title: U.S. Attorney Announces Murder-For-Hire Charges Against IRGC Brigadier General And Former Intelligence Officer And Members Of An Iranian Intelligence Network

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced the unsealing of murder-for-hire, money-laundering, and sanctions charges against RUHOLLAH BAZGHANDI, a/k/a “Roohollah Azimi,” FNU LNU, a/k/a “Haj Taher,” (“HAJ TAHER”), HOSSEIN SEDIGHI, and SEYED MOHAMMAD FOROUZAN. The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. As detailed in the Superseding Indictment, BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN contracted members of an Eastern European criminal organization, including RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,” a/k/a “Rome,” POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” and ZIALAT MAMEDOV, a/k/a “Ziko,” to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York City who has publicly opposed the Iranian Government and who has previously been the target of similar plots by the Iranian Government. AMIROV, OMAROV, and MAMEDOV previously were arrested on charges contained in underlying indictments. AMIROV and OMAROV are in custody in the U.S., pending trial; Mamedov was extradited from the Czech Republic to the Republic of Georgia (“Georgia”) to face charges there. BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN, all of whom are based in Iran, remain at large. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, the Government of Iran has attempted to assassinate, on U.S. soil, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who is a prominent critic of the Iranian regime. In January 2023, we unsealed charges alleging that members of an Eastern European crime group engaged in a plot to murder this victim. As we allege, that group was not acting alone. Today, we hold their Iranian masters to account, and allege that these Iran-based co-conspirators, including a Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, directed the murder plot. By charging these Iran-based defendants, we seek to strike another public blow at the heart of the Government of Iran’s efforts to execute the victim—as well as its lethal targeting, intimidation, and repression of other Iranian dissidents critical of the regime in the U.S. and abroad.” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department has now charged eight individuals, including an Iranian military official, for their efforts to silence and kill a U.S. citizen because of her criticism of the Iranian regime. We will not tolerate efforts by an authoritarian regime like Iran to undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed to every American. Three of the defendants charged in this horrific plot are now in U.S. custody, and we will never stop working to identify, find, and bring to justice all those who endanger the safety of the American people.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “Today’s indictment makes plain that the Iranian regime for years has been behind a violent campaign to stalk, intimidate, and arrange the killing of an American dissident on U.S. soil for bravely speaking up for the rights of the Iranian people. The Department is committed to exposing and holding accountable those in Tehran who believe they can hide their hand in carrying out such reprehensible activities.” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “Today’s indictment exposes the full extent of Iran’s plot to silence an American journalist for criticizing the Iranian regime. According to the charges, a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a former Iranian intelligence officer, working with a network of conspirators, planned to kill a dissident living in New York City. The FBI’s investigation led to the disruption of this plot as one of the conspirators was allegedly on their way to murder the victim in New York. As these charges show, the FBI will work with our partners here and abroad to hold accountable those who target Americans.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Today we charge four members of the Bazghandi Network – each connected to the Iranian government – as being responsible for hiring members of an Eastern European Organized Crime Group to murder an American citizen in New York City. This crime was intended to stop an American from exercising their Constitutionally protected right to free speech; to end their life for speaking out publicly against the Iranian regime and its human rights violations. The FBI will aggressively pursue, disrupt, and hold accountable any foreign government which attempts to murder our citizens on our soil.” According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: [1] BAZGHANDI, who resides in Iran, is an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”) Brigadier General and has previously served as chief of an IRGC Intelligence Organization (“IRGC-IO”) counterintelligence office. In April 2023, the U.S. Secretary of State designated IRGC-IO as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 14078, relating to hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad. On the same date, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned BAZGHANDI in connection with his involvement with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran. BAZGHANDI was designated by the Treasury Department a second time in June 2023, this time under Executive Order 13224, for his participation in IRGC-IO’s lethal targeting operations. HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN (collectively with BAZGHANDI, the “Bazghandi Network”), each of whom resides in Iran, also have connections to the Government of Iran. The Bazghandi Network contracted AMIROV, OMAROV, MAMEDOV, and Khalid Mehdiyev to murder, on U.S. soil, a victim (the “Victim”) residing in New York City. The Victim is a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression, including in connection with continuing protests against the regime across Iran. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap the Victim from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence the Victim’s criticism of the regime. That plot was disrupted and exposed by the FBI and led to the filing of federal kidnapping conspiracy and other charges in the Southern District of New York against several participants in the plot in U.S. v. Farahani, et al. , 21 Cr. 430 (RA) (S.D.N.Y.). Since at least July 2022, the Bazghandi Network tasked members of the Organization with assassinating the Victim. The Organization’s participation in the murder-for-hire plot was directed by AMIROV, who resided in Iran and who was tasked with targeting the Victim by individuals in Iran. On approximately July 13, 2022, AMIROV forwarded targeting information—which Amirov had received from individuals in Iran—about the Victim and the Victim’s residence to OMAROV. OMAROV, in turn, together with MAMEDOV, directed and collaborated with Mehdiyev, who was residing in Yonkers, New York, to carry out the plot against the Victim. Mehdiyev’s participation in the plot was disrupted when he was arrested near the Victim’s home on or about July 28, 2022, while in possession of the assault rifle, along with 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask. In January 2023, AMIROV, OMAROV, and MAMEDOV were arrested overseas. On January 27, 2023, they were charged publicly for their roles in the plot to assassinate the Victim. Nevertheless, in the months that followed, members of the Bazghandi Network continued to target the Victim. For example, in or about March 2023, HAJ TAHER searched for information about the Victim’s family members and SEDIGHI saved an image of the Victim’s residence. As recently as on or about May 1, 2023, BAZGHANDI conducted an Internet search, in Farsi, for, “a person in the house of [the Victim] movie,” and, on the same date, watched a video with the title, “A video of the arrested gunman in front of [the Victim]’s home in New York received by [the Victim’s employer].” * * * BAZGHANDI, HAJ TAHER, SEDIGHI, and FOROUZAN, all of Iran, have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Three); and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Six). AMIROV, 45, of IRAN; OMAROV, 39, of the Czech Republic and Slovenia; Mamedov, 32, of Georgia; also have been charged in Counts One, Two, and Three, as well as with attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison (Count Five). The potential maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by Judge McMahon. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The charges in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Operator Of Tow Truck And Auto Repair Company Charged With Racketeering Conspiracy And Murder

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging CHRISTIAN LUGO, a/k/a “Coco,” with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and related firearms charges. These charges relate to LUGO’s leadership role in a racketeering conspiracy that used fraud and violent intimidation to run a tow truck and auto repair shop known as Certified Auto. On February 7, 2022, LUGO ordered a co-conspirator who worked for him at Certified Auto to shoot at members of a rival tow truck company, which resulted in the death of Gloria Ortiz. LUGO was arrested this morning and will be presented today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Christian Lugo corrupted a tow truck and auto repair business in the Bronx and ran that enterprise by engaging in rampant fraud and serious acts of violence. Lugo’s alleged rivalry with other tow truck companies culminated in him allegedly ordering another member of his enterprise to shoot at rivals, which resulted in the murder of Gloria Ortiz. We hope that these charges bring some measure of comfort to Ms. Ortiz’s family and make clear that this Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to prosecuting those who allegedly commit senseless violence in the name of increasing their power in a criminal enterprise.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Christian Lugo allegedly engaged in a racketeering conspiracy using violence as part of the operation of a Bronx-based tow truck and auto repair business. As alleged, his callous actions directly led to the 2022 murder of Gloria Ortiz as well as additional crimes and fraud. FBI New York will not sit idly by and allow violent crime – let alone murder – to be used as a means to operate a business.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] LUGO, along with others, corrupted the operations and activities of Certified Auto, which was a company that provided towing and auto repair services to vehicles damaged in car accidents. LUGO and his co-conspirators used Certified Auto to commit wire, mail, and insurance fraud and to assert control over the towing and auto repair industry in their territory in the Bronx, New York, using violence and threats of violence. On February 7, 2022, LUGO ordered a co-conspirator who worked for him at Certified Auto to shoot at members of a rival tow truck company, which the co-conspirator did. The resulting gunfire caused the death of Gloria Ortiz and non-fatal injuries to two other people outside of the Certified Auto shop. * * * LUGO, 37, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum term of life in prison or death; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison; attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and two firearms offenses, each of which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the work of Special Agents from the FBI New York Safe Streets Task Force and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herman, Andrew Jones, and Ni Qian are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and Two Other Individuals Charged with Sex Trafficking and Interstate Prostitution

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Central Islip charging former Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (Abercrombie) Chief Executive Officer Michael Jeffries, along with Matthew Smith and James Jacobson, with sex trafficking and engaging in interstate prostitution. The indictment alleges that between December 2008 and March 2015, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson used a combination of force, fraud and coercion to traffic men while operating a prostitution enterprise. All three defendants were arrested this morning. Jeffries and Smith are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, and Jacobson is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota. They will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged in the indictment, former CEO of Abercrombie Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their recruiter James Jacobson used their money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s arrests show that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until anyone who engages in sex trafficking or interstate prostitution, regardless of their wealth or power, is brought to justice.” Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI Miami Field Office, West Palm Beach Resident Agency; the FBI Milwaukee Field Office, Eau Clair Resident Agency; the Barron County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Office; and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida and the District of Minnesota, for their assistance with the case. “Today’s indictment highlights the alleged abhorrent behavior of Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith, and James Jacobson. The defendants allegedly preyed on the hopes and dreams of their victims by exploiting, abusing, and silencing them to fulfill their own desires, with insidious secret intentions. This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their personal gratification. The FBI and our partners won’t allow these criminal acts to go unchecked, we remain committed to investigating and bringing these cases forward to prosecution,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Sex trafficking remains a pressing issue nationwide and New York City is no exception,” stated NYPD Interim Commissioner Donlon. “Through our continued partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the NYPD is able to enhance our investigations and secure convictions. Importantly, our close collaboration also allows us to connect survivors of this abhorrent crime with the necessary support and services they deserve.” From approximately 1992 to 2014, Jeffries was the CEO of Abercrombie, a fashion clothing retailer that owned and operated retail stores around the world. Smith was Jeffries’ life partner. The indictment alleges that Jacobson was employed by Jeffries and Smith to recruit, interview and hire men to perform commercial sex acts for Jeffries and Smith. As set forth in the indictment, from approximately 2008 to 2015, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson, together with others, operated an international sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise. Jeffries and Smith not only relied on their financial resources and Jeffries’ power as the CEO of Abercrombie, but also on numerous others, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors and security professionals, to operate this venture, which was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires. As further alleged in the indictment, Jeffries and Smith paid for dozens of men to travel within the United States and internationally to various locations, including the Hamptons on Long Island, New York City and hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthélémy, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts with Jeffries, Smith and others (the “Sex Events”). Jacobson allegedly traveled throughout the United States and internationally to recruit and interview men for the Sex Events. During “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically required that the candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him. The indictment alleges that Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson used coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with their sex trafficking and prostitution venture. For example, among other things, Jeffries, Smith, Jacobson and others acting at their direction: Employed a referral system and interview process that did not inform men of the details of the Sex Events before they attended, including the full extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be required of the men at the Sex Events; Caused men to believe that attending the Sex Events could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or otherwise benefit their careers; Caused men to believe that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers; Required men to relinquish their personal items, including clothing, wallets and cellular phones, and store them in an inaccessible location during the Sex Events; Required men to sign non-disclosure agreements; On more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of the men by subjecting them, or continuing to subject them, to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects; On more than one occasion, Jeffries and Smith directed others to inject, or personally injected, men with an erection-inducing substance for the purpose of causing the men to engage in sex acts the men were incapable or unwilling to engage in. Many of the victims, at least one of whom was as young as 19 years old, were financially vulnerable and aspired to become models in the fashion industry. Some victims recruited by the defendants had previously worked at Abercrombie stores or had modeled for Abercrombie. If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. If convicted of the interstate prostitution charges, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If you believe you are victim of a crime perpetrated by Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith or James Jacobson, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Farrell, Erin Reid and Philip Pilmar are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Bilingual Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin and Fact Witness Services Unit Supervisor/Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer. The Defendants : MICHAEL JEFFRIES Age: 80 West Palm Beach, FL MATTHEW SMITH Age: 61 West Palm Beach, FL JAMES JACOBSON Age: 71 Rice Lake, WI E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-423 (NJC) af_1_-_indictment.pdf


title: Kyle Man Sentenced to 50 years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of four counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, one count of Abusive Sexual Contact, and one count of Witness Tampering. The sentencing took place on October 17, 2024. Lloyd Emerson Elk, 48, was sentenced to a total of 50 years in federal prison on each count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $600 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. He was also sentenced to five years in prison for Abusive Sexual Contact and 25 years in prison on the Witness Tampering conviction. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He was found guilty following a two-day jury trial in July of 2024. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Theeler reflected Elk’s long pattern of violence was very concerning to her. She noted, “Crimes against children are some of the most heinous crimes . . . Adults in positions of power can abuse that position, take away the innocence of a child and hurt them.” Elk, a former tribal law enforcement officer, sexually abused his stepdaughter multiple times when she was between the ages of five and seven years old. Elk employed years of domestic violence to control the victim and her family, including physical and emotional abuse. Elk told the victim if she ever told anyone about the sexual abuse, that he would kill her, her mother, and her brother. When the victim finally disclosed the abuse in late 2023, the investigation revealed Elk had sexually abused another seven-year-old girl in 1998—while employed as a police officer in Idaho—and made similar threats to her to keep her quiet. “Every instance of child sexual abuse is simultaneously shocking and heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “But it is unthinkable that such victimization would happen at the hands of a law enforcement officer. It took great courage for the victims in this case to come forward with the truth, and we are grateful to our partners at the FBI who expertly investigated the matter so that our prosecutors could bring this violent defendant to justice, once and for all. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never yield in our steadfast commitment to protecting women and children from violence.” This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Lindrooth and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Elk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: ALDI Executive and Southern Illinois Contractor Sentenced for Rigging Construction Project Bids, Ordered to Pay More Than $2.8 Million

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal judge sentenced a former ALDI executive and a general contractor from Breese, Illinois, for rigging the bid system for construction projects of grocery stores throughout southern Illinois and Missouri. The two were ordered to repay ALDI more than $2.8 million in restitution as a result of the fraudulent bidding scheme. Louis R. Ross, Sr., 64, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in May to multiple counts of mail and wire fraud and a conspiracy to commit those crimes. Ross was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to ALDI. Donald E. Schniers, 73, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Schniers was sentenced to 3 years’ probation and also ordered to pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to ALDI. According to court documents, Ross was the Director of Real Estate for ALDI’s O’Fallon, Missouri, Division, and Schniers owned C. Juengel Company out of Breese, Illinois. Schniers, through C. Juengel, provided general contracting services including construction and renovation to ALDI stores within Ross’s division. The two men conspired to fabricate and submit fraudulent bids for general contracting services to cause C. Juengel to win contracts for ALDI construction and renovation projects without a competitive bidding process. “As a trusted executive, Louis Ross exploited his position to personally profit by rigging the bid process, granting projects to Donald Schniers’ construction company and ultimately defrauding ALDI out of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “To protect the integrity of the construction bidding process and strengthen consumer protections, I appreciate our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to secure justice.” From at least February 2014 through March 2018, Ross and Schniers conspired to create a faux competitive bidding environment for construction projects. Schniers admitted to completing false bid forms under the guise of other construction companies without their knowledge or consent. By doing so, Ross and Schniers created the appearance of a competitive bidding environment for ALDI’s work when there was not one. “Ross and Schniers colluded to inflate prices and eliminate fair markets, the effects of which trickled down to the victim business, the consumers, and the competition,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to investigate fraudulent schemes and bring to justice those who conspire to enrich themselves at the expense of the American public.” The fictitious bids always included higher amounts than C. Juengel’s, which led to C. Juengel being awarded the projects. Using the rigged bidding system, C. Juengel was awarded 12 contracts for general contractor services valued at approximately $20 million. Ross and Schniers also manipulated the bidding process by altering legitimate bids submitted by another local construction company. Due to the stifled competition, ALDI overpaid for the projects and suffered an approximate loss greater than $2.8 million. “This sentencing is a statement that mail fraud will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with our law enforcement partners to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers, U.S. consumers, and businesses.” In exchange for Ross’s willingness to continue awarding C. Juengel its desired contracts, Ross required Schniers to pay him kickbacks for approximately a decade. These kickback payments usually came in the form of monthly $9,000 checks from C. Juengel’s bank account and totaled over $975,000. Both men were ordered to pay $2,851,239 in restitution to ALDI. Following imprisonment, Ross will serve three years of supervised release. The FBI Springfield and St. Louis Field Offices and the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross with the Southern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Andrew Rosa with the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Chicago Office prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit Announces November 2024 Election Complaints Program

component: Civil Rights - Voting Section

body_text: BOISE – United States Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today that multiple Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) from around Idaho will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. These AUSAs have been appointed to serve as District Election Officers (DEO) for the District of Idaho and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C. “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy,” U.S. Attorney Hurwit stated. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. We will be prepared to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election.” The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). U.S. Attorney Hurwit said, “Every eligible citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho at (208) 334-1211 or by email to usaid.civilrights@usdoj.gov . Complaints can also be made directly to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at (800) 253-3931. In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Salt Lake City FBI field office, which covers Idaho, can be reached by the public at (801) 579-1400. U.S. Attorney Hurwit said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.” Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. ###


title: U.S. Attorney Leary Announces Appointment of District Election Officers

body_text: MACON, Ga. – Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary announced today that he has appointed two District Election Officers (DEO) to lead the efforts of the office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2024, general election. The DEOs are responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Leary. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Leary. “In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the DEOs will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. The DEOs can be reached by the public at the following telephone number, 478-621-2698, or by email at USAGAM.DEO@usdoj.gov.” In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by email at tips.fbi.gov. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. Please note, however, that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.


title: Alabama Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Making Threats Against Maricopa County Elections Office

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Judge Liburdi also ordered Ogstad to pay a $1,000 fine. Ogstad pleaded guilty to one count of Making a Threatening Interstate Communication on July 25, 2024. “In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.” “As Director Wray has said many times, threats of violence toward election workers are also threats to the democratic process and cannot become normalized,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “The FBI takes seriously all threats of violence against public officials, and we will continue to assess them and take swift action as necessary.” On August 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through August 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening messages to an Instagram social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For example, on or about August 3, 2022, Ogstad stated, (1) “You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) “[expletive] you! You are caught! They have it all. You [expletive] are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You [expletive] are so dead.” On or about August 4, 2022, Ogstad further stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking [sic] stupid. Everyone knows you are lots [sic], cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]!” The FBI Phoenix Field Office, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-03130-PHX-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-142_Ogstad # # # 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: Brooklyn Man Admits Conspiracy to Commit Child Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Soauib Butcher, 30, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In August 2019, Butcher brought the victim by train to New York City, where he instructed the victim to perform oral sex for money on a rooftop in Brooklyn. Several days later, Butcher brought the victim to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where, from August 2019 to January 2020, the victim stayed with Butcher and a conspirator in a series of motel rooms. The conspirator posted advertisements depicting the victim on escort websites and, together with Butcher, arranged for customers to come to the motels to have sex with the victim in exchange for money. Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor carries a maximum term of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. butcher.indictment.pdf


title: Former Correctional Officers Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Using Inmates’ Stolen Identities in International Fraud Scheme

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS—Martins Tochukwu Chidiobi, 34, and Lawrence Onyesonwu, 38, of Muncie, have each been sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and payment of a $5,000 fine, after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft and making false statements to a financial institution. According to court documents, between on or about 2015 and their arrest date in January 2019, Chidiobi and Onyesonwu worked as Correctional Officers at the New Castle Correctional Facility, a privately managed prison within the Indiana Department of Corrections. During that time, Chidiobi and Onyesonwu stole at least five inmates’ personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers. The defendants used the stolen identities of the victim inmates to open at least nine accounts at various Indiana banks using fraudulent passports. The fraudulent passports were purportedly issued by Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana, and included pictures of the defendants, but the names and other information of the identity theft victims. The accounts opened by the defendants with the stolen identities were then used to receive the proceeds of broader fraud schemes. A total of at least $331,282 was deposited into the defendants’ fraudulent bank accounts from at least 11 sources. Investigators worked to identify and contact individuals who deposited funds into fraudulent accounts. Of the eleven depositors able to be identified, each was themselves the victim of a “romance scam” or other fraud scheme. Further investigation revealed that the defendants also received deposits of apparent fraud proceeds into their own personal bank accounts. The vast majority of the over $331,282 in apparent fraud proceeds received by the defendants was withdrawn as cash. A large portion of the money was transferred into Nigerian bank accounts. “It is simply reprehensible for correctional officers to exploit their positions to steal inmates’ identities and further the financial exploitation of scam victims,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Transnational fraud schemes have lasting repercussions for victims all over the country, and everyone who commits these crimes must be held accountable. The federal prison sentences imposed here should serve as a warning that the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to pursuing financial criminals and holding them accountable.” “This sentence highlights the FBI’s resolve to investigate and prosecute those who exploit their authority for personal gain. The men and women of the FBI are committed to showing respect for the dignity of all those we protect including victims who are incarcerated,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “I am extremely proud of the work we do to protect the rights of all Americans.” The FBI investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Two Philadelphia Men Sentenced to Almost a Decade in Prison for Separate Gunpoint Carjackings in the City

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two Philadelphia men have each been sentenced to almost 10 years in prison for carrying out separate carjackings in the city. Asiem Brooking, 21, was sentenced on October 17, 2024, by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 117 months in prison and three years of supervised release for committing an armed carjacking in the city’s Olney section in January 2023. At around 8:15 p.m. on January 28, 2023, as a 54-year-old man was about to get out of his Nissan Altima on the 5400 block of North 6 th Street, Brooking opened the passenger side front door, pointed a gun at the victim, and threatened to kill him. After the victim complied with Brooking’s demand to hand over his wallet and keys, the defendant fled the scene in the Altima. In May of 2023, Brooking was charged by indictment with one count of carjacking and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both counts in July of this year. Marc Anthony, also known as Nasir Johnson, 22, was sentenced on October 18, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston to 115 months in prison and five years of supervised release for carjacking a woman at gunpoint in the city’s Fairmount section in January 2022. At about 1:15 p.m. on January 6, 2022, Anthony and an unknown accomplice, both masked and armed with handguns, approached a 40-year-old woman who had just parked her Hyundai Sonata on the 800 block of North 28 th Street. As they ordered the victim out of the car at gunpoint, she asked to retrieve her dog from the back seat, struggling to do so as they yelled for her phone and passcode. Once the victim and her dog were clear, the carjackers fled the scene in the Sonata. Anthony was charged by indictment in May 2022 with one count of carjacking and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges in May of this year. “These criminals who think nothing of terrorizing our community at gunpoint are a true priority for my office, the FBI, and our partners on Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “By ensuring that people like Brookings and Anthony are prosecuted and held accountable for their violent and disturbing crimes, we’re making the city safer — one offender, one block, one neighborhood at a time.” These cases were investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.


title: Justice Department Announces Murder-For-Hire Charges Against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Brigadier General and Former Intelligence Officer and Members of an Iranian Intelligence Network

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note : View the superseding indictment here . The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a superseding indictment containing murder-for-hire, money-laundering, and sanctions evasion charges against Ruhollah Bazghandi, also known as Roohollah Azimi; Fnu Lnu, also known as Haj Taher, Haj Taher; Hossein Sedighi; and Seyed Mohammad Forouzan, all of Iran. “The Justice Department has now charged eight individuals, including an Iranian military official, for their efforts to silence and kill a U.S. citizen because of her criticism of the Iranian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will not tolerate efforts by an authoritarian regime like Iran to undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed to every American. Three of the defendants charged in this horrific plot are now in U.S. custody, and we will never stop working to identify, find, and bring to justice all those who endanger the safety of the American people.” “Today’s indictment exposes the full extent of Iran’s plot to silence an American journalist for criticizing the Iranian regime,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “According to the charges, a brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a former Iranian intelligence officer, working with a network of conspirators, planned to kill a dissident living in New York City. The FBI’s investigation led to the disruption of this plot as one of the conspirators was allegedly on their way to murder the victim in New York. As these charges show, the FBI will work with our partners here and abroad to hold accountable those who target Americans.” “Today’s indictment makes plain that the Iranian regime for years has been behind a violent campaign to stalk, intimidate, and arrange the killing of an American dissident on U.S. soil for bravely speaking up for the rights of the Iranian people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department is committed to exposing and holding accountable those in Tehran who believe they can hide their hand in carrying out such reprehensible activities.” “As alleged, for years, the Government of Iran has attempted to assassinate, on U.S. soil, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who is a prominent critic of the Iranian regime,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “In January 2023, we unsealed charges alleging that members of an Eastern European crime group engaged in a plot to murder this victim. As we allege, that group was not acting alone. Today, we hold their Iranian masters to account, and allege that these Iran-based co-conspirators, including a Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, directed the murder plot. By charging these Iran-based defendants, we seek to strike another public blow at the heart of the Government of Iran’s efforts to execute the victim — as well as its lethal targeting, intimidation, and repression of other Iranian dissidents critical of the regime in the U.S. and abroad.” As detailed in the superseding indictment, Bazghandi, Haj Taher, Sedighi, and Forouzan contracted members of an Eastern European criminal organization, including Rafat Amirov, also known as Farkhaddin Mirzoev, Pᴎᴍ, and Rome; Polad Omarov, also known as Araz Aliyev, Polad Qaqa, and Haci Qaqa; and Zialat Mamedov, also known as Ziko, to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York City who has publicly opposed the Iranian government and who has previously been the target of similar plots by the Iranian government. Amirov, Omarov, and Mamedov previously were arrested on charges contained in underlying indictments. Amirov and Omarov are in custody in the United States, pending trial; Mamedov was extradited from the Czech Republic to the Republic of Georgia to face charges there. Bazghandi, Haj Taher, Sedighi, and Forouzan, all of whom are based in Iran, remain at large. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon for the Southern District of New York. According to the allegations contained in the superseding indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings, Bazghandi, who resides in Iran, is an IRGC Brigadier General and has previously served as chief of an IRGC Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO) counterintelligence office. In April 2023, the U.S. Secretary of State designated IRGC-IO as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 14078, for hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad. On the same date, the Treasury Department sanctioned Bazghandi in connection with his involvement with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran. Bazghandi was designated by the Treasury Department a second time in June 2023, this time under Executive Order 13224, for his participation in IRGC-IO’s lethal targeting operations. Haj Taher, Sedighi, and Forouzan (collectively with Bazghandi, the Bazghandi Network), each of whom resides in Iran, also have connections to the Government of Iran. The Bazghandi Network contracted Amirov, Omarov, Mamedov, and Khalid Mehdiyev to murder, on U.S. soil, a victim residing in New York City. The victim is a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression, including in connection with continuing protests against the regime across Iran. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap the victim from within the United States for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence the victim’s criticism of the regime. That plot was disrupted and exposed by the FBI and led to the filing of federal kidnapping conspiracy and other charges in the Southern District of New York against several participants in the plot in United States v. Farahani, et al. Since at least July 2022, the Bazghandi Network tasked members of the organization with assassinating the victim. The organization’s participation in the murder-for-hire plot was directed by Amirov, who resided in Iran and who was tasked with targeting the victim by individuals in Iran. On approximately July 13, 2022, Amirov forwarded targeting information — which Amirov had received from individuals in Iran — about the victim and the victim’s residence to Omarov. Omarov, in turn, together with Mamedov, directed and collaborated with Mehdiyev, who was residing in Yonkers, New York, to carry out the plot against the victim. Mehdiyev’s participation in the plot was disrupted when he was arrested near the victim’s home on or about July 28, 2022, while in possession of the assault rifle, along with 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask. In January 2023, Amirov, Omarov, and Mamedov were arrested overseas. On Jan. 27, 2023, they were charged publicly for their roles in the plot to assassinate the victim. Nevertheless, in the months that followed, members of the Bazghandi Network continued to target the victim. For example, in or about March 2023, Haj Taher searched for information about the victim’s family members and Sedighi saved an image of the victim’s residence. As recently as on or about May 1, 2023, Bazghandi conducted an internet search, in Farsi, for, “a person in the house of [the victim] movie,” and, on the same date, watched a video with the title, “A video of the arrested gunman in front of [the victim]’s home in New York received by [the victim’s employer].” Bazghandi, Haj Taher, Sedighi, and Forouzan, have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Amirov, Omarov, and Mamedov have also been charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Amirov, Omarov, and Mamedov were charged with attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with the extradition of Mamedov. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman for the Southern District of New York, Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Orange County Supervisor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy Involving $10 Million in COVID Relief Funds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – The District One Supervisor on the Orange County Board of Supervisors has agreed to plead guilty to a felony federal charge for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters, Rhiannon Do, the Justice Department announced today. Andrew Hoang Do, 62, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. His plea agreement and information were filed today. He is expected to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in Santa Ana later this month. Do is one of five supervisors on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget. As a county supervisor, Do represents the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Westminster. He has served as a county supervisor since February 2015. As part of his plea agreement, Do admitted that in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes, beginning in 2020, he voted in favor of and directed millions of dollars in COVID-related funds to Viet America Society (VAS), a charity affiliated with his daughter. Do directed and worked together with other county employees to approve contracts with – and payments to – VAS. Do further admitted he acted corruptly and abused his position of trust as a county supervisor. “By putting his own interests over those of his constituents, the defendant sold his high office and betrayed the public’s trust,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Even worse, the money he misappropriated and accepted as bribe payments was taken from those most in need – older adults and disabled residents. Our community deserved much better. Corruption has no place in our politics and my office will continue to hold accountable officials who cheat the public.” “While millions of Americans were dying from COVID-19, Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do was the fox in the hen house personified, raiding millions in federal pandemic relief funds and orchestrating the money intended to feed elderly and ailing residents to instead fill the pockets of insiders, himself and his loved ones all while portraying a public persona of a hometown hero guiding his constituents through the uncertainty and fear of a global pandemic,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “No one is above the law in Orange County and these charges should serve as a powerful warning to elected officials everywhere that actions have consequences and justice will be swift and it will be decisive.” “Elected officials have a responsibility to implement programs and policy that will benefit all the people they serve. Their role is not to squander money, solicit bribes, or to steer funds to organizations or persons, wherein a coordinated effort allows those funds to make their way to family members or friends,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today's plea is another exclamation point to the FBI's commitment to ensuring that all local, state, or federal elected and appointed public officials perform their duties with honesty, integrity, and commitment to all the constituents they serve.” Shortly after receiving the COVID-related public funds from the county government – funds that were intended to provide meals to the elderly – VAS from April 2021 to February 2024 paid a business identified in court documents as “Company #1” $100,000 or more per month, which totaled approximately $3,804,000. In September 2021, VAS increased its payments to Company #1 from $100,000 to $108,000 per month. Company #1 then began paying Rhiannon Do – Do’s daughter – $8,000 per month, totaling by February 2024 approximately $224,000. In his plea agreement, Do admitted that in addition to the $8,000 monthly payments that Company #1 had made to Do’s daughter, in July 2023, Company #1 also transferred a total of $381,500 from the funds it had received from VAS to an escrow company. In July 2023, Do’s daughter used the escrow account funds to purchase a home, in her name, in Tustin for $1,035,000. As part of that transaction, a mortgage for more than $600,000 was obtained by a loan application that contained false information and with fabricated documents. In her related diversion agreement attached as an exhibit to Do’s plea agreement, Do’s daughter admitted her conduct was criminal and violated federal and state law. Do also admitted that the $381,500 from Company #1 that his daughter had used to purchase the Tustin house in 2023 was a disguised bribe to him. He also admitted that an additional $100,000 in payments sent to his other daughter, including three $25,000 checks from Company #2 – an air conditioning company that had been paid by VAS – also were bribes to him. Some of the bribe funds that had been funneled to his daughters were spent for his direct benefit. For example, during 2022, a total of $14,849 of funds that had been funneled to Do’s daughters was used to make property tax payments for properties in Orange County owned by Do and his wife. Approximately $15,000 was used to pay for one of Do’s credit card bills. Do knew that VAS was not providing all the meals for which the county had paid VAS. Instead, much of the funds were used for the benefit of insiders, including to buy real estate in the name of both Do’s daughter and Company #1, bribe payments to both of Do’s daughters, payments to other conspirators, payments to other companies affiliated with VAS’s listed officers, and through hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals. “Mr. Do had a duty to act in the best interest of the citizens of Orange County. He neglected that duty and misused the financial system to enrich himself,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of Inspector General. “Public corruption degrades the public’s confidence in our political system, and FDIC OIG is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals who abuse public service for private gain.” “Andrew Do was entrusted to ensure taxpayer dollars were used responsibly and for the purposes intended,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Instead, when his constituents depended on COVID relief programs, Mr. Do exploited his position on the Orange County Board of Supervisors not only to influence channeling of funds to the Viet America Society, but also to accept bribes that were used to purchase a home, pay property taxes, and even to pay fictitious incomes to family members. Combating public corruption is one of the most important roles federal law enforcement agencies play in our local communities, and we are proud to be a partner during this investigation.” “Today’s actions shows that this elected official used his position of trust for personal gain. He didn’t think he would get caught. He was wrong,” said Adam Shanedling, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Western Regional Office. “The OIG is proud to have been a part of the task force that investigated this matter and we’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to help safeguard the integrity of federal funds.” The plea agreement requires Do to forfeit any assets connected to the bribery scheme, including the Tustin property his daughter purchased in 2023. As part of his daughter’s related diversion agreement, she also agreed to forfeit the Tustin property. The plea agreement requires Do to pay full restitution by paying back the bribe money he and his daughters received, which he has agreed to pay in full before he is sentenced. In August 2024, the government seized more than $2.4 million from VAS’s and Company #1’s bank accounts. In a related agreement with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA), attached as an exhibit to Do’s plea agreement, Do has agreed to immediately resign from the Orange County Board of Supervisors and to forfeit any pension credit for the time where he participated in the bribery conspiracy. Once Do enters his guilty plea, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The FBI; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of the Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter. This matter is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office and OCDA. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Charles E. Pell, Bradley E. Marrett, and Tara Vavere of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorneys Anthony J. Schlehner and L.J. Berger of the OCDA. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in Orange County is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at https://tips.fbi.gov and/or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.


title: U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman names District Election Officer

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle - United States Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Marci Ellsworth will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Ellsworth has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Washington, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. U. S. Attorney Gorman said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation, threats of violence directed at election officials and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). United States Attorney Gorman stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Ellsworth will be on duty in this District. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 206-553-7970.” In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 206-622-0460. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. United States Attorney Gorman said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.” Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over ballot drop boxes, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.


title: United States Attorney's Office Activates Election Day Program to Stop Fraud and Protect Voting Rights

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Erik S. Goes will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Goes has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Thompson “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” Thompson said. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Goes will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (304) 340-2395 or (304) 345-2200.” In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (304) 346-2300. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at (800) 253-3931. “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” Thompson said. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.” Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 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. ###


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Enticing Teenager to Produce Child Pornography

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: NEWNAN, Ga. – Jeffrey Farneski, a repeat sex offender who was released from state prison earlier this year, has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing a child to produce child pornography. “Farneski is a serial predator who used the internet and social media apps as tools to lure and sexually exploit a vulnerable child,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners, this habitual sex offender has been prosecuted and returned to prison, helping to achieve a measure of justice for his victims and prevent him from exploiting others.” “Jeffrey Farneski’s predatory actions against a vulnerable teenager are a stark reminder of the dangers posed online by offenders who exploit technology to prey on children,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI remains committed to pursuing these criminals relentlessly, working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure they face justice and no longer pose a threat to our communities.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In January 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents searched Jeffrey Farneski’ s home after learning that he used a social media application to distribute and receive child pornography. At the time of the search, Farneski was a registered sex offender serving a 10-year term of probation. Farneski admitted that he distributed child pornography via the internet while on probation, and agents recovered child pornography from his cell phone. Farneski’s probation was revoked and he was returned to state prison after pleading guilty to additional child exploitation crimes. While Farneski was incarcerated, HSI reviewed text messages stored on his cell phone and those messages revealed that he had cultivated a sexual relationship with a Coweta County high school student while he was on probation. The student was under 18 years old when Farneski began communicating with her in a social media chat group. Farneski persuaded the student to send him sexually explicit images and to also meet him at various places in the metro Atlanta area to engage in sexual acts. After Farneski returned to state prison, he used contraband cell phones to maintain his relationship with the student. In January 2024, two months after his release from state custody, Farneski was arrested and taken into federal custody by HSI agents. Jeffrey Farneski, 50, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to 15 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Farneski was convicted of enticement of a minor after he pleaded guilty on July 9, 2024. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Gwinnett County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Winter Haven Woman Indicted For Fraud In Using Drug Proceeds To Purchase Home

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Rose Esquilin Rios (34, Winter Haven) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Esquilin Rios faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Esquilin Rios that the United States intends to forfeit $368,207, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. According to the indictment, Esquilin Rios secured a mortgage for a home she shared with her domestic partner, a trafficker of cocaine in the Middle District of Florida since at least July 2020. After agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration interviewed Esquilin Rios’s partner in March 2022, he closed his bank account, sold his house that he had paid for with drug proceeds, and transferred the proceeds of that sale to an account in Esquilin Rios’s name. During the summer of 2022, Esquilin Rios applied for a mortgage on a new home, claiming that she made $127,631 in a document sent to the lender. In a Uniform Residential Loan Application also sent to the lender, Esquilin Rios claimed a monthly income of $8,179.17 as a delivery driver. Both claims were false and Esquilin Rios knew them to be false because the source of the money was her partner’s sale of a house paid for with drug proceeds. The total loan amount Esquilin Rios secured through her false claims was $368,207. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.


title: Winston-Salem Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Cocaine

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Maximino Sandoval Penaloza, a 44-year-old resident of Winston-Salem, has been sentenced to 210 months in prison for the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Wilmington area. Penaloza pled guilty on March 7, 2023. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, in 2020 law enforcement investigated drug trafficking activities occurring in the Winston-Salem and Wilmington areas of North Carolina. Ultimately, law enforcement learned that a drug trafficking organization was distributing large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine in various communities in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Penaloza was identified as a member of this organization. From approximately December 7, 2020, through December 16, 2020, Penaloza communicated with an undercover law enforcement agent regarding the purchase of methamphetamine. On December 16, 2020, Penaloza directed a courier to meet with the undercover law enforcement agent to deliver 191.66 grams of methamphetamine. During additional conversations with the undercover agent, in March of 2021 Penaloza admitted having one kilogram of cocaine for sale. Later, in September of 2021 the undercover agent purchased 519.1 grams of methamphetamine arranged by Penaloza and delivered by a courier. The investigation further uncovered that Penaloza, is illegally present in the United States, has three prior felony convictions for trafficking cocaine and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, resisting a law enforcement officer, and has been previously deported from the United States and returned to Mexico on at least two occasions. The prosecution of Penaloza was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci and Julie Childress prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:22-CR-00104-BO.


title: Giám Sát Viên Quận Cam đồng ý Nhận Tội âm Mưu Hối Lộ Liên Quan đến 10 Triệu đô La Trong Quỹ Cứu Trợ COVID

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – Giám Sát Viên Quận Một trong Hội Đồng Giám Sát Quận Cam đã đồng ý nhận tội với một cáo buộc liên bang trọng tội vì đã nhận hối lộ hơn $550,000 để chỉ đạo và bỏ phiếu ủng hộ hơn $10 triệu trong quỹ COVID cho một tổ chức từ thiện liên kết với một trong những cô con gái của ông, Rhiannon Đỗ, Bộ Tư pháp thông báo hôm nay. Andrew Hoàng Đỗ , 62 tuổi, đã đồng ý nhận tội với một tội danh âm mưu hối lộ liên quan đến các chương trình nhận tài trợ liên bang. Thỏa thuận nhận tội và thông tin của ông ta đã được đệ trình ngày hôm nay. Ông dự kiến sẽ xuất hiện lần đầu tiên tại Tòa án Quận Hoa Kỳ ở Santa Ana vào cuối tháng này. Đỗ là một trong năm giám sát viên trong Hội đồng Giám sát Quận Cam, chịu trách nhiệm về ngân sách hàng năm 9 tỷ USD của quận. Là giám sát viên quận, Đỗ đại diện cho các thành phố Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Seal Beach và Westminster. Ông đã từng là giám sát viên của quận kể từ tháng 2 năm 2015. Là một phần của thỏa thuận nhận tội của mình, ông Đỗ thừa nhận rằng để đổi lấy hơn 550.000 USD tiền hối lộ, bắt đầu từ năm 2020, ông đã bỏ phiếu ủng hộ và chuyển hàng triệu đô la trong các quỹ liên quan đến COVID cho Hiệp hội Việt Mỹ (VAS), một tổ chức từ thiện liên kết với con gái ông. Đỗ đã chỉ đạo và làm việc cùng với các nhân viên khác của quận để phê duyệt hợp đồng với - và thanh toán cho - VAS. Đỗ tiếp tục thừa nhận ông ta đã hành động tham nhũng và lạm dụng vị trí tín nhiệm của mình với tư cách là giám sát viên quận. "Bằng cách đặt lợi ích của mình lên trên lợi ích của các cử tri, bị cáo đã bán chức vụ cao của mình và phản bội lòng tin của công chúng", Bộ Công Tố Hoa Kỳ luật sư Martin Estrada nói. "Tệ hơn nữa, số tiền mà ông ta chiếm đoạt và nhận hối lộ đã bị lấy từ những người cần nhất - người già và người khuyết tật. Cộng đồng của chúng ta xứng đáng được tốt hơn nhiều. Tham nhũng không có chỗ đứng trong nền chính trị của chúng ta và văn phòng của tôi sẽ tiếp tục buộc các quan chức phải chịu trách nhiệm, những người lừa dối công chúng." "Trong khi hàng triệu người Mỹ đang chết vì COVID-19, Giám sát viên Quận Cam Andrew Đỗ là con cáo trong chuồng gà mái được nhân cách hóa, đột kích hàng triệu đô la trong quỹ cứu trợ đại dịch liên bang và dàn xếp số tiền nhằm nuôi sống những người già và người dân ốm yếu để thay vào đó lấp đầy túi của những người trong cuộc, bản thân và những người thân yêu của ông ta trong khi miêu tả một nhân vật công khai của một anh hùng quê hương hướng dẫn các cử tri của mình vượt qua sự không chắc chắn và sợ hãi của một đại dịch toàn cầu, " Chánh Biện Lý Quận Cam Todd Spitzer nói. " . "Không ai đứng trên luật pháp ở Quận Cam và những cáo buộc này sẽ đóng vai trò như một lời cảnh báo mạnh mẽ cho các quan chức dân cử ở khắp mọi nơi rằng các hành động mang lại hậu quả và công lý sẽ nhanh chóng và nó sẽ mang tính quyết định." "Các quan chức được bầu có trách nhiệm thực hiện các chương trình và chính sách sẽ mang lại lợi ích cho tất cả những người mà họ phục vụ. Vai trò của họ không phải là phung phí tiền bạc, nhận hối lộ hoặc chuyển tiền cho các tổ chức hoặc cá nhân, trong đó một nỗ lực phối hợp cho phép các quỹ đó đến tay các thành viên gia đình hoặc bạn bè," Akil Davis, Trợ lý Giám đốc phụ trách Văn phòng Los Angeles của FBI cho biết. "Lời kêu gọi hôm nay là một dấu chấm than khác cho cam kết của FBI trong việc đảm bảo rằng tất cả các quan chức địa phương, tiểu bang hoặc liên bang được bầu và bổ nhiệm thực hiện nhiệm vụ của họ với sự trung thực, liêm chính và cam kết với tất cả các cử tri mà họ phục vụ." Ngay sau khi nhận được các quỹ công liên quan đến COVID từ chính quyền quận - quỹ nhằm cung cấp bữa ăn cho người cao tuổi - VAS từ tháng 4/2021 đến tháng 2/2024 đã trả cho một doanh nghiệp được xác định trong các tài liệu của tòa án là "Công ty # 1" $ 100,000 trở lên mỗi tháng, tổng cộng khoảng $ 3,804,000 USD. Vào tháng 9/2021, VAS đã tăng các khoản thanh toán cho Công ty #1 từ 100.000 USD lên 108.000 USD mỗi tháng. Công ty #1 sau đó bắt đầu trả cho Rhiannon Đỗ - con gái của Đỗ - 8.000 USD mỗi tháng, tổng cộng đến tháng 2/2024 là khoảng 224.000 USD. Trong thỏa thuận nhận tội của mình, Đỗ thừa nhận rằng ngoài khoản thanh toán hàng tháng 8.000 đô la mà Công ty #1 đã thực hiện cho con gái của Đỗ, vào tháng 7 năm 2023, Công ty #1 cũng đã chuyển tổng cộng 381.500 USD từ số tiền mà họ đã nhận được từ VAS cho một công ty ký quỹ. Vào tháng 7/2023, con gái của ông Đỗ đã sử dụng tiền tài khoản ký quỹ để mua một ngôi nhà đứng tên cô ở Tustin với giá 1.035.000 USD. Trong một phần của giao dịch đó, một khoản thế chấp trị giá hơn 600.000 USD đã được thu thập bởi một ứng dụng cho vay có chứa thông tin sai lệch và với các tài liệu bịa đặt. Trong thỏa thuận chuyển hướng liên quan của mình kèm theo như một vật chứng cho thỏa thuận nhận tội của Đỗ, con gái của Đỗ thừa nhận hành vi của mình là phạm tội và vi phạm luật liên bang và tiểu bang Ông Đỗ cũng thừa nhận rằng 381.500 USD từ Công ty #1 mà con gái ông đã sử dụng để mua ngôi nhà Tustin vào năm 2023 là một khoản hối lộ trá hình đối với ông. Ông cũng thừa nhận rằng thêm 100.000 USD tiền thanh toán được gửi cho con gái khác của ông, bao gồm ba tấm séc trị giá 25.000 USD từ Công ty # 2 - một công ty điều hòa không khí đã được VAS trả - cũng là hối lộ cho ông. Một số tiền hối lộ đã được chuyển cho các con gái của ông đã được chi tiêu cho lợi ích trực tiếp của ông. Ví dụ, trong năm 2022, tổng cộng 14.849 USD tiền đã được chuyển cho các con gái của ông Đỗ đã được sử dụng để thanh toán thuế bất động sản cho các tài sản ở Quận Cam thuộc sở hữu của ông Đỗ và vợ. Khoảng 15.000 USD đã được sử dụng để thanh toán cho một trong những hóa đơn thẻ tín dụng của ông Đỗ. Đỗ biết rằng VAS không cung cấp tất cả các bữa ăn mà quận đã trả cho VAS. Thay vào đó, phần lớn số tiền được sử dụng vì lợi ích của những người trong cuộc, bao gồm mua bất động sản dưới tên của cả con gái Đỗ và Công ty #1, thanh toán hối lộ cho cả hai con gái của Đỗ , thanh toán cho những kẻ âm mưu khác, thanh toán cho các công ty khác liên kết với các cán bộ niêm yết của VAS và qua hàng trăm ngàn đô la bằng cách rút tiền mặt. "Ông Đỗ có nhiệm vụ hành động vì lợi ích tốt nhất của công dân Quận Cam. Ông ấy đã bỏ bê nhiệm vụ đó và lạm dụng hệ thống tài chính để làm giàu cho bản thân", Đặc vụ phụ trách Ryan Korner thuộc Văn phòng Tổng thanh tra Tập đoàn Bảo hiểm Tiền gửi Liên bang cho biết. "Tham nhũng công cộng làm suy giảm niềm tin của công chúng vào hệ thống chính trị của chúng ta và FDIC OIG tự hào làm việc cùng với các đối tác thực thi pháp luật của chúng tôi để xác định và buộc các cá nhân phải chịu trách nhiệm lạm dụng dịch vụ công vì lợi ích cá nhân." "Andrew Đỗ được giao nhiệm vụ đảm bảo tiền thuế của người dân được sử dụng một cách có trách nhiệm và đúng mục đích đã định," Đặc vụ phụ trách Tyler Hatcher, Điều tra Hình sự IRS, Văn phòng Los Angeles cho biết. "Thay vào đó, khi các cử tri của ông phụ thuộc vào các chương trình cứu trợ COVID, ông Đỗ đã lợi dụng vị trí của mình trong Hội đồng Giám sát Quận Cam không chỉ để gây ảnh hưởng đến việc chuyển tiền cho Hội Việt Mỹ, mà còn nhận hối lộ được sử dụng để mua nhà, nộp thuế tài sản và thậm chí trả thu nhập hư cấu cho các thành viên gia đình. Chống tham nhũng công cộng là một trong những vai trò quan trọng nhất của các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật liên bang trong cộng đồng địa phương của chúng tôi và chúng tôi tự hào là đối tác trong cuộc điều tra này. "Hành động hôm nay cho thấy quan chức dân cử này đã sử dụng vị trí tín nhiệm của mình cho lợi ích cá nhân. Ông ta không nghĩ rằng mình sẽ bị bắt. Ông ấy đã sai", Adam Shanedling, Đặc vụ phụ trách Văn phòng khu vực phía Tây của Bộ Giáo dục Mỹ cho biết. OIG tự hào là một phần của lực lượng đặc nhiệm điều tra vấn đề này và chúng tôi sẽ tiếp tục làm việc với các đối tác thực thi pháp luật của mình để giúp bảo vệ tính toàn vẹn của các quỹ liên bang. Theo sự thỏa thuận nhận tội ông Đỗ sẽ bị tịch thu bất kỳ tài sản nào liên quan đến kế hoạch hối lộ, bao gồm cả tài sản ở Tustin mà con gái ông đã mua vào năm 2023. Là một phần của thỏa thuận chuyển hướng liên quan đến con gái ông, bà cũng đồng ý sự việc tịch thu tài sản ở Tustin. Thỏa thuận nhận tội yêu cầu ông Đỗ phải trả toàn bộ tiền bồi thường bằng cách trả lại số tiền hối lộ mà ông và các con gái đã nhận, và ông đã đồng ý trả đầy đủ trước khi bị kết án. Vào tháng 8/2022, chính phủ đã tịch thu hơn 2.4 triệu USD từ VAS và Công ty #1. Trong một thỏa thuận liên quan với Văn phòng Biện lý Quận Cam (OCDA), đính kèm như một vật trưng bày cho thỏa thuận nhận tội của Đỗ, Đỗ đã đồng ý từ chức ngay lập tức khỏi Hội đồng Giám sát Quận Cam và tịch thu bất kỳ khoản tín dụng hưu trí nào trong thời gian ông tham gia vào âm mưu hối lộ. Một khi Đỗ nhận tội, ông ta sẽ phải đối mặt với bản án tối đa theo luật định là năm năm trong nhà tù liên bang. The FBI; Cục Điều Tra của Văn Phòng Biện Lý Quận Cam; Văn phòng Tổng Thanh tra Tập đoàn Bảo hiểm Tiền gửi Liên bang; Điều tra Hình sự IRS; và Văn phòng Tổng Thanh tra Bộ Giáo dục Hoa Kỳ đã điều tra vấn đề này. Vấn đề này đang được Bộ Công Tố Hoa Kỳ và Văn phòng Biện Lý Quận Cam cùng truy tố. Việc truy tố đang được dẫn dắt bởi Trợ lý Công Tố Hoa Kỳ Charles E. Pell, Bradley E. Marrett và Tara Vavere của Văn phòng Bộ Công Tố Hoa Kỳ và Phó Biện lý Quận Avery T. Harrison và Phó Biện lý Quận Anthony J. Schlehner và LJ Berger của Văn phòng Biện Lý Quận Cam. Bất kỳ thành viên nào của công chúng có thông tin liên quan đến vấn đề này hoặc bất kỳ vấn đề tham nhũng công cộng nào khác trong Quận Cam được khuyến khích gửi thông tin đến đường dây email của FBI tại https://tips.fbi.gov và / hoặc liên hệ với Văn phòng Los Angeles của FBI theo số (310) 477-6565.


title: Franklin County Man Trafficking Kilograms of Methamphetamine Sentenced to 25 Years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Olegario Pineda-Palacios, age 35, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for importing multi-kilograms of methamphetamine into North Carolina. On March 12, 2024, Pineda-Palacios pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. “This sentence underscores the destructive impact that drugs, like the methamphetamine Pineda was distributing, has on the community,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI and our law enforcement partners have an unwavering commitment to find, arrest and prosecute those involved in trafficking these dangerous drugs in our communities.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Pineda-Palacios was coordinating with individuals in Mexico to receive shipments of methamphetamine in Franklin County. After locating a shipment containing approximately four kilograms of methamphetamine, in September 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) executed a search warrant at Pineda-Palacios’ residence. On the property behind the residence, law enforcement discovered a clandestine conversion methamphetamine lab – in which Pineda-Palacios would convert powder methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine (“Ice”). Law enforcement also recovered a 9mm firearm and additional methamphetamine from inside of the residence. Pineda-Palacios has prior felony convictions for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, operating a vehicle containing a secret compartment, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. Pineda-Palacios is in the country illegally and faces deportation after serving his sentence. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. HSI, the FCSO, and the SBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-0041.