title: During Human Trafficking Prevention Month Law Enforcement Implores the Public to Protect Your Children from Sex Traffickers and Other Predators

body_text: MIAMI – During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and our law enforcement partners reaffirm our commitment to combatting forced labor, domestic servitude, and sex trafficking of adults and the most vulnerable members of society, our children. Our commitment does not end there. We continue to prosecute human traffickers and child predators, empower victims, and prevent the proliferation of these abhorrent crimes. But we need the public’s support to help us protect our children from exploitation. “Attentive and engaged parents, teachers, family and friends are our first-line defense against human traffickers and child predators,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As your U.S. Attorney and a concerned parent, I implore you to do your best to monitor your children’s on-line presence, social media communications, and use of electronic devices. Given how easy it is to access the internet and social media, I recognize how challenging it can be to protect those we love. But, hopefully, by talking to our children, educating them about internet safety and stranger danger, and keeping an eye on our youth, we can ward off the perils of human trafficking, sextortion, and other deviant means of child exploitation.” “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is deeply committed to combating human trafficking and child exploitation through the strategic use of its extensive authorities, global presence, and strong collaborations with government and non-government entities. Our mission is to tirelessly pursue the safe recovery of victims, apprehend perpetrators, and safeguard our most vulnerable against criminal exploitation,” said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “We urge parents to remain vigilant, engage in open conversations with their children, and educate them on the importance of personal safety. Together, we can create a shield of protection around our children and ensure their well-being.” Anyone can become a victim. The Southern District of Florida strives to safeguard all children and vulnerable populations. To help protect your children from human traffickers and predators, law enforcement encourages the public to: Tell your children to avoid communicating with strangers online. Monitor your children’s chats, messages, and communications with people, particularly through gaming systems. Explain to your children that sometimes predators will offer them gifts in exchange for them taking and sending sexually explicit images or videos. Sometimes, the predators will make threats. Parents should explain to their children that these are strategies abusers use to get what they want, and if this happens, to not feel guilty and immediately tell a parent or other adult. To the extent possible, educate yourself about the internet tools your children use. For example, set up your child’s specific profile on cellphones, iPads, and computer devices to limit the websites and content your child can access, and have a weekly “usage” sheet sent to you for that profile. Make sure your children use privacy settings to restrict access to their online profiles. Check your children’s social media and gaming profiles and posts. Talk to your children about what is appropriate to say or share. Explain to your children that once images or comments post online, people can share them. Explain that everyone in the world can see what they publicly post on the internet, and they can never completely erase posted images and comments. Encourage children to choose appropriate screen names and create strong passwords. Parents should be aware of all passwords and discourage children from keeping their passwords a secret. Make it a rule with your children that they cannot arrange to meet up with someone they have met online without your knowledge and supervision. Know your children’s friends and whereabouts. Talk to your children about the dangers of talking to, meeting, and traveling with strangers. We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website at www.cybertipline.com , call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP. The U.S. Attorney’s Office alongside its law enforcement partners, to include FBI and HSI, have prosecuted many individuals in the Southern District of Florida who have used the internet to traffick and exploit children. Below are just a few examples: In April 2022, a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for enticing and coercing young girls, as young as 13 years old, into producing and transmitting sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. The defendant contacted his victims on social media, offered them money for the photos and videos, and threatened to post sharing nude images and videos with their family and friends if they did not comply with his demands. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/broward-man-sentenced-15-years-federal-prison-production-child-pornography . In November 2022, a man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor and adult female. Evidence showed during trial that the defendant drove the victims from Atlanta to Miami to sell themselves for sex during Super Bowl LIV. The defendant also attempted to recruit other victims on social media. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/atlanta-sex-trafficker-sentenced-25-years-prison-offenses-during-super-bowl-liv-miami-0 . In December 2022, a man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for extorting four minor females into producing sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and sending it to him over a social media application. The defendant threatened to post the sexually explicit material on social media and pornography websites if they did not continue to send more. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/opa-locka-man-sentenced-30-years-prison-producing-child-sexual-abuse-material . In December 2022, a former Florida Atlantic University student was sentenced to 24 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material of a 14-year-old girl. According to court records, the defendant used social media applications to entice nine minor females ranging in ages from 13 to 17 to create sexually explicit videos. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-florida-atlantic-university-student-sentenced-prison-producing-child-sexual . In December 2023, a man was sentenced to over 19 years in prison, after previously pleading guilty to enticing a minor victim to engage in criminal sexual activity. Among other criminal conduct, the defendant sent sexually explicit communications to the minor victim through the Snapchat messaging service. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/colorado-man-sentenced-more-19-years-prison-enticing-minor-engage-criminal-sexual . In November 2023, a man pled guilty to producing visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/lake-placid-man-pleads-guilty-producing-child-pornography . “The protection of children is among our nation’s highest obligations. Within our district, the prosecution of those who sexually exploit, target, and engage in the trafficking of children continues to be the utmost priority,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Our Office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify and bring to justice those individuals who carry out these heinous crimes against the most innocent among us - our children.” To enhance awareness and educate the community about human trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that can be found at https://youtu.be/XKHVMKkvn2E . To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org . The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . Many of our Office’s cases are brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, we encourage the public to please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ###


title: Youngstown Man Sentenced to More than 14 years for Leading a Drug Conspiracy in Youngstown Area

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CLEVELAND – Terrance May, 48, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced today to 175 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson today after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and distributing drugs. May was ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following imprisonment and pay a $2,400 special assessment. According to court documents and court records, May led a drug conspiracy in the Youngstown area that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin from February 2020 until January of 2022. Investigators used a wiretap to intercept drug communications from May and other co-conspirators that led to search warrants being executed that resulted in seizures of illegal drugs. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Youngstown, the Youngstown Police Department, the Boardman Police Department, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, and the Campbell Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz.


title: KC Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Sex Trafficking Four Victims

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a sex trafficking conspiracy that involved four victims, including two teenagers. Dameon Devor Williams, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 16 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Williams to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration. On June 29, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking. Williams admitted that he participated in a sex-trafficking conspiracy from Aug. 1, 2018, to Jan. 9, 2019, that caused four victims to engage in prostitution. One of the victims was 14 years old, and another victim was 16 years old. On Jan. 7, 2019, Homeland Security Investigations agents in Kansas City, Mo., received a tip regarding a 14-year-old female (identified in court documents as V1) whose whereabouts were unknown. She had previously been apprehended in Blue Springs, Mo., after a traffic accident involving a stolen vehicle. She was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where she reported that she had been forced to have sex for money. The hospital gave her personal belongings, including her cell phone, to federal agents. Agents used the phone to identify a residence in Jackson, Mississippi, where they encountered a second, 16-year-old, victim (identified in court documents as V2) a couple of days later. The second victim assisted agents in locating the first victim at a residence in Kansas City, Mo. Agents set up surveillance at the Kansas City apartment building and soon saw V1 leave the residence and get into a vehicle with co-defendant Cory Lavell Smith, also known as “Fatz,” 29, of Kansas City, Mo., who was driving. When law enforcement officers identified themselves, Smith fled in the vehicle at a high rate of speed. Agents pursued the vehicle, which was ultimately brought to stop. Smith was arrested and V1 was taken into protective custody. V1 identified Smith as her pimp. She told investigators that Smith groomed her into the commercial sex trade by befriending her, partying with her, buying her things, and educating her about the commercial sex trade. Smith provided her with drugs and deprived her of food to gain her compliance. V1 said she was paid $150 for a sex act, but Smith took all but $10 or $20 of that. Smith advertised V1 for commercial sex on various websites. She normally saw two or three men per day, and Smith drove her to local motels to conduct commercial sex acts. Smith kept V1 at the apartment in Kansas City and would lock the door to prevent her from leaving. She provided investigators with the names of two additional victims who had been trafficked by Smith. V1 told investigators that Williams also set up commercial sex transactions for her. Smith and Williams split the money earned from the transactions. Williams photographed her for the purpose of advertising her for commercial sex. According to the plea agreement, Smith and Williams worked together and there is evidence of their coordination in the commercial sex business. V1 told investigators there were times when Williams would call Smith about a commercial sex “deal” and Smith would either take V1 to the deal location or drop her off with Williams, who would then drive her to the deal. Sometimes, too, they would switch off with Williams taking her to Smith if Smith received a call from a customer. Smith pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2022, to 18 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Smith to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lenexa, Kan., Police Department.


title: New York Man Pleads Guilty To Passing Counterfeit Currency At Stores In Monroe County

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ahmed Brima, age 36, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to the charge of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brima admitted that on May 16, 2023, he passed or attempted to pass counterfeit $100 bills at the CVS Pharmacy in East Stroudsburg, the Rite Aid in Stroudsburg, the Rite Aid in East Stroudsburg, the Walgreens in Stroud Township, and the Dollar General in East Stroudsburg. Brima was apprehended after the incident at the CVS Pharmacy in East Stroudsburg. The total amount of counterfeit currency that Brima passed, attempted to pass, or possessed was $3800. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced for Possessing Fentanyl for Distribution in Chesapeake

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Baltimore, Maryland man was sentenced today to ten years in prison for possessing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, a synthetic fentanyl analog, which he intended to deliver to a co-conspirator in Chesapeake, Virginia. According to court documents, on November 30, 2022, the Chesapeake Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence of Dorman Winston Mewborn, 36, of Chesapeake, and recovered various substances containing fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Clyde Desmond Ringgold, Jr., 37, of Baltimore, had been supplying Mewborn with narcotics since early 2022. On December 21, 2022, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance on Ringgold after he arrived on a flight from Baltimore to Norfolk International Airport. Ringgold later drove to Mewborn’s residence, intending to collect on a prior drug debt owed by Mewborn to Ringgold, as well as to deliver two ounces of heroin to Mewborn for $4,000. Once Ringgold arrived outside Mewborn’s residence, officers arrested and searched Ringgold, who was found to possess approximately 40 grams of fentanyl and para-flurofentanyl, along with $2,000 and a cell phone containing multiple pictures of kilograms of controlled substances. Ringgold previously was convicted in federal court in Baltimore for distribution of heroin, and he was sentenced to serve five years in prison in January 2014. As a result of Ringgold’s criminal record, he qualifies as a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-58.


title: THREE NIGERIAN CITIZENS INDICTED FOR WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that on January 23, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Nigerian citizens John Umukoro, Shedrack Umukoro, and Otaniyen Iduozee with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956. According to filed court documents, between November of 2021 and May of 2022, the defendants participated in an extensive scheme to fraudulently obtain and then launder money from American citizens who believed they were loaning funds to their romantic partners. According to court filings, the defendants posed as older men looking for connections on dating websites and engaged in text-based romantic relationships with older women. Once the defendants gained their victims’ trust, they began to “borrow” money from their victims, for allegedly urgent and short-term financial needs. Court filings further indicate that those “loans” were never repaid, however, and multiple victims ultimately lost their life savings. Finally, filings indicate that after obtaining the victims’ funds, the defendants laundered them through multiple transactions and moved the funds overseas. If convicted, each of these offenses carries a maximum of twenty years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson will prosecute. The public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: District Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Firearms Possession and Drug Trafficking Offenses

body_text: WASHINGTON - Michael Stewart, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year (felony) and one count of possession with intent to distribute N, N-Dimethylpentylone (felony), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Stewart was sentenced to 46 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. Stewart pled guilty to the offense on October 25, 2023. He has been detained since January 8, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on November 6, 2022 at approximately 4:30 p.m. officers responded to the Beacon Hotel located at 1615 Rhode Island Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. After placing Stewart under arrest, officers searched his hotel room and found a privately manufactured firearm (also known as a ghost gun) that did not have a serial number, underneath the bed. The firearm had one 9-millimeter round in the chamber and an additional 24 rounds in an extended magazine capable of holding 31 rounds. DNA testing on this firearm tied Stewart to the firearm. Officers also recovered Stewart’s book bag, which contained a scale, $2,232 in small denomination bills, and 105.13 grams of N-Ethylpentylone. (N- Ethylpentylone is a Schedule 1 controlled substance and is a synthetic cathinone.) N-Ethylpentylone is often referred to as “boot” or “molly.” During a search of Stewart at the courthouse by the U.S. Marshals, law enforcement recovered a yellow package from his person that contained 66.52 grams of N, N- Dimethylpentylone. (N, N-Dimethylpentylone is an isomer of N-Ethylpentylone. It is also a synthetic cathinone. It is also often referred to as “boot” or “molly.”). On December 7, 2022, officers were on routine patrol in the area of 5 th Street and I Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Officers arrested Stewart for publicly consuming marijuana. Officers recovered the following items from Stewart: a sandwich-sized bag containing 70.15 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a black digital scale, $191 in U.S. currency, a folded dollar bill with a white powdery substance inside, approximately.5 grams of fentanyl (including two light blue round tablets with an M-30 imprint on it and a small zip lock baggie of a light blue powder substance), and another clear plastic bag that contained 87.99 grams of N, N- Dimethylpentylone. On January 8, 2023, at approximately 2:35 a.m. officers observed Stewart in the area of 7 th Street and T Street, Northwest. After officers approached him, Stewart ran diagonally through an intersection with oncoming traffic from at least one direction. Stewart was subsequently apprehended and officers recovered a black in color Ruger SR9C firearm from his person. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and fifteen rounds in the magazine. The extended magazine in the firearm had a total capacity of 17 rounds. A records check revealed that the firearm was stolen from Atlanta, Georgia. Officers also recovered two folded $1 bills with white power inside, a scale, $435 in small denomination bills, and 61.8 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone. In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Kailimai, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from Project Safe Neighborhoods from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Renaud. Chief of Federal Major Crimes Melissa Jackson provided valuable assistance.


title: Man Sentenced in District of New Hampshire to 20 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses Occurring in New Jersey

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Concord, New Hampshire, man was sentenced today in federal court to 240 months in prison for the exploitation of a minor in New Jersey and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger and U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced. Scott Wilkinson, 39, previously pleaded guilty to one count each of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante, who imposed the sentence today in federal court in New Hampshire. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Wilkinson traveled from New Hampshire to New Jersey in April 2022, where he engaged in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child. Wilkinson had been corresponding with the child online for approximately one year prior to traveling to New Jersey to meet the child. A video that Wilkinson created of himself engaged in sexual acts with the child was found on his cell phone, as were other images and videos of child sexual abuse material. In addition to the prison term, Judge Laplante sentenced Wilkinson to 10 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger and U.S. Attorney Young credited special agents of the FBI the Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Harteis of the District of New Jersey and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland of the District of New Hampshire. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced on January 23, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Phillip Pringle, 53, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on June 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and aiding and abetting another in the distribution of methamphetamine. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between January 2015 and December 2019, Pringle and others distributed more than six kilograms of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge/Humboldt, Iowa, areas. In September and October 2019, Pringle was the source of methamphetamine for an individual selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer. On October 19, 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Pringle’s failure to appear for a pre-trial release revocation hearing. Over two years later, on February 14, 2023, Pringle was arrested by the United States Marshals Service as a federal fugitive. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Pringle was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Pringle 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 Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and 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 20-3022. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Surgical Sales Representatives Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Bribery And Honest Services Wire Fraud Against The Quillen VA Medical Center

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GRENNEVILLE, Tenn. – On January 25, 2024, Eric S. Smith, 54, currently of Bristol, Virginia, and Landon Chester, 36, currently of Johnson City, Tennessee, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker. Smith’s sentencing has been set for May 30, 2024, at 11 a.m., and Chester’s sentencing has been set for May 30, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., in the United States District Court at Greeneville. Smith and Chester both face a term of up to 5 years in Federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and supervised release of three years. Under their written plea agreements, both must also pay restitution and have agreed to forfeit seized bank accounts totaling over $156,000. As part of written plea agreements, Smith and Chester waived indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to an information. According to the plea agreements, both Smith and Chester worked as a surgical sales representative for an independent distributor of a nationwide orthopedic company that manufactured replacement joints and products used during surgeries in which those joints were implanted. Both routinely sold products to the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee. In June 2018, Chester and Smith formed a separate company and began selling their own acquired inventory to the VA at inflated prices or when not necessary, resulting in losses to the VA in excess of $850,000. Chester and Smith agreed that they conspired and paid cash bribes of more than $80,000 to two VA Medical Center employees (indicted separately) for their agreement to commit, collude, and aid in the fraud against the VA. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Kim Lampkins, Special Agent-in-Charge, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, VA Office of the Inspector General; Elisa Pellegrini, Special Agent-in-Charge, GSA Office of the Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Division; and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, made the announcement. This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General, GSA Office of the Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Mac D. Heavener, III, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States. ###


title: Louisiana Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Transport  Live White-Tailed Deer from Louisiana to Mississippi

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – Two Louisiana men pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Johnson of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colonel Jerry Carter of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Brandon Scott Favre, 49, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty on November 8, 2023; and Jason Martin, 50, of Hackberry, pled guilty on January 19, 2024. Both defendants pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of conspiring to transport a live white-tailed deer from the state of Louisiana to the state of Mississippi in violation of state and federal laws. Favre was sentenced to a 4-year term of supervised probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. He was also ordered to implement a four-year Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) sampling and testing plan on an 850-acre enclosure and ordered to pay $59,808.19 in restitution for the costs of the CWD sampling and testing plan that will be conducted by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). As part of this plan, 40 white-tailed deer will be harvested each of the four years by the MDWFP for CWD testing. Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 1 year imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. A federal magistrate judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents and statements made in open court, from October 2020, through June 2021, Favre and Martin entered into an agreement to transport and receive from Louisiana into Mississippi a live white-tailed deer. In April 2021, Martin transported the deer as agreed upon and delivered to Mistletoe Properties, a permitted 850-acre high-fence enclosure for white-tailed deer operated by Favre, located in Adams County, Mississippi. Once delivered, the deer was put into an unpermitted breeding pen located on the property. The deer was transported from Louisiana without documentation, in violation of Louisiana law, and transported into Mississippi, in violation of Mississippi law, and all in violation of federal law. Federal law makes it unlawful to transport live white-tailed deer from one state to another without proper documentation and without required animal health records. These records include certifying that captive-bred animals are free from diseases such as chronic wasting disease. The Mississippi Board of Animal Health has declared that white-tailed deer are considered chronic wasting disease susceptible animals and are not allowed entry into Mississippi. The State of Louisiana requires any person who keeps, breeds, raises, contains, harvests, buys, sells, trades, or transfers ownership of any type of farm-raised alternative livestock for commercial purposes shall obtain a farm-raising license prior to engaging in such activity. Additionally, the State of Louisiana requires any person with a farm-raising license to maintain records, for not less than 60 months, of all sales, trades, or transfers of any farm-raised alternative livestock. White-tailed deer are considered farm-raised alternative livestock. Chronic wasting disease is the chief threat to wild deer and elk populations in North America. The disease, which ultimately ends in the death of infected animals, is a transmissible neurological disease that produces small lesions in the brain of deer and elk and is characterized by loss of body condition and behavioral abnormalities. USFWS Acting SAC Stephanie Johnson stated: "This prosecution is an excellent example of what we can accomplish through the collaboration that occurs every day between the USFWS and our enforcement partners. The MDWFP and USFWS share a vested interest in combating the spread of diseases which threaten our native wildlife populations and are potentially spread through the interstate transport of deer in violation of state and federal laws." MDWFP Colonel Jerry Carter stated: “The MDWFP takes the interstate transport and unlawful importation of White-tailed deer into the State of Mississippi seriously. We will continue to work collaborative criminal investigations with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service & the U.S. Attorney’s Office to detect and prosecute those who choose to violate the laws of this state.” The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks – Investigations Unit, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.


title: Timothy Carver Sentenced To 460 Months In Prison For Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On January 25, 2023, Timothy Carver, 54, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, was sentenced to 460 months in prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Carver was convicted following a jury trial in April 2023 of knowingly producing child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a); knowingly distributing child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2)(A); and knowingly possessing child pornography involving a child less than 12 years of age, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B). Evidence presented at trial proved the defendant videoed and photographed himself engaged in sexual acts with a two-year-old. The proof further showed that he distributed a child pornography video to an FBI Online Covert Agent using a messaging application. FBI agents searched the defendant’s cellular phone and discovered 1,735 photo and video files containing child pornography. Carver will serve 460 months in prison and will also be subject to lifetime supervision and placement on the sex offender registry. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement. The FBI, including agents from the Johnson City, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Field Offices, led the investigation that resulted in the indictment and subsequent conviction of Carver. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office also provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Swecker and Thomas McCauley represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office announces charges in Alaska organized drug crime ring

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska announced today that 53 people have been charged through nine indictments in connection with a large-scale organized crime ring operating within the state of Alaska. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Zahn of the Drug Enforcement Administration Anchorage District Office, Assistant Inspector In Charge Jarrod Resendez of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division, Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, and Capt. Cornelius Sims of the Alaska State Troopers made the announcement alongside Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office and Chief Michael Kerle of the Anchorage Police Department during a press conference at the James M. Fitzgerald U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building. According to court documents, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, 57, ran a transnational organized crime and drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska. Throughout the entirety of the conspiracy, Sanchez-Rodriguez was an inmate in a California state prison. He allegedly used contraband cell phones to communicate with his suppliers in Mexico and their brokers, leaders in California and Oregon, and distributors of the drug trafficking enterprise in Alaska. From February 2022 to July 2023, law enforcement intercepted roughly 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 27.3 kilograms of meth, 11.3 kilograms of heroin and 118 grams of cocaine connected to the enterprise, with the majority destined for various communities across the state. According to the indictments, the enterprise mainly used high-level suppliers to send drug packages through the U.S. Postal Service from Oregon and California to Alaska. Distributors located in Alaska would receive the packages and distribute the drugs to Alaskan communities as small as Goodnews Bay, Tyonek, Sand Point and Savoonga per Sanchez-Rodriguez’s instruction. The indictments charge that Christina Quintana, 38, who was an inmate at Hiland Mountain Correctional Facility in Eagle River during the entirety of the conspiracy, was known as one of Sanchez-Rodriguez’s “wives,” which was a title reserved for high-ranking members of the enterprise. Her role in the conspiracy was allegedly to recruit soon to be released inmates from Hiland to be distributors for the enterprise. Upon release, the newly recruited members are alleged to have received packages of drugs to distribute the drugs across Alaska. At the direction of Sanchez-Rodriguez and in furtherance of the conspiracy, Tamara Bren, 41, who was one of Sanchez-Rodriguez’s “wives,” and Kevin Peterson, 29, another member of the enterprise, allegedly killed Sunday Powers and Kami Clark near Trapper Creek in May 2023. Court documents allege Sanchez-Rodriguez, Bren and Peterson coordinated the kidnapping, where the victims were kidnapped through carjacking, murdered and buried in a shallow grave. The grand jury also charged Edward Ginnis, 38, and Samantha Pearson, 37, of North Pole, with offenses related to their role in the conspiracy and with distributing fentanyl to Adam Sakkinen resulting in his death. Over 25 defendants were also charged with money laundering conspiracy to promote drug trafficking and concealing the source of the funds. Court documents identified at least 76 separate money laundering transactions as part of the investigation, including some made internationally to Mexico. Defendants in this case include (in alphabetical order): Alison Giacullo, 40 Amber Young, 28 Amy Garcia, 32 Angela Jasper, 39 Anna Petla, 24 April Chythlook, 28 Ashley Northrup, 35 Catherine Phillips, 40 Christina Quintana Cloe Sam, 26 Colleen McDaniel, 68 Della Northway, 28 Desiree Green, 45 Douglas Vanmeter, 32 Edward Ginnis Elroy Bouchard, 58 Erika Badillo, a.k.a “Erica Madrigal,” 42 Erindira Pin, 44 Frieda Gillespie, 50 Gust Romie, 36 Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, a.k.a “Charlie,” “Marco” and “Danny Sanchez” James Schwarz, 41 Josi Sterling, f.k.a “Josi Philbin,” 35 Julia Brusell, 41 Kaleea Fox, 24 Karen Kasak, 51 Karly Fuller, 30 Kevin Peterson II Khamthene Thongdy, 45 Krystyn Gosuk, 33 Larry Marsden, 41 Lois Frank, 64 Mario Klanott, 37 Michael Kohler, 35 Michael Soto, 33 Michelle Pungowiyi, 49 Naomi Sanchez, 39 Pasquale Giordano, 45 Patricia Seal-Uttke, 30 Pius Hanson, 40 Richard Frye, 35 Rochelle Wood, 38 Samantha Pearson Sara Orr, 32 Shanda Barlow, 34 Shania Agli, 25 Stormy Cleveland, f.k.a “Stormy Powell,” 37 Tamara Bren Tamberlyn Solomon, 25 Tiffani Couch, 30 Twyla Gloko, 36 Valerie Sanchez, 26 Veronica Sanchez, 49 Most defendants made their initial court appearances over the past four months before U.S. Magistrate Judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Division Office and Anchorage District Office, FBI Anchorage Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division and Anchorage Domicile, Homeland Security Investigations Anchorage, Alaska Office, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department and Palmer Police Department, with significant law enforcement support from the U.S. Marshals Service, are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins, Christopher Schroeder, Karen Vandergaw and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case. This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which 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. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. UPDATE: This press release has been changed to include the law enforcement agency Homeland Security Investigations Anchorage, Alaska Office. ###


title: Iowa Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of Meth from Nebraska Man

body_text: A Nebraska man who planned to distribute methamphetamine, pled guilty January 24, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Calvin Wright, 33, from Creighton, Nebraska, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Wright was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2016 in Nebraska. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on July 5, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Wright was a passenger. Due to suspicious activity, a K-9 was deployed and indicated to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle. Once law enforcement began to search the vehicle, Wright admitted everything in the car was his. In a backpack which had been between Wright’s legs in the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 95 grams of pure methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Wright faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by 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 23-4052. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Waterloo Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: A prohibited person who possessed a firearm was sentenced on January 24, 2024, to 70 months in federal prison. Ezekiel Menteer, age 24, of Waterloo, received the sentence after an August 9, 2023, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Menteer admitted that, in January 2022, he possessed a Kimber pistol after having been convicted of a felony and while being an unlawful drug user. Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that defendant used the pistol to fire eight shots outside a Waterloo bar. Menteer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Menteer was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment. 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 23-2009. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Man Who Threatened to Kill Woman With a Shotgun Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Possession of Firearm by a Felon

body_text: A Mason City, Iowa man who pointed a shotgun at a woman and threatened to kill her, was sentenced today, January 25, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison. Joseph Fitzgerald, age 64, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 11, 2023, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and domestic misdemeanant. Evidence in the case revealed that on November 23, 2022, Fitzgerald pointed a shotgun at a woman he resided with, who was disabled, and threatened to kill her. The woman was able to call 911. When officers arrived on scene, Fitzgerald initially refused to let officers enter the home, but they were eventually able to make contact with the woman, who was still upset by the interaction. Fitzgerald has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for domestic violence, illegal drugs, and burglary. Notably, Fitzgerald also had eight driving while intoxicated convictions and 13 assault convictions. Fitzgerald was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Fitzgerald is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Mason City, Iowa Police Department and ATF, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3009. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Armed Felon Who Fled Police at High Speed Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: A man who fled a traffic stop after arming himself with a firearm as the officer approached was sentenced January 17, 2024, to more than 4 years in federal prison. Michael McCullum, age 33, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence in the case revealed McCullum was stopped for speeding in the predawn hours of April 30, 2023. As the Officer approached the vehicle, he observed McCullum grasping a handgun with his right hand, looking over his left shoulder for the approaching officer, as if preparing to engage the officer. The officer took control of the situation, drew his sidearm, and ordered McCullum and his passenger to keep their hands up. McCullum initially complied, but then dropped his hands and fled the traffic stop in his car at a high rate of speed. McCullum’s vehicle was later discovered thanks to a report of a reckless driver. Officers found McCullum and his car, freed the passenger, who had been trapped when McCullum sped away from the traffic stop, and later found the firearm McCullum had hidden nearby. McCullum has a history of interactions with law enforcement that started as early as 15 years old. He has a felony conviction for armed robbery/armed with dangerous weapon. McCullum was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Strand commented the situation the defendant created was “chilling” and but for the well-trained officers disciplined actions and approach the situation could have been tragic. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. McCullum is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4030. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Beaumont man guilty of violent crime spree targeting Southeast Texas businesses

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Daniel James Leatherwood, 21, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on Jan. 25, 2024. According to court documents, in April and May of 2023, Leatherwood and another individual robbed several businesses in and around Beaumont at gunpoint. The robberies included two Game X Change stores, a Shell gas station, an Express Mart convenience store, and a Cindie’s lingerie store. Leatherwood was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 1, 2023. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the armed robbery charge and an additional seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of that crime. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department, Nederland Police Department, Liberty Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. ###


title: Jury Convicts Slync Founder

body_text: The founder of Slync, a supply-chain management software startup, has been convicted of defrauding investors out of at least $25 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Christopher Kirchner, 36, was charged via superseding indictment last month. He was previously charged via indictment with wire fraud and money laundering. After 4 days of trial, a jury convicted him today of four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Kirchner – who served as Slync’s CEO from 2017 until 2022, when he was terminated by the Board of Directors due to allegations of misconduct – converted at least $25 million in investor money to his own personal use. Records indicate that Slync raised roughly $7 million in its Series A investment round and roughly $50 million in its Series B investment round. All investor funds, which were supposed to be used for “product development and other general corporate purposes,” were wired into the company’s account at Silicon Valley Bank. Mr. Kirchner misappropriated the investor funds in various ways: Between April 2020 and March 2022, Mr. Kirchner initiated nearly 100 wire transfers moving money from Slync’s Silicon Valley Bank account into the company’s account at JPMorgan Chase Bank – an account only he had access to. He then wired much of the money from the Chase account to his personal bank accounts. In addition, Mr. Kirchner wired $20 million directly from Slync’s Silicon Valley Bank account into his personal checking account. He used some of those funds to buy a $16 million private jet and to secure a luxury suite at the stadium of a Dallas-area professional sports team. When Slync, drained of funds, struggled to make payroll in the spring of 2022, Mr. Kirchner attempted to replace some of the money he had misappropriated by convincing at least four investors to wire approximately $850,000 to Slync as part of a purported Series C investment round. Slync’s Board of Directors never authorized a Series C investment round. In the meantime, Mr. Kirchner offered various explanations for Slync’s payroll issues – all of which were untrue. Mr. Kirchner also fired a Slync employee after the employee reported to the Board of Directors that Mr. Kirchner may have falsely exaggerated Slync’s financial performance to investors. Immediately following his suspension by the Board of Directors, in late July 2022, Mr. Kirchner removed certain IT administrator privileges from key Slync employees, preventing the employees from accessing Slync’s computer systems. He then attempted to delete approximately 18 gigabytes of Slync data, including emails. Mr. Kirchner now faces up 20 years in federal prison per count of wire fraud and up to 10 years in prison per count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity . The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua D. Detzky, Nashonme Johnson, and Jay Weimer prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture.


title: California Woman Admits to Trafficking Methamphetamine in Rhode Island

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A California woman today admitted to a federal judge in Providence, RI, that she participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Rhode Island and that in June of 2022, she distributed over three pounds of crystal methamphetamine and was in possession of over two- and one-half pounds of crystal methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Nora Cecilia Carranza Reyes, 52, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to information presented to the court, in June 2022, while under law enforcement surveillance, Carranza Reyes and another individual delivered a brown paper bag, later determined by law enforcement to contained over three pounds of crystal methamphetamine, to an individual who traveled to Rhode Island from Maine to retrieve the package. The delivery and pick-up of the meth was allegedly arranged by an individual who, at the time, was incarcerated at a correctional facility in Maine. The drugs were seized in Maine during a traffic stop for a routine traffic violation. Court-authorized search warrants were executed for Carranza Reyes, a motor vehicle, and the Cranston residence where Carranza Reyes was staying. Upon executing the warrants, law enforcement officers also searched Carranza Reyes’ own motor vehicle where they discovered over two- and one-half pounds of methamphetamine stashed inside a duffel bag. The vehicle also contained a sophisticated hide within the engine compartment of the vehicle. Carranza Reyes, a Mexican national, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for their assistance in this matter. ###


title: Two Men Sentenced for Falsifying Documents Related to Testing of Equipment at Nuclear Power Plants

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Two men attended sentencing hearings today in federal court for their roles in creating false calibration certificates in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Miguel Marcial Amaro and Martin Ramos had each previously pleaded guilty to the felony offense of making and using a false document, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Each defendant is banned from participation or employment in NRC-licensed activities as a condition of their plea agreement – Marcial Amaro for five years and Ramos for two years. According to court documents, Marcial Amaro and Ramos both worked for a company that provided acoustic emissions (AE) testing to nuclear power plants to detect structural defects in the plant’s equipment, including critical components within the nuclear reactors. Between 2010 and 2021, Marcial Amaro was responsible for ensuring that the company’s AE testing equipment was calibrated annually; Ramos worked under Marcial Amaro as an engineer. The two men created numerous false calibration certificates for AE testing equipment and 15 of these false certificates were sent a total of 29 times to nuclear plant owners as part of final testing reports required by NRC. The falsified calibration certificates were discovered in 2021 during an external audit. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. The NRC’s Office of Investigation conducted the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Daniel Dooher and Trial Attorney Rachel M. Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joan E. Burnes for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Law Firm Partner Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Laundering $400 Million Of OneCoin Fraud Proceeds

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MARK SCOTT was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos for laundering approximately $400 million of proceeds from the massive international fraud scheme known as “OneCoin.” Today’s sentencing followed SCOTT’s conviction on all counts at trial on November 21, 2019. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mark Scott, previously convicted at trial of laundering over $400 million of OneCoin proceeds for ‘Crypto Queen,’ Ruja Ignatova, used his law license as a means to participate in a massive money laundering scheme for a cryptocurrency that had no value since its inception. Scott, an equity partner at a prominent international law firm, had boasted of earning ‘50 by 50.’ Indeed, Scott accomplished his goal, but by fraud and deception, and will now spend a decade in prison and has been ordered to forfeit all of his illegal proceeds.” According to the Indictment, documents filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial: OneCoin, which began operations in 2014 and was based in Sofia, Bulgaria, marketed and sold a fraudulent cryptocurrency by the same name through a global multi-level-marketing (“MLM”) network. OneCoin began operating in the U.S. in or around 2015. The OneCoin scheme was one of the largest fraud schemes ever perpetrated. Between the fourth quarter of 2014 and the fourth quarter of 2016 alone, the scheme took in more than $4 billion from at least 3.5 million victims. OneCoin marketed its fake cryptocurrency through a global MLM network of OneCoin members. Unlike legitimate cryptocurrencies, OneCoin had no actual value and was conceived of as a fraud from day one. The misrepresentations made to OneCoin investors were legion, and the cryptocurrency was worthless. Among other things, OneCoin lied to its members about how its cryptocurrency was valued, claiming that the price of OneCoin was based on market supply and demand, when in fact OneCoin itself arbitrarily set the value of the coin without regard to market forces. The purported value of a OneCoin grew steadily from €0.50 to approximately €29.95 per coin, as of in or about January 2019. The purported price of OneCoins never decreased in value. SCOTT, who was employed between June 2015 and September 2016 as an equity partner at Locke Lord LLP, a prominent international law firm, was first introduced to OneCoin’s co-founder, RUJA IGNATOVA, in September 2015. Beginning in early 2016, SCOTT formed a series of fake private equity investment funds in the British Virgin Islands known as the “Fenero Funds.” SCOTT then disguised incoming transfers of approximately $400 million into the Fenero Funds as investments from “wealthy European families,” when in fact the money represented proceeds of the OneCoin fraud scheme. SCOTT layered the money through various Fenero Fund bank accounts in the Cayman Islands and the Republic of Ireland. SCOTT subsequently transferred the funds back to IGNATOVA and other OneCoin associated entities, this time disguising the transfers as outbound investments from the Fenero Funds. As part of the scheme, SCOTT and his co-conspirators lied to banks and other financial institutions all over the world, including to banks in the U.S., to cause those institutions to make transfers of OneCoin proceeds and evade anti-money laundering procedures. SCOTT, who boasted about earning “50 by 50,” was paid more than $50 million for his money laundering services. He used that money to purchase, among other things, a collection of luxury watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, a Ferrari and several Porsches, a 57-foot Sunseeker yacht, and three multimillion-dollar seaside homes in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. * * * In addition to the prison term, SCOTT, 55, of Coral Gables, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. SCOTT was also ordered to forfeit a money judgment in the amount of $392,940,000, several bank accounts, a yacht, two Porsche automobiles, and four real-estate properties. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Folly, Juliana Murray, and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Brian Jackson, 44, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Jackson admitted that he created and intended to distribute fake oxycodone pills that actually contained fentanyl or other opioids. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 9, 2022, law enforcement officers intercepted a package that Jackson placed in the United States Mail to send to Connecticut. Officers searched the package and found over 300 pills that appeared to be 30-milligram oxycodone pills. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the pills contained protonitazene, an emergent synthetic opioid that is equally if not more potent than fentanyl. On August 29, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a St. Albans apartment rented by Jackson. Officers found various quantities of pills that looked like legitimate 30-milligram oxycodone pills. The DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed that some of the seized pills contained fentanyl and others contained protonitazene or butonitazene, a federal Schedule I controlled substance with opioid effects. Officers also found various quantities of powders containing these substances, hydraulic pill press equipment, various punch and die kits used to imprint pills with “M30” markings, a pharmacy-grade powder mixing machine, various binding powders, two loaded pistols and a large quantity of cash. Investigators seized over 10,000 pills in this case. Jackson admitted that he used the apartment, and primarily its basement, as a workshop to make counterfeit pills that he intended to distribute. Jackson further admitted that he acquired fentanyl powder from a source outside the United States, the “M30” punch and die sets from China and commercially manufactured binding powder from a company in the U.S. Jackson began renting the St. Albans apartment several years prior to the August 29, 2022 search by law enforcement. Jackson admitted that he had been living with his family at a residence in South Charleston since February 2022 while continuing to rent the St. Albans apartment. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. “This is the exact sort of criminal conduct that has resulted in untold harm and grief throughout West Virginia and our nation,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “There must be no tolerance for the creation and distribution of these counterfeit pills that have caused so many overdoses and deaths.” Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the valuable assistance provided by the West Virginia Fusion Center, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Charleston Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department, and the St. Albans Fire Department hazardous materials team. “Through his selfish and reckless actions, Mr. Jackson endangered not only his immediate neighbors, but the Charleston community at large; and for that, he should expect to meet the full weight of the justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Field Division. “The DEA and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate clandestine drug labs operating in our communities. If you’re in the business of making or selling fake pills, just know that we’re coming for you.” “Today, Timothy Jackson admitted to manufacturing, possessing, and intending to distribute poison, which could have wreaked havoc on scores of American families,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. “Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. One kilogram of fentanyl can produce 1 million to 1.5 million pill dosage units and has the potential to kill 500,000 people. HSI Washington, D.C. is proud to have worked with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prevent the distribution of this toxin to the residents of our communities.” “As Postal Inspectors, our primary mission is the protection of our people and the postal employees who serve the public dutifully each day,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Lesley C. Allison. “The USPIS is committed to taking these dangerous substances out of the mail stream and our priority is to safeguard the public and our employees. The charges against this individual proves the resolve of Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners to pursue these organizations with every resource at our disposal, and to ultimately see that justice is served.” Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-176. ###


title: Pennsylvania Resident Indicted for Defrauding Allied World Insurance Company

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 10-count indictment charging JAMES KEATING, 51, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, with offenses stemming from an alleged fraud scheme against his former employer. The indictment was returned on January 16, 2024, and Keating surrendered to authorities in Philadelphia on January 18. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $100,000 bond. As alleged in the indictment, Keating was an Assistant Vice President and surety bond claims handler at Allied World Insurance Company (“Allied World”). He later served in the same capacity at Crum and Forster subsidiary U.S. Fire Insurance Company, where he also handled claims on Allied World surety bonds. All surety bond claims were handled through Allied World’s offices in Farmington, Connecticut. Between 2017 and 2021, Keating defrauded Allied World in two ways. First, he used a shell company, American Construction & Industrial LLC, to bill Allied World for unnecessary claims work that was not performed and took the proceeds for himself. Second, he solicited and received kickbacks from Allied World vendors through another Keating-owned company, Surety Risk Solutions (also known as “SRS” or “SR5”), without the knowledge of his employer. Keating also caused these vendors to use another company in which he had an undisclosed ownership interest, Kodiak Asset Recovery, for asset searches at vastly inflated prices. Keating profited nearly $1 million through American Construction & Industrial LLC, more than $350,000 in kickbacks through Surety Risk Solutions, and nearly $125,000 through Kodiak Asset Recovery. The indictment charges Keating with 10 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 48 Months for International Bank Heists

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, Garri Smith was sentenced to 48 months in prison by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, for money laundering conspiracy in connection with his role in a multi-year scheme in which he and his co-conspirators stole millions of dollars from bank safety deposit boxes in seven foreign countries. Smith pled guilty to the charge in June 2022. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the sentence. “Smith used deception and high-tech medical equipment to break into safety deposit boxes and steal millions of dollars, jewelry and even gold bars from customers around the world,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “This prosecution represents our continued commitment to combat theft and fraud, and put a stop to individuals who seek to use U.S. banks to launder their ill-gotten gains.” Mr. Peace also expressed his appreciation for the assistance of the New York City Police Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the governments of Azerbaijan, Latvia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan in the investigation. “Garri Smith stole a fortune from banks around the world in a scheme more suited for a Hollywood production. He sought wealth and the finer things, but instead landed himself on the wrong side of the law,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “I want to thank FBI New York and our law enforcement partners here and abroad, who together have shown that even the craftiest of criminals will ultimately get caught.” According to court filings and facts presented during the sentencing proceeding, Smith and other members of the conspiracy would pose as customers at the target banks in countries including Ukraine, Russia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Latvia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, where they would rent safety deposit boxes, sometimes using fake identification documents. After they gained access to rooms at the banks where these safety deposit boxes were located, they used specialized medical equipment to take photographs of the inside of the locks on other customers’ safety deposit boxes. Using these photographs, the conspirators created duplicate keys to access the safety deposit boxes and used those keys to steal money and other valuables, including jewelry and gold bars, from the banks’ customers. For his role in the thefts, Smith is accountable for a loss of $5.1 million. They then laundered their ill-gotten gains into their United States-based bank accounts. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Joy Lurinsky, Megan Larkin, and Brian Morris. The Defendant : GARRI SMITH Age: 52 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-208 (LDH)


title: Grant County man sentenced to 12 years for methamphetamine and firearms charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Christian Adam Fisher, age 38, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, Fisher was selling large quantities of methamphetamine in Grant County. Investigators found methamphetamine and a firearm after a search of his home and his vehicle. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Browning man sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting two persons with a knife on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to holding a knife to a person’s throat and stabbing another person who attempted to intervene was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jaylin John Ridesatthedoor, 21, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to assault with a dangerous weapon and to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. In court documents, the government alleged that on June 28, 2022 near Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Ridesatthedoor pursued a vehicle that was occupied by his ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, and others. Ridesatthedoor slashed two of the tires, broke out a window and tried to pull Jane Doe from the vehicle. Once Jane Doe left the vehicle, Ridesatthedoor attempted to persuade Jane Doe to go with him. When she refused, Ridesatthedoor started swinging a knife he was holding at Jane Doe and then held it against her throat. Another occupant of the vehicle, John Doe, tried to pull Ridesatthedoor off Jane Doe, and Ridesatthedoor stabbed him in the chest. John Doe was flown to an area hospital for life-saving surgery. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Missouri Man Who Sexually Assaulted Children Sentenced to 199 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who possessed child pornography and admitted sexually abusing two children to 199 months in prison. Judge Clark also ordered Kyle Mathew Bray, 32, to be placed on supervised release for life after his prison term ends. Bray, who was living in Lincoln County at the time his crimes were discovered, pleaded guilty in August to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted using the Telegram app to receive child pornography, which he stored on his phone, and join Telegram groups focused on children. Bray also admitted sexually abusing a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old. The case was investigated by the Troy Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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: Leader of Human Smuggling Organization Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Maria Mendoza-Mendoza, aka “La Guera,” 51, of Honduras, pleaded guilty yesterday to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 2, 2024, before United States District Judge Raner C. Collins. Mendoza-Mendoza admitted that she was a leader of a smuggling organization that smuggled over 100 migrants from Honduras into the United States, and that, as a leader, she coordinated alien smuggling and money laundering events. Mendoza-Mendoza admitted she told a co-conspirator she would “bleed out” a guide as punishment and that she stated that a migrant whose family did not pay his fee would be thrown “back in the desert.” She also admitted that the smuggling organization used firearms and that the smuggling involved dangerous risks to the migrants. The government of Honduras extradited Mendoza-Mendoza to the United States in June 2023 to face these charges. A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Homeland Security Investigations-Sells office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-18-00078-RCC-MAA RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-008_Mendoza-Mendoza # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Gun Offense, Violating Supervised Release

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON BLANKS, 38, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, Blanks was arrested on November 2, 2021, after he broke into an Enfield apartment carrying a loaded firearm and threatened an individual. Responding officers located a polymer80 9mm firearm (“ghost gun”) with an extended magazine containing 24 rounds of ammunition. In Blanks’ car, officers found and seized a loaded Ruger 9mm firearm and a bag containing approximately 72 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 400 bags of para-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue. Blanks’ criminal history includes felony convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, and multiple drug offenses, including a federal drug conviction in 2018 in the District of Vermont. Blanks was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in November 2021. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Blanks has been detained since his arrest. On November 29, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Enfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Bremerton, Washington man pleads guilty to four federal felonies connected to his extensive “swatting” scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma –A 21-year-old Bremerton, Washington, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today to four federal felonies stemming from his extensive illegal harassing activity known as “swatting,” announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ashton Connor Garcia pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion, and two counts of threats and hoaxes regarding explosives. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2024. According to the plea agreement and records in the case, from early June 2022 through March 2023, Garcia used voice over internet technology and social media platforms to make false emergency calls to dispatch services while urging others watch his illegal activity via social media. In his plea agreement, Garcia admits he intended his calls to cause a large-scale deployment of special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams, bomb squads, and other police units to the targeted locations. He made these calls with malicious intent to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against certain individuals and organizations, and to obtain items of value through extortion. The plea agreement details 20 different false emergency reports targeting victims in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Washington, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Garcia gathered personal information about his victims, and then threatened some of his victims with harm, including placing swatting calls to send an armed police presence to their home. Garcia demanded money, virtual currency, credit card information, or sexually explicit photos from some of the people he threatened. Garcia made fake reports to non-emergency police numbers claiming things such as that he and others had planted explosive devices in particular locations. He falsely accused other individuals of committing crimes, such as murder, rape, and kidnapping, and he falsely claimed that these individuals possessed dangerous weapons, such as knives, firearms, and explosive devices. Frequently, he used the same scripts claiming that his father was holding him hostage, false claims that he shot his parents, false claims that his father stabbed his mother, and false claims that his father had raped female members of the family. The false reports tied up law enforcement resources that could have been used for actual emergencies. In some instances, law enforcement entered the victim residence with weapons drawn and detained people at the residence. Garcia treated the swatting calls like entertainment. He broadcast his swatting calls via the internet platform Discord. Garcia told other Discord users that he considered himself a “cyber terrorist.” Threats and hoaxes involving explosives are punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Extortion is punishable by up to two years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 4 years in prison. Judge Settle is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. Garcia remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington. The case is being investigated by the FBI, with substantial assistance from numerous local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and in Canada. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Manca. garcia_plea_agreement_-_swatting.pdf


title: Great Falls woman sentenced for possessing stolen mail, wire fraud

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to possessing stolen mail and wire fraud while working as a postal service contract driver was sentenced today to three years of probation and ordered to pay $5,641 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jacqueline Rose Hydock, 34, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to possession of stolen mail and wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. In court documents, the government alleged that while Hydock was a postal service contract driver responsible for transporting mail between the Black Eagle and Great Falls post offices, she stole checks and gift cards contained in some of the mail items. Hydock used stolen gift cards at Great Falls businesses and altered and deposited checks into her bank accounts in 2022. In letters to the court, one of the victims spent more than five hours and 100 miles of driving to rectify the damage caused after Hydock stole a check he had mailed. Another victim told the court that she is afraid to mail anything of value anymore, and that when her seven-year-old grandson opened his birthday card that no longer had its gift card inside, both were devastated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Ohio Man and Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crimes

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Tevon O'Shea Vanhorn, also known as "Von," 29, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and Toby Lee Graley, 60, of Charleston, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least June 2022 to on or about March 2023, Vanhorn obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl and distributed quantities of the controlled substances to Graley and several other customers at multiple locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Vanhorn communicated with his customers by cell phone to arrange drug-related transactions, and knew that several of his customers redistributed the methamphetamine and fentanyl he sold them. On February 21, 2022, Vanhorn attempted to mail a package containing approximately $74,835 from Charleston, West Virginia, to Detroit, Michigan, as part of the drug distribution conspiracy. Law enforcement officers intercepted and seized the package. Since at least June 2022, Graley conspired with Vanhorn and several other people to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Graley obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl from Vanhorn and distributed the controlled substances to customers at his Lumari Lane residence in Charleston and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Graley arranged drug-related transactions on his cell phone with Vanhorn and customers. Graley knew several of his customers would redistribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl he sold them. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and JC MacCallum prosecuted the case. The case is a result of “Operation Into The Woods,” a 10-month investigation of drug trafficking in Kanawha and Boone counties. Law enforcement seized 120 grams of methamphetamine, four shotguns, and approximately $23,150 from Graley when he was arrested. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2-23-cr-44. ###