title: Former President of Ypsilanti Steelworkers Union  Pleads Guilty to Stealing $58,000 in Union Funds

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - The former President of Steelworkers, Local 2513, in Ypsilanti has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $58,000 in union funds, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining Ison in the announcement is Thomas Murray, District Director of the Detroit-Milwaukee District Office of the Department of Labor-Office of Labor-Management Standards. Dilanjan Miller, 37, pleaded guilty to the one count of bank fraud charged in an information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. United States District Judge Laurie Michelson accepted his guilty plea and set the matter for sentencing on February 6, 2025. According to the facts alleged in the information and further developed at the plea hearing, USW Local 2513 represented machine operators, inspectors, stock chasers, and rackers at Marsh Plating in Ypsilanti. Miller was elected President of Local 2513 in April 2018. Miller also assumed all financial duties of Local 2513 as acting Financial Secretary and Treasurer. While President, Acting Financial Secretary, and Acting Treasurer of the union, Miller embezzled approximately $47,347 of union funds in the custody and control of the Bank of Ann Arbor by issuing approximately 38 unauthorized checks to himself and forging the signature of the second signatory on 20 of those checks; issuing approximately 4 unauthorized checks made payable to a family member; and making approximately 2 unauthorized cash withdrawals from the union’s bank account. Miller also used the union’s Bank of Ann Arbor debit card as his own personal debit card. He made at least 184 unauthorized personal purchases, totaling approximately $11,259. His purchases with the union’s debit card included flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and retail purchases. For example, Miller used the debit card to pay for five flights to Florida, Las Vegas, and Atlanta and for rental cars in Florida and Atlanta. Miller also used the debit card at a jewelry store and several footwear shops. Miller is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge. U.S. Attorney Ison commended the work of the Department of Labor in conducting this criminal investigation of a corrupt union officer and said, “Union officials are expected to serve with integrity. This prosecution demonstrates that we will not tolerate union officers who abuse their authority and line their own pockets at the expense of the union’s membership. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and fraud involving unions.” “Dilanjan Miller violated the trust placed in him to be a good steward of union funds by embezzling over $58,000 from Steelworkers Local 2513 that should have been used for its members’ benefit,” said Thomas Murray, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS is committed to holding accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position in a union for personal gain at the expense of their fellow union members.” The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Resnick Cohen. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards.


title: Drug Distribution and Firearm Possession on Menominee Indian Reservation Leads to Eight-year Prison Sentence for Former Keshena Man

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 4, 2024, Anthony Brown, Jr. (age: 50), a former resident of Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation, received an eight-year federal prison sentence following convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Brown will also face five years of supervised release once he completes his sentence. The sentence, imposed by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on June 14, 2024. According to court records, during the early morning hours of January 1, 2024, investigators with the Menominee Tribal Police Department observed the defendant in his vehicle as he engaged in a hand-to-hand drug transaction in the parking lot of a business on the Menominee Indian Reservation. After a brief interaction, the defendant was arrested and searched. Law enforcement recovered over 15 grams of cocaine and approximately $4400 in U.S. currency from his person and recovered a loaded .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun from the vehicle. The firearm had the defendant’s DNA on it. Also, according to court records, law enforcement had an additional contact with Brown on January 15, 2024. Brown was arrested after being found passed out at the wheel of a car stopped in Keshena. Brown had cocaine on his person. Officers applied for and obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence, which led to the discovery of 380 grams of cocaine, paraphernalia associated with drug use and packaging, ammunition, a ledger containing names, amounts, and prices, and a Glock 21 .45 caliber handgun. Investigators seized numerous items which the defendant agreed were proceeds or facilities of illegal drug activity, including $7000 in cash, a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1999 Porsche Boxster, a 2019 Ford F250 pickup, a 2014 Jeep Wrangler, and a 2017 Kawasaki sport bike style motorcycle. Investigators also seized 216 pairs of luxury shoes. These items were ordered forfeited as part of his sentence. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime and the need to deter those who might consider similar actions to protect the community from the destructive effects of controlled substance abuse. Judge Griesbach also observed the need to incapacitate the defendant for a lengthy period, particularly considering Brown’s previous convictions for drug dealing. The Menomonee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case as part of the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) and the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). NADGI and STTF partner federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement to combat drug trafficking and violent crime on the Menominee Indian Reservation. STTF members are deputized federal officers who identify and target for prosecution individuals who are involved in distribution of dangerous drugs on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Coordination of state resources through NADGI permits efficient communication and evidence processing, which are essential to swift and fair prosecution of offenders. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Mexican National Charged With Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elvis Alfonso Lopez-Perez, age 31, of Mexico, was indicted on October 2, 2024, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lopez-Perez was previously removed from the United States on February 1, 2013. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States on May 28, 2024, in Cumberland County, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Man Who Bound And Raped Au Pair, Victimized Other Women And Girls, Sentenced To Life In Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Arisknight Winfree, 32, of East Lansing, was sentenced to life in federal prison for sexually exploiting four women, including two minors, in 2022. Winfree was convicted on multiple charges that included Kidnapping (Count 1), Coercion and Enticement (Count 2), Attempted Coercion and Enticement (Count 3), and Production of Child Pornography (Counts 4 and 5). “Arisknight Winfree is a sexual predator whose horrendous acts caused immeasurable harm to the women and girls upon whom he preyed,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “This life sentence is necessary to protect the community and bring a measure of justice to the survivors.” Winfree targeted his victims in multiple ways, including through use of the messaging service on various social media apps and through an online service that connects individuals, often young women, with host families in need of childcare and light housework. The Court convicted Winfree of five crimes involving four victims. First, Winfree was convicted of Kidnapping (Count 1) and Coercion and Enticement (Count 2) for the crimes he committed against S.D. The victim was a young woman living in Italy who Winfree contacted on September 5, 2022 through AuPair.com, a website service that connects young women with potential host families. Winfree falsely represented that his family was in search of an au pair to care for his niece. On October 12, 2022, S.D. flew from Italy to Detroit, Michigan, and then took a bus to Winfree’s residence in East Lansing, Michigan. The day after she arrived, Winfree handcuffed his victim’s hands behind her back, placed a gag ball in her mouth, and raped her. Winfree considered killing his victim and hiding her body to avoid prosecution. Second, Winfree was convicted of Attempted Coercion and Enticement (Count 3) for the crimes he committed against A.S. Winfree connected with A.S. through AuPair.com in July 2022, falsely representing he needed someone to watch his 7-year-old niece every other week. Winfree paid for A.S. to fly to Michigan on September 14, 2022. When A.S. got to Winfree’s residence, she noticed all the windows were covered with paper and cardboard. She also noticed there were cameras around the house. A.S. saw no signs of children. She saw several knives and guns around the house. On September 16, 2022, A.S.’s family called the East Lansing Police Department and requested a welfare check for A.S. With the assistance of the police, the victim left the residence with her belongings and returned to Kansas. Third, Winfree was convicted of Production of Child Pornography (Count 4) for the crimes he committed against Minor Victim 1 (MV1). Winfree connected with MV1 on Instagram in November 2022, when the victim was 17 years old. From November 29-30, MV1 created nude images at Winfree’s request and sent them to him through the social media app’s messaging feature. On November 30, 2022, Winfree picked MV1 up from her high school, drove her to his home, and engaged in sexual acts with her. Fourth, Winfree was convicted of another count of Production of Child Pornography (Count 5) for the crimes he committed against Minor Victim 2 (MV2). Winfree connected with MV2 in September or October of 2022 on SnapChat, when the victim was 16 years old. He instructed MV2 to engage in sexual acts and send images and videos to him through SnapChat and later through WhatsApp. Further details are provided in the attached Complaint and the United States’ Statement of Facts Establishing Defendant’s Guilt. “The sentencing of Arisknight Winfree marks a significant step towards healing for all those who suffered from his callous and heinous criminal acts,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “Individuals who engage in sexual exploitation involving minors will be investigated and arrested by the FBI and our law enforcement partners in Michigan. The collective investigative efforts by members from FBI Michigan, the East Lansing Police Department, and the prosecutorial efforts of the United States Attorney's Office of Western Michigan prevented another crime from being committed by Mr. Winfree.” “The East Lansing Police Department would like to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their commitment to this case,” said ELPD Police Chief Chad Pride . “Arisknight Winfree’s conviction on multiple charges shows our collaborative partnerships were essential in bringing justice to the survivors of these awful acts and holding Arisknight accountable for his actions.” This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials. Assistant United States Attorney Davin Reust prosecuted this case. The East Lansing Police Department, Michigan State University Police and Public Safety, and the FBI investigated it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan issued the previous press releases in this case and a related case: February 15, 2023 – East Lansing Man Indicted for Kidnapping and Raping Italian Teen, Attempting to Rape Another Teen, and Sexually Exploiting Two Minors . April 10, 2024 – Man Who Bound and Raped Au Pair Pleads No Contest . ###


title: Pleas Announced In Connection With April 2023 Mass Poisoning In Kalamazoo County

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced the guilty pleas of James Smith, aka “Yola,” and Patrick Martin of Kalamazoo County for federal drug charges in connection with an April 2023 mass poisoning event in Kalamazoo County. That event resulted in at least six deaths linked to fentanyl. “What Kalamazoo experienced in April 2023 is a snapshot of the crisis we confront across America, driven by fentanyl, and snatching the lives of even first-time users with no idea they’re consuming this deadly poison. The enforcement efforts of our federal and state investigators and the recovery efforts of our communities are taking root, and the number of such tragic events are coming down,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “While we’ll never prosecute our way out of this crisis, today marks an important first step toward justice. This investigation is ongoing, and I encourage anyone with information to come forward. Now is the time.” In open court, earlier today, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou accepted Smith and Martin’s guilty pleas, accounting them guilty of their crimes. Smith faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and Martin a maximum sentence of 4 years in prison. The Court set both men to be sentenced on February 6, 2025. In pleading guilty, Smith admitted to the following facts in his plea agreement: “Between April 12 and 13, 2023, a series of drug-induced overdoes resulted in multiple hospital admissions and more than seven deaths in or around Kalamazoo, Michigan, including victim D.M., named in Count 1 of the Indictment. Defendant, James Smith, distributed the drugs that caused D.M.’s death and caused the deaths and overdoses of several of the other April 2023 victims. Defendant was a cocaine dealer who sold cocaine by the ounce in Kalamazoo. On April 12, 2023, Defendant sold two ounces of what he believed to be cocaine, but what was, in fact, fentanyl, to Patrick Martin, one of his regular customers. Martin passed the fentanyl on to several of his own customers, one of whom was D.M. D.M. used the fentanyl, believing it to be cocaine, overdosed, and died in Portage, Michigan, as a result. Following the series of overdoses, Defendant continued to sell cocaine.” This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information related to the April 2023 mass poisoning event in Kalamazoo County is encouraged to contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety through the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) at 269-337-8880. You may also submit an anonymous tip through the Kalamazoo Silent Observer tip line at 269-343-2100, the “P3Tips” app, or online at www.KalamazooSilentObserver.com . “Fentanyl-related deaths continue to claim lives at an alarming rate in communities across Michigan and throughout the United States,” said Orville Green, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of DEA . “Working in partnership with our federal, state and local partners, DEA is determined to hold accountable, individuals like James Smith and Patrick Martin.” According to the Centers for Disease Control (see here ), in 2023 at least 107,543 people died from drug poisoning across the United States, which is near the all-time high of 111,029 deaths in 2022. In Michigan, at least 2,931 people died from drug poisoning in 2023. Approximately 75% of the 2023 drug poisoning deaths across the United States were due to fentanyl. The following services are available for people experiencing addiction, or their friends and loved ones: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis . Cope Network (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties), 269-580-8290, www.copenetwork.org . The Grand Rapids Red Project (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Kent and Muskegon Counties), 616-456-9063 (Kent County), 231-563-6865 (Muskegon County), www.redproject.org . The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a webpage that identifies county-by-county services. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Portage Department of Public Safety, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and the Michigan State Police. ###


title: Porterville Man Pleads Guilty to Making Destructive Devices and Unlawfully Possessing a Silencer

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Joseph Marcus Silva, 28, of Porterville, pleaded guilty today to possessing an unregistered silencer and manufacturing three destructive devices, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Silva manufactured three destructive devices, all of which were designed to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive and were designed for use as a weapon. Silva used a 3D-printer to make two of the destructive devices. One of the destructive devices was similar to a military claymore mine with flash powder that read, “FRONT TOWARDS ENEMY.” A military Claymore mine is a directional fragmentation, antipersonnel mine that will incapacitate, injure, or kill one or more persons. The second 3D‑printed destructive device was a military-type M67 grenade. Silva also made a destructive device using a glass tube with flash powder, BB’s, and a fuse and was in possession of a silencer that was not registered to him. This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Tulare County Agency Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team of the California Department of Justice and the Porterville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case. Silva was previously ordered detained based on evidence of trafficking in firearms and drugs. He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 21, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Silva faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the four charges. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Randolph County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Pansy Loraine Ray, age 44, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ray assisted Donald Cantrell, Jr., another defendant in this case, by hiding drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators searched Ray’s home and found 220 grams of methamphetamine, $18,000, and drug paraphernalia. Ray will serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Cantrell was sentenced to 188 months in prison on October 2, 2024. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided. View the release on Cantrell’s sentence here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/randolph-county-man-sentenced-methamphetamine-charge-4


title: Connecticut Real Estate Agent Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Clients in Long Running Short Sale Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A real estate agent was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud his clients by engaging in fraudulent short sales of government and bank-owned properties to straw buyers acting at the direction of the defendant and a co-conspirator. Sheldon Haag, 34, of Glastonbury, Conn. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Haag was also ordered to forfeit $277,331 and to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In June2023, Haag pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Haag and another real estate agent, James Macchio, used straw buyers to acquire properties owned by the clients of a brokerage where they worked, which included banks, federal agencies, bankruptcy trustees and other mortgage holders. The straw buyers included a shell company set up by a co-conspirator as a purported construction company. Haag and his co-conspirators hid their involvement as the de facto buyers of short sale properties from their clients, the owners of the properties, and used their inside knowledge as the owner’s broker to minimize sale prices in order to maximize their gain from later “flipping” the properties. While perpetrating the “flipping scheme,” Haag and his co-conspirators further defrauded clients by submitting fraudulent renovation bids from contractors to their own clients, including from the fake construction company they controlled through a co-conspirator. Once their clients accepted a fraudulent bid, Haag and his co-conspirators would hire different contractors at much lower cost and pocket the difference between the fraudulent bid and the actual cost of property repairs. Macchio pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19, 2024. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Michigan Men Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Michigan men were sentenced today for their roles in a drug trafficking organization operating in Monongalia County. Giovanni George, age 34, of Taylor, Michigan, was sentenced today to 141 months in federal prison. Addonis Moore, age 29, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 121 months. Both previously pled guilty to a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, George and Moore were two of several defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy that stretched from Michigan to Monongalia County. During a traffic stop, officers found nearly one pound of methamphetamine in George’s car. Moore was a passenger. George has a criminal history that includes domestic battery, possession of controlled substances, unlawful assault, witness intimidation, violation of a protective order, robbery, and wanton endangerment. Moore was previously convicted of drug charges in Michigan. George will serve three years of supervised release once his prison sentence is complete. Moore will serve five of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Chicopee Man Convicted of Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A member of a large-scale criminal enterprise has been convicted after a four-day trial for distributing large amounts of cocaine throughout Eastern and Western Massachusetts. Vicente Gonzalez, 51, of Chicopee, was convicted on Oct. 3, 2024 of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Jan. 8, 2025. Gonzalez was indicted along with 12 co-defendants in December 2019 . As part of the cocaine-trafficking conspiracy, Vicente Gonzalez received multiple kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico. He received those cocaine packages at his home and from another address in West Springfield. Gonzalez agreed to distribute this cocaine to his co-conspirators based in both the Chicopee/Springfield area and New Bedford. On July 29, 2019, during a search of Gonzalez’s residence, two kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $60,000 were seized from the basement, directly underneath a laundry chute leading from Gonzalez’s laundry room. The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as the charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Chicopee and Holyoke Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hassink and Nathaniel Yeager of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf .


title: Treasure map leads officers to buried fentanyl

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two men pled guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl after law enforcement followed a treasure map to buried drugs. According to court documents, on Dec. 7, 2021, Ronald Devon Matthews, 39, was arrested at his home in Isle of Wight County and has remained in custody since the day of his arrest. Following his arrest, Matthews authorized Demetris Alexander Daniels, 34, of Hampton, to live in the residence. On Aug. 11, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Matthews on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On Sept. 29, 2022, Matthews pled guilty to all three counts, and on Feb. 24, 2023, he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison. Prior to his arrest, however, Matthews buried 383.02 grams of fentanyl in the ground outside his home for future distribution. On May 2, 2023, while incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Petersburg, Matthews drew a map of his property indicating the location of the buried fentanyl. Matthews drew the map on the reverse side of a sales invoice issued in his name at Petersburg FCC. Matthews transferred the map to Daniels, so that the fentanyl could be retrieved and sold. Matthews also contacted a witness and solicited the witness’ assistance in helping Daniels locate the buried fentanyl. In May or June 2023, Daniels unsuccessfully tried to find the fentanyl by digging in the yard. On June 15, 2023, the witness contacted Daniels by phone and agreed to meet on June 18, 2023, to look for the fentanyl. On June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers with the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant on the residence with Daniels present. Investigators located the map in the bedroom used by Daniels. Following the map, the officers discovered the spot where the drugs were buried and recovered a container with the fentanyl inside. On Sept. 30, Matthews pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. Daniels pled guilty today to being an accessory after the fact to maintaining a drug-involved premises. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and James R. Clarke Jr., Isle of Wight County Sheriff, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-69.


title: Leader of Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER KOLITSAS, 30, of Wolcott, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his leadership of a catalytic converter theft and trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component. Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford. From approximately January 2021 to June 2022, Kolitsas used Downpipe Depot to purchase stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves. Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant after hours. Analysis of records seized from Downpipe Depot revealed that many of Kolitsas’s suppliers were selling thousands to tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen converters to Kolitsas each week. Kolitsas regularly transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Some of these trips yielded payments in excess of $200,000. The investigation also revealed that Kolitsas used proceeds from the theft and sale of catalytic converters to purchase a Ford Transit Van and other items. Kolitsas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of promotional money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. As part of his plea agreement, Kolitsas has agreed to forfeit the Ford Transit Van, a 2016 Polaris Slingshot, $91,581 held in a Downpipe Depot bank account, and $75,127 in cash, all of which was seized by law enforcement during the investigation. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for January 22. Kolitsas is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing. This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Randall Lee Duncan, age 64, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced October 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for his participation in a methamphetamine drug conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Duncan to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Duncan’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Duncan also agreed to the forfeiture of his 2014 Ford F-250 King Ranch Super Duty Crew Cab pickup which was used to facilitate the drug conspiracy. As part of a long-term investigation into a known source-of-supply (SOS) operating out of Mexico, the DEA began investigating various related meth distributors operating in the Omaha metro area. One of the local distributors was identified as Randall Duncan. Beginning on August 17, 2022, Duncan arranged with the SOS to purchase meth for distribution, and DEA surveilled Duncan’s meeting with another known distributor working for the SOS. Following the meeting, Duncan messaged the SOS with complaints about the quality of the meth he had received. Duncan sent a text message photograph of a bag of meth. Law enforcement obtained the photograph. In April 2023, law enforcement utilized a confidential source to purchase one pound of meth from Duncan. Law enforcement ultimately searched Duncan’s residence and located an additional seven pounds of meth. This operation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Omaha Police Department, and Bellevue Police Department.


title: California Woman Sentenced to 8 Years for Attempting to Possess Methamphetamine for Distribution

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Heather Carter, 50, Santa Monica, California, was sentenced August 22, 2024, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for attempting to possess methamphetamine intended for distribution. Carter pleaded guilty to this charge on March 14, 2024. In January 2022, law enforcement officers received information that Carter regularly traveled to California to purchase methamphetamine and mailed the drugs back to Wisconsin for distribution. On September 19, 2022, law enforcement learned that Carter was driving from California to Wisconsin. During the trip, Carter stopped at a post office in Washington, Utah, before continuing towards Wisconsin. An inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service located the package that Carter had mailed from Utah, which was addressed to her residence in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the package and found that it contained cocaine, fentanyl, and 422 grams of methamphetamine. On September 23, 2022, investigators removed the controlled substances and delivered the package to Carter at her Coon Valley address. Investigators arrested Carter after she took custody of the package. In December 2022, while on federal pretrial release, Carter fled to California and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest. In August 2023, an officer from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Police Department stopped Carter for a traffic violation and arrested her on the federal warrant. While searching Carter’s SUV, the UCLA police officer found fake identification documents, multiple license plates from various states, and approximately 800 grams of methamphetamine. In sentencing Carter, Judge Peterson explained that she was a mid-level dealer who sold a dangerous mix of drugs. Judge Peterson noted that Carter immediately returned to criminality when she absconded. The charge against Carter was the result of an investigation conducted by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, Coon Valley Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, UCLA Police Department, United States Marshals Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.


title: Felon Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Unlawful Possession Of Firearms

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man with an extensive criminal history was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 84 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of two firearms after he exchanged gunfire on Fremont Street. According to court documents, on September 1, 2022, DaJuan Lamar Gamble, also known as “Popeye,” 41, fired at least three shots from a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm semi-automatic pistol from a walkway of a motel on East Fremont Street at an SUV that had stopped in the street in front of the motel. An occupant in the SUV fired at least two .40 caliber rounds at Gamble. Security camera recordings at the motel captured the gunfire. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recovered the 9mm pistol and a Norinco MAK-90 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic rifle in a black bag hidden in the boiler room of the motel. A records check showed that the 9mm semi-automatic pistol previously had been stolen in Dallas, Texas. In October 2023, Gamble pleaded guilty to felon in possession of firearms. He has prior felony convictions in Clark County including attempt discharge firearm at or into occupied structure, vehicle, aircraft or watercraft; accessory to murder; possession of stolen property; and possession of controlled substance with intent to sell. Gamble is prohibited by law to possess a firearm as a result of those prior felony convictions. “Ensuring the safety of the public is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to ensure that this type of violent conduct is not tolerated within the Las Vegas community and that the prosecution of those prohibited from having a firearm remains a priority.” United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Cicolani for ATF made the announcement. This case was investigated by the ATF and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Cowhig and David Kiebler prosecuted the case. Anyone with information about the unlawful purchase of firearms can call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously at www.reportit.com/ . ###


title: Former Treasurer of Kern County Political Organization Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Bryan M. Williams, 41, of Atascadero, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Williams served as the treasurer of a Kern County political organization. During that time period, he stole between $230,000 and $435,000 from the organization, and used those funds for his personal use. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case. Williams is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Jan. 27, 2025. Williams faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced To Over Five Years In Prison For Illegally Possessing Ammunition In A “Ghost Gun”

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Christian Quintanilla, a/k/a “Casper,” was sentenced to 63 months in prison for illegally possessing 11 rounds of unfired ammunition near 16th Street and Mission Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Richard Seeborg, Chief United States District Judge. Quintanilla, 24, of San Pablo, pleaded guilty to the unlawful ammunition possession charge on Mar. 19, 2024. Quintanilla had previously admitted in a plea agreement to being a member of the MS-13 20th Street clique. According to court documents, Quintanilla had been sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for his participation in two MS-13 gang-related assaults in San Francisco and was therefore prohibited from carrying either a firearm or ammunition. Nevertheless, as described in court documents, Quintanilla was a passenger in a car with other MS-13 associates that led California Highway Patrol officers on a high-speed chase on June 17, 2023, after which officers located a handgun with a loaded magazine and a round in the chamber in the car. Quintanilla’s involvement in this incident violated the terms of his federal supervised release, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant. On Sept. 7, 2023, San Francisco Police Department officers encountered Quintanilla near 16th Street and Mission Street in San Francisco. When officers arrested Quintanilla, they found a 9mm Polymer 80 pistol (a “ghost gun”) with an extended magazine containing 11 unfired cartridges of 9mm ammunition. On Oct. 25, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Quintanilla, charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). In addition to the 63-month prison term, Chief Judge Seeborg ordered Quintanilla to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. Chief Judge Seeborg also found that Quintanilla’s possession of the weapon and ammunition violated the terms of his release relating to his August 2021 conviction and revoked his release, imposing a sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment to run concurrently with the 63-month term. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aseem Padukone and Andrew Scoble prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.


title: Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 46 Months In Prison For Fentanyl Distribution And Money Laundering

body_text: OAKLAND – Christian Grajeda-Varela, a Honduran national who pleaded guilty to fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., United States District Judge. Grajeda-Varela, 25, was charged by indictment on Aug. 2, 2023, and superseding information on July 15, 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024 to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In his plea agreement, Grajeda-Varela admitted that he sold roughly 1.5 pounds of fentanyl in July 2023 to a drug dealer in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Upon a search of his Oakland residence, federal agents found 109 grams of fentanyl, over six pounds of mannitol (a common mixing agent used to cut or dilute fentanyl), cocaine base, cocaine, and heroin. Agents also found a kilogram press, cutting boards, and tools to cut drugs, supplies that Grajeda-Varela admitted using to dilute and assist with the distribution of drugs. As described in court documents, multiple WhatsApp messages were found on Grajeda-Varela’s phone containing international wire transfer receipts sent from America Latina, a money service business in Oakland. Grajeda-Varela admitted that, between March and August 2022, he agreed with someone he suspected was involved in the drug trade to commit money laundering by bringing large amounts of cash to America Latina. Specifically, Grajeda-Varela brought over $235,000 in cash to America Latina for the business to wire to recipients in Mexico and Honduras in the form of roughly 125 international wires. According to the plea agreement, each of these international wires was structured and transmitted in an amount below $3,000 to avoid mandatory customer information reporting requirements under federal law. Grajeda-Varela admitted that he exchanged WhatsApp messages with a woman named “Griselda” who generally accepted the bulk cash he brought in and conducted the international wires for him at America Latina, and that receipts for wires America Latina sent between March and August 2022 were found on his phone as well as on the phone of Griselda Cancelada Liceaga, who owned America Latina. Grajeda-Varela further admitted that he knew that the owners of America Latina were structuring the bulk cash into wires of less than $3,000 each that were sent under the names of uninvolved persons to make it appear that each wire was an unrelated family/friend remittance. In a separately charged case, Griselda Cancelada Liceaga, 45, of Oakland, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison. Liceaga’s sentence was handed down by the Hon. Jeffrey S. White, Senior United States District Judge. Liceaga was charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 30, 2022, and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy on May 28, 2024. According to her plea agreement, while at her money service business America Latina, Liceaga sent multiple international wire receipts via WhatsApp between March and August 2022 to an individual arrested and prosecuted for drug trafficking. She further admitted to using the names of unrelated persons as the wire senders and did so with the intent to evade the $3,000 transaction reporting requirement under federal law. According to her plea agreement, Liceaga was familiar with the reporting requirement because she had received anti-money laundering training from the national wire service companies whose wire services she used. Liceaga further admitted that prior to opening America Latina, she had worked at another Oakland money service business, Rincon Musical, where she and her co-workers agreed to structure large cash amounts into wire transactions that were each less than $3,000 that they sent out under the names of unrelated persons. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to use all tools at our disposal to combat the drug trade in the Northern District of California and beyond,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Along with drug traffickers, individuals who engage in and enable the laundering of drug proceeds will be held accountable.” “Dismantling the profitability of deadly drug trafficking in our communities makes our streets safer and is a core capability of IRS-CI Special Agents. These sentencings highlight the effectiveness of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigations and the relentlessness in which we pursue those perpetuating the lethal drug epidemic,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley. “Our Special Agents follow the money. When the money leads us to transnational criminal organizations, we build cases that take those criminals off the streets and puts them behind bars.” “This decisive action, taken in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, disrupts the flow of dangerous drugs and eliminates the financial networks that make this crime possible,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Those who choose to profit from poisoning our communities and endanger public safety will be held accountable. We remain resolute in our mission to dismantle these threats and ensure that justice is served.” “The cartels would be out of business without drug distributors and money launderers. Christian Grajeda-Varela and Griselda Cancelada Liceaga blatantly violated the law to line their pockets with ill-gotten gains,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “We will be relentless in our pursuit of those who put poison in our community and skirt the law by structuring payments of drug proceeds.” The announcements were made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, IRS-CI Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. These prosecutions are part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles Bisesto and Daniel Pastor prosecuted these cases with assistance from Amanda Martinez and Andy Ding. The prosecution of Grajeda-Varela is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI with assistance from the DEA and the Concord Police Department. The prosecution of Cancelada Liceaga is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI and DEA with assistance from the Oakland Police Department.


title: U.S. Attorney Higgins Alerts Public to Charity Scams in Wake of Hurricane Helene

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins is warning the public to be vigilant to fraud attempts in the wake of Hurricane Helene. On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions. The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including: Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf. Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics. Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers. Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity. Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities. Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals. Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com. Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Court Sentences Dominican Drug Smuggler Caught With Approximately 443 Kilograms Of Cocaine

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: On October 3, 2024, United States District Court Judge, Terry F. Moorer, sentenced Jesus Acosta-Acosta, a Dominican national, to 87 months imprisonment for smuggling 443 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea. Acosta-Acosta had previously plead guilty to the drug smuggling offense, which is charged under Title 46, United States Code, Section 70506 (b). Documents filed with the Court established that on September 13, 2023, during a routine patrol in the Caribbean, a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) located a suspicious Go-Fast Vessel (GFV) on a northerly path with two persons on board. United States Coast Guard Cutter Valiant (USCGC VALIANT) launched it’s Over the Horizon (OTH) boat with a boarding team (BT). The OTH and BT arrived on scene and gained positive control of the vessel approximately 161 nautical miles South of Isla Beta, Dominican Republic. The BT recovered 13 bales of cocaine from the vessel weighing approximately 443 kilograms. The government of the Dominican Republic denied any claim to nationality of the GFV, and the vessel was thus subsequently treated as one without nationality, giving the United States jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the case under Title 46. The vessel was deemed a danger to navigation due to no suitable tow points and its distance from land. Consequently, the vessel was sunk upon completion of law enforcement activities. Title 46 United States Code, § 70501 states: Congress finds and declares that (1) trafficking in controlled substances aboard vessels is a serious international problem, is universally condemned, and presents a specific threat to the security and societal well-being of the United States and (2) operating or embarking in a submersible vessel or semi-submersible vessel without nationality and on an international voyage is a serious international problem, facilitates transnational crime, including drug trafficking, and terrorism, and presents a specific threat to the safety of maritime navigation and the security of the United States. Title 46 further provides that such offenses may be prosecuted in any United States federal district court. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Immigration Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Cuevas, 45, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to fraud and misuse of a lawful Permanent Resident Card. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 30, 2019, Cuevas fraudulently possessed and used information from a Permanent Resident Card issued in the name of another individual to apply for an individual explosives license from the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal. Cuevas admitted that he knew the information on his explosives application was false and that he submitted the other individual’s Permanent Resident Card with the application. Cuevas further admitted that he sought the explosives license to assist him in his employment laying a pipeline in Greenbrier, Nicholas and Fayette counties for a construction company. Cuevas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the West Virginia Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the West Virginia Fusion Center. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case, and former Assistant United States Attorney Stefan Hasselblad previously handled the prosecution. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-177. ###


title: Foreign National Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that David Origel-Villalobos, age 42, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. The Information alleged that Origel-Villalobos, an alien, was found in the United States without the express consent of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security after having been previously deported and removed on three prior occasions. The charges arose from an investigation by the Le Flore County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. District Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Origel-Villalobos was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.


title: U.S. Attorney Reminds Rest Homes About ADA Compliance Requirements for Patients with Disabilities

body_text: BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued a reminder to rest homes in Massachusetts about their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with respect to discrimination against persons with disabilities including opioid disorder and mobility restrictions. Rest homes are residential care facilities that provide 24-hour supervision and supportive services, such as meals, activities, housekeeping and administration of medications to residents. These facilities provide an option for older adults and persons with disabilities in Massachusetts to receive supportive care in a community setting. There are approximately 60 facilities licensed as rest homes in Massachusetts. Under the ADA, rest homes cannot refuse to admit persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) because they take medications to treat their OUD, such as buprenorphine (Suboxone) and methadone. To ensure compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of the ADA, facilities must evaluate each applicant individually to determine suitability for admission, rather than enacting a blanket policy denying admissions to all persons treated with medications for OUD. Also under the ADA, rest homes must not deny admission to people with disabilities who use mobility aids such as walkers, crutches and canes, or manual or power wheelchairs or scooters, unless a particular type of device cannot be accommodated because of a legitimate safety requirement. “It is against the law to deny someone admission to a facility based on the fact that they require mobility aids or are receiving treatment for opioid use disorder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levy. “These patients have the same rights as anyone else to seek out the appropriate residential setting to meet their needs. Nobody should be refused admission to a rest home simply because they are disabled.” Since 2018, the Civil Rights Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office has entered into 10 settlement agreements with Massachusetts entities that operate skilled nursing facilities for refusing to admit individuals prescribed medications for OUD. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue similar enforcement actions against rest homes and other residential facilities in Massachusetts that fail to follow the law. Courts may impose civil penalties for ADA violations, which could be as high as $92,383 for a first violation, and potentially double that amount for subsequent violations. The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office was established in 2015 with the mission of enhancing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights .


title: Leader Of Yoga To The People Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GREGORY GUMUCIO pled guilty today to a conspiracy to commit tax evasion from 2012 through 2020. GUMUCIO was the longtime leader of a prominent nationwide yoga business, Yoga to the People (“YTTP”), from which he received more than $3.5 million in income between 2012 and 2020, yet he did not file individual (or business) tax returns or pay any income taxes for at least eight consecutive years. GUMUCIO pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, to whom his case is assigned. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Greg Gumucio built a thriving yoga business yet chose to evade his tax obligations for nearly a decade. This Office is committed to holding individuals accountable who fail to pay their fair share.” According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: In or around 2006, GUMUCIO founded YTTP in New York, New York. YTTP was originally donation-based: YTTP requested, but did not require, payment from its yoga students. YTTP started with one yoga studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and it became extremely popular. Over the ensuing years, YTTP opened at least approximately 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various other places, including California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington State. YTTP also had a teacher training program, which earned substantial income from aspiring yoga teachers. YTTP operated from at least approximately 2006 until 2020. From 2010 to 2020, YTTP and its affiliates generated gross receipts of more than $20 million. Despite those substantial revenues, YTTP never filed a corporate tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). GUMUCIO was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer, as he directed and made decisions for the YTTP enterprise. From approximately 2012 through 2020, GUMUCIO received more than $3.5 million in income and owed taxes to the IRS exceeding $1 million, but never filed a personal tax return with the IRS or paid any income taxes. During the charged period, GUMUCIO repeatedly represented his annual income to be six figures to third parties not associated with the Government ( e.g. , a bank, a car financing company, and a real estate entity). In one such instance, GUMUCIO submitted a fabricated tax return to a third party, which a co-defendant prepared for GUMUCIO at GUMUCIO’s request. During the charged period, GUMUCIO enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, which included frequent foreign travel; expensive hotels, meals, and clothing; NFL season tickets; and country club payments. GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators used various methods to evade taxes, including, among others: Accepting yoga students’ payments in cash ( e.g. , which was collected in tissue boxes) and paying yoga teachers in cash and “off the books”; Generally forbidding YTTP teachers from counting incoming cash that yoga students paid and requiring yoga studio managers to transport cash proceeds to GUMUCIO’s apartment on St. Marks Place in Manhattan, where those proceeds were “stacked” and counted during so-called “stacking parties”; Failing to maintain a corporate headquarters or keep corporate books and records; Using nominees to disguise GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators’ connection to various entities which, in fact, were part of the YTTP enterprise and from which GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators received income; Using YTTP business accounts to pay GUMUCIO’s (and his co-conspirators’) personal expenses; and Maximizing unreported income, as GUMUCIO manipulated subordinates into providing free labor ( e.g. , teaching unpaid classes, stacking cash, cleaning yoga studios, depositing cash into bank accounts, etc.). * * * GUMUCIO, 63, of Colorado, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, GUMUCIO has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS of at least $2,560,300.93. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as GUMUCIO’s sentence will be determined by the judge. GUMUCIO’s two co-defendants, Michael Anderson and Haven Soliman, are currently scheduled to proceed to trial on January 13, 2025, before Judge Cronan. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s New York and Dallas Field Offices; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office; and Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff and Rushmi Bhaskaran are in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III Announces Over $5.1M In Justice Department Grants To Address Reentry

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III today announced awards of over $5.1 Million in Department of Justice grants to help reentry in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs. The following organizations received funding: The City of Chattanooga - $1,999,187 Hamilton County - $844,294 Helen Ross McNabb - $825,000 The City of Knoxville - $700,000 The Young Women’s Christian Association – $550,000 County of Bedford - $150,000 The City of Johnson City - $13,657 The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . ###


title: Wakpala Woman Sentenced for Child Abuse

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, woman convicted of Child Abuse. The sentencing took place on September 30, 2024. Sheyenne Cadotte, 28, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. One of her conditions of supervised release prohibits Cadotte from living with children or contacting her own children unless approved in writing by her probation officer. Cadotte was indicted for Child Abuse by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. She pleaded guilty on May 16, 2024. In 2021, Cadotte lived with her four-year-old daughter in Kenel, South Dakota, which lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Cadotte’s daughter is a profoundly delayed non-verbal child who requires a feeding tube for sustenance. During the summer and fall of 2021, Cadotte starved her daughter, routinely skipping scheduled feedings and swapping whole milk for formula. Due to this neglect, the girl’s weight dropped from 34 pounds in May to 25 pounds in December, when she was removed from Cadotte’s care. The child is currently thriving in an institutional setting. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain serious crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs- Office of Justice Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Cadotte was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on September 30, 2024. Johnathan Guggolz, 48, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Guggolz was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2024. On the afternoon of August 29, 2023, in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, a 62-year-old man pulled into the school driveway to pick his wife up from work. Guggolz pulled up next to the man and confronted him about his driving, mocking and belittling him. The man eventually exited his car, secured a pair of duct-taped homemade nunchucks to protect himself, and squared up with Guggolz, a former amateur boxer. After a few moments of posturing, the man thrust the nunchucks towards Guggolz’ hip. Guggolz then punched the man in the face, knocking him unconscious. The man fell backwards and struck his head on the concrete. Guggolz glanced down at the man, now lying helpless on the driveway, then returned to his pickup and drove away. The man subsequently died of a traumatic brain injury incurred in the assault. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, and the Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Guggolz was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Pine Ridge Man Charged with Assaulting an Infant

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury against a minor victim. Sinte White Butterfly, age 25, was indicted in September of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on September 30, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charge stems from White Butterfly assaulting a two-month-old infant and causing serious bodily injury to the infant in August of 2024. The charge is merely an accusation and White Butterfly is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth is prosecuting the case. White Butterfly was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on October 2, 2024. Lionel Morrison, age 53, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Morrison was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 7, 2024. In May of 2023, Morrison, who was intoxicated, was driving a vehicle just north of Pine Ridge when he lost control of the vehicle. After losing control of the vehicle, Morrison overcorrected the path of the vehicle causing it to roll three times causing the front passenger to be ejected from the vehicle. The victim ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe – Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.


title: Carthage Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine to distribute. Robert Marion Nevels, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Thursday, Oct. 3, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. On March 12, 2024, Nevels pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Nevels admitted that he was in possession of 200.2 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun when he was stopped by Carthage police officers on May 16, 2023. Nevels, who was on probation and parole at the time for assault and narcotics, was driving a tan 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis when he was stopped for failing to signal. The officer searched Nevels’s vehicle and found a backpack in the trunk that contained a loaded Echasa 7.65-caliber handgun and plastic baggies that contained methamphetamine. There were also four receipts (totaling $6,523) that indicated Nevels had been sending money to Mexico and California, as well as numerous empty baggies with methamphetamine residue. According to court documents, law enforcement officers seized a total of 598.8 grams of pure methamphetamine. Nevels was responsible for the distribution of at least 1.5 kilograms but less than 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. According to court documents, Nevels was involved in large-quantity methamphetamine distribution in Jasper and Newton Counties beginning as early as February 2023. Text messages indicate he could purchase one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of methamphetamine for $4,000. He typically sold to customers in quantities between one-eighth ounce to one pound. His distribution prices fluctuated, but text messages indicate he typically sold one ounce of methamphetamine for $300 to $350, and one pound of methamphetamine for $2,300 to $2,500. This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Convicted In Charity Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the District of Nevada convicted a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and gubernatorial candidate yesterday on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for executing a scheme to defraud charitable donors by falsely claiming she was raising money to memorialize police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michele Fiore, 54, of Pahrump, Nevada, while serving as a Las Vegas city councilwoman, solicited donors for money to build statues honoring two Las Vegas police officers who had been killed in the line of duty. The evidence at trial demonstrated that Fiore promised donors that “100% of the contributions” would be used towards the construction of memorials for the fallen officers. However, Fiore did not use any of the more than $70,000 in charitable donations she raised for the memorials. Instead, Fiore spent the money donated by the victims on a variety of personal and political expenses, including political fundraising bills, personal rent payments, and payments to family members. Fiore is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Las Vegas Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried and paralegal specialist Heather DePremio of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada provided substantial assistance.


title: Maryland Man Facing Federal Indictment For Filing More Than $1 Million Dollars In Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Claims

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Maryland man on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million dollars in unemployment benefits. On May 22, 2024, a grand jury returned an indictment of Mervyn Fombe Abiko, a/k/a “Magic,” a 35-year-old Maryland man with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendant. The defendant had an initial appearance on October 2, 2024 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan. The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Damon E. Wood, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Washington Division Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, - Baltimore, Acting Special Agent in Charge Karl Mastantuno, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, National Capital Region, John T. Perez, Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations, Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General. As detailed in the indictment, employment insurance (“UI”) was a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments were intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who were unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP). In Maryland, those seeking UI benefits submitted online applications. Applicants had to answer specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things. Applicants also had to self-certify that they met a COVID-19-related reason for being unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work. MD-DOL relied upon the information in the application to determine UI benefits eligibility. Once an application was approved, the MD-DOL typically distributed state and federal UI benefits electronically to a BOA debit card, which claimants could use to withdraw funds and/or make purchases. According to the indictment, from March 2020 through January 2021, Abiko and others, including Martin Tabe and Gladstone Njokem, conspired to impersonate victim individuals in order to submit fraudulent UI claims. To accomplish this, Abiko and others obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to file UI applications, which resulted in debit cards being issued in the names of victims that were loaded with benefits. Abiko and others used those debit cards in point-of-sale transactions and at ATMs. Abiko and others collectively obtained more than $1 million through this scheme. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each of the three counts of wire fraud. The defendant faces a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of the three counts of aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the USPIS, the DOL-OIG and HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Evansville Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling Over $550,000 from her Employer Over Fifteen Years

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EVANSVILLE—Rebecca Willis, 67, of Evansville, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to eight counts of wire fraud. According to court documents, Willis was employed as a bookkeeper with an architecture firm at its Evansville location for more than twenty years. She had various financial responsibilities, including handling accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. Between 2006 and 2021, Willis entered false payroll data to unjustly enrich herself. She inflated her regular hours, overtime hours, bonuses, and mileage reimbursement to cause her employer to pay her more than she was actually owed. Willis’ bi-weekly pay was generally 40% fraudulent and 60% legitimate. Additionally, Willis used the company’s business account and company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases of items that she retained for her personal use and benefit, including gift cards and gasoline. In total, Willis stole approximately $570,209.47 from her employer over fifteen years. “This defendant lied, stole, and cooked the books to line her pocket with no remorse, betraying her employer of two decades and repaying their trust by fraudulently increasing her income by nearly forty percent over fifteen years,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fraud and embezzlement can have devastating effects on companies. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that those who commit financial crimes will pay a serious price. I commend the FBI, Evansville Police Department, and our federal prosecutor for their efforts to investigate these crimes and hold the defendant accountable.” The FBI and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. Willis was also ordered to pay $570,209.47 in restitution to her former employer. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Justice Department to Award More Than $84M in Grants to American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department has awarded 152 grants to 90 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes through its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), totaling more than $84 million. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced these awards during a Justice Department and Department of the Interior convening with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT). The grants awarded under CTAS are designed to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support Tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The CTAS awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). “We have heard from Tribal leaders about the complex public safety challenges their communities are facing and about the innovative and culturally appropriate solutions they propose to meet those challenges,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen of OJP. “These investments in Tribal community safety infrastructure, Tribal youth programs, law enforcement activities in Indian country, and services for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors represent a strong and steady commitment on the part of the Office of Justice Programs to the safety of Tribal communities.” Of the more than $84 million in grants awarded under CTAS, a streamlined application that helps Tribes apply for Tribal-specific grant programs, OJP funded more than $53 million in awards, and the COPS Office funded more than $31 million. OJP funding supports system-wide strategic planning, the strengthening of Tribal justice system infrastructure, the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, juvenile healing to wellness courts, and tribal programs for youth. The COPS Office awarded funds to assist 49 Tribes in hiring personnel, purchasing equipment, and making training grants to expand the implementation of community policing. This CTAS funding can be used to hire or re-hire full-time career law enforcement officers, village public safety officers, and school resource officers and to procure essential equipment, technology, and training to assist in initiating or enhancing Tribal policing efforts. “The COPS Office is honored to continue assisting with our Tribal partners by providing funding for vital resources that help law enforcement agencies improve services to both their officers and the communities they serve,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “This support is integral to enhancing public safety, protecting the community and continuing to build trust and sustain relationships.” In addition to the CTAS awards, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime awarded nearly 200 grants totaling more than $54 million through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside to provide services for crime victims in Tribal communities. Additionally, OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking awarded 20 Tribes a total of $7 million to assist in their development of registration and notification.


title: Eden Prairie Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Employer

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – An Eden Prairie woman has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $1,137,404 in restitution for embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Monica Svobodny, 52, worked as the Supply Chain and Engineering Manager at a furniture manufacturing company located in Edina, Minnesota. Svobodny used her managerial position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Svobodny regularly used company credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. To cover her fraud, she left unapproved credit card expenses as “pending” for accounting purposes. On more than 300 occasions, she used company cards to transfer funds to herself via PayPal to cover personal expenses. Svobodny also edited PayPal transaction receipts and fraudulently listed some of the expenses as payments to a defunct company. In total, Svobodny knowingly and willfully embezzled more than $1,137,000 over a period of seven years. On April 10, 2024, Svobodny pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Ann D. Montgomery. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Edina Police Department with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline prosecuted the case.