia, pled guilty earlier today to a three-count Information, which charged him with wire fraud conspiracy, commodities fraud conspiracy, and securities fraud conspiracy for his participation in the fraud scheme. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. The Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has declined prosecution of CQC in connection with the scheme to fraudulently inflate the number of VCUs issued to CQC projects. This decision reflects a careful weighing of factors set forth in the United States Attorneys’ Offices Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/press-release/file/1569411/dl, and the Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations, Justice Manual (“J.M.”) § 9-28.300. Those factors include, among others: the voluntary and timely self-disclosure of the misconduct by CQC—specifically, CQC truthfully and completely disclosed all criminal conduct in which officers, employees, and agents of CQC had been engaged promptly after becoming aware of it, which misconduct had not previously been made public and was not already known to the Office or to any component of the Department of Justice; CQC’s full and proactive cooperation in this matter (including its provision of all known relevant facts about the misconduct and information about all of the individuals involved in the misconduct) and agreement to continue to cooperate with the Office’s ongoing investigation and any prosecution that might result in the future from the investigation; CQC’s timely and appropriate remediation, including terminating employees involved in the misconduct and instituting appropriate compliance measures to deter and detect similar misconduct in the future; and CQC’s agreement to cancel or void a number of VCUs equal to the number of VCUs that CQC improperly obtained through the fraudulent scheme. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, each of which today filed parallel civil actions. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Burnett, Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. A link to the declination letter is here.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in $800,000 PPP Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jacob Liticker, 27, of Houston, Texas was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Liticker was charged in the District of South Carolina for his role in a national fraud scheme related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress authorized the PPP program to provide emergency economic relief to businesses suffering economic harm during and as a result of the pandemic. According to evidence presented in court, Liticker led a scheme that submitted 86 fraudulent PPP loan applications for himself and others, many of whom resided in South Carolina. The scheme resulted in more than $870,000 in fraudulent PPP loans being issued to recipients who were not entitled to the pandemic relief funds. Liticker attempted to obtain more – he requested nearly $1.8 million in fraudulent PPP loans. Liticker drafted PPP loan applications that falsely claimed businesses suffered financial harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he manufactured false and fraudulent documents submitted with the applications, he submitted the loan applications himself, he tracked the progress of the loans, and he helped co-conspirators obtain full forgiveness for the loans. He did so while having no criminal record and in college studying business. In exchange for his services, Liticker received a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds. During the pendency this case, Liticker also violated his bond, his bond was revoked, and he is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Liticker to 24 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision and ordered him to pay $807,990.09 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. There is no parole in the federal system. “Every dollar defrauded from the PPP program represents money stolen from legitimate businesses who needed support during a difficult time in our country,” said Adair Ford Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “This scheme took advantage of the public’s generosity by stealing almost a million dollars from taxpayers. We thank our law enforcement partners for bringing accountability in this case.” “Jacob Liticker’s sentencing should stand as a clear warning to those who seek to prey upon and defraud government programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS will vigorously pursue perpetrators who employ Service Members in furtherance of their crimes, as well as Service Members who willingly participate in criminal behavior against the American people, the very people they swore an oath to protect.” The case was investigated by the Airforce Office of Special Investigations, Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Marosek, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, and Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case. 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: Russian Man Sentenced for Running an Illegal Money Transmitting Business

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Feliks Medvedev, 43, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business which transferred over $150 million in Russian money. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, Medvedev is a Russian citizen who resides in North Georgia. He registered eight companies in Georgia that were used to transmit more than $150 million in over 1,300 transactions. The companies were purportedly headquartered in Buford and Dacula, Georgia, but they did not have typical business expenses or employees. The money was used, in part, to purchase over $65 million in overseas gold bullion. Medvedev transferred millions of dollars overseas from multiple bank accounts in the United States. As part of the conspiracy, Medvedev worked with a Russian company and was directed by multiple Russian nationals at that company to make illegal transfers of funds. Subsequent to Medvedev’s indictment, on Sept. 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, acting pursuant to Executive Order 14024, sanctioned two of Medvedev’s alleged co-conspirators: Russian national Alexey Chubarov and his company KSK Group. Earlier this year, on Feb. 13, Chubarov, KSK Group and Russian national Lev Solyannikov were separately indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for conspiring with Medvedev. Medvedev was convicted of the charges on Feb. 7, after he pleaded guilty. The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Norman L. Barnett for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Three Plead Guilty to Possession with Intent  to Spend Counterfeit Currency on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, MS – Three defendants pled guilty to possession with intent to spend counterfeit currency in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. According to court documents, in March of 2024, Christopher Nolan, 39, Astra High, 43, both of Philadelphia, and Bailey Gonzales, 25, of Pascagoula, possessed with intent to spend counterfeit currency in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Gonzales and High pled guilty in U.S. District Court today. Nolan pled guilty on September 12, 2024. The three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on February 4, 2025, and they each face a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with assistance from the Choctaw Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Connecticut Orthopedic Practice Makes Changes to Ensure Effective Communication with Persons with Disabilities

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SPORTS MEDICINE & ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY, P.C. (“SMOS”), an orthopedic medical practice with offices in Manchester and Tolland, has entered into a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice by an individual who is deaf and speaks American Sign Language alleging that SMOS did not provide them with a qualified interpreter for American Sign Language at medical appointments. The government’s investigation determined that SMOS did not provide an American Sign Language interpreter for three medical appointments, and that SMOS offered to communicate with the complainant by typing back and forth on a computer, which did not provide effective communication for a medical appointment. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SMOS has agreed not to discriminate based on disability in the future and will provide persons with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of its services. As part of that obligation, SMOS will provide auxiliary aids and services, including American Sign Language interpreters, to ensure effective communication with its patients and their companions who have disabilities. SMOS has also agreed to provide reasonable modifications to policies and procedures for individuals with disabilities consistent with the ADA. U.S. Attorney Avery noted that SMOS has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to improve their ADA compliance without litigation. The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.


title: Former Seattle tech worker, who created and promoted website urging incest and child sexual abuse, sentenced to 30 years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 40-year-old Seattle woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for five federal felonies related to the sexual abuse of children, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Shabnam Dawn Pilisuk was convicted following a four-day jury trial in March 2023. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Pilisuk, “You committed one of the most heinous crimes, committed against the most vulnerable members of the community: children.” According to records filed in the case, a Seattle Police detective uncovered information about a website that included discussion of incest and child abuse. The investigation revealed that Pilisuk was the founder and operator of the website. The investigation further revealed that Pilisuk had traveled with an 11-year-old and sexually molested the child. The website is no longer functioning. In March 2019, Seattle Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) served a judicially authorized search warrant on Pilisuk’s Seattle Home. They seized her electronic devices. The devices were forensically examined and determined to have images of child sexual abuse. In November 2021, a victim disclosed the sexual abuse that began when the child was 11 years old. The jury convicted Pilisuk of: Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor under 12, punishable by a mandatory minimum 30 years to life in prison; Production of Child Pornography punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison to 30 years in prison; two counts of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years to life in prison; and Possession of Child Pornography, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. In asking for a 45-year sentence Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon wrote to the court, “The seriousness of Pilisuk’s crimes cannot be overstated: she raped and molested a child..., made (the child) available for like-minded friends to also abuse (the child), and organized an online community in support of incest and child sexual abuse.” Pilisuk has been in custody since her arrest in 2021. The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Hampton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.


title: Florida Company Charged with Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have been charged and agreed to plead guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. JDM Supply LLC (JDM) has been charged with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., were charged with one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court. In August 2023 , a third individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation. According to the charging documents, in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. It is alleged that one hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. It is further alleged that JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. All 10 Company 1 masks fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators. Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha allegedly conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that they accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price. The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Des Moines Woman Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Pamela Brownell, 64, from Des Moines, Iowa was sentenced on October 1, 2024 to 152 months in federal prison after a May 28, 2024, guilty plea in federal court in Sioux City, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that from September 2022 through October 2023, Brownell and others conspired to distribute more than 65 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Des Moines/Fort Dodge, Iowa areas. In October 2023, law enforcement purchased 3 ounces and ½ pound of methamphetamine from Brownell in two controlled drug transactions. In October 2023, a traffic stop of Brownell, followed by a search warrant at her residence resulted in the seizure of 2½ pounds of methamphetamine which she intended to distribute to others. In 2006 Brownell was previously convicted in federal court of an attempt to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brownell was sentenced to 152 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of eight-years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Brownell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Polk, Hamilton, and Webster County Sheriffs’ Offices. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3007. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Brownsville resident heads to prison for trafficking cocaine in hidden compartment

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 51-year-old man has been sentenced following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Rosalio Mendoza pleaded guilty May 1. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Mendoza to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the severity of drug case punishments and admonished Mendoza that should he ever return to the drug business, he could be facing potential life in federal prison. On Jan. 26, Mendoza applied for entry into the United States at the Veteran’s Port of Entry in Brownsville, at which time authorities referred him to secondary inspection. There, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to the driver’s side door and eventually to the center console in the vehicle. Law enforcement removed the console and found a hidden compartment containing 14 packages that tested positive for cocaine. The drugs had a combined weight of 12.42 kilograms with an estimated street value of $155,250. Mendoza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Arreola prosecuted the case.


title: Wichita brothers plead guilty to defrauding the government

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – Two Kansas men pleaded guilty to taking part in a scheme to defraud a federal healthcare program. According to court documents, Todd Eck, 60, of Wichita, and Bradley Eck, 56, of Wichita, both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. From January 2017 to April 2019, Todd Eck and Bradley Eck utilized four healthcare related companies they created to enroll to receive Medicare reimbursements for billed medical procedures. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for the Medicare Program, a federal healthcare benefits program. The Ecks concealed their ownership and control of the businesses on the Medicare enrollment form and omitted background information about themselves. Each omission was material to determine if Todd Eck and Bradley Eck were eligible to enroll, thus, all billing reimbursements made by Medicare to the Ecks were fraudulent. Brad Eck’s license to practice chiropractic medicine was revoked by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts in 2013 for gross negligence, professional incompetency, and dishonesty. Todd Eck had his license to practice chiropractic medicine revoked by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts in 2018 for violation of an order, fraud during license renewal, practicing medicine without a license, fraudulent medical records, and failure to maintain records. As part of the plea agreement, the Eck brothers must pay $3.4 million in restitution. Todd Eck and Bradley Eck are scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025. The brothers face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The U.S. Department of Defense- Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Contract Audit Agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Brockton Man Convicted of Passport Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man was convicted today following a three-day trial for lying that his United States passport had been lost in order to secure a replacement to enter the country, when in fact, the passport had been confiscated by the prosecutor’s office in Cabo Verde following his arrest for the murders of two victims. Johnny Barros Brandao, 41, was convicted of one count of passport fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2025. Brandao was arrested on May 9, 2023. According to court records, on March 27, 2014, in Cabo Verde, Brandao allegedly shot an individual in the head using a .45 caliber revolver, took one million and five hundred thousand Cape Verdean Escudos from the victim and then dumped the victim’s body on the side of a road next to a waste dump. On July 26, 2021, Brandao allegedly shot and killed another individual using a 9mm caliber firearm and threw the victim’s body off a bank at the same place as the 2014 victim. Brandao was arrested in Cabo Verde on these charges. On Dec. 12, 2022, after a period of pretrial detention, Brandao was released subject to supervision. The Cabo Verde court also ordered that Brandao not depart Cabo Verde – confiscating his Cabo Verdean national ID card as well as his United States and Cabo Verde passports. On Dec. 28, 2022, Brandao applied for a replacement United States passport at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In the section of the form that directs the applicant to explain how his prior passport was lost or stolen, Brandao reported he had lost his passport in Dakar, Senegal while out to dinner on Dec. 25, 2022. “Johnny Barros Brandao was accused of two homicides in Cape Verde. Rather than facing those charges, he chose to lie to U.S. authorities in order to replace his confiscated passport and flee to America to evade justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I am grateful for the diligent work of my office and our law enforcement counterparts, without their commitment, a suspected murderer would be walking our streets and avoiding prosecution for his crimes.” “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice and our other law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to passport and visa fraud. And DSS’ global network of special agents working together to interdict visa and passport crimes is vital to bringing those who commit these crimes to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office. The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years 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 U.S. Attorney Levy and U.S. DSS SAC O’Brien made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Cleary, David Tobin and Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Newark Businessman Admits Bribing Former Newark Deputy Mayor and Director of Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark business owner today admitted bribing a former city official in exchange for that official’s assistance in acquiring and redeveloping Newark-owned properties, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Irwin Sablosky, 64, of Springfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with honest services fraud and bribery. “As he admitted in court, Irwin Sablosky provided cash and jewelry to Carmelo Garcia, a former Newark deputy mayor and director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development in exchange for Garcia’s use of his influence to assist Sablosky’s acquisition of various Newark-owned properties for redevelopment, defrauding the people of Newark of their right to the official’s honest services. He corrupted the public official’s independent judgment and violated the public trust for his own financial gain. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make sure that the people of New Jersey are protected from public officials whose greed overrides their sworn duty to serve the people and from the individuals who bribe those officials.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “By bribing a government official, Mr. Sablosky undermined the best interests of his community and threatened the confidence its citizens have in those that take an oath to serve the public,” Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “IRS-CI is committed to fostering trust in the legal system and holding bad actors accountable.” “Irwin Sablosky’s selfish actions and severe abuse of power violated the public trust and risked jeopardizing the integrity of the federal process for fair and honest acquisitions of government owned properties to further his own self interests,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Vicky Vazquez with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our prosecutorial, law enforcement, and oversight partners to aggressively pursue individuals who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.” According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Sablosky admitted bribing Garcia – who was also executive vice president and chief real estate officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) – in exchange for Garcia’s assistance with the acquisition and redevelopment of city-owned property. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From 2017 through April 2019, Sablosky, Frank Valvano Jr., and others provided significant monetary payments and other benefits to Garcia while he was serving as a high-level Newark official, and prior to that, as an executive officer of the NCEDC (now known as Invest Newark), in exchange for Garcia’s use of his official positions and influence within the city of Newark and the NCEDC to advance real estate development matters of interest to Sablosky and Valvano. These matters included obtaining preliminary designation letters for Sablosky and Valvano and securing Newark-approved redevelopment agreements (RDAs) that allowed them to purchase and acquire various Newark-owned properties for redevelopment, and to ensure that Garcia did not use his influence and authority to act against their interests.In addition to cash, Sablosky and Valvano also gifted Garcia jewelry, including multiple high-end watches and chains, from their pawnbroker and jewelry business. Phone records and text messages obtained by law enforcement show extensive communication between Garcia, Valvano, Sablosky, and others throughout this period of time, including text messages in which Garcia arranged to personally collect cash provided by Sablosky and Valvano. In one instance, in June 2018, Sablosky and Valvano, through an intermediary, supplied Garcia, then the city’s acting deputy mayor and director of the city’s DEHD, $25,000 in cash as part of the stream of bribes provided to Garcia. The honest services fraud charge in Count 18 of the indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The bribery charge in Count 26 carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All charges are punishable by a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of the pecuniary gain from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025. Sablosky originally was charged by indictment in October 2021 with Valvano, 56, of Florham Park, New Jersey, and Garcia, 59, of Hoboken, New Jersey. Garcia previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the city of Newark and the NCEDC of Garcia’s honest services, honest services wire fraud, and receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization and awaiting sentencing. Valvano’s case is pending before Judge Arleo, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Vicky Vazquez, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Elaine K. Lou, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Katherine J. Calle and Edeli Rivera of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division. sablosky.indictment.pdf


title: Physical Therapist Sentenced to 12 Years for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A physical therapist who owns a clinic in California was sentenced in federal court today for distributing child pornography. Esteban E. Manale, 47, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Manale, the owner of a physical therapy clinic in Bellflower, Calif., pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024, to three counts of distributing child pornography. Manale admitted that on three separate occasions in August 2022 he sent images of child pornography to an undercover FBI task force officer whom he believed to be a Missouri woman he met online through a dating application. Manale originally contacted a woman in Missouri on a dating application in August 2022. He told her that he worked at a physical therapy clinic primarily dealing with athletes, including minor females who were cheerleaders and volleyball players. He stated that he would get touchy with the athletes and liked to flirt with all of the girls who came to the clinic, and disclosed that he has had sex with patients at the clinic. He indicated that he liked children and had slept with a 13-year-old girl he met at the beach. He talked about his fascination with Ted Bundy, said he wanted to “use a rope to choke a young one,” use “knife play,” and “rape a young virgin girl while her mom watches me” while the mother is tied up. The Missouri woman contacted law enforcement. An undercover officer assumed her identity and continued to communicate with Manale. In those conversations, Manale told the undercover officer that he had sexual contact with “preteens about 10 times,” defining them as being between 10 and 13 years old, and claimed to also have sexual contact “with older teens and about 20 plus.” In one communication, Manale claimed that he visited malls to “hunt” for young, cute girls over the weekend. Manale discussed his desire to come to Kansas City to meet the undercover officer’s purported 8-year-old niece and have her record the encounter. He sent images of child pornography to the undercover officer via social media from Aug. 22, 2022, through Nov. 9, 2022. On Dec. 14, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Manale’s residence and seized three cell phones. Two of the phones were hidden on top of the bathroom vanity, in a small space that was difficult to access. Investigators found 507 images and 154 videos of child pornography on those two cell phones. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Los Angeles, Calif., Sheriff’s Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Two KC Men Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from Vehicles

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in the thefts of more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, and Roy Rushing, 27, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. Pettaway was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole; the court ordered the federal sentence be served consecutively to Pettaway’s sentence in two unrelated cases in Cass County, Mo., and Harris County, Texas. Rushing was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole; the court ordered the federal sentence be served consecutively to Rushing’s sentence in two unrelated cases in Jackson County, Mo., and Cass County. The court also ordered Pettaway and Rushing to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable. On Oct. 26, 2023, Pettaway pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pettaway admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms. According to court documents, Pettaway and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021. Pettaway also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun when he was arrested on July 11, 2021. Police patrol cars converged on a location in the Westport entertainment district when officers saw Pettaway and co-defendant Drevion Hooker, 22, of Kansas City, Mo., acting suspiciously. Hooker attempted to flee on foot but was detained. Pettaway fled in a silver Chevrolet Impala at a high rate of speed. Investigators attempted to follow and eventually located the Impala south of 39th Street and Central Street. Pettaway fled from the vehicle — which had sustained damage — and was apprehended. Officers found the Glock 9mm handgun on the floorboard of the driver’s seat and the Glock .40-caliber handgun in the front passenger’s seat of the vehicle. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Pettaway has a felony conviction for felony assault and unlawful use of a weapon. On July 26, 2023, Rushing pleaded guilty to possessing stolen firearms. Rushing admitted he was in possession of a Radical Firearms AR-type rifle, a Glock .40-caliber handgun, and a Glock .45-caliber handgun, all of which had been reported as stolen, on Nov. 4, 2021. Federal agents found seven firearms, including the three stolen firearms, when they executed a search warrant at Rushing’s residence. Hooker was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024, to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced on July 27, 2024, to 11 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possessing a stolen firearm. The final defendant in this case, Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, of Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 3. Bloodsoe pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2023, to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing a stolen firearm. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: Guilty Plea Entered in Connection with March 2024 Shooting in NW DC

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Taiyon Suggs, 49, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in Superior Court for shooting at a victim, on March 25, 2024, as the victim fled in his truck, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Suggs pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2024 before the Honorable Heidi Pasichow. According to the government’s evidence, at around 5 p.m. on March 25, 2024, Suggs fired multiple gunshots at the victim as the victim fled in his vehicle in an alley near the 3700 block of 10th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C. At least one of the bullets that Suggs fired hit the victim’s front passenger window. The defendant was apprehended on April 10, 2024, and has been in custody ever since. Possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a five year mandatory minimum prison term. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Jacob Green of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. ## Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office Recent Sentencings

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

body_text: Drug Trafficking Amanda Rose Brown , 40, of Riverton, Wyoming was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on Sept. 26, 2023, agents conducted a controlled buy of 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Brown for $150 on the Wind River Indian Reservation. A review of Brown's Facebook account showed she was contacted by multiple parties looking for "blues" (fentanyl) and either she had them or sought to get them; she also advised she had methamphetamine and could get "bud". She was indicted on May 16, pleaded guilty on July 1, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 26, in Cheyenne. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00081 Firearm Offenses John Otis Marsh , 57, of Wamsutter, Wyoming was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised, release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, on June 8, 2022, deputies were called to a Love's convenience store in Wamsutter to investigate an injured man. The victim said he was threatened with a gun, punched, and dragged by a man who shared a trailer with Marsh. The victim stayed, with the permission from Marsh, in a camper across the road, on Marsh’s land. The investigation led the deputies to the trailer where they found multiple guns and ammunition. Both Marsh and his roommate are convicted felons and unlawfully possessed the firearms. Marsh was indicted on July 19, 2023 and pleaded guilty on July 12. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 25. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigate the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom prosecuted the case. Case No. 23-00099 Littlefawn Lebeau , 41, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison with three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 23, 2023, law enforcement was called to Lander Sage West Hospital for a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The defendant denied she had shot herself in the foot at first because she knew she was a felon and illegally possessed the firearm, but later admitted to the accident. She was indicted on Jan. 4, pleaded guilty on July 12, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 25, in Cheyenne. This crime was investigated by the FBI and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore. Case No. 24-CR-00018 Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien Jesus Montano-Martinez , 32, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, for illegal reentry of a previously deported alien into the United States. According to court documents, on Feb. 20, Montano-Martinez was arrested by Wyoming Highway Patrol in Carbon County for driving under the influence of alcohol and not having valid immigration documents permitting him to be in the U.S. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted. A Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained fingerprints matching pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating Montano-Martinez was in the U.S. illegally. ICE investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 24, in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00127 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Environmental Justice The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking


title: Chinle Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Assault

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jared Josh John, 32, of Chinle, was sentenced on September 11, 2024, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. After a jury trial in May 2023, John was convicted of Carjacking, Kidnapping, Robbery, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. In July 2020, the victim was passing through the Navajo Nation on a road trip when John and a co-defendant broke into his car while he was resting for the night. Led by John, the two co-defendants drove the victim into the desert, where John slit the victim’s throat three times and left him to die. The victim survived by playing dead until the defendants left, and then used his clothes to fashion a tourniquet for his neck before going to find help. John’s co-defendant, Everickk Matthew Begay, 55, of Chinle, pleaded guilty to Kidnapping, Robbery, and Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony on March 20, 2023. Begay was sentenced on August 14, 2023, to 97 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alanna R. Kennedy and Tracy Van Buskirk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handed the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-08113-PCT-DJH RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-134_Begay et al. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Leader of Catalytic Converter Theft Crew Sentenced to Decade in Prison

body_text: BOSTON – The leader of a regional organized theft crew, who orchestrated the thefts of catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles across the region, multiple jewelry store robberies and the stealing of ATMs was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. A precipitous decline in catalytic converter thefts has been reported in Massachusetts as a result of the takedown – with nine reported incidents of catalytic converter theft over the past 18 months following the arrests, in comparison to the hundreds of thefts reported during the nine-month period prior. Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robbin Hood,” 36, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Davila was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $157,000 and complete 75 hours of community service at a food pantry. Additionally, Davila was ordered to forfeit a significant number of assets – including a Chevrolet Suburban, an Acura MDX, two motorcycles, six dirt bikes and two jet skis – that were acquired with proceeds of the offenses to which he pleaded guilty or were involved in the money laundering conspiracy. In April 2024 , Davila pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; interstate transportation of stolen property; conspiracy commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank theft; and bank theft. In April 2023 , Rafael Davila was arrested and charged along with six others in connection with the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from nearly 500 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 through April 2023. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were never reported to law enforcement. “Targeting over 400 vehicles across more than 100 different communities in Massachusetts and surrounding states, Mr. Davila’s criminal enterprise wreaked havoc for hundreds of innocent people. Each victim suffered thousands of dollars in losses as a result of these thefts, on top missed personal appointments, disruption of business and unnecessary stress. Mr. Davila and his crew were equally opportunity thieves – they stole from the elderly, single parents, and even a food pantry – impacting needy families who are struggling to get food on their tables. Their conduct was simply deplorable and deserving of serious punishment,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case directly resulted in a very sharp decline in catalytic converter thefts across the region. Only nine catalytic thefts have been reported in the past 18 months since Mr. Davila and his crew were apprehended. I want to commend the exceptional investigative work by our partners at the Massachusetts State Police and the more than 70 local police departments across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Thanks to their dedicated and collaborative work, the public is safer and the self-proclaimed Robbin Hood is now behind bars where he belongs – unable to wreak his havoc on the innocent people of Massachusetts.” “Career criminal Rafael Davila earned his keep by leading the most prolific catalytic converter theft ring in the region that raked in millions of dollars in profits, stole ATMs, and burglarized jewelry stores – all of which is the antithesis of an honest day’s work. His actions inflicted serious financial harm and significant stress on hundreds of innocent victims and the community alike, and it’s gratifying to finally see him being sent to prison,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Davila and his crew now know that the FBI is just as committed to eradicating organized crime as they are to embracing it. Thanks to the hard work and due diligence of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Operation Cut and Run decimated this large-scale, multi-state property theft ring responsible for the rampant theft of catalytic converters in our region.” “The Massachusetts State Police work closely with our public safety partners to address crime affecting the quality of life for residents and causing tremendous economic losses for business across the region,” said Colonel John E. Mawn of the Massachusetts State Police. “This investigation illustrates the impact of the Massachusetts CrimeNet Program and the Commonwealth Fusion Center to analyze crime trends across local jurisdictions and determine the full extent of criminal enterprises. Our investigators worked diligently to bring this case to fruition and we are grateful to our federal partners for their collaboration and their successful prosecution of this case.” “The National Insurance Crime Bureau is grateful for all those who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a successful final disposition. The collaborative efforts in pursuing those responsible has created a rippling effect literally ending catalytic converter theft which had victimized so many throughout New England,” said Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region. Catalytic converter theft has become a nationwide problem due to the high-valued precious metals they contain – some of which are more valuable than gold, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each in recent years. The theft of a vehicle’s catalytic converter results in damage that renders the vehicle inoperable – both mechanically and legally under EPA regulations – until properly replaced. The crew was led by Davila, who engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis – committing thefts multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night. Davila was responsible for the planning of and transportation to each targeted theft – using his vehicle, determining price values for stolen converters and purchasing needed materials. Davila maintained meticulous notes accounting for the locations that he and his co-conspirators had targeted and the number of catalytic converters that had been stolen, including the makes and models and when they were dropped off for sale. The thefts resulted in losses of approximately $5,000 per vehicle with certain trucks costing over $10,000 to repair. This amounts to an approximate $2 million in losses suffered by more than 300 separate victims who were forced to deal with their vehicles being disabled for potentially weeks on end. The more than 300 victims included businesses and individuals across Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire, including a food pantry, automotive businesses, tradesmen, a bakery, single parents, a home healthcare provider and the elderly. Some businesses were repeatedly targeted on multiple nights. Once in possession of the stolen catalytic converters, the crew would then sell them to Jose Torres, who would accumulate stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and then in turn sell them to scrap dealers – handling approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converter sales per week. Torres then sold stolen catalytic converters to scrap dealers who have since been charged federally for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Oklahoma. Rafael Davila admitted to conspiring with Torres in stolen catalytic converter sales. Davila also successfully applied for food stamps while committing the thefts, lying under oath about his income and bank account balances, while he owned six motorcycles, two jet skis, three vehicles and luxury jewelry. In addition to the catalytic converter thefts, Davila admitted to conspiring to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. This conspiracy involved the use of stolen trucks and chains to rip the ATMs from the ground and gain access to the vault. Rafael Davila also admitted to committing burglaries at two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12, 2023, and the theft of a trailer on Dec. 14, 2022. Davila broke into the stores by smashing the glass doors and jewelry cases and stealing the jewelry. The combined total value of the jewelry stolen during the burglaries was determined to be over $137,000, with each store facing approximately $10,000 in costs to repair damage. Rafael Davila is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In April 2024 , Zachary Marshall was sentenced to 47 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024 , Santo Feliberty was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Also in March 2024 , Rafael Davila’s brother, Nicolas Davila, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and five years’ supervised release. The three remaining co-defendants, Carlos Fonseca, Alex Oyola and Jose Torres, have each pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; MSP Colonel Mawn; and NICB Director Gallagher made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; and the New England State Police Information Network. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case. Over 70 local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut contributed to this investigation through the submission of their investigations of catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. The following Massachusetts police departments contributed to the investigation: Abington, Acton, Andover, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Beverly, Billerica, Burlington, Bridgewater, Canton, Carver, Chelmsford, Concord, Cranston, East Hampton, Easton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Hampton, Hanover, Haverhill, Hingham, Holliston, Holyoke, Hudson, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Malden, Mansfield, Medford, Marlborough, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plymouth, Randolph, Rockland, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, Woburn and Worcester. The New Hampshire police departments contributing to the investigation were Bow, Concord, Derry, Hooksett, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Salem and Windham. The South Windsor and Windsor Connecticut Police Departments also contributed.


title: Department Of Justice Awards Additional $16 Million In Grants To Support Public Safety Efforts In Nevada

component: Office on Violence Against Women

body_text: LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson today announced awards totaling $16,231,466 in Department of Justice grants to support public safety efforts in the District of Nevada. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women. “These grant awards will be used to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and sex trafficking,” said United Sates Attorney Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We are committed to working with local, state, and Tribal governments, and community organizations to address and reduce violence against women in our communities.” The following organizations received funding: Nevada Attorney General’s Office – $3,232,136 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 STOP Formula Grant Program – $1,877,858 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program – $854,278 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Local Law Enforcement Grants for Enforcement of Cybercrimes Program – $500,000 Reno-Sparks Indian Colony – $1,322,192 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program Shoshone-Paiute Tribes – $1,549,951 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program – $799,951 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program – $750,000 Walker River Paiute Tribe – $871,600 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe – $738,793 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California – $601,681 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence – $367,379 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program County of Elko – $700,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program Gay & Lesbian Community Center – $599,927 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Program Board of Regents of Nevada System of Higher Education – $397,807 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program Nevada Outreach Training Organization No to Abuse – $500,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – $5,350,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,450,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,800,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $1,600,000 OVW Fiscal Year 2024 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative – $500,000 The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OVW awards can be found on the OVW Grant Awards Page . About the Office on Violence Against Women OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent reauthorizing legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw . ###