title: Two Louisville Nursing Homes Agree to Shut Down and Pay Over $1 Million in Civil Monetary Penalties Resulting from Noncompliance with Medicare Rules and Regulations

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett announced today that two nursing homes that filed federal lawsuits seeking injunctive relief against the United States in an effort to remain open, have dismissed their cases, agreed to shut down, and will pay a total of $1,026,409 in civil money penalties to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Hillcreek Rehab and Care (Hillcreek), is located at 3116 Breckenridge Lane in Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Matthews Care and Rehab Center (St. Matthews), is located at 227 Browns Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. Both facilities are owned and operated by Medical Rehabilitation Centers, LLC, d/b/a Exceptional Living Centers, which is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. “This office will vigorously defend the actions of CMS when it seeks to hold accountable nursing facilities that fail to comply with Medicare rules and regulations,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Nursing homes must meet all federal program requirements and provide their residents, which include some of our most vulnerable citizens, with the quality care and services they deserve. When facilities fail to meet these requirements, CMS is authorized to hold the facilities accountable.” “CMS takes seriously our role in promoting the health and safety of nursing home residents. As was shown during onsite inspections, the residents of these two nursing homes did not receive the care they were entitled to,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “We appreciate the efforts of the State of Kentucky to assess the quality of care through the survey process and support the relocation of residents to safer settings.” The Kentucky Division of Health Care performed numerous site visits, called “surveys,” of Hillcreek and St. Matthews beginning in September 2022 and continuing through May 2023. These surveys found substantial noncompliance with Medicare rules and regulations. As noted in filings with the Court, in the case of Hillcreek, those surveys included the following findings, among others: Hillcreek repeatedly used blood glucometers on multiple patients without disinfecting the glucometers. Hillcreek left a resident in an unheated room, on the floor with skin tears, covered in urine and feces, who ultimately died of hypothermia. Hillcreek was infested with rodents, with rats and their droppings in plain view in various parts of the facility including resident rooms, and a resident was bitten by a rodent. Hillcreek left residents in soiled clothing and linens without appropriate checks from staff. Hillcreek left garbage cans in resident rooms and elsewhere overflowing with soiled adult briefs. Hillcreek failed to implement care plans for multiple residents, each of whom later suffered serious harm. A March 2023 survey found that Hillcreek improperly kept medications past expiration and improperly left medications unlocked. Hillcreek hired personnel despite disqualifying criminal convictions. Even though Hillcreek corrected some deficiencies cited by Kentucky, Hillcreek failed to be in substantial compliance even after a fourth revisit. Many Hillcreek resident rooms still had malfunctioning and nonfunctioning heating and cooling units, including one left pulled out of an exterior wall, allowing rodents to enter. In the case of St. Matthews, filings with the Court showed that CMS surveys included the following findings, among others: St. Matthews failed to protect residents from abuse. St. Matthews used blood glucometers on multiple patients without disinfecting them properly between uses. St. Matthews’ personnel files failed to show that complete and proper background checks had been performed on its employees, with some employees having disqualifying events that proper background checks should have revealed. St. Matthews failed to ensure that alleged violations involving abuse, neglect, exploitation, or mistreatment, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, were reported immediately. St. Matthews failed to develop and implement care plan interventions for residents with physician’s orders for oxygen. The federal lawsuits were filed by Hillcreek and St. Matthews in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 24, 2023. The cases were styled St. Matthews Care and Rehab Center, LLC v. Becerra, et al. (3:23-cv-261) and Hillcreek Rehab and Care, LLC v. Becerra, et al. (3:23-cv-265). The United States filed motions to dismiss the lawsuits and sought to dissolve the temporary restraining orders initially entered by the Court. Following a brief hearing with the Court on June 1, 2023, Hillcreek and St. Matthews agreed to terminate their provider agreements with Medicare, dissolve the temporary restraining orders, dismiss their cases, with prejudice, and close their facilities within 30 days. As part of the closure process, Hillcreek and St. Matthews will be required to safely transfer Medicare and Medicaid residents in their respective facilities to other facilities and submit a comprehensive closure and relocation plan for each facility that is acceptable to CMS. As a result of their noncompliance with federal rules and regulations, Hillcreek and Exceptional Living Centers will pay to CMS a Civil Monetary Penalty of $636,752.75 and St. Matthews and Exceptional Living Centers will pay to CMS a Civil Monetary Penalty of $389,656.25, for a combined total of $1,026,409. Defense of these cases was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Snyder, William F. Campbell, and Benjamin S. Schecter. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the General Counsel and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provided substantial support in response to these cases. ###


title: Former Augusta city commissioner sentenced to prison for destroying records, lying to federal investigators

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A former Augusta city commissioner was sentenced to prison after being found guilty at trial of destroying records in a federal investigation, and then lying about it to federal investigators researching the case. Sammie Lee Sias , 68, of Hephzibah, Ga., the former District 4 Augusta Commissioner, was sentenced to 36 months in prison after being found guilty in July 2022. Sias was convicted of Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations and False Statement or Representation Made to a Department or Agency of the United States, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Sias to pay a fine of $5,000, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “The community trusted Sammie Sias to be an upstanding public official, and saw him as someone their community could count on for leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence not only will serve to deter Mr. Sias from committing any similar conduct in the future but it will also serve to deter others in similar positions from betraying the community’s trust. It’s important for the citizens of Richmond County and the Southern District of Georgia to know that their trusted public officials will be held accountable when they engage in illegal conduct. No one is above the law.” As described in court documents and testimony, the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in 2019 were investigating then-Commissioner Sias’ role in expenditures of Richmond County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds. An FBI special agent served Sandridge Community Association (SCA) and Sias, the SCA president, with federal subpoenas for records regarding the SCA, Jamestown Community Center, Jamestown Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), SCA Board of Directors, and SCA Summer Camp. SCA is a private organization that operates the Richmond County government-owned Jamestown Community Center, and Sias served for several years as its leader. Within hours of the agent’s visit, Sias deleted approximately 7,000 relevant files from a laptop in his possession that belonged to the Jamestown Community Center. Shortly thereafter, during a recorded interview with an FBI agent, Sias falsely stated that he told the agent that he had provided all files in his possession related to the investigation. A forensic examination later found evidence of those missing files on the laptop, and a U.S. District Court grand jury named Sias in a two-count felony indictment. After four days of trial testimony, a jury deliberated for just two hours before delivering guilty verdicts on both counts of the indictment. “This cover-up was not only a violation of the oath taken by Sias, but a theft of the public’s trust,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top priorities and we will do everything in our power to pursue officials who abuse their positions.” “The conviction and sentencing of former Augusta City Commissioner Sammie Lee Sias clearly conveys that no one is above the law, especially public officials entrusted with maintaining higher ethical standards,” said Mike Register, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Sias’s deliberate destruction of records and subsequent false statements to federal investigators demonstrate a complete disregard for the principles of accountability and transparency. The GBI, alongside our partners at the FBI, worked tirelessly to uncover the truth and ensure justice was served.” The case was investigated by the FBI and the GBI and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.


title: Kansas Man Facing Federal Charges For Making Online Threats Toward Nashville Pride Event

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: NASHVILLE – A Kansas man has been indicted for making online threats to commit acts of violence at an upcoming Nashville Pride event, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. An indictment unsealed this morning charges Joshua Hensley, aka Josh Echo, 25, of Hoisington, Kansas, with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat related to the upcoming Nashville Pride event, scheduled for June 24-25, 2023. Hensley was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday at his home in Kansas and appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday in the District of Kansas. According to the indictment, on April 26, 2023, Hensley posted comments to a Facebook post for Nashville Pride and threatened to “make shrapnel pressure cooker bombs for this event.” In another comment posted the same day, Hensley threatened to “commit a mass shooting.” “We will not tolerate hate-based, threats of violence designed to intimidate Tennesseans,” said U.S. Attorney Leventis. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to ensure that the civil rights of all persons are protected.” If convicted, Hensley faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani M. Gilkerson of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. # # # # #


title: St. Charles County Man Accused of Online Coercion of Minors

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri accused of coercing minors into sending him nude pictures has been ordered held in jail until trial. Tristin M. Davis, 26, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis May 24 on three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and three counts of receiving child pornography. The indictment accuses him of coercing three minors, in New York, Tennessee and Connecticut, into engaging in sexually explicit conduct to produce images. Davis pleaded not guilty to the charges June 8. On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah ordered Davis detained until trial. In addition to the federal charges, Judge Mensah cited pending statutory sodomy charges in Lincoln County Circuit Court and St. Charles County Circuit Court and accusations that Davis has sexually abused four minors. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jury Convicts Pain Clinic Doctor Of Unlawful Drug Distribution, Money Laundering, And Filing A False Tax Return

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Dr. Qing McGaha guilty of 14 counts of unlawful drug distribution, 4 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of filing a false tax return. McGaha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of unlawful drug distribution, up to 10 years for each money laundering count, and 3 years’ imprisonment for filing a false tax return. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 15, 2023. McGaha had been indicted on January 2, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, McGaha was a Florida-licensed medical doctor who owned and operated MD Care Clinic, a pain management clinic in Hillsborough County. Over a 20-month period, undercover agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted numerous appointments with McGaha. At each appointment, they received hydrocodone, hydromorphone, or oxycodone, Schedule II controlled substances not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Between January 2016 and January 2021, McGaha distributed more than 2.1 million opioid pills. In addition, McGaha engaged in multiple monetary transactions over $10,000 in funds criminally derived from the operation of her clinic. She used these funds to purchase a piece of real property in Clearwater and deposited them into her bank account. In 2021, McGaha filed false and fraudulent tax forms for tax year 2020 that underreported MD Care’s gross revenue by nearly $300,000. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Lakeland Police Department, the Tampa Police Department, the Largo Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. This case was also part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.


title: Tax and Firearm Charges Filed Against Robert Hunter Biden

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

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – The United States Attorney for the District of Delaware filed charges today against Robert Hunter Biden (“Hunter Biden”) of Los Angeles. Hunter Biden has been charged with two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony firearm offense and has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to the tax offenses and enter into a pre-trial diversion agreement with regard to the firearm charge at a proceeding to be scheduled by the assigned United States District Court judge. According to the tax Information, Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1,500,000 annually in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year. According to the firearm Information, from on or about October 12, 2018 through October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance. Hunter Biden is charged with two violations of failure to pay income tax and one violation of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison on each of the tax charges and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the firearm charge. 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. David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement. The investigation is ongoing. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER . An information contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. Attachments: rhb_information1.pdf rhb_information_2.pdf


title: Grand jury indicts repeat sex offender & his girlfriend for using ruse of dying relative to coerce minor victim into creating child pornography

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A 35-year-old repeat sex offender and his girlfriend have been charged federally with crimes related to coercing a minor female into producing child pornography. It is alleged the defendants used a ruse to trick the victim into believing that one defendant’s mother was dying and, to pay for life-saving surgery, the victim needed to send sexually explicit pictures and videos of herself to a third party over the internet. John Brickhouse, 35, and Nina Darling, 26, both of Junction City, Ohio, are charged in a 19-count superseding indictment. The case was unsealed today. According to court documents, the couple conspired for approximately seven months to coerce a minor girl, whom Brickhouse had met online, into producing and sending child pornography. It is alleged that Brickhouse and Darling told the victim that Brickhouse’s mother had two weeks left to live, but that a third party had agreed to pay for life-saving surgery if the victim created and sent sexually explicit images and videos of herself in exchange. The third party – “Michael Jones” – was in actuality a fictitious persona created by Brickhouse and Darling. It is alleged that Darling, at Brickhouse’s request, posed as “Michael Jones” in order to convince the victim that Brickhouse’s mother’s life could be saved if only the victim created and sent child pornography. Darling also allegedly posed as Brickhouse’s dying mother and Brickhouse’s aunt as part of this deception. The victim, believing that she was acting to save Brickhouse’s mother’s life, created and sent the child pornography as requested. Brickhouse and Darling allegedly obtained and then distributed the child pornography to others, including to registered sex offenders. In a separate scheme, Brickhouse allegedly coerced a different minor victim into producing child pornography. Brickhouse is a registered sex offender whose most recent conviction was in 2015 for sexually assaulting a child. His multiple sexual offenses against children date back to 2009 and involve victims as young as 3 years old. Brickhouse committed many of the alleged crimes while he was in custody for his prior sexual offenses against minors. If convicted as charged, Brickhouse faces 25 years up to life in prison and Darling faces between five and 30 years in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Mahy and Kelly K. Rossi are representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Nick Brown announces departure from U.S. Attorney’s Office

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today announced he is resigning as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington effective June 21, 2023. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and humbled to have been selected by President Biden to serve in this important role. Building safe and healthy communities is one of the most important challenges we face as a state. Leading the federal partners who work to keep our communities safe and learning from our community partners has reinforced for me the need to tackle these difficult challenges head on,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “I hope to return to public service in the future, but I know that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue its excellent work under the career attorneys and professional staff who assisted me during my time in office. I would like to thank each of them for entrusting me to lead this incredible team.” During his years in office, U.S. Attorney Brown put an emphasis on protecting civil rights, addressing the fentanyl crisis, combatting gun crime, and empowering community voices in our public safety efforts. Brown was selected in 2021 to chair the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights. The U.S. Attorney’s Office under Brown put a priority on preventing and prosecuting hate crimes, protecting the most vulnerable and members of marginalized communities. U.S. Attorney Brown partnered with state and local officials to lead multiple prosecutions of the groups that bring drugs to our communities and use firearms as part of their criminal conduct. Under U.S. Attorney Brown, the office brought multiple cases regarding illegal trafficking in firearms and “ghost guns” – firearms that were manufactured without serial numbers. Understanding that law enforcement is just one of the factors in fostering community safety, U.S. Attorney Brown testified before congress about the community partnerships supported by his office that work to interdict gun violence and enhance reentry to the community by those who have been incarcerated. The office also engaged in new ways with a diverse group of community stakeholders. Under Brown’s leadership the office pursued several initiatives, creating a new unit to combat cybercrime, pursuing a variety of fraud cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and prosecuting those involved in human trafficking. U.S. Attorney Brown took the oath of office on October 8, 2021. His full biography is available here. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman will serve as the Acting U.S. Attorney.


title: Four Indicted For $17 Million Bank Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A criminal indictment has been unsealed in federal court in Asheville, charging four individuals with allegedly executing a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment charges Kotto Yaphet Paul, 48, of Waxhaw, N.C., Latoya Tamieka Ford, 48, of Covington, Georgia, Bruce Howard Marko, 64, of Charlotte, N.C., and Love Norman, 49, of West Palm Beach, Florida, with one count of wire fraud and bank fraud conspiracy, 16 counts of financial institution fraud, and four counts of money laundering. According to allegations contained in the indictment, from 2016 to May 2021, the defendants and their co-conspirators executed a fraudulent loan scheme that defrauded at least 17 federally insured financial institutions of more than $17 million. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and their co-conspirators obtained loans from the financial institutions by submitting loan applications that contained fraudulent information, including false employment and income information, false tax returns, and misrepresentations regarding the applicants’ assets, liabilities, and the intended use the loan proceeds. The indictment further alleges that, based on the fraudulent loan applications, the defendants secured at least 42 loans from the victim financial institutions. Contrary to information provided on the loan applications about the purpose of the loans, the defendants allegedly used the loan proceeds to purchase real estate, cover unrelated business expenses, make investments, and pay for personal expenditures. The indictment also alleges that the defendants defaulted on most of the loans, causing substantial losses to the victim financial institutions that issued the loans. Each defendant charged in the indictment has appeared in court on the charges. The bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charge of financial institution fraud carries a prison term of up to 30 years per count, and the money laundering offense has a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for each offense. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. Four additional defendants have been convicted of bank fraud conspiracy for their involvement in the scheme. Amrish D. Patel, 45, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Dwight A. Peebles, Jr., 47, of Chapel Hill, N.C., was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Denise Woodard, 56, of Roswell, Georgia, was ordered to serve 36 months in prison, and Derrick L. Harrison, 54, of Greenville, S.C., was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution ranging from $620,000 to more than $3.1 million. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited the Office of the Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charlotte, and the Charlotte Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, for the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecution. If you have information related to this investigation, please contact the FBI at 704-672-6666


title: Federal Jury Convicts Three Defendants of Interstate Stalking of Chinese Nationals in the U.S. and Two of Those Defendants for Acting or Conspiring to Act on Behalf of the People's Republic of China

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against three defendants on multiple counts of a superseding indictment charging them with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without prior notification to the Attorney General. Defendant Michael McMahon was convicted of acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendant Zhu Yong, also known as “Jason Zhu”, was convicted of conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of the PRC, acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendant Zheng Congying was convicted of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. Defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of PRC government officials to conduct surveillance and engage in a campaign to harass, stalk, and coerce certain residents of the United States to return to the PRC as part of a global and extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Defendant Zheng engaged in interstate stalking of the same victims, leaving a threatening note at their residence. Today’s verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen. When sentenced, McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, Zhu faces up to 25 years in prison, and Zheng faces up to 10 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James E. Dennehy, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Jersey Field Office (FBI), and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the verdict. “The jury’s verdict confirms that defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of a hostile foreign state to harass, intimidate and attempt to cause the involuntary return of a resident of the New York metropolitan area to the People’s Republic of China, and that defendant Zheng harassed and intimidated that same person and his family,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “It is particularly troubling that defendant Michael McMahon, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department, engaged in surveillance, harassment, and stalking on behalf of a foreign power for money. We will remain steadfast in exposing and undermining efforts by the Chinese government to reach across our border and perpetrate transnational repression schemes targeting victims in the United States in violation of our laws.” Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation. “The defendants engaged in a campaign of harassment and coercion on behalf of the PRC to force the victim’s repatriation to China from the United States, including by threatening family members,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who would help repressive regimes violate the fundamental freedoms of people in the U.S.” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Dennehy stated: “We hope this verdict serves as a message to other operatives in the United States working right now at the behest of the People’s Republic of China in its effort to silence those who speak out against it. The FBI and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we are taking action to stop the stalking, threatening, and repressing of dissidents. A specific takeaway, private investigators will face consequences if they wittingly ignore the warning signs that they may be part of a larger plot to illegally harass and coerce people by a foreign power. If you have concerns, reach out to us.” “Today’s verdict reinforces HSI’s commitment to aggressively combat any illegal intrusions by the Chinese government to target, threaten, harass, surveil, coerce and intimidate legal residents of the United States,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “Rather than engaging proper officials through lawful diplomatic channels, PRC officials and intermediaries acting on their behalf have engaged in illegal conduct in the United States to carry out their goals. HSI will leverage all of its law enforcement partnerships and utilize all investigative tools to disrupt attempts by international actors to circumvent our laws, undermine our national security, and target U.S. residents.” As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants participated in an international campaign with members of the PRC government as part of “Operation Fox Hunt” to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, to force John Doe #1 and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC. In or around 2015, the PRC government caused the International Criminal Police Organization (also known as “Interpol”), an inter-governmental law enforcement organization, to issue “Red Notices” for John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 alleging that both persons were wanted by the PRC government on corruption-related charges. Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, who obtained detailed information about John Doe #1, his wife, and his daughter from a law enforcement database and other government databases, then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer, what he had learned. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he had observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including co-conspirators Hu Ji, a PRC police officer with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau, and Tu Lan, a PRC prosecutor with the Wuhan Procuratorate. In April 2017, Tu Lan and Hu Ji transported John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father from the PRC to the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law to attempt to convince John Doe #1 to return to the PRC. The testimony established that John Doe #1’s father was brought by a PRC doctor and charged co-conspirator, Li Minjun, and that while John Doe #1’s father was in the United States, his daughter was threatened with jailing in the PRC. A co-conspirator conducted surveillance of the home during the visit, wearing night-vision goggles provided by the PRC doctor and PRC prosecutor. McMahon tailed John Doe #1 from the meeting with his elderly father, back to his home, and provided John Doe #1’s address—which was previously unknown—to the PRC operatives. In October 2016 and April 2017, McMahon emailed himself a China Daily News article titled “Interpol Launches Global Dragnet for 100 Chinese Fugitives,” which stated, “Amid the nation’s intensifying antigraft campaign, arrest warrants were issued by Interpol China for former State employees and others suspected of a wide range of corrupt practices. China Daily was authorized by the Chinese justice authorities to publish the information below.” The article provided a list of photographs and identifying information about Operation Fox Hunt targets by the PRC government, including those of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1. On September 4, 2018, Zheng drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 and pounded on the front door. He and a coconspirator attempted to force open the door to the residence, then left a note that stated “If you are willing to go back to the mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right. That’s the end of this matter!” Previously, three other defendants pled guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Meredith A. Arfa, and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon. The Defendants : MICHAEL MCMAHON Age: 55 Mahwah, New Jersey ZHU YONG (also known as “Jason Zhu”) Age: 66 Queens, New York ZHENG CONGYING Age: 27 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-265 (S-1) (PKC)


title: Another cocaine trafficker heads to prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old Alton resident has been sent to prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 22 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jesus Roberto Reyes-Gutierrez pleaded guilty April 6. Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Reyes-Gutierrez to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised Reyes-Gutierrez’s prior criminal convictions in federal court and the amount of narcotics Reyes-Gutierrez had when apprehended. On July 6, 2022, Reyes-Gutierrez was traveling on Highway 77 in Bishop driving a black Jeep Grand Cherokee. Authorities conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle commit a minor moving violation. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 20 packages of cocaine weighing approximately 22 kilograms. The drugs had an approximate street value of over $500,00 at the time of arrest. At the time of the plea, Reyes-Gutierrez admitted she drove to Mexico to pick up the narcotics. She returned to the United States through the Anzalduas Port of Entry and traveled north of the Rio Grande Valley. Reyes-Gutierrez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Nueces County Constables Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Brostowin prosecuted the case.


title: Clay County Man With History Of Domestic Violence Pleads Guilty To Firearm Charge

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Paul Steven Hulbert (27, Middleburg) has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (sawed-off shotgun). Hulbert faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He made his initial appearance on November 18, 2022, and was ordered detained. According to court documents and public records, in May 2021, a court in Clay County issued a “Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence with Minor Children” against Hulbert. The court extended the injunction until September 2022. The injunction specifically prohibited Hulbert from possessing firearms and directed him to surrender any firearms in his possession to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). In October 2021, Hulbert was convicted of the misdemeanor crime of domestic battery, in Clay County. After the domestic battery conviction and issuance of the domestic violence injunction, both of which prohibited him from possessing firearms, Hulbert obtained seven firearms that included rifles, pistols and a shotgun. On May 16, 2022, members of the CCSO went to Hulbert’s home to serve an arrest warrant for violating the terms of the injunction. Upon arriving at the home, the CCSO arrested him and searched the house. They located four rifles, a revolver, a pistol and 12-guage shotgun. Follow up investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the 12-gauge shotgun was illegally modified, as both barrels had been sawed off. ATF determined that the 12-gauge shotgun was not registered to Hulbert in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former 6/10 Construction Project Supervisor Sentenced for Making False Statements

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A former project superintendent of the nearly quarter-billion-dollar federally funded 6/10 Interchange Construction Project was sentenced today for intentionally misleading officials as to the origin and the potential contaminant composition of dozens of truckloads of railroad ballast (stone) and dirt imported to the project, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Dennis Ferreira, a former employee of Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., a Massachusetts construction company responsible for the construction of the Route 6/10 Interchange Project, previously admitted to a federal judge that, in July 2020, he falsely reported to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) the origin of 93 truckloads of railroad ballast imported to the 6/10 Project from Massachusetts; 52 truckloads of dirt imported to the 6/10 Project from the Pawtucket/Central Falls Rail Station Project Barletta was undertaking; and that he was responsible for a false report submitted to RIDOT by Barletta stating that the stone imported from Massachusetts had been tested and met environmental criteria as required in a Soil and Materials Management Plan (SMMP) prepared by RIDOT. According to documents filed with the court, Ferreira repeatedly mislead RIDOT and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) into believing that stone imported from Massachusetts to the 6/10 Project had been tested and met established environmental criteria when, in fact, the stone had not been tested. Ferreira submitted to RIDOT an environmental report addressing an entirely different stockpile of stone. As truckloads of stone continued to be sent to the 6/10 Project, testing showed that, in fact, the stone did not meet established environmental standards. Ferreira suggested to a co-worker to wash the ballast before taking another sample and then retest it; take a known clean sample and pretend it was the ballast he had imported; or change the test results to show the material was useable. The employee refused to take any of these actions. Additionally, in July 2020, as work by Barletta was beginning on the Pawtucket Commuter Bus Hub and Commuter Rail Station, Ferreira sent a crew to the Pawtucket project to clear shrubs, demolish concrete, and install fencing. Despite being aware that removal of dirt was not permitted pursuant to a Construction Soils Management Plan established for the project, Ferreira instructed the workers to remove several feet of soil and transport it to the 6/10 Project. It was later learned that 52 truckloads of soil were removed from the site, and that 6 loads, or approximately 265 cubic yards, were direct dumped at two locations at the 6/10 Project. Ferreira caused false statements to be made to RIDOT regarding the movement of the soil, and at one point told a RIDOT inspector, “I can do whatever I want.” Ferreira pleaded guilty on December 14, 2022, to three counts of making a false statement in connection with a federally funded highway project. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to one year probation and ordered to pay a fine of $40,000. The majority of the material Ferreira caused to be brought to the 6/10 Project is beneath the roadways and RIDOT, in consultation with RIDEM, has not asked for further remediation at the site. The United States separately entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with Barletta in connection with the false statements that were made to the Federal Highway Administration and RIDOT. These statements were meant to conceal the fact that Barletta had imported regulated material in violation of the SMMP, which was part of the contract governing the 6/10 Project. Under the Agreement, Barletta accepted responsibility for the actions of its employees and admitted to the facts that constitute making false statements in connection with a federally funded highway project. In addition to paying a $500,000 criminal fine, the agreement required Barletta to implement ongoing monitoring, reporting, and compliance measures for a period of three years; failure to comply with these conditions will make the company subject to prosecution for the conduct set forth in an agreed-upon Statement of Facts. Additionally, Barletta has entered into a False Claims Act settlement that resolved allegations that the company knowingly submitted claims for payment for work on the project in connection with the movement of dirt that did not comply with contract requirements, in violation of the federal and Rhode Island state False Claims Acts. Barletta paid $1,000,000 to the government, representing more than twice the government funds paid as a result of the relevant claims. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dulce Donovan and Bethany Wong handled the prosecution and litigation of these matters. ###


title: Former Maryland Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Violations

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – Former Correctional Officer Owen Nesmith, age 54, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges, including three counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and to making a false statement, all related to his sexual contact with three victims who were incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup. The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. According to his guilty plea, Nesmith was employed as a Correctional Officer (“CO”) Lieutenant at Maryland Correctional Institution Jessup (“MCIJ”). Nesmith admitted that from 2005 to 2017, he deprived three incarcerated individuals of their civil rights by sexually assaulting them. Specifically, in February 2005, Nesmith followed Victim 1 back to his cell. No other inmates were present in the housing unit at that time. Nesmith told Victim 1 that he wanted Victim 1 to perform a sex act on Nesmith, which he did. Victim 1 did not consent to this act, which was a deprivation of rights under color of law. As detailed in the plea agreement, in July 2015, Victim 2 needed an identification badge (“ID”) and Nesmith offered to take Victim 2 to the ID office. On the way to the office, Nesmith grabbed Victim 2’s genital area, then shut a gate in the area and told Victim 2 that he needed to conduct a strip search. After removing Victim 2’s pants, Nesmith sexually assaulted Victim 2, causing him pain and bodily injury. Nesmith further admitted that in December 2017, he engaged in a sex act with Victim 3, without his consent, when Victim 3 came to Nesmith’s office to discuss obtaining a job in sanitation. At that time, Nesmith was the acting lieutenant of the building and Victim 3 needed Nesmith’s approval to obtain that job. Finally, Nesmith admitted that when questioned by law enforcement, he falsely stated that he had never had any inappropriate relationships or sexual contact with any inmates while he was at MCIJ. Nesmith is the last of 20 defendants charged with federal racketeering and related charged to plead guilty. Five other correctional officers/employees previously pleaded guilty to their roles in a racketeering conspiracy. Nesmith faces a maximum of 17 years in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law and for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has not set a sentencing date. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Katelyn Semales, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: KC Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Seven Armed Business Robberies

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who committed at least seven armed robberies over several months was sentenced in federal court today. Robert M. Taylor, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 17 years in federal prison without parole. On Feb. 9, 2023, Taylor was found guilty at trial of one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on six additional counts of robbery and six additional counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and a mistrial was declared as to those 12 counts. Taylor was not acquitted of any charges. The government presented evidence regarding all of the robberies at trial, and the court today ruled by a preponderance of the evidence that those additional armed robberies should be considered as relevant conduct in determining the sentence. Taylor was found guilty at trial of robbing a Family Dollar Store on Aug. 11, 2021. Taylor was also found guilty of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in the robbery. Following the robbery of the Family Dollar store, investigators reviewed the store’s surveillance video. Taylor entered the store and made a purchase with an EBT card (later identified as belonging to his girlfriend). He then returned to the store a few minutes later, pulled a black semi-automatic pistol from his backpack, and pointed it at the clerk. During trial, the court heard testimony from that clerk, who testified that she was so frightened at the time that she soiled herself. With a victim at gunpoint, Taylor removed the money from the safe and began to flee from the store. As he was leaving, however, he engaged in a brief struggle with an employee over her phone, which Taylor forcefully took before he left. Taylor fled from the business in a silver Chevrolet Impala (also identified as belonging to his girlfriend), which was caught on another business’s surveillance video. On Aug. 19, 2021, police officers saw Taylor get into the front passenger’s seat of a Dodge Charger that was registered to his girlfriend and conducted a traffic stop. Taylor, who had active warrants for his arrest, was wearing the same hat seen in the robbery video. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Taylor committed six additional violent robberies prior to the armed robbery of the Family Dollar Store on Aug. 11, 2021, to which he confessed (after being read the Miranda warning) following his arrest on Aug. 19, 2021. On Dec. 8, 2020, Taylor robbed a Family Dollar in Kansas City, Mo., while armed with a silver handgun. During the robbery, Taylor pointed the gun at a store employee and demanded money. The employee complied and emptied a safe and cash register containing approximately $700, which Taylor took and fled the store. On Dec. 20, 2020, Taylor robbed a Metro by T-Mobile store in Kansas City, Mo. Prior to the robbery, he entered the store and gave his name, indicating that he was there to pick up two iPhones. He left the store, then returned wearing a mask and wielding a black handgun. Taylor pointed the handgun at the sole store employee and took him into the back, where Taylor smashed the store phone and demanded the most expensive mobile phones. Taylor also had the employee empty the store register. During trial, the court heard testimony from the victim of this robbery, who was particularly traumatized by the experience. On Feb. 2, 2021, Taylor robbed another Family Dollar in Kansas City, Mo., at gunpoint. During this robbery, Taylor pointed a handgun at the cashier and demanded that he empty the safe. The victim complied and Taylor left with approximately $800. On Feb. 5, 2021, Taylor robbed a Dollar General in Kansas City, Mo. After entering the store and going to the back, Taylor approached the front, pulled out a handgun, cocked the firearm, and jumped over the cashier’s counter. From there, he commanded the cashier to open the safe and took approximately $900 before fleeing. On Feb. 18, 2021, Taylor robbed a Dollar General in Kansas City, Mo. Upon entering the store, Taylor found a store employee and forced him to walk to the front register at gunpoint. Once at the register, Taylor had another employee empty the register, and commanded a customer to get on the ground and surrender his mobile phone. Taylor commanded everyone to get on the ground, took the employees’ mobile phones, and fled. On June 27, 2021, Taylor robbed a Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Mo., while armed with a brown handgun. Taylor entered the store, pointed the gun at a cashier’s face, and demanded money. Taylor then fled the store with approximately $460 and the victim’s mobile phone. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, corrections officers deployed a Taser and secured Taylor in wrist restraints when he became belligerent, threatened officers and struggled with officers during his incarceration in this case. Taylor has 10 prior felony convictions for offenses including possession of a controlled substance, stealing, second degree burglary, first degree burglary, kidnapping, escape from confinement, and property damage. Taylor has also amassed numerous misdemeanor convictions for offenses such as stealing, contempt of court, providing false information, resisting an officer, careless driving, assault, and destruction of property. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Recently Released Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, on July 12, 2022, a Richmond Police Department officer saw a car driving on the wrong side of the road. Octavius Bentley, 37, got out of the car, removed a firearm from his waistband and placed it on the driver’s seat, and hopped the fence. The officer recovered the loaded gun from the car and found part of Bentley’s ankle monitoring equipment in the passenger’s seat. Six months before, Bentley had been released from prison after serving 18 years for a violent rape. Bentley had been placed on location monitoring as a condition of his state probation. In the trunk of the car, officers found over 6 ounces of marijuana, baggies, a digital scale, a drug ledger, and a cell phone. Officers could not locate Bentley on July 12. Within days, he fled to Vermont, and, in August, was arrested on a federal warrant for flight to avoid prosecution. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Hannah M. Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Kenneth Simon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-157.


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Warren Andre Washington, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 11 years in federal prison without parole. On Nov. 29, 2022, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. This investigation began when Boone County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies were involved in a car chase in April 2021 with a stolen Audi A7, but the pursuit was terminated for safety reasons. A few days later, Columbia police officers located the stolen Audi and recovered a Wal-Mart receipt in the vehicle. The receipt led officers to Wal-Mart surveillance video that showed Washington driving the stolen vehicle and making a purchase from Wal-Mart. Investigators placed Washington under surveillance. On April 30, 2021, officers observed Washington conduct two short meetings consistent with drug transactions. When Washington drove to a Columbia restaurant he was arrested. Washington was in possession of Oxycodone tablets and $4,442 in cash. Inside his vehicle, officers found a clear baggie that contained 47.2 grams of fentanyl (a user dose of fentanyl is approximately .1 gram). Officers also executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence on the same day. Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun with a 50-round large capacity rotary style drum magazine, a loaded Romarm/Cugir Micro Draco 7.62x39mm semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round large capacity magazine, and a loaded FN Herstal 5.7x28mm semi-automatic handgun with a 20-round large capacity magazine. The Micro Draco was confirmed stolen. According to court documents, two of the firearms have been connected to prior shooting incidents. Officers also found keys to the stolen Audi hanging on a hook near the door to the garage. Washington has prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of distributing crack cocaine. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Bronx Man Charged In Connection With Shooting At NYPD Officers

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced charges against ANTHONY GOMEZ alleging that on June 16, 2023, he fired a 9mm bullet at NYPD officers in broad daylight on a busy street in the Bronx while he was on leave from a federal halfway house where he was completing his sentence for armed robbery. Following the shooting, GOMEZ hid inside of a residential building, and eight hours later, he was arrested by the NYPD. GOMEZ was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant fired a loaded firearm aimed at officers of the NYPD. At that time, he was on leave from the halfway house at which he was completing his federal sentence for other violent felony offenses involving firearms. Worse still, the defendant allegedly committed this shooting in the bright light of a summer Friday night while numerous New Yorkers, including young children and families, were on the sidewalk and had to duck and run for safe cover. Anyone who brings gun violence to our community and targets law enforcement officers who work hard every day to keep New Yorkers safe will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “By allegedly escaping from federal custody and brazenly shooting a gun at uniformed NYPD officers in broad daylight on a busy Bronx street, this repeat criminal has proven that he is a dangerous threat to our community. I commend the work of our courageous NYPD officers in arresting and removing this violent felon from our streets, and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for its work in prosecuting this case.” According to the allegations in the Complaint: [1] NYPD officers witnessed GOMEZ attempting to hide a firearm in the front-right wheel well of a vehicle parked on a residential street in the Bronx. When he realized he had been caught, GOMEZ grabbed the gun and tried to run from police. Still images from surveillance footage are below: While attempting to flee, GOMEZ came upon additional NYPD officers, pointed the firearm at them several times, and fired a shot at them. Below are stills from surveillance video of the shooting in which the NYPD officers are circled in yellow in the first image, and GOMEZ is circled in red in the second image. After shooting the firearm at NYPD officers, GOMEZ continued to flee, hid inside a residential building, and was subsequently arrested by NYPD outside of a neighboring building with a rooftop that connects to the residential building in which GOMEZ hid. Below are photographs of the shell casing of the 9mm luger bullet fired by GOMEZ and the deformed fired bullet lodged in the door frame of a vehicle that was parked on the street during the shooting. GOMEZ was not permitted to possess ammunition because of his prior federal convictions for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. GOMEZ committed this shooting while he was away on an approved pass from the halfway house at which he was residing. GOMEZ failed to return to the halfway house before his designated curfew and is thus considered to have escaped from federal custody. * * * GOMEZ, 33, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and escape from custody, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the United States Marshals Service and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea L. Scism is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Gomez Complaint


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nigel Jamille Coats, 19, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession of a stolen firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 15, 2022, Brennon Michael Adkins, 22, and TJ Jazz Cremeans, 21, both of Huntington, broke into Tri-State Pawn and Jewelry in Huntington to steal various electronics from the store’s inventory. After entering, Cremeans stole three firearms. Coats admitted that he was in a vehicle with Adkins and Cremeans prior to and following their breaking and entering at the business. Coats further admitted that he possessed one of the stolen firearms, a DPMS, model AR-15, 5.56mm rifle, shortly after the breaking and entering and theft was completed. Coats is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Adkins pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm on May 1, 2023, and admitted that he possessed another of the stolen firearms, a Stoeger, model M3000, 12-gauge shotgun, following the breaking and entering. Adkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2023. The indictment against Cremeans remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-213. ###


title: Livermore Falls Man Who Repeatedly Concealed Employment and Assets Pleads Guilty to Theft of Public Money, Fraud

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Livermore Falls man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud, health care fraud and theft of public money. According to court records, from January 2017 through December 2020, Rick V. Greene , 56, concealed self-employed work and assets from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to maintain his eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Greene also concealed his work activity and assets from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (ME/DHHS) to maintain his eligibility to receive MaineCare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also needs-based programs. In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Greene falsely represented to SSA and ME/DHHS that his only income was from SSI, and he failed to report assets in the form of real property and vehicles. He did so knowing he was required to disclose the information and that it would affect his eligibility to receive benefits. Greene faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud and health care fraud charges and up to ten years on the theft of public money charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release on all charges. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation & Recovery Unit investigated this case. ###


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Johnte Tyree Warren, 24, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2022, Warren arranged by phone to sell a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant. Warren admitted to meeting the confidential informant in a vehicle on 20th Street in Huntington on that day as arranged and to selling approximately 12.95 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. Warren further admitted to distributing additional quantities of fentanyl in the Huntington area at various times including February and March 2022, sometimes utilizing another individual to distribute fentanyl on his behalf. Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-79. ###


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Quashane R. Varner Jr., 28, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a 12th Street apartment in Huntington where Varner was residing and found 362 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock, Model 29, 10mm pistol. Varner admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm and further admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine. Varner also admitted that he told investigators on the day of the search that he had previously obtained a 1-pound quantity of methamphetamine, and the amount seized during the search represented what he had not yet sold. Varner admitted to investigators that he had been selling fentanyl in the Huntington area. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-72. ###


title: Man Accused of Pointing Laser at St. Louis Metro Air Support Helicopter

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Indiana appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday on a federal charge accusing him of temporarily blinding pilots of a Metro Air Support Unit helicopter in February. Jason Foster, 47, was indicted March 8 on one count of aiming a laser at an aircraft, and arrested May 31 in Indiana. He pleaded not guilty to the charge Tuesday. Foster’s indictment says the incident occurred on February 21. A court filing says the pilots were actively involved in an investigation at the time, and the laser temporarily blinded them. David Gammil, 44, was also indicted in March, and accused of pointing a laser at the helicopter on February 23. He has also pleaded not guilty. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Lasers can blind pilots, and aviation authorities say the incidents are on the rise, with almost 9,500 reported to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.


title: Michigan man admits to methamphetamine trafficking in Morgantown

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Warren, Michigan, man has admitted to transporting methamphetamine to the Morgantown area. Myron Manning, 25, pled guilty today to a possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine charge. According to court documents, officers conducted a traffic stop in Morgantown, finding nearly three pounds of methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” 48 grams of heroin, and a loaded 9mm pistol in Manning’s possession. Officers also found digital scales, a small amount of marijuana, multiple cell phones and some cash. Manning is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Portland Area Diesel Repair Shop and Shop Owner Plead Guilty to Clean Air Act Violations

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland area diesel repair shop and its owner pleaded guilty today in federal court to knowingly and intentionally tampering with monitoring devices on more than 200 vehicles after removing their emissions controls in violation of the Clean Air Act. Pure Addiction Diesel Performance, LLC, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, pleaded guilty to tampering with pollution monitoring devices and was ordered to pay a fine of $148,733 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company was also sentenced to three years’ probation. Pure Addiction’s owner and operator, Travis Turner, 38, a resident of Forest Grove, Oregon, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the tampering of monitoring devices and was sentenced to six months in federal prison. “By disabling the emissions control systems of hundreds of diesel vehicles, Pure Addiction and its owner, Travis Turner, favored their own financial interests above the health and safety of our community, said Ethan Knight, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “We will continue working closely with our partners at the EPA to ensure all businesses and business owners play by the rules.” “The defendants installed emissions defeat equipment on hundreds of diesel trucks, resulting in substantial increases in pollution from each individual vehicle,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in Oregon. “EPA CID will continue to focus on stopping the usage of illegal defeat devices that contribute to serious health problems and put our communities at risk.” According to court documents, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing through 2020, Pure Addiction tampered with and disabled the emissions control systems of approximately 245 diesel vehicles for paying customers in violation of the Clean Air Act. Pure Addiction charged its customers approximately $2,000 each for the emissions modification and collected more $400,000 in total for the unlawful services over an approximately two-year period. As owner of Pure Addiction, Turner took action to assist the company in evading detection by federal environmental authorities by issuing, maintaining, and subsequently providing to investigators sales invoices that included inaccurate or incomplete information about the company’s illegal vehicle modifications. 46 of the service invoices Turner provided to investigators reflected “parts only” transactions when, in fact, those transactions included additional service work that violated the Clean Air Act. On June 1, 2023, Pure Addiction was charged with one count of Clean Air Act tampering. In the same information, Turner was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to Clean Air Act tampering. This case was investigated by EPA CID. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Karla Gebel Perrin, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. If you witness an environmental event that may lead to an immediate threat to human health or the environment, please call 9-1-1. After alerting local emergency authorities, please also report incidents to the EPA’s National Response Center by calling 1-800-424-8802.


title: A Former Concord Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing fentanyl and cocaine, and distributing fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Juan Abud, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 36 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release. On February 23, 2023, Abud pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. “The defendant will serve a lengthy sentence for dealing dangerous drugs in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “His incarceration should serve as a warning to those that traffic controlled substances across state lines that law enforcement in New Hampshire will investigate and prosecute these crimes to the greatest extent that we can.” On both January 4 and January 10, 2022, Abud sold 50 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating source. Following the sale on January 10, Abud was observed by law enforcement in Lawrence, Massachusetts with an unidentified male carrying a bag. When Abud returned to New Hampshire later that day, Law enforcement stopped his vehicle and seized 683 grams of fentanyl and 140 grams of cocaine. Abud was arrested on September 7, 2022 in Concord, New Hampshire. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized a .45-caliber Ruger handgun with a magazine and nine bullets, as well as 150 grams of cocaine, 17 grams of fentanyl, 13.8 grams of methamphetamine, and 4.3 grams of cocaine base from Abud’s vehicle. The New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Unit led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case. ###


title: Media Advisory – U.S. Attorney to Host “United Against Hate” Community Outreach Event

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley is hosting a “United Against Hate” community outreach on Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. event as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat hate crimes. Through the United Against Hate initiative , U.S. Attorneys are convening local forums to build stronger relationships between community organizations and federal, state and local law enforcement and to educate communities on how to identify and report hate crimes. The United Against Hate outreach in the Eastern District of North Carolina is part of the broader Civil Rights Initiative announced last year. WHERE: Chavis Community Center, Room 202; 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. WHEN: Tomorrow, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. Media: please arrive at the courthouse by 9:30 a.m. for set up . TO RSVP and for logistical information in advance of the media availability, please contact Don Connelly at USANCE.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov . ###


title: Kalkaska Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Pipe Bombs

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: KALAMAZOO – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that Terrence Wayne Vanochten, 56, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possessing unregistered destructive devices, namely three pipe bombs. “Today’s plea agreement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protect the public from people who unlawfully possess destructive devices,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “Vanochten possessed these pipe bombs in clear violation of federal law, and I am grateful to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kalkaska County Sheriff’s Office for their careful work.” According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Kalkaska Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Vanochten’s residence after receiving a report that he was firing a semiautomatic weapon from the home. After finding what initially appeared to be a fully automatic rifle, authorities obtained a search warrant and found three pipe bombs in an ammunition can in his home. The bombs were constructed from sections of metal pipe with screwed-on metal end caps. One end of each bomb was drilled to allow the insertion of fuse cord, a length of which Vanochten kept in the ammunition can with the bombs. When subjected to laboratory testing, the powder and fuses rapidly burned as designed. If detonated, the devices could kill, maim, or injure people through the projection of shrapnel. Vanochten pleaded guilty today to possessing an unregistered destructive device in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Vanochten will forfeit the bombs, as well as a projectile launcher attached to one of his AR-15 type rifles. The launcher also qualified as an unregistered destructive device. As a result of today’s conviction, Vanochten cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition again. U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney has scheduled Vanochten’s sentencing for October 4, 2023, in Kalamazoo. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Member of Southwest Baltimore “NFL” Gang Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including Murder and a Drug Distribution Conspiracy

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin today sentenced James Henry Roberts, a/k/a “Bub,” age 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise related to his activities in the Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon (“NFL”) gang, which operated in the Edmondson Village area in Southwest Baltimore. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department. According to Robert’s guilty plea, from 2016 to March 2020, Roberts was a member of the NFL gang, which was an enterprise, and participated in its illegal activities with other members, including the NFL drug trafficking organization (“DTO”). Members of the NFL gang have social and familial ties to the Edmondson Village neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore. During the conspiracy, NFL gang members distributed large quantities of heroin and cocaine to drug customers and re-distributors from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Roberts admitted that he obtained narcotics from multiple sources of supply and stored the narcotics in stash houses that the NFL gang controlled. Over the course of the charged conspiracy, Roberts and his co-conspirators distributed over one kilogram of heroin and more than 280 grams of cocaine base. As detailed in his plea agreement and court documents, Roberts paid members and associates of the NFL gang to commit multiple murders on behalf of the enterprise. For example, in 2018, Roberts and others offered a bounty in exchange for the murder of Victim 1, who Roberts believed was cooperating with law enforcement. On June 16, 2018, an NFL gang member (Co-conspirator 1) murdered Victim 1 as well as a bystander (Victim 2). Shortly after the murders, Roberts paid Co-conspirator 1 with money from another NFL related enterprise. Additionally, in October 2018, Roberts learned of a bounty for the murder of Victim 3. To try to collect the bounty, Roberts recruited two NFL gang members to murder Victim 3 and share the proceeds. Ultimately, the two NFL gang members shot and killed Victim 3 on October 31, 2018, then notified Roberts of Victim 3’s murder. More than 30 defendants in this and related cases have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to between 30 years and time served. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States 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 is also 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, DEA, DPSCS, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr., James T. Wallner, and Robert I. Goldaris who prosecuted the 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: Camden Men Who Murdered Pawn Shop Owner During Robbery Sentenced To Life In Prison

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Two men who ended the life of a Pine Bluff pawn shop owner will spend the rest of their lives in a federal prison. On Tuesday, United States District Judge James. M. Moody, Jr., sentenced Daryl Strickland, Jr., 26, of Camden, and Rodney Henry, 25, also of Camden, each to sentences of life imprisonment. Strickland, Jr., and Henry each pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence that resulted in murder following an incident that led to the death of Brandon McHan, the owner of Wise Buck Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff. During the same incident another store employee, Jason Booth, was shot in the face and severely wounded. The pair went on to rob a gas station at gun point an hour later. There is no parole in the federal system. “The senseless, despicable, and evil murder of Brandon McHan and attempted murder of Jason Booth rendered an incalculable loss for the McHan and Booth families, and the communities of White Hall and Pine Bluff,” Jonathan Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, said. “We are grateful that Judge Moody’s pronouncements of life sentences for both defendants guarantee that no one else will be victimized by Mr. Strickland or Mr. Henry again. Our office remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to prosecute federal cases involving violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Arkansas any time doing so is in the best interest of our communities.” “This was a tragic case that hit close to home, as ATF works closely with thousands of federal firearms licensees like Mr. McHan,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “Federal firearms licensees play a valuable role in making sure firearms are sold legally and kept out of the hands of prohibited individuals. We are proud of this collaborative effort and hope this sentence brings some peace to the family and the community.” The investigation revealed and the defendants admitted that on November 12, 2018, at 5:22 p.m., Strickland Jr. and Henry knocked on the front door of Wise Buck Pawn Shop in Pine Bluff and asked if the store was still open. McHan told Strickland, Jr., and Henry through the locked front door that the store was closed for the night. The two then appeared to leave the area as McHan and Booth continued closing the store. Soon after, when McHan and Booth had exited out the front door to start their cars and then returned to the store, Strickland, Jr., and Henry entered the threshold of the pawn shop. Strickland, Jr., fired several gunshots, striking both employees. Strickland, Jr., and Henry then retreated from the entrance of the store, but two minutes later, both returned to the front door and Strickland, Jr., again began shooting into the pawn shop. When McHan and Booth attempted to fire back, Strickland, Jr., retreated and Henry fired multiple gunshots into the pawn shop. Strickland, Jr., returned to the doorway of the pawn shop and fired more gunshots inside. Strickland, Jr., and Henry then left the scene. Pine Bluff Police Department officers responded to the shooting at Wise Buck Pawn Shop and McHan and Booth were transported from the scene to Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff. McHan died from his injuries, which included three gunshot wounds. Booth was shot in the face near the chin area and the bullet exited through his neck, and he survived. Approximately one hour after the incident at Wise Buck Pawn Shop, Strickland, Jr., and Henry entered the Alon gas station in Pine Bluff and held up the store clerk at gun point. Henry, while pointing a firearm at the store clerk, went behind the counter and emptied the cash register. Strickland, Jr., remained at the front of the counter, also holding the clerk at gunpoint. In addition to $800, Henry stole the store clerk’s firearm. Strickland, Jr., and Henry were arrested and charged in connection with these two incidents on December 4, 2018. They were then indicted by a federal grand jury on October 3, 2019, on multiple charges stemming from both incidents, including interference, attempt to interfere, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and murder while discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Strickland, Jr., eventually pleaded guilty on August 19, 2022, to a superseding information charging him and Henry with discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence that resulted in the death of a person through the use of the firearm, which killing is murder. Henry pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 27, 2022. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pine Bluff Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin H. Bryant and Benecia Moore prosecuted the case for the United States. # # # This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar Twitter: @EDARNEWS


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Fontaine Akeem Nelson, 27, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a motorist passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle near the West Virginia Capitol Complex. Officers encountered Nelson in the passenger seat of the vehicle along with a loaded .380-caliber model Walther PK380 pistol. Nelson admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Nelson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute heroin on September 30, 2021, and attempted burglary and conspiracy to distribute marijuana on July 27, 2018, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-153. ###


title: Tucson Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Smuggle Firearms from the United States

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Luis Eduardo Terminel Jr., 27, of Tucson, was sentenced on June 14, 2023, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Terminel also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. Terminel pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States. Terminel and his co-conspirators concocted a scheme to smuggle firearms and firearm magazines from the United States into Mexico from November 2019 leading up to June 27, 2020. As part of the conspiracy, Terminel and his co-conspirators purchased and transported firearms and magazines in Arizona and elsewhere, made false statements to firearms dealers, and provided funds to others for the purchase of firearms and magazines. The firearms and magazines that Terminel and his co-conspirators intended to bring across the border are prohibited from being exported from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. None of the conspirators had a valid license or any other lawful authority to export the items to Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Sandra Hansen, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00880-JAS-LCK RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-095_Terminel, Jr. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Guns and Drugs in Chicago Suburb

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for illegally possessing two loaded handguns and fentanyl-laced heroin in a Chicago suburb. JARIEN SMITH illegally possessed the guns and drugs on Jan. 2, 2019, in a home in Westchester, Ill. Smith resided in Wheaton, Ill., but used the Westchester residence as a “stash house” to store illegal narcotics that he supplied to other drug traffickers. Law enforcement searched the Westchester residence and discovered Smith in possession of the two guns, the fentanyl-laced heroin, and various items used to cut, weigh, and package narcotics. One of the guns was fully automatic and equipped with a 50-round, high-capacity drum magazine, while the other gun was equipped with laser sight and flashlight attachments to improve accuracy when firing at a target. A law enforcement search of Smith’s primary residence in Wheaton, Ill., turned up nine cellphones, body armor, and a Rolex watch valued at $85,000. Smith had previously been convicted of a felony in state court and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. Smith, 30, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman imposed a 70-month prison sentence Thursday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Illinois State Police, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty N. Wright and Christine M. O’Neill represented the government. The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. The Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force also participated in the investigation. HIDTA enhances and coordinates America's drug-control efforts among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in order to eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences. Holding illegal firearm possessors and drug traffickers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods , the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues in the Northern District of Illinois, particularly firearm and drug offenses.