title: Sioux Falls Man Charged with Failure to Register

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man for Failure to Register: International Travel Reporting Violation. Scott Richard Semrad, age 49, was indicted in March of 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 17, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The Indictment alleges that between February 5, 2022, and February 22, 2022, Semrad, a sex offender by reason of a conviction under state law, unlawfully and knowingly failed to provide information required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act relating to intended travel to a foreign country. The charge is merely an accusation and Semrad is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Semrad was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.


title: Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation. The sentencing took place on March 13, 2023. William Thigh a/k/a William Fire Cloud, age 38, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thigh was indicted for three counts of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon, and two counts of Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 12, 2022. Between the November 28, 2021, and November 30, 2021, at Lower Brule, Thigh assaulted his intimate partner by strangling her. Thigh placed his hands around the victim’s neck and applied pressure. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Morley prosecuted the case. Thigh was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Larceny

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on March 14, 2023. True Clark, age 28, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Clark was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $395, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Clark was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 19, 2022. Late on September 3, 2022, or in the early morning hours of September 4, 2022, Clark stole a 2017 Buick Enclave valued in excess of $20,000 from a residence in Eagle Butte. The vehicle’s owner discovered the car missing on the morning of September 4, 2022. The vehicle was equipped with OnStar. The vehicle’s owner and law enforcement contacted OnStar and were able to pinpoint the vehicle’s location as being at a specific residence in Cherry Creek, South Dakota. OnStar disabled the vehicle, and law enforcement responded to Cherry Creek. Clark was still inside the vehicle when law enforcement arrived and took him into custody. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case. Clark was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Defendants Sentenced in a $217,200 Gift Card Conspiracy and Wire Fraud Scheme that Cheated Victims, Including the Elderly, Out of Thousands of Dollars

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City , Utah – Two foreign nationals, were sentenced today after pleading guilty to their participation in a wire fraud scheme, where victims were deceived into purchasing prepaid gift cards and providing that information to the defendants for their own personal gain. Chaohui Chen, 46, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by 36 months supervised release and ordered to pay $217,200.00 in restitution. Wenyi Zheng, 46, was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment followed by 36 months supervised release and ordered to pay $217,200.00 in restitution. According to court documents, in June 2019, Chen and Zheng were involved in a Walmart gift card conspiracy and wire fraud scheme within the District of Utah and elsewhere. The purpose of the scheme was to defraud individuals and obtain money and property for the personal gain of the defendants and others. According to the plea statement, a typical execution of the scheme involved unnamed third parties who would make false and fraudulent telephone calls, sometimes claiming to the victims they were part of the Social Security Administration. Using false pretenses, the callers would convince victims to purchase prepaid gift cards and provide to them the 16-digit gift card numbers and unique pins for the gift cards, in return for a cashier’s check in the amount of the gift card purchased. Once in control of the gift cards, Chen and Zheng would redeem the gift cards at various stores by purchasing household items and additional prepaid gift cards, which they would convert and use for their own personal gain, and neglect to return any of the money to the victims. Throughout the scheme, the defendants used or caused another to use interstate wire communications facilities for the purpose of carrying out the crime. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate people who prey on vulnerable members of our community,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “It is our job to pursue justice for victims, some of whom are elderly and trusted those who committed this crime.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney, Ruth Hackford-Peer, of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Role in Fraudulent Transfer of Funds from a Victim’s Brokerage Account

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Ramon Armendariz Jr., 35, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison for wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Armendariz unlawfully obtained personally identifiable information and bank account information of a victim, which he used to open a brokerage account in the victim’s name. Armendariz used the personal bank accounts to fund the brokerage account. Armendariz listed himself as an authorized check writer on the brokerage account in order to access the funds when the transfers to the brokerage account were completed. Armendariz’s scheme unraveled when the victim discovered the unauthorized transfers and notified the bank, resulting in a freeze of the funds in the brokerage account. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre Dempsey prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $36 Million Dollars In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2022

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, NY - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the Western District of New York collected $36,265,598.00 in criminal, civil and forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $7,484,121.00 was collected in criminal actions and $28,781,477.00 was collected in civil actions. As a result, over $7,000,000 was given to victims of crime in the past year, while $964,621.00 was provided as aid to state and local law enforcement agency partners who worked hand in hand with the office on criminal cases. Additionally, the Western District of New York worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $10,527,064.89 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. I making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ross specifically credited the work done by the Asset Recovery Division, under the leadership of Chief Kevin D. Robinson and Deputy Chief Grace Carducci. “This Office is focused on combating all crime, in particular those crimes involving violence, racism and bigotry, use of firearms, exploitation of women and children, and fraud,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “At the same time, we are focused on making sure that justice is fair and even handed. Everyone deserves to live and work in an environment that is safe, and your rights guaranteed under the law are afforded to you. In addition to combating crime, we seek to deprive criminals of those proceeds generated through their illegal activity, and to collect on behave of the victims of crime. Our goal is to make all victims of crime whole.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. In addition to recovering funds, more than 50 dangerous firearms and 1,800 rounds of ammunition were forfeited in FY 2021 as instrumentalities of criminal conduct in drug and violent gang cases. Forty Computers and electronic media devices—most related to child exploitation cases—were also forfeited. The following cases are examples of successful forfeiture and affirmative civil enforcement cases concluded this past year in the Western District of New York: In April 2022, the district recovered $ $16.27 million as part of a civil forfeiture settlement in the United States v. 7405 Morgan Road, et al. case. In March 2022, the district recovered approximately $3.3 million as part of a criminal forfeiture settlement and $102,952.77 in court ordered restitution in the United States v. Christopher Parris case. Christopher Parris solicited and caused others to solicit various medical supply companies and governmental entities for orders of scarce PPE. Parris knowingly misrepresented his access to, and ability to obtain and deliver on time, vast quantities PPE. In December 2022, the district recovered approximately $277,500 in criminal forfeiture as a result of a jury trial in the United States v. Michael Rech case. Michael Rech submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application and received funds that he was not otherwise entitled to receive. In June 2022, the district recovered $600,000 from James A. Sakr, M.D. , an ear, nose, and throat doctor based in Dansville, NY, to resolve allegations that Dr. Sakr fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for procedures that were not medically necessary or that he did not perform. In August 2022, the district entered into a settlement for $950,000 with Elderwood , a Buffalo-based senior care company, to resolve allegations that Elderwood submitted false claims for payment from Medicare and Medicaid. Between August 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018, Elderwood submitted, or caused to be submitted, claims for payment to Medicare for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services that it knew were medically unnecessary. The submission of these medically unnecessary claims also resulted in Elderwood receiving artificially inflated payments from Medicaid. In February 2022, the district recovered $970,000 from Nightingale Corporation to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act. Nightingale is a manufacturer of office seating and furniture, which sells its products to various federal government agencies. In December 2019, Nightingale was awarded a General Services Administration (GSA) contract to supply office chairs to various federal agencies, including the Department of Defense. The contract required that Nightingale produce the chairs in the United States. The Government alleged that during the bidding process, Nightingale falsely represented to the GSA that it would produce the chairs at its Tonawanda, NY, location. Based on that representation, Nightingale was awarded the contract. However, between February 2020 and April 2021, Nightingale did not produce the chairs in Tonawanda or elsewhere in the United States, but rather the chairs were produced in Canada.


title: Fresno Woman Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Role in Two Fraud Schemes

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Sarah Jo Sumpter, 30, of Fresno, was sentenced today to two years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $16,984 in restitution for mail fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Sumpter stole mail from a number of locations in California and used the stolen mail to commit multiple identity theft related fraud schemes. One of these schemes involved Sumpter stealing a victim’s driver’s license and impersonating the victim in order to purchase a vehicle. Another scheme involved Sumpter depositing stolen checks into victim accounts and then withdrawing funds from the accounts without the victim’s consent. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Madera County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Henry Z. Carbajal III prosecuted the case.


title: Former Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting Inmate in Los Angeles Jail

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former corrections officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) who sexually assaulted a woman in custody was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison. Jose Viera, 49, of Monterey Park, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who ordered Viera immediately remanded into custody. Judge Wright also scheduled a June 20 restitution hearing in this case. Viera pleaded guilty in May 2022 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Viera was a BOP corrections officer assigned to work at Metropolitan Detention Center-Los Angeles (MDC-LA), a federal prison which holds male and female pre-trial detainees and persons serving custodial sentences. In his role as corrections officer, Viera was required to uphold the Constitution and ensure the safety and security of persons housed at MDC-LA. In December 2020, Viera was assigned to supervise incarcerated women who were quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure and infection. During the morning of December 20, 2020, Viera entered the cell of the victim, who was in COVID-19 isolation, as he had done on previous occasions to bring her breakfast. Instead, Viera laid down next to the victim in her bed, sandwiching her between his body and the wall. Then, he sexually assaulted her. Viera committed this assault despite knowing that the victim did not consent and that his actions violated her constitutional rights. When the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) conducted a voluntary interview of Viera about the sexual assault allegations, Viera lied to federal agents about his misconduct. “By breaching his duty of trust, Viera harmed not only the victim, but also the system of justice he was entrusted to serve,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue in its mission to ensure that no one is above the law, regardless of their position, and that victims receive justice.” “A corrections officer’s job is to ensure the safety and security of those in custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead, the defendant’s actions did just the opposite, destroying this woman’s sense of peace and trust in law enforcement. We hope this sentence provides a measure of justice to the victim and a reminder to would-be offenders that the Justice Department is committed to ensuring that those who work in federal prisons and abuse their positions of authority by sexually assaulting people in their care will be held accountable.” “Mr. Viera abdicated his duty and obligation to treat the prisoners in his care with dignity,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI prioritizes cases involving abuse under the color of law and works with our partners to bring justice to those who deny others their Constitutionally protected rights.” “Viera abused his power and sexually assaulted the inmate in her cell while she was extremely vulnerable in COVID-19 isolation,” said Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer for the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows that Correctional Officers that abuse inmates will be brought to justice.” The FBI and DOJ-OIG investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Nikhil Ramnaney of the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.


title: Two Colorado Men Arrested and Facing Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges in Southern Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Utah returned an indictment charging two Colorado men for possession of illicit drugs with the intent to distribute and carrying a firearm in relation to the crime. According to court documents, Dylan Kelly, 19, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Navin Daryan Wright, 20, also a Colorado resident, are each charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in January. On March 15, 2023, Wright was arrested in Grand Junction and had his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Kelly had his initial court appearance March 20, 2023, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Utah in St. George. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS); Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) and State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney, Brady Wilson, of the District of Utah, Southern Region is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Director of Operations for O.C. Pharmacy Sentenced to 9½ Years in Prison for Defrauding the U.S. Military’s Health Care Plan

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Florida man who once was the director of operations at a now-shuttered Irvine pharmacy was sentenced today to 114 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme in which kickbacks were paid for prescriptions for “compounded” medications – a scam that cost Tricare, the United States military’s health care plan, more than $3 million in losses. Marcus Orlando Armstrong, 56, of Miami, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered Armstrong to pay $3,070,091 in restitution. Armstrong pleaded guilty in October 2022 to two counts of paying illegal kickbacks for health care referrals. Armstrong was the director of operations for the now-defunct Irvine Wellness Pharmacy, which made compounded medications. Compounded drugs are tailor-made products doctors may prescribe when the Food and Drug Administration-approved alternative does not meet the health needs of a patient. In mid-2014, Armstrong agreed to pay a physician, identified in court documents as “N.G.,” kickbacks in exchange for prescriptions bearing N.G.’s name and credentials. Armstrong intended that Irvine Wellness Pharmacy would fill the prescriptions and Tricare would pay to reimburse them. Armstrong further intended to receive a portion of the reimbursements and then, out of those funds, Armstrong intended to pay kickbacks to N.G. In February 2015, Armstrong wrote two checks – one for $16,418 and the other for approximately $10,000 – to N.G. that were noted as being for “marketing.” In fact, the checks were illegal kickback payments to N.G. in exchange for prescriptions that were not medically necessary. A co-defendant, Sandy Mai Trang Nguyen, 42, of Irvine, was found guilty by a jury in November 2022 of 21 counts of health care fraud and one count of obstruction of a federal audit. Nguyen was the pharmacist-in-charge at Irvine Wellness Pharmacy. According to evidence presented at Nguyen’s trial, from late 2014 to May 2015, Nguyen and others under her supervision filled approximately 1,150 compounded prescriptions for pain, scarring and migraines that Tricare reimbursed for tens of thousands of dollars per prescription. Nearly all the prescriptions were sent to the pharmacy by so-called marketers who were paid kickbacks of nearly half of the Tricare reimbursements paid to the pharmacy. The beneficiaries were solicited to provide their Tricare insurance information for medications they did not seek out or need, and most were never examined by a physician. The prescriptions were electronically sent from marketers or telemedicine businesses and submitted by the pharmacy for reimbursement even though Tricare rules excluded reimbursements for claims based on telemedicine visits and would not, in any event, have been authorized had Tricare known the prescriptions originated based upon the payment of kickbacks. Nguyen’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 3. Co-defendants Leslie Andre Ezidore, 53, of West Los Angeles, and Alexander Michael Semenik, 51, of Las Vegas, have pleaded guilty to felony charges in this case and await sentencing. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal investigative Service; the FBI; the Amtrak Office of Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration; the California Department of Insurance; and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis and Ali Moghaddas of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Armed Drug Trafficker With Prior Federal Conviction Is Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lance Richardson Pagan, 52, of Gastonia, N.C., was sentenced to 25 years in prison today, followed by six years of supervised release for drug and gun offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Trent Conrad of the Gastonia Police Department (GPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement learned that Pagan was trafficking narcotics in Gaston County. At the time, Pagan was on supervised release for a previous federal drug conviction for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison. On January 12, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pagan’s residence and seized a trafficking amount of cocaine and cocaine base, and three firearms. Due to Pagan’s prior convictions, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. A federal jury convicted Pagan of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and cocaine and possession of firearm by convicted felon. Pagan is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons. U.S. Attorney King credited today’s sentence to investigations led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which have resulted in the conviction of more than 70 individuals, and the seizure of over 567 kilograms of cocaine, more than six kilograms of cocaine base, more than 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of heroin, over 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 127 firearms, and more $437,000 in cash and other property. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and GPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Bribing Correctional Officer to Smuggle Drugs into D.C. Jail

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – A District of Columbia man pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official to smuggle drugs into the D.C. jail. Keywaune McLeod, 28, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty in United States District Court to one count of bribery. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 12, 2023. According to court documents, as part of his plea, McLeod admitted that, in June of 2022, McLeod was contacted via jail telephone by an inmate being housed at D.C. Jail. Specifically, McLeod was recruited by the inmate to act as a conduit outside of D.C. jail to package narcotics and manage payments from the sale of those narcotics from inside the jail. As a part of this conspiracy, McLeod would package and provide drugs to a public official, a Correctional Officer working at the jail, who would smuggle them into the facility by concealing them on her body. Once inside the D.C. Jail, the Correctional Officer would transfer the drugs to the inmate who would then distribute the drugs for a profit. McLeod would accept and manage the proceeds from such distribution using CashApp and make bribe payments to the Correctional Officer for the drug smuggling. Previously, in September and October 2022, McLeod was charged as part of a three-co-defendant complaint, later followed by an indictment. Specifically, D.C. Jail Correctional Officer Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and Andre Gregory, 31, an incarcerated inmate at the D.C. Jail’s CDF awaiting trial, along with McLeod, were charged with conspiracy, bribery, and smuggling. All charges as to Williams and Gregory remain pending. A complaint and an indictment are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The bribery charge to which McLeod pleaded guilty carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, as well as potential financial penalties. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Ahmed Baset with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.


title: National Freight Carrier to Pay Civil Penalties and Implement Stormwater Compliance Measures for Clean Water Act Noncompliance

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: ABF Freight System Inc. (ABF), a freight carrier that operates more than 200 transportation facilities in 47 states and Puerto Rico, has resolved allegations that it violated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) relating to industrial stormwater at locations across the country. Under the proposed settlement, ABF will enhance and implement its comprehensive, corporate-wide stormwater compliance program at all its transportation facilities except those located in the state of Washington, and will pay a civil penalty of $535,000, a portion of which will be directed to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the State of Maryland, and the State of Nevada who all joined this settlement. The complaint in the case, filed contemporaneously with the proposed consent decree, alleges that ABF failed to comply with certain conditions of their CWA permits (e.g., spills that had not been cleaned up; failure to implement required spill prevention measures; failure to implement measures to minimize contamination of stormwater runoff; failure to conduct monitoring of stormwater discharges as required; and failure to provide all required training to ABF’s employees) at nine of its transportation facilities. “Companies must comply with Clean Water Act provisions to prevent waterways from being contaminated by industrial pollutants,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This consent decree ensures that measures will be implemented at hundreds of transportation facilities across the nation to protect nearby waterways and the communities that live along them.” “Through this settlement ABF will implement an enhanced, comprehensive stormwater management program at transportation facilities they operate across the country,” said acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement exemplifies EPA’s commitment to working with companies like ABF who notify EPA of noncompliance and then work to improve compliance with the Clean Water Act to help ensure the protection of local water resources.” “Water quality affects every citizen equally, it’s importance simply cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas. “This agreement ensures that ABF will take significant steps towards ensuring that water quality is not negatively affected by its operations. This settlement would not have been possible without the commitment and cooperation of all the federal, state and local agencies involved along with ABF.” In April 2015, ABF voluntarily disclosed to EPA that it failed to obtain industrial stormwater permit coverage at multiple facilities and had discovered additional areas of noncompliance with the CWA through the company’s own compliance audits which were conducted at nearly all its facilities during 2013 and 2014. Between October 2016 and April 2019, EPA, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the State of Maryland, and the State of Nevada conducted 15 inspections of ABF’s facilities and observed noncompliance with applicable stormwater laws at both CWA permitted facilities and No Exposure Certification (NEC) facilities. To address the extent of ABF’s noncompliance, the proposed consent decree requires ABF to continue to implement and enhance its comprehensive, corporate-wide stormwater compliance program. This includes a memorialization of stormwater roles and responsibilities, comprehensive employee training with contractor awareness, implementation of standard operating procedures, stormwater pollution prevention plan management, and tracking facility-specific corrective actions. The settlement also requires ABF to conduct tiered management oversight inspections at its permitted and NEC facilities throughout the three-year implementation of this consent decree. Stormwater runoff from industrial facilities can pick up pollutants like trash, chemicals, oils and sediment that can harm waters throughout the country. Pollutants in stormwater can cause changes in hydrology and water quality that result in habitat modification and loss, increased flooding, decreased aquatic biological diversity, and increased sedimentation and erosion. It is critical that all facilities requiring permit coverage appropriately apply for permit coverage and adhere to applicable stormwater regulations to ensure environmental impacts are effectively minimized. The injunctive relief measures set forth in the proposed consent decree are designed to result in effective stormwater runoff management at ABF’s facilities, including those facilities that conduct vehicle maintenance and equipment cleaning. The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, is subject to a 30-day federal public comment period and approval by the federal court. The consent decree can be viewed at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees .


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Tennessee Man and Kentucky Woman for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 8, charging a Tennessee man with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. The indictment further charged that the defendant conspired with a Kentucky woman to commit that crime. According to the indictment, between Aug. 8 and 11, 2022, Portier Q. Govan, 36, of Memphis, Tennessee, used force, threats of force and coercion to compel an adult woman to engage in commercial sex. The indictment also charges Govan and Brittany R. Howard, 24, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, with entering into an agreement to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Govan made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky today. Howard is expected to make her initial appearance later this week. If convicted of sex trafficking, Govan faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to life imprisonment. If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, Govan and Howard face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. The Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. The FBI is asking anyone with information about Portier Govan or Brittany Howard to contact the FBI Bowling Green Resident Agency at (270) 781-4734. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FORT SMITH – ABF Freight System Inc. (ABF), a freight carrier that operates more than 200 transportation facilities in 47 states and Puerto Rico, has resolved allegations that it violated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA) relating to industrial stormwater at locations across the country. Under the proposed settlement, ABF will enhance and implement its comprehensive, corporate-wide stormwater compliance program at all its transportation facilities except those located in the state of Washington, and will pay a civil penalty of $535,000, a portion of which will be directed to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the State of Maryland, and the State of Nevada who all joined this settlement. The complaint in the case, filed contemporaneously with the proposed consent decree, alleges that ABF failed to comply with certain conditions of their CWA permits (e.g., spills that had not been cleaned up; failure to implement required spill prevention measures; failure to implement measures to minimize contamination of stormwater runoff; failure to conduct monitoring of stormwater discharges as required; and failure to provide all required training to ABF’s employees) at nine of its transportation facilities. “Water quality affects every citizen equally, it’s importance simply cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas. “This agreement ensures that ABF will take significant steps towards ensuring that water quality is not negatively affected by its operations. This settlement would not have been possible without the commitment and cooperation of all the federal, state, and local agencies involved along with ABF.” “Companies must comply with Clean Water Act provisions to prevent waterways from being contaminated by industrial pollutants,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This consent decree ensures that measures will be implemented at hundreds of transportation facilities across the nation to protect nearby waterways and the communities that live along them.” “Through this settlement ABF will implement an enhanced, comprehensive stormwater management program at transportation facilities they operate across the country,” said acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement exemplifies EPA’s commitment to working with companies like ABF who notify EPA of noncompliance and then work to improve compliance with the Clean Water Act to help ensure the protection of local water resources.” In April 2015, ABF voluntarily disclosed to EPA that it failed to obtain industrial stormwater permit coverage at multiple facilities and had discovered additional areas of noncompliance with the CWA through the company’s own compliance audits which were conducted at nearly all its facilities during 2013 and 2014. Between October 2016 and April 2019, EPA, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the State of Maryland, and the State of Nevada conducted 15 inspections of ABF’s facilities and observed noncompliance with applicable stormwater laws at both CWA permitted facilities and No Exposure Certification (NEC) facilities. To address the extent of ABF’s noncompliance, the proposed consent decree requires ABF to continue to implement and enhance its comprehensive, corporate-wide stormwater compliance program. This includes a memorialization of stormwater roles and responsibilities, comprehensive employee training with contractor awareness, implementation of standard operating procedures, stormwater pollution prevention plan management, and tracking facility-specific corrective actions. The settlement also requires ABF to conduct tiered management oversight inspections at its permitted and NEC facilities throughout the three-year implementation of this consent decree. Stormwater runoff from industrial facilities can pick up pollutants like trash, chemicals, oils and sediment that can harm waters throughout the country. Pollutants in stormwater can cause changes in hydrology and water quality that result in habitat modification and loss, increased flooding, decreased aquatic biological diversity, and increased sedimentation and erosion. It is critical that all facilities requiring permit coverage appropriately apply for permit coverage and adhere to applicable stormwater regulations to ensure environmental impacts are effectively minimized. The injunctive relief measures set forth in the proposed consent decree are designed to result in effective stormwater runoff management at ABF’s facilities, including those facilities that conduct vehicle maintenance and equipment cleaning. The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, is subject to a 30-day federal public comment period and approval by the federal court. The consent decree can be viewed at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees .


title: United States Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against Denka Performance Elastomer to Immediately Reduce Chloroprene Emissions

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), filed a motion for preliminary injunction under the Clean Air Act (CAA) requesting that the court order Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (Denka) to require significant pollution controls to reduce chloroprene emissions, a pollutant that EPA has determined to be a likely carcinogen. The request for immediate relief by EPA and the Justice Department follows the United States’ complaint filed on Feb. 28, alleging an imminent and substantial endangerment to the communities surrounding the facility as a result of Denka’s manufacturing operations. The Clean Air Act section 303 imminent and substantial endangerment lawsuit is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s motion asks the court to require Denka to take strong action to protect neighboring communities from the urgent dangers caused by its harmful emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This action shows our determination to address environmental justice concerns of overburdened communities and to protect children living and studying today near this facility.” “All communities deserve to breathe fresh, clean air; it is one of EPA’s top priorities as we work to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This is another action that sends a clear message that the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to the health and safety of St. John the Baptist Parish, and I will continue to pledge that EPA will use all legal remedies available to reduce harmful air pollution in this community.” “As Regional Administrator, I am committed to reducing exposure to chloroprene in St. John the Baptist Parish,” said Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance of EPA Region 6. “Transparent engagement with the community is a top priority because people who live near Denka deserve to understand the purpose of the motion filed today and what EPA hopes to achieve by bringing this Clean Air Act Imminent and Substantial Endangerment case.” Denka’s facility, located in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, manufactures neoprene, a flexible, synthetic rubber used to produce common goods like wetsuits, beverage cozies, laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces, and automotive belts and hoses. Chloroprene is a liquid raw material used to produce neoprene that is emitted into the air from various areas at the facility. In 2010, EPA published its peer-reviewed assessment of chloroprene that concluded it is “likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” Approximately 20% of the total population living within two-and-a-half miles of Denka are children under the age of 18, and between 800-1,000 are children under the age of five. Children under the age of 16 are particularly vulnerable to mutagenic carcinogens like chloroprene. Denka’s chloroprene’s emissions reach more than 300 young children who attend the 5th Ward Elementary School, located within approximately 450 feet of Denka’s facility. Additionally, 1,200 children who attend East St. John High School, located about a mile-and-a-half north of Denka, are also exposed to the facility’s chloroprene emissions. For more information on EPA’s actions to reduce chloroprene emissions from the Denka facility: www.epa.gov/la/laplace-st-john-baptist-parish-louisiana.


title: Micronesian Couple Sentenced for Withholding Passports to Coerce Labor of Two Men in Meat Processing Plant

body_text: U.S. District Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose sentenced defendants Nesly Mwarecheong, 46, and Bertino Weires, 51, U.S. residents and Federated States of Micronesia citizens, to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and nearly $70,000 in restitution to the victims for withholding passports to coerce labor of two men in a meat processing plant. The defendants previously pleaded guilty in October 2022 to two counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking or forced labor for recruiting two young men from Micronesia to come to the United States for the purpose of coercing their labor in a meat processing plant for the defendants’ financial gain. According to court documents, the defendants convinced the two victims to leave their homes in Micronesia in December 2019 and travel to the United States by promising them they could work in the United States and send money back to their families. Once in the United States, the defendants confiscated the victims’ passports and obtained jobs for them at a meat processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa. Each week, the defendants took the victims to cash their paychecks before seizing almost the entire amount and leaving the victims with a nominal amount each week. The defendants used various means to compel the victims’ labor and services, including confiscating the victims’ passports and social security cards, imposing debts on them, limiting and monitoring their communication with family, physically and socially isolating them and creating a system of total financial dependence on the defendants. In so doing, the defendants created a situation where the victims either had to continue complying with the defendants’ demands or risk being homeless and without a means of supporting themselves in a foreign country where they did not speak the language and had no means of returning home. “These defendants used the promise of well-paid jobs to lure the victims to come to the United States in search of a better future for themselves and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These defendants then proceeded to callously exploit the victims, using their power over them to profit off their hard work. The Department of Justice remains committed to seeking justice for survivors of forced labor schemes, holding perpetrators accountable and stripping wrongdoers of their illegal profits.” “Forced labor can happen anywhere in the United States, including Iowa. We will continue fighting for victims to ensure those who exploit the promise of working in the United States to coerce labor are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. “Thanks to the diligent work of law enforcement, these acts of coercion and compulsion were stopped.” Investigator Jeremy Tosh of the Ottumwa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Virginia Bruner and Ryan Leemkuil for the Southern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Acute Care Hospital and Radiology Imaging Practice to Pay More Than $2 Million to Resolve a False Claims Act Case Regarding the Billing of Services to Medicare and Medicaid

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, Inc., (“DCMC”), and Diagnostic Imaging Associates, LLC (“DIA”), both located in Lanham, Maryland, have agreed to pay the United States $2,002,052.17 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal False Claims Act. According to the settlement agreement, DCMC and DIA entered into a long-standing arrangement whereby DIA billed Medicare and Medicaid under its assigned number for both the professional services provided by DIA and for the technical services rendered by DCMC’s outpatient cancer screening facility (the “Center”). DIA then paid the Center a portion of the Medicare or Medicaid reimbursed global fee for the technical services provided by the Center. The Center was not enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid during that time, so it did not have a billing number and was not eligible for reimbursement from those programs. The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. “The resolution in this matter demonstrates the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office to rigorously protect Medicare and Medicaid from those who would flout the regulations prescribed by those programs for the reimbursement of medical care,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Health care providers have a responsibility to follow the law, and exploiting insurers for personal gain defies that objective,” stated Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to safeguarding the integrity of our federal health care programs. We thank the tireless efforts of our agents and law enforcement partners to fight fraud that targets these programs and to protect taxpayer dollars that fund them.” DCMC owns and operates a hospital (“Hospital”) that provides acute care services, including radiation oncology and breast health care services. Specifically, the Hospital provides biopsy and mammography services and bone density screenings to diagnose and treat breast cancer and other diseases through an outpatient cancer screening facility (the Center). DIA provides diagnostic and interventional radiology services. DIA executed a written agreement with the Hospital to provide diagnostic and interventional radiology services to the Center, as well as the interpretation of such tests. The Center, through the Hospital, provided the imaging equipment, office space, technicians and supplies to facilitate the performance of the radiology-related tests. The contract between the Hospital and DIA specified that tests performed at the Center would be billed by the Center on a global fee basis under the Center’s provider number, with DIA being paid a percentage of the Medicare or Medicaid reimbursed global fee for performing the professional component, that is, interpreting the tests. A global fee reflects payment for both the technical and professional components of a medical service billed together as a unit. However, the Center did not obtain its own number under which it could bill Medicare and Medicaid for the services provided to beneficiaries insured by those programs. Between March 15, 2010, and October 19, 2020, by agreement between the Hospital and DIA, DIA submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid using DIA’s supplier number to bill those programs for both the professional and technical components of the services rendered in the Center even though the Hospital performed the technical component of the Center’s services. Both the Hospital and DIA knew that the Center did not have a billing number as required by Medicare and Medicaid to be eligible for reimbursement for rendered medical services. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by DCMC and DIA, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded. The case arose from DCMC’s and DIA’s reporting of the billing arrangement to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol; DCMC and DIA cooperated throughout the ensuing federal investigation conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DHHS-OIG for its work in this investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields who handled this case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Oklahoma Helicopter Charter Company Pays $155,000 To Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from Alleged Unauthorized Charter Operations Involving Fixed-Wing Aircraft

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Interstate Helicopters, Inc. ("Interstate"), an Oklahoma corporation based in Bethany, Oklahoma, paid $155,000 to the United States to settle civil penalty claims arising from allegations that Interstate conducted unauthorized charter operations involving fixed-wing aircraft, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. Interstate is the holder of an air carrier certificate which authorizes Interstate to conduct flights in helicopters, but not fixed-wing aircraft. The United States alleges that from December 8, 2016, through April 17, 2017, Interstate conducted eleven fixed-wing charter operations ("Charter Flights") in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 40101, et seq. ("Act"), and the regulations promulgated under the Act. More specifically, the United States contends Interstate conducted the Charter Flights in violation of its operations specifications, and when none of the pilots had, within the previous 12 months, passed required knowledge, competency and flights tests, and had not completed required training. The United States also alleges that the Charter Flights were conducted in a careless or reckless manner which endangered the life or property of another. To resolve these allegations, Interstate agreed to pay $155,000 to the United States. In reaching this settlement, Interstate did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Aviation Administration. It was referred for prosecution by the Enforcement Division of the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.


title: Ewa Beach Couple Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Hawaii couple has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by obtaining a fraudulent tax refund and then thwarting IRS efforts to recoup it. According to court documents, Michael and Brigida Chock of Ewa Beach conspired with a third individual to prepare a false 2014 amended individual income tax return (Form 1040X) and a false miscellaneous income form (Form 1099-MISC) purportedly issued by a mortgage lender to Michael Chock. The tax return falsely reported an inflated tax withholding amount based on the fraudulent Form 1099-MISC, resulting in a refund of $225,327. The defendants knowingly filed these false forms with the IRS in March 2016. The Chocks took several steps to obstruct IRS efforts to recover the fraudulently obtained refund, including depositing the refund check into a bank account in the name of a trust they created to conceal the refund and by paying the coconspirator $73,500 for assistance in obtaining and concealing the refund. They also falsely claimed to the IRS that they had prepared the false tax return themselves. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), and the FBI are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sarah Kiewlicz and Meredith Havekost of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates of the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.


title: Fast Food Cook Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearm at Work

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

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District Judge sentenced a man to 90 months in federal prison after he was found by police with a loaded weapon while working as a cook at the Collinsville Jack in the Box in April 2022. Tony Ross, 27, pled guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison sentence, he received three years of supervised release, a $100 fine, and $100 in special assessments. “In an effort to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, convicted felons forgo their right to lawfully possess a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “This offender had a lengthy criminal history related to gun violence, and I appreciate the diligent work by ATF agents and troopers with ISP to remove this defendant and his firearm from the Metro East.” “At the core of ATF’s mission to protect the public, is holding accountable those who violate federal firearms laws,” said Butch Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division. “As this case demonstrates, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of the communities we serve.” “Getting repeat criminal offenders who threaten the safety of our communities off the streets is a top priority for the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group,” said ISP Zone 6 Commander Mike Lewis. “Aggressive investigation and prosecution of criminals are vital to reducing violence in our neighborhoods.” According to court documents, law enforcement personnel with the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group entered Jack in the Box in April 2022 to question Ross about an unrelated investigation. When Ross saw police enter the restaurant, he tried to conceal his gun by removing it from his waistband and hiding it under the deep fryer. At the time of this incident, Ross was on parole with the Missouri Department of Corrections for a felony conviction of 2nd Degree Robbery from 2018. The investigation was conducted by ISP’s Public Safety Enforcement Group and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Former BOP Corrections Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Woman in Federal Custody in Los Angeles

body_text: A former corrections officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), was sentenced to 120 months and three years of supervised release today in federal court in the Central District of California for sexually assaulting a woman in custody. Jose Viera, 49, was sentenced for one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law for sexually assaulting a woman in custody in December 2020. He entered his guilty plea on May 24, 2022. According to court documents, at the time of the assault, Viera was a BOP corrections officer assigned to work at Metropolitan Detention Center-Los Angeles (MDC-LA), a federal prison that holds male and female pre-trial detainees and persons serving custodial sentences. In his role as corrections officer, Viera was required to uphold the U.S. Constitution and ensure the safety and security of persons housed at MDC-LA. In March 2022, Viera was placed on administrative leave. In December 2020, Viera was assigned to supervise incarcerated women who were quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure and infection. During the morning of Dec. 20, Viera entered the cell of the victim, who was in COVID-19 isolation, as he had done on previous occasions to bring her breakfast. On that morning, Viera laid down next to the victim in her bed, sandwiching her between his body and the wall. Then, he sexually assaulted the victim. Viera committed this assault despite knowing that his actions violated her constitutional rights. When the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), and the FBI conducted a voluntary interview with Viera about the sexual assault allegations, Viera lied to federal agents about his misconduct. “Law enforcement officials must be held accountable when they abuse their authority and exploit their power to sexually assault the very people they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant’s actions destroyed this woman’s sense of peace, caused incalculable pain, and shattered her trust in law enforcement. We hope this sentence stands as a reminder to would-be offenders that the Justice Department is committed to holding officials accountable when they sexually assault people held inside jails and prisons.” “By breaching his duty of trust, Viera harmed not only the victim, but also the system of justice he was entrusted to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “My office will continue in its mission to ensure that no one is above the law, regardless of their position, and that victims receive justice.” “Viera abused his power and sexually assaulted the inmate in her cell while she was extremely vulnerable in COVID-19 isolation,” said Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer for the DOJ-OIG, Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows that Correctional Officers that abuse inmates will be brought to justice.” “Law enforcement officers are charged with upholding civil rights. The defendant in this case completely abused his position of power,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is dedicated to protecting the American people and pursuing justice on behalf of victims in cases like this.” The DOJ-OIG Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Rybarczyk for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Nikhil Ramnaney and former Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Athens, Georgia, Pain Medicine Owner, Practice Manager Agree to $5 Million Settlement Resolving Violations Under the False Claims Act

component: Civil Division

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. –A $5,000,000 civil settlement has been reached with Mark A. Ellis, M.D., and his practice, Ellis Pain Center (EPC), a pain management practice in the Athens area. Part of the civil settlement includes EPC’s practice manager, Patsy Allen. The case that was resolved by this settlement agreement—U.S. v. Mark A. Ellis, M.D., Patsy Allen, Mark A. Ellis, M.D., P.C., and Ellis Practice Management, LLC, 3:19-cv-107—was filed on Nov. 27, 2019. The settlement was finalized on Friday, March 17, 2023. The defendants agreed to pay $5,000,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting bills to the Medicare program for urine drug tests that were not performed, urine drug tests that were not medically necessary and for diagnostic tests that were not medically necessary for the treatment of its pain patients. The settlement resolves a civil investigation initiated by the Northern District of Georgia in the throes of the opioid epidemic. In 2015, the Middle District of Georgia joined the investigation and the two offices worked together to bring about today’s announced resolution. “Together with our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, our attorneys have successfully concluded years of hard-fought litigation on behalf of the citizens,” U.S. Attorney Peter Dr. Leary. “This office will continue to relentlessly pursue allegations of false billing for services not actually rendered to patients, particularly where opioids are involved.” “We will not allow health care providers to engage in schemes designed to enrich themselves and deplete the funds intended for the government’s federal health care programs,” said Ryan K. Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia resulted in a just resolution on behalf of the Medicare Program and the taxpayers.” “Providers that bill Medicare for medically unnecessary procedures waste taxpayer dollars while drawing down on funds intended to support critical services for vulnerable patients,” stated Tamala Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “With our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to investigating potentially fraudulent billing that can compromise the integrity of our federal health care programs.” The FCA is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any persons or entities who submit, or cause to be submitted, false claims for payment on the federal government or its contractors. The liability that can be imposed under the statute is treble damages (that is, three times the loss caused by the false claims) and a civil penalty between $12,537 to $25,076 per false claim. The FCA is the primary authority used by the United States Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division to redress fraud, waste, and abuse within federal programs, including, but not limited to, Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. The United States alleges that Dr. Ellis, Patsy Allen and EPC billed Medicare for individual and expensive quantitative urine drug tests that it did not actually conduct and, in fact, could not have conducted on its immunoassay analyzer. Additionally, Dr. Ellis, Ms. Allen and EPC allegedly billed Medicare for the same urine drug tests and diagnostic tests on its patients without regard to the patients’ individual signs, symptoms and medical needs and simply in a desire to increase EPC’s revenue. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination or admission of liability. This case was investigated by Special Agent Michael Britton and Investigator Shaketia Morgan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd P. Swanson and Bowen Shoemaker of the Middle District of Georgia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeli Ben-David for the Northern District of Georgia represented the United States in civil action and settlement agreement.


title: Stakeholders of the China Super Buffett in Mobile sentenced and forfeit over $1.5 Million in Assets for Harboring Aliens

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Former stakeholders of the China Super Buffet in Mobile, Alabama, were sentenced for harboring aliens who were illegally employed at their restaurant and subjected to hefty forfeiture orders. Zheng Kong Zheng, 57, of Mobile, was sentenced on the charge of harboring aliens to two years’ probation, with the first six months on home confinement with electronic monitoring. Zheng was also ordered to forfeit over $500,000 and five separate residential properties, all obtained with illegal proceeds from harboring aliens. De Yun Wang, 54, a Chinese national, was sentenced to one year probation on the charge of harboring aliens. She was also ordered to forfeit over $500,000 and five residential properties obtained with illegal proceeds from harboring aliens. Kong Mei Zheng, 55, a Chinese national, sentenced for harboring aliens to one year probation, ordered to forfeit over $200,000 and a residential property obtained with illegal proceeds from harboring aliens. According to court documents, Zheng Kong Zheng, and his sister, Kong Mei Zheng, owned and operated the China Super Buffet in Mobile until late 2019. Since at least 2014, the restaurant unlawfully employed aliens and housed them at a harboring residence owned by Zheng Kong Zheng and De Yun Wang near the restaurant in Mobile. The utilities and taxes were paid from restaurant bank accounts and the illegal workers resided there free of charge while they worked at the restaurant. The restaurant operated for several years by transporting illegal workers in a passenger van between the harboring residence and the restaurant. The restaurant concealed the illegal employment practice and the presence of the illegal workers by paying them in cash. Their earnings were not reported to the Alabama Department of Labor while lawful workers’ wages were reported. In September 2019, Kong Mei Zheng transferred her interest in the restaurant to her brother, Zheng Guo Zheng, who became the sole owner. Despite the ownership change, the unlawful harboring and employment of aliens continued. Zheng Guo Zheng’s wife, Yan Jiao Zhuo, helped manage the restaurant after her husband became the new owner and operator. While Zheng Guo Zheng was the owner, the restaurant applied for funding under Small Business Administration programs designed to assist businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant’s applications contained misrepresentations, including the omission of its illegal employees. The restaurant received a total of $445,307 in SBA loans based on the false information it had provided in its applications. Co-defendants Zheng Guo Zheng and Yan Jiao Zhuo were previously sentenced in November 2022. Zheng Guo Zheng, a 67-year-old Chinese national, was sentenced to 5 years’ probation for illegal harboring of aliens, ordered to forfeit over $15,000 in illegal proceeds, the passenger van used to transport workers, fined $40,000, and ordered to pay full restitution of $445,307 to the Small Business Administration. In July 2022, Yan Jiao Zhuo, a 58-year-old Chinese national was sentenced to time-served for unlawful employment of aliens. In total, the defendants entered into plea agreements with the United States in which they agreed to forfeit over $1.5 million in assets, including cash and the estimated value of the residences constituting illegal proceeds stemming from their convictions for harboring and the restaurant’s illegal labor practices. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, the U.S. Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu, Kasee S. Heisterhagen, and Justin D. Kopf prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Man Sentenced to More than 16 Years for Importing 80 Pounds of Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Moises Moreno of Moreno Valley, California, was sentenced in federal court today to 200 months in prison for importing more than 36 kilograms of fentanyl from Mexico into the United States. After a two-day jury trial in October 2022, a jury found that Moreno knowingly imported more than 80 pounds of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl from Mexico into the United States. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Moreno attempted to smuggle the pills into the United States inside a sophisticated compartment in the roof of his pickup truck. The compartment was created by welding sheet metal underneath the truck’s roof to create a false ceiling where the pills were hidden. Prosecutors also presented evidence from Moreno’s cell phone and calls Moreno made to unidentified associates after his arrest. During his calls from jail, Moreno bragged about how he “played dumb” after his arrest and “acted like he thought they found weed in his car.” Moreno further boasted to another associate about the amount of drugs he was caught smuggling and sang that he “got keys [a slang term for kilograms] coming from overseas,” a line from a popular hip hop song discussing drug trafficking. The jury also heard the story Moreno told investigators at the time of his arrest: that he spent the weekend preceding before being caught at the border with a female friend in Mexico. Moreno told investigators that this friend must have set him up to import drugs in the vehicle without his knowledge. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury rejected Moreno’s story and returned a guilty verdict. “This sentence sends a clear message to any would-be drug courier that you will receive a significant sentence in this district for your role in importing dangerous narcotics like fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. Grossman thanked the prosecution team and Homeland Security Investigations for their hard work on this case. “HSI will continue to direct its full range of investigative authorities toward those who smuggle deadly drugs across the border and into our communities,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego. “This significant sentence demonstrates the U.S. government’s resolve with holding all those who traffic in drugs accountable for their actions.” DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR1375-BAS Moises Moreno Age: 38 Phoenix, AZ; Moreno Valley, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Importation of Fentanyl – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 851 and 952/960 Mandatory Minimum: Fifteen years in prison Maximum penalties: Life in prison and $10 million fine AGENCY Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Customs and Border Protection


title: Cheektowaga Man Who Traveled To Rochester  To Have Sex With A 13 Y/O Girl Pleads Guilty

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mohammed Uddin, 34, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a minimum penalty of five years prison, a maximum of 20 years, a lifetime term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that Uddin engaged in sexually explicit online and text communications with an undercover law enforcement officer, who he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Over a period of approximately three weeks, Uddin discussed engaging in sexual relations with the child, sent pornography to the child, talked about taking the child’s virginity, attempted to induce the child to produce and send him sexually explicit photos and videos, and formed a plan to meet the child at her Rochester home for sex. On August 18, 2022, Uddin traveled from Cheektowaga to an address in Rochester that he believed was the child’s residence and was immediately taken into custody, at which time investigators located Uddin’s cell phone and candy that he purchased as a gift for the child. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Local man convicted at trial sentenced to 7 years in prison for illegally possessing machine ‘ghost gun’

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – Jesse Carter, 32, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison for illegally possessing a fully-automatic weapon and possessing a pistol and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony. A federal jury found Carter guilty following a trial in May 2022 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. According to court documents and trial testimony, in March 2020, Carter illegally possessed a pistol, a fully-automatic weapon and more than 400 rounds of ammunition. The fully-automatic weapon was an AR-style “ghost gun” with no markings. Ghost guns are often assembled from kits, do not contain serial numbers, and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace. In April 2022, the Department of Justice announced a new rule modernizing the definition of firearms to make ghost gun kits subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms. The Government presented at trial that Carter referred to the ghost gun as “the big one” in jail calls in which he described the location of the ghost gun, which had been concealed behind the sub-woofer in his car. Carter was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2020. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed today by Judge Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa Taiwo and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan W. Myers of the Cincinnati City Solicitor’s Office are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Schenectady Felon Admits to Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine Base for Distribution, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles Whorley, age 35, formerly of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty yesterday to possessing and intending to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli made the announcement. Whorley admitted to distributing fentanyl on several dates in June 2020, and to possessing 94 grams of fentanyl and 77 grams of cocaine base, which he intended to distribute, at his residence in Schenectady on June 25, 2020. Whorley, a previously convicted felon, further admitted to possessing three loaded handguns at his residence, which allowed him to better protect the drugs and the cash proceeds from the sale of drugs. Whorley faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life when he is sentenced on July 19, 2023, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The NYSP and ATF investigated this case with assistance provided by the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Atlanta man sentenced to federal prison in connection with a multimillion-dollar international cyber and fraud scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Christian Akhatsegbe has been sentenced for wire and computer fraud conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft related to a multi-million-dollar cyber-fraud scheme perpetrated through email phishing, credential harvesting, and invoice fraud. His brother, Emmanuel Aiye Akhatsegbe, who is believed to be residing in Nigeria, was also charged in the scheme and remains a fugitive. “The far-reaching scope of this defendant’s criminal conduct is astonishing,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Hiding behind several aliases, Christian Akhatsegbe and his conspirators stole employee credentials, unlawfully accessed computers, and attempted to scam companies out of more than 12 million dollars. And not content to limiting his criminal conduct to these schemes, Akhatsegbe also engaged in hundreds of thousands of dollars of COVID-19-related loan fraud. The relentless efforts of determined corporate-law enforcement partnerships, in conjunction with excellent investigative work across the globe, exposed Akhatsegbe’s crimes and he will now serve a sentence in federal prison as well as pay restitution to his victims.” “Operation Dark Nimbus is a perfect example of how the FBI won’t let geographic boundaries stop us from pursuing and prosecuting anyone who inflicts tremendous financial pain to U.S. citizens,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These criminals felt like they were safe hiding behind their computers and aliases. Hopefully this sentence and the ultimate capture of Emmanuel sends a message to anyone who thinks they can prey on our citizens and get away with it.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between approximately August 2019 through November 2020, Christian Akhatsegbe, together with his brother, Emmanuel Aiye Akhatsegbe, and others, engaged in spear phishing, credential harvesting, and business email compromise schemes, which involved sending phishing emails to employees of companies and agencies in the United States and the United Kingdom using stolen SendGrid email marketing accounts, stealing and harvesting the employee access credentials on computer servers, using the stolen credentials to access the victims’ computers, and then sending fraudulent invoices to victims requesting payment of funds to bank accounts in Hong Kong. In November 2019, for example, an employee of a company in the United Kingdom received a phishing email, which resulted in their credentials being logged, stolen, and later stored on a computer server that was accessed and maintained by Christian Akhatsegbe and his conspirators. Using the stolen credentials, the conspirators sent an email to another employee of the company that appeared to originate from one of the company’s vendors. The email attached a fraudulent invoice in the amount of $434,383.45 with wiring instructions to a bank in Hong Kong. The victim company later paid the fraudulent invoice and wired the funds to Hong Kong. Similarly, in December 2019, using credentials stolen from a Massachusetts victim company employee, Christian Akhatsegbe and his conspirators sent an email to another employee of the company that appeared to originate from one of the company’s vendors. The email attached a fraudulent invoice in the amount of $498,000 and requested that the victim send payment to a bank in Hong Kong. The victim paid the invoice, together with a second invoice in the same amount, wiring a total of $996,000 to a bank account in Hong Kong. In January and April 2020, Christian Akhatsegbe and his conspirators perpetrated a similar scheme against two other United Kingdom-based companies, sending fraudulent invoices in the amount of $498,000 and $980,000, respectively. But these victim companies recognized the invoices as fraudulent and did not remit payment. In total, the conspirators sent victim companies fraudulent invoices in the amount of $12,861,290.59. Of this amount, victims paid invoices in the total amount of $2,268,329.69. The investigation further revealed that Christian Akhatsegbe utilized stolen identities to submit 40 fraudulent applications for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster loans in the amount of $2,905,100 during the time period of July 2020 to September 2020. The U.S. Small Business Administration in turn approved loans in the amount of $220,700. Christian Akhatsegbe, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to seven years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,001,083.45. Akhatsegbe was convicted on these charges on April 12, 2022, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Valuable assistance has also been provided by Microsoft Corporation’s Digital Crimes Unit and the City of London Police in the United Kingdom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Herskowitz and Natalie Tecimer, Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section, prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Kevin Neal Takes Oath as Acting U.S. Marshal for District of Maine

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: Kevin Neal was sworn in March 16, 2023 as the Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Maine. Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy administered the oath of office. Neal was designated Acting U.S. Marshal (USM) for the District of Maine by order of United States Attorney General Merrick Garland on March 10, 2023. He had been serving in that role since January 30, 2022 at the direction of U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis. The history of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in Maine dates to 1789, more than 30 years before Maine became the 23 rd state. It is the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency. The duties of the U.S. Marshals Service include protecting the federal judiciary, apprehending fugitives, managing and selling seized assets acquired by criminals through illegal activities, housing and transporting federal prisoners, and operating the Witness Security Program. Acting USM Neal has been with the USMS for more than 20 years, serving in the Districts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine, most recently serving as the Chief Deputy United States Marshal in Maine. He joined the District of Maine from the District of Massachusetts where he earned the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for his management of the Boston Marathon Bombing trial. His work on the case was also recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with an Investigative Achievement Award. He also earned a second Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work during the prosecution and trial of the largest MS-13 case in the nation. Acting USM Neal serves on the USMS District Chief’s Advisory Board and is responsible for addressing USMS-wide issues and developing national priorities while providing counsel and recommendations to the Director and executive staff on these topics. He is a member of the USMS National Incident Management Team and is actively involved in the DOJ mentoring program and recruitment efforts. "For the last 13 months, during an incredibly difficult time, Acting U.S. Marshal Neal has been a collaborative and responsive partner to my office and our local, state, and federal law enforcement community,” U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee said. “His designation to this role by the Attorney General is wonderful news for the entire District of Maine.” ###


title: Fort McCoy Man Sentenced To 80 Years In Prison For Impersonating Federal Agent To Produce And Receive Child Sex Abuse Materials

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Eddie Joe Oglesby, Jr. (52, Fort McCoy) to 80 years in federal prison for two counts of production of child sex abuse material and one count of receipt of sex abuse material. A federal jury previously found Oglesby guilty on October 14, 2022. He had been charged in a superseding indictment on September 13, 2022. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Oglesby created an elaborate false identity which he used to impersonate a federal agent. He then used this false identity to coerce underaged female victims to produce and send him child sex abuse material over the internet. Posing as the false agent, Oglesby threatened to have the victims arrested, imprisoned, institutionalized, or killed if they did not comply with his demands. During a search of Oglesby’s Marion County residence by FBI agents on September 27, 2021, they found him with an underaged female runaway. A search of Oglesby’s cellular phone showed him logged into multiple social media applications under both his real and false identities. Agents ultimately found 473 pages of electronic communications between Oglesby and one of his victims on that cellular phone. “This case exemplifies the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to identify and locate abusers who prey on our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks for the Jacksonville Division. “The crimes committed by this predator are inexcusable and we will stop at nothing to thwart criminals like him from taking advantage of innocent youth.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Weatherford (Texas) Police Department, and the Cobb County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Bay St. Louis Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Bay St. Louis, Mississippi man was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Joseph Henry, III, 45, of Bay St. Louis, MS was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, On December 2, 2021, Hancock County Sheriff's Deputies went to a residence in Bay St Louis to locate a subject with active felony warrants. At the residence, deputies found Henry and over 1 pound of Marijuana, 848 dosage units of MDMA, and 312 dosage units of counterfeit Oxycodone containing 41.77grams of fentanyl. Mr. Henry was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 26, 2022. He pled guilty on December 15, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.


title: Ten Members and Associates of Marion Gardens Jersey City Gang Charged for Drug Trafficking Activities

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Ten members of the Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex were charged today for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Myron Williams, aka “Money,” aka “Tunchi,” 29, and Andre Alomar, aka “Dre8,” 21, both of Newark; and Herbert Thomas, 48; Roger Pickett, aka “Zy Gz,” 22; Anthony Rogers, aka “MG,” 22; Naim Richardson, aka “Ninicks,” 29; Quaseame Wilson, aka “Qua Gz,” 26; Javon Williams, aka “J45,” 21; Jawaad Davis, 20; and Keith Anderson, 21, all of Jersey City, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The defendants are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Myron Williams, Pickett, Alomar, Rogers, Richardson, Wilson, Javon Williams, Davis, and Anderson are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since March 2021, members and associates of the Marion Gardens street gang have committed numerous acts of violence, including a murder on March 29, 2021; a murder on Nov. 20, 2021 and a murder on Nov. 1, 2022. The murder on Nov. 1, 2022, was committed in furtherance of the gang’s drug trafficking activities, during an attempted robbery of controlled substances. Davis facilitated that murder by communicating with the victim to coordinate a narcotics transaction. When the victim and another associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, Davis robbed the victim’s narcotics supply while Pickett and Wilson held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. Pickett shot and killed the victim while the victim’s associate fled. Pickett and Wilson then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex in Pickett’s vehicle. The gang’s drug trafficking activities included hundreds of narcotics transactions that occurred within and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex during the investigation. Thomas was the primary supplier of narcotics to the Marion Gardens drug trafficking organization. All defendants are facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of up to $5 million. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; and investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez for the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea; investigators of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé for their assistance. This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. williamsetal.complaint.pdf


title: Gulfport Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Deandre Alexander Oliver, 25, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents, in July of 2021, as part of the investigation into the death of an airman at Keesler Air Force Base, a drug trafficking organization was identified as operating in the sale of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in Harrison County, Mississippi. This drug organization had provided fentanyl to Emmett Bennett who then caused a traffic accident on the base, killing one airman and injuring three others. As a result of this investigation, Deandre Oliver was identified as a person who also sold fentanyl in the same drug trafficking network. On August 24, 2021, 20 counterfeit Percocet tablets containing fentanyl were purchased from Oliver in a controlled drug buy. Oliver was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 7, 2022. He pled guilty on December 16, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.