title: Leader of $4M International Telemarketing Scheme Convicted

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in North Carolina convicted a man today for his role in orchestrating a years-long telemarketing scheme that defrauded victims in the United States from a call center in Costa Rica. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Roger Roger, 40, of Costa Rica, led a fraudulent telemarketing scheme in which co-conspirators, who falsely posed as U.S. government officials, contacted victims in the United States to tell them that that they had won a substantial “sweepstakes” prize. After convincing victims, many of whom were elderly, that they stood to receive a significant financial prize, the co-conspirators told victims that they needed to make a series of up-front payments before collecting their supposed prize, purportedly for items such as taxes, customs duties, and other fees. Co-conspirators used a variety of means to conceal their true identities, including Voice over Internet Protocol technology, which made it appear as though they were calling from Washington, D.C., and other locations in the United States. Roger personally called victims from Costa Rica, using fake names and documents to trick the victims into believing they had won a sweepstakes prize. He also recruited and directed co-conspirators to mislead victims on the phone and to transmit victims’ payments from the United States to Costa Rica. The evidence at trial showed that Roger and his co-conspirators stole over $4 million from victims. Roger was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of international money laundering. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and the wire fraud counts, because the jury found that these counts involved telemarketing that victimized at least 10 people over the age of 55, and 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering counts. Sentencing will occur at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina; Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Atlanta Division; Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement. The USPIS Atlanta Division, IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, and FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case. The La Grande, Oregon Police Department and Union County District Attorney Victim Assistance Office provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure Roger’s arrest and extradition. Trial Attorneys Andrew Jaco and Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available .


title: Last Two Defendants in the Violent Kennedy Street Crew Case Plead Guilty to Narcotics and Firearms Counts

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Khali Ahmed Brown, 23, Keion Michael Brown, 21, members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), pleaded guilty today to narcotics and firearms charges for their roles in a massive drug trafficking organization that operated open-air markets in Northwest Washington D.C. Khali Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” of Washington D.C., who many view as the face of KDY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, fentanyl, and oxycodone. He also pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and assault with a dangerous weapon for his role in a November 18, 2022, shooting just outside Jackson-Reed High School. His brother, Keion Michael Brown, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and oxycodone and a charge of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing on December 12, 2024, for both men. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. “The prosecution targeted leaders and key members of the KDY street crew--one of the largest, oldest, and most violent street crews in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “With these guilty pleas, every defendant charged in connection with this investigation has now pled guilty to charges that will ensure that they will be removed from, and no longer driving violence in, our community.” “DEA’s top operational priority is combatting the current fentanyl crisis and the drug-related violence that is devastating the very foundation of our community and family structures,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. Today’s guilty plea clearly shows that Mr. Brown, aka “Migo Lee,” and his associations with violent criminal drug trafficking networks like the Kennedy Street Crew showed little respect for the wellbeing of the community. We are taking a strong stance and implementing strict measures to protect every city neighborhood.” According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate its drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews. During the charged conspiracy, from June 2019 to June 2023, on KDY territory there were five homicides, resulting in the deaths of seven and the wounding of six additional individuals, one assault with intent to kill with three wounded, and 19 assaults with a deadly weapon. Khali Brown was among the charged defendants who played a key role in smuggling bulk quantities of marijuana from the West Coast to the DMV area, which allowed the crew to sell at significant profits and thereby fuel its operations. Both defendants maintained stash houses of KDY’s controlled substances and fire power. By way of illustration, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement conducted an interdiction at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) in anticipation of several KDY members, including Khali Brown, smuggling marijuana back to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area through BWI via an overnight flight from LAX. During the interdiction, law enforcement seized five of the checked bags containing 39.2 kilograms of marijuana, but Khali Brown and his co-defendant Herman Signou evaded law enforcement with some of their luggage and traveled to a stash house at the 1700 block of D Street NE. Hours later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence, where officers found Khali Brown, Keion Brown, and co-defendants Tristan Ware, Jovan Williams, and Herman Signou, among other KDY associates. Inside, law enforcement seized ten firearms (including two machine guns), assorted ammunition, 21 kilograms of marijuana, 39.5 grams of fentanyl-laced pills, and oxycodone pills in suitcases consistent with those taken from the airport during the BWI interdiction. Among the firearms recovered was the Glock 17 9mm firearm that Khali Brown and his co-conspirators had used in the November 18, 2022, shooting outside Jackson-Reed High School. When Khali Brown and two co-defendants were arrested on June 26, 2023, at yet another stash house in the 1300 block of 5th Street NW, inside the residence were approximately 3.5 kilograms of marijuana, $2,710 in cash and five machine guns, and one firearm. Keion Brown was a wanted fugitive when, on November 17, 2023, officers tracked him and his associates, including Jovan Williams, to a laundry room on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Law enforcement arrested Keion Brown, Jovan Williams, and an associate and found four firearms concealed within the laundry room, including Keion Brown’s machine gun. This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi, of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch. DEFENDANTS NAME AGE CHARGES Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga 27 Pleaded Guilty 9/15/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee” 23 Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, Fentanyl, and Oxycodone; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford” 21 Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Keion Michael Brown 21 Pleaded Guilty 9/20/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Cocaine Base; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy” 23 Pleaded Guilty 7/11/2024 to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense. Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” 19 Pleaded Guilty on 9/5/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking. Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour” 23 Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana. Cameron Xavier Reid 26 Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana. Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby” 27 Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base. David Penn, aka “Turtle” 30 Pleaded Guilty 6/27/2024, to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams of Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy” 29 Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King” 22 Sentenced 2/8/2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment. Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle” 27 Sentenced 4/26/2024, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base. Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui” 29 Pleaded Guilty 6/12/2024, to Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense. Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub 26 Sentenced 5/16/2024, to 90 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Juan” and “Squirrel” 28 Pleaded Guilty 9/17/2024, to Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. Adebayo Adediji Green 30 Sentenced 8/16/2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense. Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA. Green is from Hyattsville, MD. All remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C. 23cr0202


title: Notorious Mexican Cartel Leader Convicted for International Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A federal jury convicted Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, also known as El Menchito, today of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine while knowing and intending that they would be imported into the United States, and using, carrying, and brandishing firearms, including destructive devices, in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, following a two-week jury trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2007 and 2017, Oseguera-Gonzalez, 34, led an international drug trafficking organization responsible for importing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States. Oseguera-Gonzalez was the second in command of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which is based in the State of Jalisco in Mexico. The CJNG is one of the most dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. Oseguera-Gonzalez personally used firearms, destructive devices, murder, and kidnapping to control the drug trafficking organization. Oseguera-Gonzalez also ordered his subordinates to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter so that he could escape capture by Mexican law enforcement. “El Menchito led the Jalisco Cartel’s efforts to use murder, kidnapping, and torture to build the Cartel into a self-described ‘empire’ by manufacturing fentanyl and flooding the United States with massive quantities of lethal drugs. Today, fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “El Menchito now joins the growing list of high-ranking Cartel leaders that the Justice Department has convicted in an American courtroom. We are grateful to our Mexican law enforcement partners for their extensive cooperation and sacrifice in holding accountable leaders of the Jalisco Cartel.” “Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez pioneered the manufacturing of fentanyl in Mexico to help build his father’s Jalisco Cartel into one of the world’s most powerful drug syndicates. His crimes caused horrific violence and death in the United States, Mexico, and around the globe,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that our prosecutors and agents, working with our Mexican law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue justice against the leaders of the drug trafficking organizations who destroy lives and poison our communities.” “As second-in-command of CJNG, Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez used extreme violence to traffic massive amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conviction underscores the Criminal Division’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling organizations that manufacture and distribute deadly drugs into our communities. Today’s verdict also sends a powerful message to the cartel leadership: we will work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to find you and bring you to justice. We are especially grateful to the Mexican authorities for their substantial assistance in this case.” “Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that the DEA will stop at nothing to investigate and dismantle criminal drug networks that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “As one of the highest-ranking members of the Jalisco Cartel, Oseguera-Gonzalez was responsible for pushing vast quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States while engaging in violence, kidnapping, and bribery to build and protect the Jalisco Cartel. I commend the men and women of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division for their outstanding work on this case.” According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2012 to 2015, Oseguera-Gonzalez oversaw the manufacture of more than three million pounds of methamphetamine in one area of Mexico. In April 2015, Oseguera-Gonzalez personally directed the distribution of over 55,000 pounds of cocaine. According to trial testimony, in October 2013, Oseguera-Gonzalez made plans to “do it big” with counterfeit oxycontin pills—just before the fentanyl epidemic began in the United States. According to witness testimony, the defendant said in 2015 that he was “building an empire with . . . fentanyl.” Oseguera-Gonzalez was arrested by Mexican authorities on local charges in June 2015. He remained detained in Mexico until his extradition to the United States in February 2020. While in prison in Mexico, Oseguera-Gonzalez continued to control the CJNG, negotiating drug transactions and approving the purchase of firearms and destructive devices, including .50 caliber firearms and 40 mm grenades. Oseguera-Gonzalez personally used extreme violence to grow and control the cartel. For example, when five men owed Oseguera-Gonzalez money for drugs in the United States, Oseguera-Gonzalez violently killed all five men. On another occasion, the defendant shot one of his drivers in the head a close range. In an intercepted message, Oseguera-Gonzalez also described having 13 people tied up—one of whom he decided to release only after the man agreed to make fentanyl pills for Oseguera-Gonzalez. Oseguera-Gonzalez also amassed an arsenal of weapons. His hitmen, which he called the Special Forces of the High Command, used the weapons to protect him and help him escape capture by Mexican authorities. For example, on May 1, 2015, the defendant’s hitmen—acting on Oseguera-Gonzalez’s personal orders—shot down a Mexican armed forces helicopter while 18 soldiers and police were on board. At least nine people on board the helicopter died as a result of Oseguera-Gonzalez’s order. Oseguera-Gonzalez’s men used an Iranian-made rocket-propelled grenade and a .50 caliber belt-fed firearm to shoot down the helicopter. Both weapons were painted with “CJNG” and a pixel camouflage pattern unique to Oseguera-Gonzalez’s hitmen. Less than two months after escaping capture, Oseguera-Gonzalez was arrested in Jalisco, Mexico. When he was surrounded by soldiers and police, he brandished an assault weapon and grenade launcher, demanding to be released because he was a member of the CJNG. The weapon Oseguera-Gonzalez used to threaten police bore the same pixel camouflage pattern and was emblazoned with CJNG and Oseguera-Gonzalez’s nicknames: Menchito, 02, and Jr. Oseguera-Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 40 years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of life plus 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the extradition of Oseguera-Gonzalez and in obtaining important evidence for the trial. The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance. The Justice Department thanks Mexican authorities for their assistance in securing the extradition of Oseguera-Gonzalez and in securing evidence and testimony presented in court. Acting Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni and Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef, Jonathan R. Hornok, and Lernik Begian of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Notorio líder de un cártel mexicano declarado culpable de delitos de tráfico internacional de drogas y armas de fuego

body_text: Un jurado federal hoy declaró culpable a Rubén Oseguera González, también conocido como “El Menchito”, de conspirar para distribuir cinco kilogramos o más de cocaína y 500 gramos o más de metanfetaminas a sabiendas y con la intención de que serían importadas a los Estados Unidos, y por usar, portar y blandir armas de fuego, incluyendo dispositivos destructivos, en apoyo de la conspiración para el tráfico de drogas, tras un juicio con jurado de dos semanas en el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE. UU. para el Distrito de Columbia. Según los documentos judiciales y las pruebas presentadas en el juicio, entre 2007 y 2017, Oseguera González, de 34 años, dirigió una organización internacional de tráfico de drogas responsable de importar grandes cantidades de metanfetaminas y cocaína de México a Estados Unidos. Oseguera González era el segundo al mando del Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), con sede en el estado de Jalisco, México. El CJNG es uno de los cárteles de la droga más peligrosos de México. Oseguera González utilizaba personalmente armas de fuego, artefactos destructivos, asesinatos y secuestros para controlar la organización de narcotráfico. Oseguera González también ordenó a sus subordinados derribar un helicóptero militar mexicano para poder evitar su captura por las fuerzas del orden mexicanas. “El Menchito dirigió los esfuerzos del Cártel de Jalisco por utilizar el asesinato, el secuestro y la tortura para convertir el cártel en un autodenominado ‘imperio’ mediante la fabricación de fentanilo y la inundación de Estados Unidos con cantidades masivas de drogas letales. Hoy en día, el fentanilo es la amenaza de drogas más mortífera que jamás se ha enfrentado Estados Unidos”, declaró el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “El Menchito se une ahora a la creciente lista de altos dirigentes de cárteles que el Departamento de Justicia ha condenado en un tribunal estadounidense. Estamos agradecidos a nuestros socios mexicanos del orden público por su amplia cooperación y sacrificio para hacer rendir cuentas a los líderes del Cártel de Jalisco”. “Rubén Oseguera González fue pionero en la fabricación de fentanilo en México para ayudar a construir el Cártel de Jalisco de su padre en uno de los sindicatos de la droga más poderosos del mundo. Sus delitos causaron violencia y muertes terribles en Estados Unidos, México y en todo el mundo”, declaró la vicefiscal general Lisa Monaco. “El veredicto de culpabilidad de hoy demuestra que nuestros fiscales y agentes, en colaboración con nuestros socios mexicanos del orden público, perseguirán implacablemente la justicia contra los líderes de las organizaciones de narcotráfico que destruyen vidas y envenenan nuestras comunidades”. “Como segundo al mando del CJNG, Rubén Oseguera González utilizó la violencia extrema para traficar cantidades masivas de metanfetaminas y cocaína a los Estados Unidos”, dijo la vicefiscal general adjunta principal Nicole M. Argentieri, jefa de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Su condena subraya el compromiso de la División Penal de desarticular y desmantelar las organizaciones que fabrican y distribuyen drogas mortales en nuestras comunidades. El veredicto de hoy también envía un poderoso mensaje a los dirigentes de los cárteles: trabajaremos con nuestros socios nacionales e internacionales del orden público para encontrarlos y llevarlos ante la justicia. Estamos especialmente agradecidos a las autoridades mexicanas por su importante ayuda en este caso”. “El veredicto de culpabilidad de hoy envía un mensaje claro de que la DEA no se detendrá ante nada para investigar y desmantelar las redes criminales de drogas que amenazan la seguridad y la salud del pueblo estadounidense”, dijo la administradora Anne Milgram de la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA). “Como uno de los miembros de más alto rango del Cártel de Jalisco, Oseguera González fue responsable de introducir grandes cantidades de cocaína, metanfetaminas y fentanilo en los Estados Unidos, al tiempo que se dedicaba a la violencia, el secuestro y el soborno para construir y proteger el Cártel de Jalisco. Felicito a los hombres y mujeres de la División de Los Ángeles de la DEA por su extraordinario trabajo en este caso”. Según las pruebas presentadas en el juicio, de 2012 a 2015, Oseguera González supervisó la fabricación de más de tres millones de libras de metanfetaminas en una zona de México. En abril de 2015, Oseguera González dirigió personalmente la distribución de más de 55,000 libras de cocaína. Según el testimonio en el juicio, en octubre de 2013, Oseguera González hizo planes para «hacerla en grande» con pastillas de oxicontina falsificadas - justo antes de que comenzara la epidemia de fentanilo en Estados Unidos. Según el testimonio de testigos, el acusado dijo en 2015 que estaba “construyendo un imperio con... fentanilo”. Oseguera González fue detenido por las autoridades mexicanas por cargos locales en junio de 2015. Permaneció detenido en México hasta su extradición a Estados Unidos en febrero de 2020. Mientras estuvo en prisión en México, Oseguera González continuó controlando el CJNG, negociando transacciones de drogas y aprobando la compra de armas de fuego y dispositivos destructivos, incluidas armas de fuego del calibre .50 y granadas de 40 mm. Oseguera González personalmente actuaba con violencia extrema para hacer crecer y controlar el cártel. Por ejemplo, Oseguera González mató violentamente a cinco hombres que le debían por drogas vendidas en Estados Unidos. En otra ocasión, el acusado disparó a quemarropa en la cabeza a uno de sus conductores. En un mensaje interceptado, Oseguera González también relató que tenía atadas a 13 personas, una de las cuales decidió liberar sólo después de que el hombre accediera a fabricar pastillas de fentanilo para él. Oseguera González también acumuló un arsenal de armas. Sus sicarios, a los que llamaba Fuerzas Especiales del Alto Mando, utilizaban las armas para protegerlo y ayudarlo a evadir la captura por las autoridades mexicanas. Por ejemplo, el 1 de mayo de 2015, los sicarios del acusado -actuando bajo las órdenes personales de Oseguera González- derribaron un helicóptero de las fuerzas armadas mexicanas mientras 18 soldados y policías se encontraban a bordo. Al menos nueve personas a bordo del helicóptero murieron a consecuencia de la orden dada por Oseguera González. Para derribar el helicóptero, los hombres de Oseguera González utilizaron una granada propulsada por cohete de fabricación iraní y un arma de fuego de calibre 50 alimentada por cinturón. Ambas armas estaban pintadas con las siglas “CJNG” y un patrón de camuflaje de píxeles exclusivo de los sicarios de Oseguera González. Menos de dos meses después de escapar de la captura, Oseguera González fue detenido en Jalisco (México). Cuando fue rodeado por soldados y policías, blandió un arma de asalto y un lanzagranadas, exigiendo que lo dejaran en libertad porque era miembro del CJNG. El arma que Oseguera González utilizó para amenazar a la policía tenía el mismo patrón de camuflaje de píxeles y estaba adornada con las siglas del CJNG y los apodos de Oseguera González: Menchito, 02 y Jr. Oseguera González se enfrenta a una pena mínima obligatoria de 40 años de prisión y a una pena máxima legal de cadena perpetua más 30 años de prisión. La vista para dictar sentencia está prevista para el 10 de enero de 2025. Un juez de tribunal federal de distrito determinará la sentencia tras considerar las directrices para la imposición de penas de EE. UU. y otros factores legales. La División de Los Ángeles de la DEA investigó el caso con la ayuda del Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia prestó una ayuda fundamental para conseguir la extradición de Oseguera González y obtener importantes pruebas para el juicio. La Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley de la División Penal prestó una ayuda significativa. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a las autoridades mexicanas su ayuda para conseguir la extradición de Oseguera González y para asegurar las pruebas y testimonios presentados ante el tribunal. La jefa adjunta en funciones, Kaitlin Sahni, y los fiscales litigantes Kate Naseef, Jonathan R. Hornok y Lernik Begian, de la Unidad de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas de la División Penal, están llevando el caso. Este esfuerzo forma parte de una operación de las Fuerzas Especiales de Lucha contra la Droga y la Delincuencia Organizada (OCDETF). La OCDETF identifica, desarticula y desmantela las organizaciones delictivas de más alto nivel que amenazan a Estados Unidos, utilizando un enfoque multiinstitucional, dirigido por fiscales e informado por datos de inteligencia. Puede obtenerse más información sobre el programa OCDETF en www.justice.gov/ocdetf .


title: Five Defendants Sentenced for Participating in an Interstate Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Jackson, TN – Five men from South Texas were indicted in Jackson, Tennessee for their role in trafficking multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On September 13, 2024, the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the final defendant in the Western District of Tennessee. According to information presented in court, in August 2019, FBI-Jackson, Tennessee, working with FBI-McAllen, Texas, learned of a drug trafficking organization operating in South Texas. Investigators determined that brothers Pablo Talavera , 64 , and Elias Talavera, 52, were trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other narcotics across the United States. In January 2022, in a covert operation, agents seized nine kilograms of methamphetamine from an 18-wheeler in Jackson shipped by Pablo Talavera and others to Tennessee. In March 2022, agents seized another 10.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Camden, Tennessee sent by this organization. Investigators determined that Pablo and Elias Talavera obtained methamphetamine from cartels in Mexico and coordinated the shipments of the controlled substances. Luis Sorcia , 32 , Jose Cordova , 32 , and Guillermo Castro , 51 , assisted in transporting the narcotics and attempted to avoid detection by law enforcement. Each of the following co-conspirators pled guilty to charges brought against them and were sentenced by the Honorable S. Thomas Anderson, United States District Judge: Pablo Talavera , of Michoacan, Mexico: 275 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Elias Talavera, of Reynosa, Mexico: 150 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Luis Sorcia , of Edinburg, Texas: 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Jose Cordova , of Reynosa, Mexico: 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Guillermo Castro , of Brownsville, Texas: 60 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jackson, Tennessee and McAllen, Texas. Assisting in the investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratories in Nashville, Tennessee and Dallas, Texas, the Selmer Police Department, the Bolivar Police Department, the Jackson Police Department, the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Allen and Hillary L. Parham, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Red Oak Woman to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: On September 19, 2024, Ann Sulsberger, 49, from Red Oak, Iowa, was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing on April 18, 2024, Sulsberger admitted that between April 2023 and May 2023, she and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in the Woodbury and Monona County areas. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Sulsberger was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of four years supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Sulsberger 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 Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs, DEA Laboratory, Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Armed Burlington Fugitive Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who shot two people in Burlington, Iowa, and was found in Cedar Rapids with a firearm was sentenced September 19, 2024, to over four years in federal prison. Kejonte Daishawn King, age 21, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 29, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the guilty plea, King admitted he was previously convicted in Wisconsin for robbery by threat. King failed to appear for his sentencing in that case. King was in Burlington on March 24, 2023, when he shot two people and then fled the area. The Eastern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, led by the United States Marshals Service, found King in Cedar Rapids on April 18, 2023, with two firearms. King was later convicted of willful injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon and is still serving his prison sentence in that case. King was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. King was sentenced to an additional 54 months’ and 21 days’ imprisonment to be served concurrently with the remainder of his prison sentence for the Burlington shooting and consecutive to any sentence imposed for his Milwaukee robbery conviction. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. King is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be returned to the Iowa Department of Corrections to complete service of his Iowa sentence and then be sent to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and investigated by the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force comprised of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Marion Police Department, Independence Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Corrections, the Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force, the Burlington Iowa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-00010. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Waterloo Fentanyl Dealer Found Guilty After Four Day Trial

body_text: A Waterloo man who traveled to Mexico to acquire fentanyl was convicted by a jury today after a four‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Javoni Marcelius Butler, age 43, from Waterloo, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, one count of international money laundering, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The verdict was returned this morning following about forty minutes of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that, beginning in January 2022, and continuing until December 20, 2023, Butler traveled to Mexico on several occasions to acquire fentanyl. During that time, Butler obtained over 10,000 pills containing fentanyl and a significant quantity of fentanyl powder. After obtaining the fentanyl from his Mexican source of supply, Butler worked with several people in Waterloo, Iowa, to distribute the fentanyl. On at least one occasion, Butler conducted an international wire transfer of drug proceeds. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Butler was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the verdict was returned and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Butler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, a $10,500,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson, and it was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and Homeland Security Investigations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23‑CR‑02078‑CJW. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms

body_text: A man who illegally possessed firearms was sentenced on September 20, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Matthew Knowles, 38, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on May 3, 2024, to possessing a .380 ACP pistol, and a .410-gauge shotgun on November 10, 2022, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. As part of an investigation of stolen property, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Knowles’ residence. There, officers recovered thousands of dollars of stolen tools, the two firearms, and controlled substances. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Knowles was a user of methamphetamine, marijuana, and was a felon when he possessed the firearms. As a felon and drug user, Knowles was prohibited from possessing firearms. 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. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Knowles was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a two year term of supervised release after the term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Knowles remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa DCI Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3039. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Deadly Weapon

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On September 16, a tribal member pleaded guilty in federal court to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to court records, on April 26, Sutanga Rex Cypress, 42, was arguing with the victim when Cypress brandished a firearm. Cypress then pointed the gun at the victim and shot the victim in the abdomen. The victim was airlifted to the hospital due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the gunshot. Sentencing is set for December 9, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra. Cypress faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for one count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating and statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Chief Roland Pandolfi of the Miccosukee Police Department made the announcement. FBI Safe Trails, Miami and Miccosukee Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Latoya C. Brown and Vanessa E. Bonhomme are prosecuting the case. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20195-JB. ###


title: Ohio Restaurant Owner Convicted of Employment Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: After five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Richard Bhoolai, 65, of Cincinnati, today for failing to pay taxes he withheld from employees’ wages at three restaurants he owned and operated. According to evidence presented at trial, Bhoolai owned and operated Richie’s Fast Food Restaurants Inc., an S-Corporation used to operate three fried chicken restaurants in the Cincinnati area since 1991. Bhoolai was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS. Bhoolai employed between 22 and 34 employees between at least 2017 and 2018. During that time, he withheld taxes from employees’ wages but did not pay them over to the IRS. Prior to that time, Bhoolai had not paid over such taxes from earlier years and the IRS had assessed a penalty against him for failing to do so. Instead of paying over the taxes, Bhoolai used money from the businesses for his personal benefit, including gambling. The jury found Bhoolai guilty of eight counts of failing to pay over taxes for four quarters in 2017 and four quarters in 2018. Bhoolai’s sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each failure to pay taxes count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole for the Southern District of Ohio presided over the jury trial. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo for the Southern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.


title: Covington Man Indicted for Felon in Possession of Firearms, Silencers, and Machineguns

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOE LYNN BEATTIE (“BEATTIE”) , age 52, of Covington, Louisiana, was charged on September 20, 2024 in a three (3) count indictment. Count One charged him with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Count Two charged him with possession of silencers not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5841, and Count Three charged him with possession of machineguns, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). If convicted, BEATTIE faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment for Count One, and up to ten (10) years of imprisonment for Counts Two and Three. He also faces up to three (3) years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all counts. As to Counts One and Three, he faces a fine of up to $250,000 and, as to Count Two, he faces a fine of up to a $100,000. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney and ATF Announce Charges Against Five in Bernalillo County Firearms and Drug Trafficking Scheme

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Five young men face federal charges for allegedly running a firearms and drug trafficking operation that utilized social media platforms to sell machine gun conversion devices and cocaine. The indictment alleges that from approximately February 13, 2024, to July 2024, Micah Maestas , 19, Dominic Ramirez , 20, Daniel Garcia , 18, and Oscar Ruiz Salmeron , 19, engaged in a conspiracy to illegally sell firearms, including machine gun conversion devices, and distribute cocaine in Bernalillo County. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron, 19, is accused of unlawfully possessing a machinegun. The defendants allegedly used social media platforms such as Instagram and Telegram to advertise and negotiate the sale of firearms. They are accused of transporting firearms to meet buyers and completing sales for cash. Specifically: On February 13, 2024, Maestas , Ramirez , and Garcia allegedly distributed cocaine. On March 1, 2024, Maestas , Ramirez , and Garcia sold a Glock 30 .45 caliber pistol with a machine gun conversion device to an undercover officer for $1,200, distributed cocaine, and used a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On May 2-3, 2024, Ramirez and Garcia sold a Glock 19x with a machine gun conversion device for $1,300, distributed cocaine, and used a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On May 9, 2024, Maestas , Ramirez , and Oscar Ruiz Salmeron sold a Diamondback firearm 300 blackout caliber rifle for $1,100, distributed cocaine, and used a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On or before June 13, 2024, Jesus Ruiz Salmeron possessed and transferred a machinegun. On July 3, 2024, Maestas possessed and sold a Glock 19 9mm pistol with a machine gun conversion device for $1,300. The machine gun conversion device in this incident was described as “invisible,” fitting flush with the back of the firearm, whereby evading potential law enforcement detection. Garcia will remain in custody pending trial. Maestas will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which is currently scheduled for September 24, 2024. Ramirez and the Salmeron brothers have been ordered to reside in a halfway house pending trial, which is currently scheduled for November 4, 2024. If convicted, Garcia , Maestas , Ramirez and Oscar Ruiz Salmeron face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison up to life in prison for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron faces up to 10 years in prison for possession of a machine gun conversion device. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case. Maetas et al. Indictment.pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Romanian Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for  Stealing Identities to Fraudulently Obtain Public Assistance Funds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A one-time Orange County man who is one of Romania’s most notorious criminals was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for stealing victims’ identities to withdraw money from their public-assistance accounts without their permission. Florin Duduianu, 39, whose last known residence was in Mission Viejo, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who also ordered him to pay $1,850 in restitution. Duduianu pleaded guilty on January 5 to three counts of bank fraud and unlawful use of unauthorized access devices. After a two-day bench trial, Judge Holcomb on January 23 found Duduianu guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft. “This defendant came to our country to victimize the neediest members of our society,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our nation is not a piggy bank for foreign criminals, and those who think they can take advantage of our liberties to harm our people are sorely mistaken.” “Duduianu stole money which was meant to serve as a critical lifeline to those most in need,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “It was a serious offense, and the FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners across the globe to identify fraudsters like this defendant and hold them fully accountable for their crimes.” In August 2023, law enforcement was conducting an operation to combat Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) fraud at various banks and ATMs in Placentia. Police saw Duduianu, accompanied by a passenger, drive up to a Wells Fargo ATM and make multiple withdrawals on different cards. Based on this information, officers pulled Duduianu over. Duduianu lied to the officers, telling them he was depositing, not withdrawing, money from the ATM. During a search of Duduianu’s passenger, officers found four Visa gift cards, three Wells Fargo ATM receipts, and $1,850 in cash. The Visa gift cards were encoded with EBT card numbers. Those numbers were run through an EBT database, which showed that they belonged to four different people. Based on the Wells Fargo receipts, Duduianu used two of the cards to make three withdrawals totaling $1,850 from the ATM. The FBI contacted the accountholders for the two EBT accounts from which Duduianu made withdrawals. The accountholders said that they did not know Duduianu or his car passenger and did not give permission to anyone to withdraw funds from their accounts. During a search of Duduianu’s cellphone, law enforcement found dozens of photos and videos related to ATM skimming as well as tools and techniques used to skim EBT information. Law enforcement also found photos of large sums of cash and hundreds of EBT numbers from multiple states. In the chat history of Duduianu’s phone, the government found an article about EBT fraud that was sent from his phone to four other phone numbers. On another smartphone law enforcement recovered during Duduianu’s arrest, law enforcement found additional videos related to ATM skimming. Phone records and EBT records showed that this phone was used to check the balance of the EBT accounts of the victims in this case, five days before Duduianu withdrew $1,850 from those same accounts. “Until his arrest in this case…Duduianu was one of Romania’s ‘Most Wanted’ criminals and an INTERPOL fugitive,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He leads the ‘Duduianu Clan,’ an exceptionally violent and influential organized crime group and was previously convicted of attempted murder. In 2020, [Duduianu] fled Romanian prosecution following charges of robbery and blackmail.” The FBI and the Placentia Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section and Diane B. Roldán of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 264 Months in Federal Prison for Meth Distribution Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Carol Stream, Illinois man was sentenced on September 17, 2024, to 264 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to public court documents, in early 2022, Milford Rogers, 33, conspired to distribute methamphetamine with co-conspirators in the Quad Cities area. Rogers received pound quantities of methamphetamine through the mail, including one package containing three pounds of methamphetamine. Rogers distributed multiple kilograms of methamphetamine throughout the Quad Cities. After completing his term of imprisonment, Rogers will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.


title: Rock Island Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and Marijuana

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island, Illinois man was sentenced on September 18, 2024, to 210 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. According to public court documents, in early 2021, Jesus Alfonso Ruiz, 37, along with co-conspirators, distributed meth and marijuana in the Quad Cities area. Surveillance footage showed Ruiz obtaining meth in Illinois. On May 28, 2021, Ruiz was stopped in Eldridge, on his way back from Illinois, and law enforcement officers found approximately one pound of meth in the trunk of the car. In November 2021, Ruiz was arrested at his residence due to an outstanding parole violation warrant in a state drug trafficking case. In Ruiz’s residence, law enforcement located distribution quantities of marijuana and cocaine, and a firearm. After completing his term of imprisonment, Ruiz will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and Dubuque Drug Task Force.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms Charges

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, to 8 years (96 months) in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents, Marshon Lamarr Johanson, 30, shot his dog after it reportedly bit him. In August 2024, Council Bluffs Animal Control went to Johanson’s house to check on the welfare of the dog. Johanson was uncooperative. The Council Bluffs Police Department returned a few days later with a search warrant. The dog was found dead in the basement. A Ruger handgun and loaded magazine were found in the bedroom of the residence. Johanson was convicted of animal torture in the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County and sentenced to a 75-day suspended prison term. In 2015, Johanson was convicted of burglary and aggravated robbery in Texas, and, in 2022, Johanson was convicted of two felony assault charges in the Nebraska District Court for Douglas County. As a result, Johanson is prohibited from possessing firearms. After completing his term of imprisonment, Johanson will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Council Bluffs Animal Control, the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.


title: Two Council Bluffs Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Council Bluffs men were sentenced for their roles in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area: Douglas Marqueis Louis, 45, was sentenced on August 28, 2024, to a 210-month prison term; and Nikolas Alan Koebel, 27, was sentenced on September 20, 2024, to a 100-month prison term. According to public court documents, in December 2023 during a search warrant a Louis’s Council Bluffs residence, law enforcement located more than three pounds of methamphetamine, more than one pound of marijuana, more than an ounce and a half of cocaine, and more than $13,000 cash. Some of the cash at Louis’s residence came from a controlled purchase of fentanyl that law enforcement made from Koebel. In total, law enforcement arranged six controlled purchases of fentanyl from Koebel. After completing their terms of imprisonment, Louis and Koebel will each be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Omaha Police Department.


title: Shenandoah Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Shenandoah man was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. According to public court documents, Evaristo Hernandez Flores Carnes, 34, uploaded images and videos containing child sex abuse material to a social media application. Law enforcement executed search warrant at Carnes’s residence and seized a cell phone that was later found to contain images and videos of child sex abuse material. After completing his term of imprisonment, Carnes will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Shenandoah Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigations. 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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Atlantic Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Possession

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Atlantic, Iowa man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Derek Allen McDermott, 38, was found in possession of distribution quantities of meth during two traffic stops in October 2023 and December 2023. McDermott has two state convictions for possession with intent to deliver meth. After completing his term of imprisonment, McDermott will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol.


title: Former emergency physician pleads guilty to possessing child pornography

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former medical director at an Ohio health care system pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing child pornography. Garrett Norvell, 44, of Westerville, was charged by a bill of information and appeared in federal court this morning to enter his guilty plea. According to court documents, in June 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an international investigation targeting offenders who used dark web sites and forums dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. HSI Boston and the FBI obtained information from Norvell’s IP address that showed that, in April 2019, Norvell had an account username and password for a website that offered child pornography of girls 4 to 14 years old. At the time of the investigation, Norvell served as the medical director of OhioHealth in Ashland, Ohio. He previously worked as an emergency medicine physician at OhioHealth. In February 2022, agents with HSI and the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant on Norvell’s person at the Emergency Care Center at OhioHealth in Ashland and seized his phone, laptop, tablet and a thumb drive. Less than a week later, Norvell was removed from all OhioHealth services and facilities and a State Medical Board of Ohio investigation was initiated. In March 2022, Norvell permanently surrendered his license to practice medicine in Ohio. Forensic analysis of Norvell’s electronics revealed at least 18 files of child pornography, including “Pre-Teen Hard Core” content. Norvell admitted had an addiction to child pornography and had been watching child pornography since he was approximately 21 years old. He said in interviews that the youngest victim he had viewed in a pornographic setting was an infant. Norvell pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography of prepubescent minors, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentences, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Cincinnati; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; Stephanie Loucka, Executive Director of the Ohio State Medical Board; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Jury finds local restaurant owner guilty of tax crimes

body_text: CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted a local fast-food chicken restaurant owner with tax crimes. The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Sept. 16 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Richard Bhoolai, 65, of Cincinnati, owned and operated Richie’s Fast Food Restaurants, Inc. According to court documents and trial testimony, Bhoolai failed to pay over payroll taxes to the IRS during 2017 and 2018. Bhoolai employed between 22 and 34 employees at the time. Bhoolai withheld federal taxes from employees’ paychecks but failed to transmit the funds to the IRS. Instead, Bhoolai spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal benefit, including using business proceeds to engage in more than $1 million of gambling activity. Bhoolai was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 with eight counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Trial Attorney Alexandra Fleszar from the Department of Justice’s Tax Division are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Ochelata Teen Sentenced After 2022 Armed Robbery

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Kaleb Joesph Scullawl, 20, for Robbery in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Scullawl to 108 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Scullawl broke into a pawn shop in Bartlesville with two other juveniles. They stole several firearms from the store. A few weeks later, Scullawl messaged someone to buy marijuana. During the illegal drug purchase, Scullawl entered the vehicle and drew a firearm. He demanded the victim's money, wallet, and marijuana. Scullawl then forced the victim to drive home, where Scullawl stole marijuana. Prior to exiting the vehicle, Scullawl discharged the stolen firearm into the victim’s vehicle . Scullawl is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bartlesville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Reininger prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Nigerian National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Afeez Akinloye, age 44, a Nigerian citizen, was sentenced on September 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Akinloye to a total of 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Akinloye’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release and is subject to removal from the United States. In the Fall of 2016, continuing to the summer of 2017, Akinloye participated in a scheme to defraud U.S. based businesses involved in real estate transactions. As a part of the scheme, Akinloye and other individuals gained access to email accounts and account information related to real estate transactions and then posed as the seller in the real estate transaction, requesting wire transfers be sent to locations and accounts that the fraudsters had access to. The accounts Akinloye and the other fraudsters had access to were as a result of other co-conspirators victimizing unwitting mules through romance scams. There were two victims in the District of Nebraska who lost $52,000 as a result of the wire fraud conspiracy. There were a total of eleven victims with losses of $1,850,000 and attempted losses of $4,600,000. Akinloye and the co-conspirators committed the offense from outside the United States, mostly from South Africa. At the request of the United States, South African authorities arrested Akinloye for the purpose of his extradition in September 2022, a court in South Africa found him extraditable in June 2023, and South African authorities extradited him to the United States in December 2023. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, in coordination with the South African Department of Justice, provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Akinloye. Akinloye’s co-defendants, Saliu Jimoh Akinloye, Ebenezer Gbenga Omoshagba, and Sheriff Opeyemi Olalere, remain at large. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Mexican Man Sentenced for Five Pounds of Pure Methamphetamine

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Luis Enrique Sagaste-Rodriguez, age 35, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced September 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, for possessing with intent to distribute almost 5 pounds of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Sagaste-Rodriguez to 121 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On November 2, 2023, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office stopped Sagaste-Rodriguez for a traffic violation. Sagaste-Rodriguez was the sole occupant of the vehicle. During the encounter, Sagaste-Rodriguez was extremely nervous, including shaking and sweating despite the cool temperature. A drug detection K9 was deployed, which indicated to presence of drugs in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in 2,146 grams of pure meth being seized. Sagaste-Rodriguez is in the United States illegally and will be deported back to Mexico after serving his sentence. This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Authorities Seeing an Alarming Rise in Threats to Schools

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Schools in the St. Louis area and around the country have seen an alarming increase in threats in recent weeks, which are draining resources from those schools and the law enforcement agencies that respond. Although those making the threats apparently think they are being funny, the threats are traumatizing students, parents and staff. Contrary to popular belief, law enforcement can quickly identify the source of these threats. That information is then routed to the appropriate officials. In the case of minors, who are often making the threats, the information will be sent to school districts and the appropriate juvenile court system. “Hoax threats are not a joke,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Don’t think you can hide. We will find you and hold you accountable.” Juvenile and school authorities are also taking the threats seriously. Some jurisdictions are detaining juveniles accused of making school threats. If found guilty, a minor could be placed under supervision, which is similar to probation or parole and could include GPS monitoring. They could also be removed from their home and placed in the custody of the Missouri Division of Youth Services. Many schools suspend minors while an investigation is being conducted. They could then face a suspension of up to 180 days or expulsion from the school system. Adults can be charged in state or federal court with a variety of crimes. At the federal level, you can be sentenced up to 5 years in prison for making a hoax threat. If someone is injured, that sentence goes up to 20 years. If death occurs, you could be facing a life sentence. But we also need your help. If you hear or see a threat, please do not share or repost it on social media – that only delays the process of identifying the original source of the threat, sometimes by hours or more. Call 911 or contact Missouri’s school safety threat reporting system, Courage2Report, either online at https://p3campus.com/5250 , by calling 866-748-7047 or texting C2R to 738477. You can file a report to prevent a shooting or other act of violence from happening, or report things that have happened, like bullying or harassment, that could get worse if people don’t get help.


title: Three Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Haji Osman Salad, Sharmarke Issa, and Khadra Abdi pleaded guilty to their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Salad, 34, the owner and operator of Haji’s Kitchen LLC, enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Salad and his co-conspirators, including Issa, 42, and Abdi, 42, opened sites across the state of Minnesota, as well as multiple shell companies, which were used to facilitate the fraud scheme. Between June 2020 through 2022, Salad falsely claimed that Haji’s Kitchen was a food vendor for more than 15 million meals to various Federal Child Nutrition Program sites in Minnesota. Co-defendants, Issa and Kawsar Jama were among the largest recipients of purported food from Salad. For example, in November 2021, Salad created fraudulent food invoices falsely claiming that he supplied Kawsar Jama’s Pelican Rapids site, a small town in west-central Minnesota with a population of approximately 2,500 people, with $293,300 worth of food for 140,000 meals and snacks. In total, Salad fraudulently received approximately $11,483,827 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds, which he spent on real estate and luxury vehicles. According to court documents, Issa, the principal of Minnesota’s Somali Community and Wacan Restaurant LLC, fraudulently received Federal Child Nutrition Program funds under the sponsorship of Sponsor A and Feeding Our Future, respectively. As part of the scheme, Issa used fraudulent records and food invoices to falsely claim his sites served at least 2.3 million meals to children. Issa also operated other entities such as ANS Projects LLC and Bubah Baraka Properties LLC which he used to launder proceeds of the fraud scheme to purchase assets, primarily real estate, which had nothing to do with feeding children. For example, Issa acquired, among other properties, a $785,000 private residence for himself located in Edina. In total, Issa fraudulently received approximately $3,586,231 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. According to court documents, Abdi, was the principal of Shafi’i Tutoring & Homework Help Center, which was registered as a meal site under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Between April 2020 and December 2021, Abdi fraudulently claimed entitlement to $3,479,191.92 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. However, relatively little of this money was used by Abdi to purchase food. Salad, Issa, and Abdi each pleaded guilty to wire fraud this week in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, and Harry M. Jacobs are prosecuting the case.


title: Goodyear, Arizona, Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Central Illinois

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Goodyear, Arizona, man, Christopher Harris, 44, was sentenced on September 19, 2024, to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in central Illinois. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government presented evidence that in January 2017 Harris recruited two women in Quincy, Illinois, to serve as drug couriers. In exchange, Harris agreed to pay them $5,000. As part of the agreement, the two women drove to Arizona and picked up controlled substances from Harris. They then planned to drive the drugs back to Quincy, where Harris would retrieve the drugs from them after flying from Arizona to Illinois. Ultimately, Harris provided them with eleven pounds of methamphetamine and one pound of cocaine. The pair, however, were arrested while still in Arizona. Judge Lawless found that Harris served as the leader of the conspiracy, and that Harris was a career offender based upon his criminal history, which included three prior felony drug convictions. The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the West Central Illinois Task Force; Illinois State Police; Quincy Police Department; Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Apache County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Quincy, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine


title: Thirteen Members Of Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty To Federal Drug Crimes

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that thirteen members of a drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and other federal drug crimes. Heath Lloyd Taylor, age 45, Aaron Guy Key, age 46, Mallory Nicole Laird, age 36, Terri Angela Stroud, age 52, Kandi Anne Hankins, age 43, Travis Austin Powers, age 37, Tracie Ann Sells, age 54, Jeremy Paul Newman, age 47, each pleaded guilty to Drug Conspiracy. Cody Wade Reece, age 33, and Whitney Marie Granite, age 36, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Heather Leigh Brown, age 33, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Taylor Dain Parnell Caldwell, age 34, and Randi Shawn Gann, age 34, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Indictment alleged that beginning in or about August 2022 and continuing until on or about November 15, 2023, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendants willfully and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United Sates, namely the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The joint investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, working in cooperation with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Additionally, several law enforcement agencies contributed at various stages of the investigation, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Poteau Police Department, the Spiro Police Department, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Seminole Police Department, the Pocola Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson and the Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judges in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports. All defendants are in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Cornell and Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adan Garcia-Nava, age 36, of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment charging Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. The Indictment alleged that Garcia-Nava was found in the United States, having been removed or deported from the country on four prior occasions. The charges arose from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Garcia-Nava will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Richard J. Lorenz and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Takes Part In Educational Forum On Voting Rights And Protections For Voters And Election Officials

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined the North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections in an educational forum hosted by Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlotte, to provide the public with important information about voting rights and protections for voters and elections officials. The topics discussed included how to report suspected violations, including election fraud, issues related to ADA compliance and accessible polling places, incidents of voter intimidation or discrimination at polling locations, and threats of violence against election officials and poll workers; changes and new voting laws; voting registration deadlines; and resources on the various voting methods available to eligible voters. “Protecting the right to vote is one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities. The resources shared today can help voters understand their voting rights and promote public confidence in the election process,” said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices play an integral role in ensuring that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. In line with longstanding Justice Department practices, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with the Department’s Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, and National Security Division, to protect the integrity of the election process and guard against foreign malign influence. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (CRT) is responsible for enforcing federal statutes that protect voting rights, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. These laws aim to prevent discriminatory election practices, ensure accessibility for voters with disabilities, and protect eligible citizens’ right to vote. Key protections include: Prohibiting discriminatory practices and protecting voters from intimidation and interference. Ensuring voters with disabilities receive the assistance they need. Requiring accessible voting systems and minority language assistance. Offering absentee voting for military members and U.S. citizens living abroad. The Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing federal laws related to election fraud and threats against election workers. These crimes include vote-buying, submission of fraudulent ballots, destruction of ballots, and voter intimidation. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices designate federal prosecutors as District Election Officers (DEOs), responsible for overseeing election crime matters and coordinating with election-crime experts in Washington, D.C. DEOs also work with specially trained FBI agents to respond to election-related complaints, to ensure that those are handled appropriately. The Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD) oversees investigations related to national security threats, including foreign interference in elections and violent extremist threats to the electoral process. The public can report suspected violations to the Civil Rights Division through the Justice Department’s toll-free line at 800-253-3931 or submit a complaint online at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . In the Western District of North Carolina, suspected election crimes should be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 704-344-6222 in Charlotte, and 828-271-4661 in Asheville. The local FBI field office can be reached at 704-672-6100. Violence or threats of violence at polling places should be reported to local authorities immediately by calling 911, followed by notifying the Justice Department. For more information about the Justice Department’s efforts to protect voting rights and ensure secure elections, visit https://www.justice.gov/voting .