title: Austin Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Smuggling Attempt That Resulted in Migrant Deaths

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 192 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and 120 months for one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two sentences will run concurrently. According to court documents, on April 24, 2022, Joseph Alex Hernandez, 27, sped away from and attempted to evade Medina County Sheriff’s deputies for approximately seven minutes after they attempted a traffic stop. Hernandez reached speeds between 90 and 100 mph along the highway and access road, crossing the steep grassy median several times, and running a red traffic light. A rear tire on his vehicle eventually gave out, and Hernandez lost control, resulting in the vehicle crashing after flipping multiple times in the grassy median. Hernandez had been transporting 13 undocumented noncitizens during the chase, including eight who were laying down in the covered truck bed. Three of the passengers were airlifted from the scene and the rest were transported via ambulance to local hospitals. While providing medical treatment, Emergency Medical Services personnel discovered that Hernandez was carrying a loaded pistol. Several days later, two of the smuggled migrants died in the hospital from their injuries. Hernandez was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and being felon in possession. He pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023 to the conspiracy and firearm charges. “This case is another unfortunate and tragic example of how dangerous smuggling humans across the border has become,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The defendant in this case put thirteen lives at risk in an attempt to evade law enforcement. Sadly, his actions led to two of those individuals paying the ultimate price.” “This sentencing highlights HSI’s commitment to use every tool in our arsenal to investigate and dismantle transnational criminal organizations involved with human smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio. “This case shows the lack of regard these organizations have for the people they have been paid to smuggle. There will be no safe haven in our communities for criminals who seek to evade our nation's laws and whose greed results in tragedy.” HSI and the Medina County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Accused of Secretly Recording Women in St. Louis Area

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man has been indicted on a federal charge and accused of secretly recording women in the St. Louis area. Erik Elsasser, 37, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis March 27 on one felony count of distribution of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty Thursday. The indictment accuses Elsasser of distributing images and videos containing child pornography online between August 2022 and August 2023. A motion seeking to have Elsasser held in jail until trial says he surreptitiously recorded a partially nude 17-year-old female in a store changing room on Aug. 18, 2023. Investigators found other videos made in changing rooms, as well as nearly 200 successful or attempted “upskirt” recordings and three recordings of a woman using a residential bathroom, taken through a window, the motion says. There were also indications that some of those videos, as well as child sexual abuse material, had been distributed online via Telegram. The distribution charge carries a penalty of five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Charges set forth in a criminal complaint 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 Brentwood Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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: Seven Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that seven defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl. Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl tablets. On November 3, 2021, Kyle Harris and Armando Luna were indicted on three counts relating to methamphetamine trafficking. A superseding indictment filed on February 2, 2022, added Taylor, Chaney, Davis, Helms, and Kriesel. The superseding indictment added charges related to firearms and substantial drug trafficking, to include fentanyl trafficking. The defendants pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the Superseding Indictment and with the exception of Davis, faced life imprisonment on one or more counts. There is no parole in the federal system. From July 2019 through August 2021, defendants engaged in the distribution of pound quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl tablets in Russellville, Conway, and surrounding communities. Several defendants have significant criminal histories, including prior drug trafficking convictions. Defendants Harris, Taylor, Chaney, and Davis are classified as “career offenders.” Defendant Age City/State Plea Date Sentence Kyle Harris 36 Conway, Arkansas 8/3/2022 204 months, 10 years supervised release Armando Luna 28 Russellville, Arkansas 7/20/222 156 months, 5 years supervised release Benjamin Taylor 34 Atkins, Arkansas 3/6/2023 216 months, 5 years supervised release Zachery Chaney 36 Russellville, Arkansas 8/1/2022 180 months, 10 years supervised release Joseph Davis 52 Russellville, Arkansas 8/1/2022 168 months, 4 years supervised release Clara Helms 32 Russellville, Arkansas 8/4/2022 98 months, 4 years supervised release Blake Kriesel 28 Russellville, Arkansas 8/24/2022 120 months, 5 years supervised release During the investigation, law enforcement recovered thousands of fentanyl tablets, pound quantities of methamphetamine, ounce quantities of heroin, tablets of para-Fluorofentanyl, and other controlled substances. At times, the fentanyl tablets were concealed in packaging for fruit snacks and resembled oxycodone tablets. Multiple firearms were also recovered by law enforcement. “The scourge of methamphetamine and fentanyl continues to destroy lives and communities across our country. We will continue to use every available resource to identify and prosecute those involved with the distribution of these drugs and will not waste time developing sympathy for them. Rather, we will seek the most severe sentences under the law,” said Ross. “The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to prevent firearm trafficking and the scourge of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, flooding our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF is dedicated to pursuing and combating these criminals to prevent them from doing harm to our communities and neighborhoods.” “It is admirable to see the combined efforts of all those who worked diligently to investigate and prosecute these cases with the common purpose of making the River Valley communities a safer place to live,” said David Ewing, Chief of Police for Russellville Police Department. “These drug trafficking convictions will send a strong message that we are collectively committed to that common purpose.” “I’m proud of our local law enforcement, particularly Drug Task Forces that cooperate with Federal authorities to take drug traffickers off the streets,” said Jeff Phillips, Fifth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “It normally starts at the local level and cooperation between the agencies is vital to successful prosecutions.” The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Russellville Police Department, Pope County Sheriff’s Office, Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, and Conway Police Department. # # # 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 X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Career Offender Sentenced to 84 Months for PCP Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Harold Johnson, 41, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for trafficking more than one kilogram of PCP, a dangerous hallucinogenic drug, within Washington, D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Johnson, aka “Hump,” pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb to seven counts of distribution of phencyclidine (PCP). In sentencing Johnson, Judge Cobb also ordered five years of supervised release on completion of his prison term. According to court documents, Johnson primarily operated on the 2600 block of 14th Street, NE, in the District’s Park Morton area. Between September 2022 and February 2023, law enforcement conducted seven undercover purchases from Johnson, buying a total of approximately 50 ounces (over 1 kilogram) of PCP and 15 grams of fentanyl from him. On August 25, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Johnson in his Maryland home. Federal and state law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence where they seized $4,840 in cash, three bottles of an unknown liquid, a SIG Sauer P365 handgun with 9 mm ammunition with one round in the chamber and a Taurus 9mm handgun that was found under a mattress in a bedroom. This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Division, the DEA, and MPD's Violent Crime Suppression Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Long and Shehzad Akhtar.


title: Rockland County Drug Dealer Wayne Hicks Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Participation In February 2021 Assault

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WAYNE HICKS, a/k/a “Weez,” was sentenced to 17 years in prison for drug trafficking and violent crimes, including a brutal beating and robbery of a victim in New City, New York, on February 28, 2021. HICKS pled guilty on August 25, 2023, in White Plains federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Travel Act Assault, one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Wayne Hicks was a drug dealer who directed multiple violent attacks as retribution for drug robberies. After one such attack, he bragged and circulated gruesome videos of it to bolster his brutal reputation. The substantial sentence imposed by the court makes clear that the law has no tolerance for this kind of brazen violence. Thanks to the tenacious work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office, all the participants in this attack have now been convicted and brought to justice.” According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment and other court filings and based on statements made in public court proceedings: HICKS, a marijuana dealer, directed two separate acts of violence to support his drug business. First, in November 2020, after a marijuana dealer who worked for HICKS was robbed, HICKS arranged for a co-conspirator to shoot one of the robbers. Second, in February 2021, after JORDAN WOODBINE, another marijuana dealer who worked for HICKS, was robbed, HICKS contacted his brother, co-defendant DWAYNE HICKS, to arrange retribution. Thereafter, DWAYNE HICKS lured a victim, who the conspirators believed had participated in the robbery of WOODBINE, to a residence in New City, New York, where DWAYNE HICKS and multiple other assailants, including TNAIYA WILLIAMS, BRIAN THOMAS, and WOODBINE, physically attacked the victim. At times, WAYNE HICKS monitored the attack over video chat. The assailants forced the victim to strip naked, stole his belongings, including a quantity of marijuana the assailants believed the victim had stolen, then beat the victim with a baseball bat, belts, and their hands and feet, and repeatedly slashed and stabbed the victim with a large knife. The victim ultimately fled after being left, naked and covered in blood, in a pile of snow. The other individuals who carried out the February 28, 2021, attack at HICKS’s direction were convicted along with HICKS. At a previous sentencing hearing for one of HICKS’s codefendants, Judge Seibel remarked that the February 28, 2021, attack was “sickening,” “vicious,” “stomach turning, and the sort of thing that you really can’t imagine how any human being could partake in.” * * * In addition to the prison term, HICKS, 32, of Hawthorne, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), the Clarkstown Police Department, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and the Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York City, Westchester County, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, and Clarkstown Police Departments. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Ly, Josiah Pertz, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Beaumont man sentenced for federal firearms violation arising from domestic disturbance

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Jorge Luis Castelan, Jr., 32, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on April 4, 2024. According to information presented in court, during the early morning hours of May 15, 2022, Beaumont police responded to a domestic disturbance on Dogwood Lane in Beaumont. The 9-1-1 dispatcher advised the officers to look for a man who was armed and driving a silver pickup truck. Moments later when the officers arrived they found Castelan next to a silver pickup in possession of an assault-style rifle equipped with a fully-loaded, large-capacity magazine. After Castelan was taken into custody it was determined that he was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in Jefferson County. A federal grand jury indicted Castelan on Oct. 5, 2022. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. “This case is emblematic of our commitment to utilize our violent crime prosecutors and our partner agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate and prosecute criminals who illegally possess guns in connection with domestic abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “The long-lasting effects of domestic violence, dating violence and intimate partner violence are obviously amplified when firearms are involved. In this case, the quick response of the Beaumont Police Department defused a potentially deadly situation.” 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. This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross. ###


title: Oklahoma City Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud after Submitting False Information to Receive Pandemic Relief Loan

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, MADINAH MALIKAH MONTGOMERY , 32, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On March 19, 2024, Montgomery was charged by Information with wire fraud. According to the Information, in July 2020 Montgomery claimed to be the owner of a hair and nail salon business located in Oklahoma City. During this time, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Small Business Administration (SBA) temporarily expanded its Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL), to help small businesses overcome economic hardships brought on by the pandemic. Yesterday, Montgomery pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted to causing an EIDL application to be submitted to the SBA on behalf of her business. She admitted the loan application falsely stated her business had 10 employees and $600,000 in gross revenue over the previous 12 months. Montgomery received $150,000 as a result of this fraudulent application. Montgomery admitted that part of the loan money she received was improperly spent on personal expenses. In all, Montgomery received $300,000 from the SBA following her fraudulent EIDL applications. At sentencing, Montgomery faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information. For further information on Department of Justice response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus or https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/covid-19-fraud-0 . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form


title: Nevada Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Covid Relief Funds

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Nevada man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing more than $163,000 in Covid relief program funds while on supervised release for two separate state criminal convictions. Justin David Goulet, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $163,100 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to court documents, in late December 2020, Goulet was released from Oregon state prison after completing concurrent sentences for felony forgery and theft. Less than four months after his release from prison, in April 2021, Goulet devised a scheme to defraud SBA of funds appropriated by Congress to help businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, Goulet applied for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and successfully obtained one for $163,100. To support his fraudulent applications, Goulet registered a straw company called Statement Venture Group, LLC, and falsely claimed to be doing business as an independent contractor while imprisoned in 2019. He further submitted bogus tax filings, including one purportedly created by a New York accounting firm, to the SBA to substantiate robust (and fictional) revenues and payrolls. Goulet used most of the $163,000 he obtained on travel, living expenses, cars, and illegal drugs. On February 8, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Goulet with wire fraud and, on August 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Since January 2021, more than 50 people have been charged in the District of Oregon for their roles in fraud schemes targeting federal Covid relief programs. Together, these defendants attempted to steal more than $778 million in federal funds. 23 individuals have been convicted for their crimes and sentenced to a combined total of 477 months in federal prison and 894 months of probation and/or supervised release. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Sacramento Man Charged with Distribution of Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment today against Antoine Lamar Davis, 27, of Sacramento, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, from January 2023 until March 2024, Davis conspired with another individual to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Davis distributed at least 40 grams of fentanyl to another person on five occasions and distributed 400 grams of fentanyl on at least one occasion. Davis was found to be in possession of three firearms. Davis is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including being a felon in possession of a firearm, obstructing a public official, and carrying a concealed firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Detail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Davis faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Children’s store employee gets 25 years for attempting to sexually assault nine-year-old

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old man residing in San Juan has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jorge Eduardo Naranjo pleaded guilty July 8, 2023, admitting he utilized a social media application and made arrangements to engage in a sexual encounter with a nine-year-old child. U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane ordered Naranjo to serve 300 months in federal prison. The sentence was enhanced after the court determined Naranjo was a repeat and dangerous offender against minors, the offense involved a minor under the age of 12 and it was a commercial sex act. During the hearing, the court also heard argument that Naranjo crafted a life where he had access to children through employment at a children’s store and even expressed a desire to have his own female child so he could sexually assault her. The court also heard additional information that Naranjo was in possession of hundreds of child pornography files and further distributed those files. In handing down the prison term, Judge Crane noted that despite Naranjo’s age, his behavior was alarming and expressed the need to protect children in our community from this danger. Naranjo will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “Naranjo exhibited some of the most dangerous behavior for our society,” said Hamdani. “He is a predator – he made specific inquiries about how to prevent children from reporting sexual abuse and if a nine-year-old could become pregnant. Thankfully, our partners put a stop to his threat and, together, we have taken another step in keeping our community safe from these reprehensible crimes.” Naranjo, who operated several accounts with the username “Bored Dude” on a social media site, began communicating with an individual he believed had a nine-year-old child. Naranjo exchanged multiple messages clarifying his intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with the individual’s child who he referred to as “little.” Additionally, he sent files containing child pornography to the individual, messages inquiring how to keep children from reporting sexual abuse and if it was possible the child would become pregnant. Naranjo traveled to an Edinburg hotel and intended to engage in the criminal sexual activity. Law enforcement took him into custody immediately upon his arrival at the hotel. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Former Oglala Sioux Tribe President Convicted of Wire Fraud, Larceny, and Embezzlement

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Julian Bear Runner, age 38, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, of six counts of Wire Fraud, one count of Larceny, and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 4, 2024. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $800 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Bear Runner was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. Between January of 2019 and January of 2020, at Pine Ridge, Bear Runner, while acting in his capacity as President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, fraudulently submitted travel vouchers for official business travel and received payment for travel that he was not entitled to as he was not actually traveling. The evidence at trial showed that Bear Runner submitted multiple travel authorizations to different locations outside South Dakota, including New Mexico, Montana, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, and Arizona, claiming the need to travel for official business. As a result of those travel authorizations, Bear Runner received thousands of dollars in advance travel payments but did not go on the travel. Instead, Bear Runner cashed the checks at a casino, gambled, and stayed in local hotels. “When government leaders abuse positions of power for personal financial gain, it’s the public that pays the price,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “In this case, Julian Bear Runner stole more than $80,000 from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, embezzling money that could have otherwise been used to improve life for those living throughout the Pine Ridge Reservation. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI for conducting a fulsome investigation of Bear Runner’s fraudulent activities and helping us secure today’s swift verdict.” “HHS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding government leaders accountable,” said Linda Hanley, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “This official violated the trust of his duties by exploiting tribal funds for personal pursuits. HHS-OIG is committed to ensuring that all government funds are used for their intended purposes.” This case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Patterson and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date will be scheduled. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.


title: District Men Charged With Armed Carjacking and Related Offenses

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Gregory Patterson, 40, of Washington, D.C., was ordered held pending trial following a preliminary hearing today for an armed carjacking and armed robbery that occurred on June 11, 2023. Patterson’s codefendant, Jimmy Johnson, 43, was arrested on March 28, 2024. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the government’s evidence at the preliminary hearing, on June 11, 2023, the victim was trying to pull into the Kenilworth Market and had driven into an adjacent alley when he saw the driveway block. The alley also had a sign blocking the victim’s path, prompting him to get out to move the obstruction. At that point, Patterson started speaking with the victim, and then punched the victim twice and pushed him to the ground. Patterson then entered the victim’s car and rummaged through it before calling over the three other men who robbed the victim of personal property and tried to take his car. The victim fought off his attackers and they ultimately retreated. The victim subsequently identified Patterson and a second man, Jimmy Johnson, as two of the four attackers. Patterson was arrested on February 28, 2024. Today, Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann ordered Patterson held pending trial and set a status conference for April 9, 2024. Johnson is scheduled to appear for a detention and probable cause hearing on April 9, 2024. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gimenez of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Members of Fredericksburg drug trafficking organization sentenced for distributing cocaine, fentanyl and “Molly”

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – Two men were sentenced today after pleading guilty to their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in and around the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area. According to court documents, task force agents with the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the organization for over a year. From July 2022 through April 2023, Omar Jermel Dixon, 48, of Fredericksburg, supplied controlled substances, including cocaine, fentanyl, and synthetic cathinone (“Molly”), to other members of the organization. On June 22, 2023, agents arrested Dixon and seized $11,090 in drug proceeds from his home, and a pistol from his vehicle. On Oct. 13, 2023, Dixon pleaded guilty to distribution of more than 500 grams of cocaine. Dixon was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. On various dates throughout the investigation, Dixon supplied cocaine to Alphonso Lamont Jones, 44, of Fredericksburg, which Jones distributed and returned payment to Dixon. On June 22, 2023, agents arrested Jones at his home. On October 13, 2023, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Today, Jones was sentenced to five years in prison. On various dates throughout the investigation, Dixon supplied cocaine to Ricardo Maurice Morton, aka Cardi, 49, of Ruther Glen, Virginia, which Morton distributed and returned payment to Dixon. On June 22, 2023, agents arrested Morton and seized approximately 90 grams of cocaine from his home. On Oct. 6, 2023, Morton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 26, Morton was sentenced to five years in prison. On April 26, 2023, law enforcement seized one kilogram of Molly from Kelsey Dean Monroe, Jr, aka Lil’ Man, 31, which had been supplied by Dixon. On Oct. 6, 2023, Monroe pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute N,N,-Dimethylpentylone. On March 27, Monroe was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. Leonard Marcel Smith, aka Leonard Marcel Davis, 46, of Fredericksburg, and Lanier Anthony Jackson, aka Dewey, 54, of Spotsylvania, Virginia, served as drivers and lookouts for Dixon. Jackson also served as a driver and assistant to Morton. On Oct. 17, 2023, Smith and Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 25, Smith was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison, and on March 28 Jackson was sentenced to six months in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Division, made the announcement after Dixon’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 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. 3:23-cr-73.


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering Involving More Than $1.8 Million In Drug Proceeds

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Gerrod Davis, age 46, of Glen Burnie, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department. According to the guilty plea, as part of the drug trafficking organization, Davis handled bulk cash narcotics proceeds while his associates were responsible for street-level distribution of narcotics. Members of the drug trafficking organization shared the cash proceeds of their street-level distributions with Davis, who laundered the money on behalf of the organization. Davis conducted “money drops” in which he transported large sums of drug proceeds to an individual purporting to act on behalf of a Mexican Cartel. Davis made these transactions with the intention of promoting the drug trafficking organization and its business relationship with the Cartel as well as concealing the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of the drug trafficking organization. Between July 20, 2020, and May 6, 2021, the amount of money Davis laundered, or attempted to launder in furtherance of the conspiracy was at least $1,811,611. Davis faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for June 28, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Davis and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Davis will be sentenced to 75 months in federal prison. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Richmond man pleads guilty after being caught with a machine gun

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing a machine gun. According to court documents, on March 25, 2023, Sterling Alexander Davis, 21, failed to stop at the intersection of Orcutt Lane and Kimrod Road and Richmond police performed a traffic stop. Davis told officers there were no firearms in the vehicle, but officers recognized the two passengers in the back seat and knew that they had possessed firearms in previous encounters. The officers checked both backseat passengers and found firearms in their pants. The officers then performed a sweep of the vehicle for additional weapons and located a Glock 45 9mm handgun under the driver seat. The handgun was equipped with a laser guide and an extended magazine. The Glock also had a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” which rendered it capable of fully automatic fire, meeting the legal definition of a machine gun. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman are prosecuting 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. 3:24-cr-32.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Six Armed Robberies

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a man who committed six armed robberies in a three-month period in 2021 to 17 years in prison. Bruce Franklin, 64, admitted robbing a Family Dollar store and cell phone stores, including two cell phone stores that he targeted twice. Franklin robbed the Boost Mobile store at 3636 Page Boulevard on August 26 and September 10, the T-Mobile at 4167 Lindell Boulevard on September 4 and September 20, the MetroPCS at 3949 Lindell Boulevard on September 17, and the Family Dollar at 11123 Bellefontaine Road in St. Louis County on October 27. Franklin stole cash from registers, and in one case, a handgun belonging to an employee. Franklin was accompanied by Kristie Meeks during the September 17 and September 20 robberies. Meeks, 48, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty September 27 to two counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Ross sentenced her to eight years in prison in February. Franklin pleaded guilty in October to six counts of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Medford Man Indicted in Federal Court for Illegally Selling Explosives

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment today charging a local man with illegally possessing and selling explosives. Wesley Allen Armstrong, Jr., 56, a Medford resident, has been charged with distributing explosives by a non-licensee, possessing with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, in March 2024, detectives from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) notified special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of Armstrong’s alleged possession of and desire to sell explosives. On March 27, 2024, Armstrong was arrested after selling eight cast explosives, seven non-electric shock tube detonators, and a small quantity of fentanyl. Investigators executed a search warrant on Armstrong’s vehicle and located and seized a loaded pistol and an additional quantity of fentanyl. On March 28, 2024, Armstrong was charged by federal criminal complaint with dealing explosives without a license, possessing stolen explosives, possessing explosives as a convicted felon, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl; made his first appearance in federal court; and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. He will be arraigned on today’s indictment at a later date. This case was investigated by ATF and MADGE. It is being prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including MADGE. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Seven Charged in Theft of California Benefits for Low-Income Families

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 4, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Seven people were arrested and charged this week in connection with the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in public-assistance benefits from low-income families that need the funds to pay for food, housing and other necessities. The defendants were taken into custody by a U.S. Secret Service-led task force as part of a three-day effort to crack down on this devastating and growing fraud in which California benefits are drained from recipients’ accounts almost immediately after the funds are dispersed by the state, typically early in the month. A simultaneous operation netted three arrests in the Northern District of California. Marian Dogaru, Catalan Craciun, Vasile Ionita, Andrei Cristian Geangasau, Domitru Ducila Unguru, Roberto Calin and Razvan Iulian Gaspar are charged with stealing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account information and making fraudulent cash withdrawals at ATMs using that stolen EBT information. According to the complaints, between June 2022 and February 2024, over $181 million has been stolen from EBT beneficiaries in California. Most of these stolen funds have come from unauthorized ATM withdrawals. The complaints also allege that victims of the scheme are largely low-income families who depend on EBT benefits to buy food and other household necessities. “EBT fraud literally takes food out of the mouths of children,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Parents who don’t know they’ve been targeted get to the grocery checkout and discover their EBT cards have been wiped clean. We are taking proactive steps to prevent this appalling crime and punish those who take advantage of vulnerable people.” “EBT fraud continues to be an issue in California and throughout the nation,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Peck, U.S. Secret Service Office of Investigations. “The U.S. Secret Service will continue to investigate and arrest those responsible for EBT fraud as we seek to disrupt their networks and protect our most vulnerable communities.” According to charging documents, here’s how the fraud works: The Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded assistance program designed to help low-income individuals and families purchase food. In California, SNAP public assistance benefits are distributed through CalFresh and loaded to an account that a qualified recipient can access by means of an access card, similar to a debit or credit card, called the California Advantage Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card. The Department of Health and Human Services administers the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides states with money to support low-income families with children. In California, TANF grant funds are used to operate CalWORKS. Families that apply and qualify for ongoing CalWORKS assistance receive money each month to help pay for housing, food, and other necessary expenses. Like CalFresh, CalWORKS benefits are distributed through the California Advantage EBT card. To access these benefits, recipient swipe their card through a point-of-sale terminal, or insert it into an ATM, and provide their Personal Identification Number (PIN). According to the complaints, the U.S. Secret Service has gathered evidence indicating members of what appear to be one or more criminal enterprises are stealing California EBT account information by installing skimmers on point-of-sale terminals and inside ATMs, often in communities with higher concentrations of public benefit recipients. The skimmed data is then often re-encoded onto the magnetic strips of cards that members of the conspiracy use to make unauthorized withdrawals and purchases. These re-encoded cards are sometimes referred to as “cloned” cards. Cloned cards can be a blank white plastic card, or another debit, credit, or gift card. Cloned cards may have names or numbers embossed on the physical face of the card. A common feature of cloned cards is that the account number encoded on the card’s magnetic strip will not match the number embossed on the card’s face. To facilitate the use of the stolen EBT benefits, members of the scheme will commonly put stickers bearing the account’s PIN on the physical cards, or access devices, that are swiped at a point-of-sale terminal, along with the account balance. U.S. Attorney McGrath thanked the many law enforcement partners whose work and dedication made this operation a success: The U.S. Secret Service, California Highway Patrol, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Oceanside Police Department, California Department of Social Services, Homeland Security Investigations, San Diego District Attorney’s Office, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. If you or someone you know has had your EBT benefits stolen, San Diego County’s Department of Health & Human Services Agency requires that the theft be reported within 10 days. More information for San Diego County victims is available at: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ssp/ebt_fraud.html . DEFENDANT Case Number Age Hometown Marian Dogaru 24MJ1315 38 Barlad City, Romania Catalan Craciun 24MJ1234 36 Barlad, Romania Vasile Ionita 24 MJ1289 22 Bucharest, Romania Andrei Cristian Geangasau 24 MJ1289 23 Bucharest, Romania Domitru Ducila Unguru 24MJ1298 20 Craiova, Romania Roberto Calin 24MJ1298 19 Rome, Italy Razvan Iulian Gaspar 24MJ1345 33 Targu Mures City, Romania SUMMARY OF CHARGES Use of Unauthorized Access Devices – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1029(a)(2) (All Defendants) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine Possession of Access Device-Making Equipment – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1029(a)(4) (Dogaru, Ionita, Geangasu, Unguru, Calin, Gaspar) Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES U.S. Secret Service’s Southern California Cyber Fraud Task Force San Diego District Attorney’s Office California Highway Patrol U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General California Department of Social Services San Diego Police Department San Diego Sheriff’s Department U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Russian Nationals Admit to Illegally Sending Controlled Aviation Technology to Russia

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Two Russian nationals pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) in connection with a scheme to acquire and unlawfully export controlled aviation technology to Russian end users. One of the defendants, Oleg Sergeyevhich Patsulya, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit international money laundering. According to court documents, Patsulya and Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin, both of whom reside in Miami-Dade County, Florida, conspired with each other and several others to evade U.S. export laws and regulations to send aircraft technology from the United States to Russia. According to court documents, the unlawful scheme began in or about May 2022, in the wake of Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine and enhanced U.S. sanctions on Russia. “These defendants smuggled sensitive aircraft technology into Russia following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and did so in violation of laws designed to protect America’s national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s guilty pleas reflect the seriousness with which the Justice Department approaches violations of the law that endanger the United States and benefit our adversaries.” “Make no mistake, threats to U.S. economic security are threats to our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “When adversaries steal our technology to strengthen their economies, American industry suffers. The FBI and our Disruptive Technology Strike Force partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. jobs and innovation by preventing the illegal export of sensitive technology.” “By their own admission, the defendants fraudulently procured millions of dollars’ worth of U.S.-origin aircraft equipment to smuggle to Russian airline companies,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These pleas are the latest example of the Department’s commitment to bringing to justice those whose crimes enrich the Russian regime.” “Disrupting the illegal export of sensitive American goods and technologies to sanctioned foreign actors is a critical priority requiring a whole-of-government approach,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “This case has been a textbook example of how a collaborative strike force can work together effectively and nimbly to dismantle a sanctions-evading scheme and to prosecute those individuals who profit from it.” “These guilty pleas are just the latest demonstration of our unwavering commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine and stopping those who attempt to prop up the Russian aviation sector,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “We continue to take aggressive enforcement against those who violate our Russia controls, including those who lie about the identities of their customers in attempts to conceal Russia as the true destination for their goods.” Beginning in or about May 2022 through on or about May 11, 2023, Patsulya and Besedin conspired with each other and several others to obtain orders for various aircraft parts and components from Russian buyers – primarily commercial airline companies – and then fulfill those requests by acquiring the parts from the United States suppliers, including a supplier based in Arizona, and unlawfully exporting the parts to Russia. The defendants admitted to knowing the items were controlled and required a license from the Department of Commerce to export. For example, the defendants conspired to export multiple shipments of a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737 aircraft. When they contacted various U.S. suppliers in efforts to obtain the brake system, Besedin and Patsulya provided false information that the parts were intended for countries other than Russia. The United States was able to detain, prior to export, multiple shipments made by the defendants containing units of the brake assembly technology. Besedin and Patsulya further admitted that they attempted to conceal the illegal exports and avoid detection by law enforcement, including by making false representations about the identities of their true customers and using straw buyer-companies located overseas to obscure the origin of revenue. For example, on Sept. 8, 2022, Besedin and Patsulya traveled to Arizona to close a deal with a U.S. company, in which the defendants sought to purchase units of the brake assembly technology. During their discussions with the company, the defendants misrepresented that the aircraft parts were going to be exported to Turkey, when they were in fact destined for Russia. The defendants made false statements both orally to the company and in the export compliance forms. In connection with this transaction, the defendants received money from a Russian airline company to make the purchase. The funds were transferred to Patsulya’s American bank account from a Turkish bank account which had previously received the money from Russia. In total, throughout the conspiracy, American bank accounts associated with MIC P&I LLC, a company controlled by Patsulya, received at least $4,582,288 sent from Russian airline companies through Turkish bank accounts to purchase aircraft parts and components intended for unlawful export. As part of Patsulya’s plea, he agreed to forfeit, among other assets, a sum of money equal to $4,582,288. Both Besedin and Patsulya pleaded guilty to conspiracy to export items from the United States without a license in violation of the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Patsulya additionally pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17. The BIS Phoenix Field Office and the FBI Phoenix Field Office are conducting the joint investigation. The BIS Boston Field Office, FBI Miami Field Office, HSI Phoenix Field Office, Customs and Border Protection-Phoenix Field Office, and the U.S. Marshals Office in Miami provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd M. Allison and William G. Voit for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida provided valuable assistance. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.


title: Longtime treasurer charged with stealing nearly $1 million in campaign funds

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who served as a campaign treasurer for more than 100 candidates since the 1980s has been charged with wire fraud related to stealing nearly $1 million in campaign funds. William Curlis, 76, was charged by a bill of information that was filed today. The United States also filed a plea document in this case today, which will be considered by the Court at a future plea hearing. According to the court documents, from 2008 until June 2023, Curlis defrauded candidates of approximately $995,231 of campaign funds. Curlis allegedly wrote checks from the bank accounts of certain candidates and one PAC to himself for personal use. It is alleged the defendant transferred funds between campaign accounts without candidates’ knowledge to conceal the deficit he created. Curlis sold his home in 2016, allegedly to cover the cost of campaign expenses, to include campaign media costs and account balances, to prevent the discovery of his theft. “As the campaign treasurer and only signatory on numerous bank accounts, Curlis took advantage of his trusted position and wrote checks to himself from the accounts of multiple candidates and one PAC,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “I urge candidates, PACs, and businesses alike to protect themselves from future fraud by examining their accounting processes for vulnerabilities and other blind spots. Embezzlement is often committed by persons who take advantage of the victim’s trust, and I encourage everyone to reassess from time to time the safeguards they have in place." “The long-running fraud perpetuated by Curlis negatively impacted dozens of political campaigns in Ohio,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “While Curlis stole from campaigns and worked to conceal his theft, the fraud scheme collapsed and he is now being held accountable.” “Fraud and abuse will not be tolerated in Ohio,” said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. “When our Public Integrity Division became aware of this matter, we immediately began investigating and referred our findings directly to federal law enforcement. We will continue working alongside our partners to bring bad actors to justice and to root out any criminality in campaigns and elections.” “This defendant believed he could outsmart his clients by shuffling funds while skimming off the top – a scheme that worked for a while, but he couldn’t outwit law enforcement,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Great work by BCI and our partners to unravel this embezzlement.” Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes agents and officers from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Columbus Division of Police and Ohio Auditor’s Office. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office was also an integral part of the investigation. Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case. A bill of information is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Repeat offenders sentenced to 10 years in prison for narcotics crimes

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus residents have each been sentenced to 120 months in prison for federal drug crimes. The defendants were previously convicted in the Southern District of Ohio in 2018. Francisco Ruellas-Gonzalez, 31, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. He was sentenced in federal court today. According to court documents, in 2022 and 2023, Ruellas-Gonzalez and his co-defendant Jaime Renteria, 33, used a residence on Clearhurst Drive as a drug stash house. The apartment had minimal furnishings and no electricity. At the time, the two defendants were residing on Athalia Drive in Columbus. When law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the two residences and on the defendants themselves and their vehicles, they discovered approximately 448 grams of methamphetamine, 751 grams of fentanyl and/or a fentanyl analogue (including 1,449 tablets marked as oxycodone), 226 grams of heroin, and 12 grams of cocaine; five firearms and ammunition; and $28,925 in drug proceeds. These are the defendants’ second federal drug trafficking convictions in less than five years. Ruellas-Gonzalez was sentenced in 2018 to serve 24 months in prison for distributing heroin and cocaine and was deported to Mexico for the fourth time. Renteria was sentenced in 2018 to 46 months in prison and was released early under the First Step Act in January 2022. Renteria pleaded guilty in August 2023 to possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue and 100 grams or more of heroin. He was sentenced in January to 120 months in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Division; announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz is representing the United States in this case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . # # #


title: Jackson County volunteer fire chief pleads guilty to mail fraud

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The chief of the Coalton volunteer fire department pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to using more than $200,000 in fire department funds for personal expenses. Johnny Baker, 37, of Wellston, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud for the embezzlement, which included using fire department money to have items for his personal use shipped to his house via UPS. Baker has worked for the volunteer fire department since 2009, filling various roles including secretary/treasurer, assistant fire chief, and as of January 2023, fire chief. Baker has been solely responsible for maintaining the department’s finances. According to his court documents, from 2020 until 2023, Baker used a fire department credit card for personal expenses, including vacations and entertainment, sports tickets, a utility task vehicle, firearms, home utility payments, electronics and clothing. Baker was the sole user of the credit card during this time. Baker admitted to paying the credit card bills with fire department funds that he raised from the local community through a pull-tab gaming system, which he initially implemented as a fundraiser. Several local businesses sold pull tabs to the community and sent the proceeds to Baker. As part of his plea, Baker has agreed to pay approximately $226,000 in restitution. Mail fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Idabel Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cedric Jamara Cherry, age 42, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after being previously convicted of a felony offense. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On August 8, 2023, Cherry pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 15, 2023, Cherry possessed a loaded .40 S&W pistol after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Cherry will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.


title: Sex Offender Who Possessed Child Pornography Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Woonsocket man who admitted to collecting thousands of images and nearly 200 videos of child pornography, at a time that he was already a registered sex offender, has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Matthew S. Hathaway, 26, of Woonsocket, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on January 4, 2024, to a charge of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. He was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 42 months of incarceration to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release. According to documents filed with the court, a member of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an IP address, later determined to originate from a Woonsocket residence where Hathaway resided, was being used to download and transfer child pornography. On March 16, 2023, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search warrant at Hathaway’s residence and seized a desktop computer and cell phone belonging to Hathaway. A forensic audit of the electronic devices by Homeland Security Investigations determined that the devices contained 7,984 images and 192 videos of child sexual abuse material. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie M. White and Dulce Donovan. ###


title: Mexican National Indicted or Heroin Trafficking, Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Kansas, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury after police officers found almost six kilograms of suspected heroin in a trash bag he discarded following a traffic accident. Luis Ponce-Lopez, 26, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, April 2. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Ponce-Lopez on March 26, 2024. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Ponce-Lopez was driving a black 2013 Ford F350 pickup truck when he was involved in a traffic accident on March 24, 2024. Witnesses told police officers they saw Ponce-Lopez get out of his truck after the collision, carry a black trash bag, dump it in a nearby field, and return to his truck. Officers found the trash bag, which contained several packages wrapped in black paper, a silver thermos, and two clear tubs. Four of the containers were tested and found to contain a total of nearly three kilograms of heroin. The total amount of suspected heroin in all of the containers weighed more than 5.7 kilograms. Officers searched the pickup truck following Ponce-Lopez’s arrest and found a Dan Wesson 10mm semi-automatic handgun. The federal indictment charges Ponce-Lopez with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon E. Gibson. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years for Ammunition Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was sentenced on March 29, 2024, for illegally possessing ammunition in connection with a January shooting in a residential neighborhood of Everett. Luis Rivera, 26, of Medford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Rivera pleaded guilty one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. On the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2022, three individuals fired over 20 shots in an Everett neighborhood, during which multiple houses were struck by stray bullets. Rivera was identified as one of the shooters. Rivera is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.


title: York County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —DeQavion Keyon DaJohn DeShae Cook, 31, of Rock Hill, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that agents learned that between 2015 and 2023, Cook was responsible for selling drugs that were obtained from Darryl Hemphill. Agents learned the drugs obtained from Hemphill included crystal methamphetamine and pills that resembled 30 mg Oxycodone tablets, also known in the generic form as Roxicodone. The pills were produced by Hemphill and/or others with fentanyl at various locations in the Rock Hill and Charlotte region. As Hemphill was the leader of this organization, he was supplying the drugs to Cook who was incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections at that time. The agents used multiple investigative techniques to determine the quantity of drugs provided to Cook while he was incarcerated in SCDC. Cook used his brother to obtain the pills and methamphetamine from Hemphill in Rock Hill and take the drugs to a correctional officer who would conceal the drugs and take them to Cook inside of the prison. Cook faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $5,000,000 and four years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Cook after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Cook’s sentence on this offense will begin after he completes his current federal sentence for another federal violation. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Lontre Jason Wise, 51, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute both crack cocaine and marijuana. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Columbia Police Department Organized Crime and Narcotics Unit received an anonymous complaint in reference to the sale of illegal narcotics at a residence located on House Street. The complainant stated there was constant foot and vehicle traffic at the residence, which people were only observed being at the residence for minutes at a time. Based on the information provided from the complainant, a confidential informant was sent to the residence on two different occasions to purchase marijuana. During both occasions, the confidential informant purchased the marijuana from Wise. Based on the complaint and controlled purchases, a search warrant was obtained for the residence. Columbia Police Department officers executed the search warrant for the residence. During the search, the police located Wise and four others within the residence. Wise was immediately taken into custody on arrest warrants for the distribution of marijuana. Wise was searched and the police found a clear container containing crack cocaine on him. During the search of the residence, a black book bag was located on the couch. The book bag was searched and contained a large clear plastic bag of marijuana. The police also found a 9mm handgun and a .38 caliber revolver in the book bag. The police also located a safe underneath the couch with a black pouch inside of it. The pouch contained pieces of crack cocaine, Wise’s South Carolina driver’s license, social security card, debit card, and $3,430 in cash. Wise told the officers that the safe was his. There were multiple hand-rolled cigars containing marijuana found throughout the living room of the residence and a plate on the couch in the living room that also contained marijuana. Wise faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $1,000,000 and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Wise after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department’s Organized Crime and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former Hospital Manager Sentenced To Federal Prison For Defrauding Employer, Money Laundering, And Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy S. Gilbert, 54, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after having previously pled guilty to twenty-two counts of wire fraud, ten counts of money laundering, and four counts of tax evasion. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence. “Abuse of trust, embezzlement, and tax evasion warrant significant criminal consequences” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This defendant’s years-long theft from his employer and his efforts to launder and conceal his fraud proceeds are both illegal and offensive to the hardworking Americans who pay their taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations. It is fitting and proper that he pay restitution, unpaid taxes, and investigative costs for his criminal conduct.” Court documents reveal while employed as a rehab manager for a local hospital and medical group, Gilbert used a corporate credit card to make unauthorized purchases of prepaid credit cards and gift cards. He would then convert funds from the fraudulently obtained cards using his personal PayPal, Stripe, and bank accounts to conceal his scheme, make personal purchases, and withdraw large amounts of cash to gamble at casinos. Gilbert concealed the credit card payments from his employer by circumventing company policies. Between 2019 and 2022, Gilbert stole and laundered over $607,000. “Devising a scheme to conceal income from the IRS is blatant criminal activity, especially when you abuse your position of trust and embezzle funds from a hospital that serves the community,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani I. Rosado-Espinal. “Taxpayers who pay their fair share need to be reassured that IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to devote the resources needed to uncover these types of schemes which defraud the honest taxpayers.” In addition to serving three years in custody, Gilbert was ordered to pay over $607,000 in restitution to the victim hospital, over $160,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid taxes, over $38,000 to the Internal Revenue Service and the Pensacola Police Department for costs of prosecution, and $3,700 in special monetary assessments. This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Pensacola Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Forbes and Jessica Etherton prosecuted this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Local man arrested for distributing fentanyl resulting in two fatalities

body_text: HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Crosby resident has been taken into custody for trafficking fentanyl on multiple occasions that resulted in death and serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Joshua Ray Stebelton is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. The indictment, returned March 27 and unsealed upon Stebelton’s arrest, alleges he was a member of an ongoing four-year conspiracy to distribute more than 440 grams of fentanyl. According to the indictment, the conspiracy allegedly resulted in the deaths of two and serious bodily injury to a third victim. In November 2020, Stebelton allegedly distributed less than 40 grams of fentanyl that resulted in the death of an individual. Less than two months later in January 2021, he is alleged to have distributed fentanyl again which resulted in the death of another victim. In addition to the conspiracy, Stebelton is charged with seven counts of distributing fentanyl from November 2020 through June 2023. If convicted, Stebelton faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $10 million maximum fine. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz, Casey N. MacDonald and Jimmy Leo are prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Lafayette Firearms Store Owner and Wife Sentenced on Federal Firearms Charges

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jeremiah Micah Deare , 40, Sarah Elaine Fogle , 33, were each sentenced yesterday afternoon on federal firearms charges. Deare and Fogle were convicted by a federal jury in November 2023 after a nearly week-long trial of conspiring to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to run required background checks in connection with their unlicensed firearm business located in Lafayette. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the couple as follows: Jeremiah Micah Deare was sentenced to 97 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Sarah Elaine Fogle was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. At the trial in November 2023, evidence was introduced that Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC (Dave’s) and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License, which was located in Lafayette, Louisiana. Deare and Fogle did not hold a Federal Firearms License in their individual capacities. Testimony at trial from numerous witnesses revealed that Deare and Fogle engaged in the illegal sale and attempted illegal sale of hundreds of firearms out of their residence and at gun shows as an unlicensed business. The couple was found to have engaged in the business of dealing firearms without following applicable laws, including the required background checks on their customers. There were 246 firearms seized from the couple’s home, many with price tags, and the indictment also seeks forfeiture of a total of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses. On or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At a warning conference on September 19, 2019, in Baton Rouge, Deare and Fogle were warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete a background check form ATF-4473 (one time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (two times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms. On that same day in 2019, the ATF investigator provided an Acknowledgement of Federal Firearms Regulations to inform Deare of his responsibilities as a Federal Firearms License holder, and about laws relating to engaging in the business of selling firearms at gun shows. The form was signed by Deare acknowledging that he understood he was responsible for familiarizing himself with the laws and regulations. Deare and Fogle, after being warned, willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Both defendants acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law. In addition, firearms brought to Dave’s to be sold on consignment were not logged into Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book and were not placed for sale at Dave’s, but rather were taken to various gun shows and sold without background checks in an unlicensed business. Their failure to conduct background checks resulted in the sales of firearms to persons prohibited by law from possessing or purchasing firearms. Additionally, the sales of firearms at gun shows outside the State of Louisiana were not done through a dealer licensed in the state where the gun show was conducted as required by law. “The regulation of firearm production and sales is a necessary function of the ATF,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The ATF took the opportunity to counsel the defendants as to their wrongdoing, but the defendants nevertheless ignored ATF, deciding to proceed with their criminal conduct and the court has now held them accountable. We hope these sentences serve as a deterrent to anyone who considers engaging in such illicit activity going forward.” “These two defendants are part of fueling the violent crime problem across the country by selling to prohibited persons,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “They have shown a reckless disregard for the federal laws and responsibilities associated with the privilege of possessing a federal firearms license. The sentence imposed sends a message to the community that dishonorable individuals like this will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority for ATF.” The ATF conducted the investigation and Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren L. Gardner and Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Tuscaloosa County Man Sentenced to over 15 Years on Child Pornography Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Tuscaloosa, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Tuscaloosa County man on charges of transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Nathaniel David Struening, 43, of Buhl, Alabama, to 188 months in prison followed by supervised release for life. Struening was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the child victims. Struening pled guilty in November 2023 to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. According to court documents, Struening transported child pornography in a group on the social media application, Kik. Federal search warrants were obtained for Struening’s Kik account and his residence where several electronic devices were seized. Additional child pornography was found in his possession. The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, along with the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Division of the FBI, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Homewood Police Department, and Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Lynchburg Teen

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Kansas man, who told a 14-year-old girl he wanted to “take a kid’s virginity” after meeting her on Twitter, pled guilty this week to federal child exploitation charges. Andrew Kent, 22, a.k.a. “Leo” and “JeffThePumpkin,” from Manhattan, Kansas, pled guilty this week to one count of sexual exploitation of children. At sentencing, Kent faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years. “This case demonstrates the importance of knowing not only what your children are doing online, but also with whom they are communicating,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “There are dangerous people on the Internet who specifically target children. We will use every tool we have to find those people and bring them to justice, but parents also perform a critical part in educating and monitoring their children’s online activity.” “Pursuing justice for victims of child exploitation is one of our highest priorities.” Special Agent in Charges Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today. “We will continue to work with our partners to investigate these horrific acts and bring those responsible to justice.” According to court documents, in January 2023, Kent met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg, Virginia, on Twitter. Initially, Kent pretended to be a 20-year-old woman named “Tris.” He used this “Tris” persona to introduce his victim to a young man named “Leo.” In reality, both the “Tris” and “Leo” profiles were controlled by Kent. Kent told his victim that he was from Roanoke, Virginia, and sent generic pictures of Roanoke in order to further convince her of their geographic proximity to each other. When they began chatting, the victim informed Kent that she was only 14 years old. Kent told the her that he was 21 years old and that he was interested in meeting her someday in order to “take a kid’s virginity.” As the conversations progressed, Kent told the 14-year-old that she needed to call him “Daddy,” “Sir,” or “Master,” and then warned her that he might punish her if she failed to do so. Kent also directed violent language at the victim, telling her he wanted to cut her and make her bleed. After several weeks of chatting, Kent instructed the victim to send him nude photographs and videos of herself, to which she obliged. On June 16, 2023, Kent was arrested by law enforcement and interviewed by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At that time, he admitted to using Twitter, Snapchat, and Discord to contact minor girls for the purpose of getting them to send him naked pictures. He often used the “Tris” persona because he found it was easier to get minor girls to talk to him if he pretended to be a young woman. Kent estimated he solicited and received images of child sexual abuse material from approximately 200 minor girls. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff is prosecuting the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .