title: Utah Based Drug Trafficking Ringleader Sentenced to 240 Months’ Imprisonment

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – Joe Robert Rael, 55, of Salt Lake City was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, and a term of 60 months’ supervised release for engaging in a conspiracy to traffic narcotics and launder money. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., took place on July 18, 2024, after Rael, who also goes by the alias “Jojo,” pleaded guilty February 9, 2023, following a 34-count indictment that involved over 25 defendants in 2021. See prior release here . According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from May 2020 to May 2021, Rael and his 26 co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and launder money. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Rael was a main supplier of heroin and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. Agents further learned Rael had several sources of supply for narcotics, including co-defendants. The investigation also revealed some of the narcotics were obtained directly from the Mexican Drug Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). Once Rael obtained the heroin and methamphetamine from his sources, he distributed the narcotics to several other co-conspirators. The investigation demonstrated a clear link between street gangs in Utah and Mexican Drug Cartels trafficking narcotics in the United States. During the investigation, agents estimated more than 420 pounds of methamphetamine and 50 pounds of heroin flowed through the drug trafficking conspiracy in a one-year time period. For example, in February 2021, agents demonstrated that Rael received more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine and about two pounds of heroin within a few days. Rael is the 23rd defendant out of 26 defendants to be sentenced. So far, sentences have ranged from 24 months to 192 months’ imprisonment. “Mr. Rael is a career offender. He has been convicted in both state and federal court for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, causing substantial harm within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Protecting our citizens is one of our top priorities. Taking Mr. Rael off the streets and dismantling the operation he and his coconspirators participated in furthers this priority. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who choose to distribute poison in our communities.” “The sentencing of Rael is an important milestone in DEA’s focus on targeting the most prolific drug trafficking organizations distributing poison in our communities. This DEA investigation, like many others that are on-going, was a collaborative effort with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Utah. Together, our investigators will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle these drug trafficking networks and to protect Utah’s communities,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. "ATF, DEA, and our local law enforcement partners have concentrated our resources on disrupting the Norteño gang pipeline responsible for delivering deadly drugs into our communities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "The illegal trafficking of drugs tends to run hand-in-hand with the illegal possession of firearms and contributes to deadly gun violence. We hope this 20-year federal prison sentence serves as a strong deterrent to those who contemplate perpetuating violent crime in our communities.” “The Metro Gang Unit works hand in hand with our federal partners to reduce the narcotics and violence in our community. This case is another example of the success of that partnership,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “We are grateful for the collaboration and diligent work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in seeing this case through.” “At IRS Criminal Investigation, we are very proud to have worked together with our many skilled law enforcement partners and bring justice in this case and protection for the community,” said IRS:CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick. “These criminal enterprises only operate because of the significant financial benefits to the participants. We at the IRS specialize in tracing these finances to disrupt those benefits. In working with our partners at the DEA, ATF, and locally we can each use our expertise to dismantle these conspiracies from every angle and hopefully bring security to Utah communities.” The case was investigated jointly by The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Metro Gang Unit (MGU). Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn . The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . Attachments: joe_robert_rael_sentencing_memorandum_v.1.pdf


title: Charlotte Gun Trafficker Is Sentenced To Prison And Fined

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – George Bates, 55, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release for gun trafficking, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Bates to pay a $10,000 fine. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, between 2020 and 2022, Bates legally purchased dozens of firearms, which he then sold illegally to other individuals. Court documents show that Bates, who was not licensed to deal in firearms, did not make an effort to ensure he was not selling the firearms to prohibited persons. On the contrary, court records show that some of the firearms Bates sold were used to commit other crimes, including shootings. On March 4, 2024, Bates pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Bates must report to the Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The ATF handled the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the 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: Operation Clean Sweep II Indicts More than 25 Child Predators and Checked-in on More than 525 Sex Offenders

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced that law enforcement has indicted 25 defendants, and several others have been identified and are still being investigated after the launch of Operation Clean Sweep II in April. Operation Clean Sweep II (operation) aims to hold accountable child predators throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. This operation is partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force ( TACETT ), created by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). More than 15 federal, state, and tribal law enforcement partners helped prevent, identify, investigate, and ultimately prosecute child exploitation. “Data collected by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows a 300% increase of online coercion and enticements of minors across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office is committed to working with law enforcement to help train, educate online safety, and actively pursue those who try to exploit children within the Northern District of Oklahoma.” “The production and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials is a reprehensible offense that has no place in our society,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. “HSI, working alongside our partners in the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, will persist in our mission to apprehend those who seek to exploit our children via social media platforms.” The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) analyzed 476 missing children enticed online between 2020 and 2023. Fifty-nine percent of child victims were younger than 15 years old. The offender made their first contact with the child through social media and gaming sites. It was most common for an offender to travel to the child. However, older teens went to the offender. Statics showed they were provided travel tickets, used rideshare apps, and sent funds through a money app by the offender. While many victims were female children, there has also been an increase in online sextortion of teenage boys. Sextortion can happen without ever meeting an offender. NCMEC has more information about sextortion here: NCMEC.org/sextortion . During this operation, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Mayes County Sheriff's Office conducted compliance checks on those required to register as a sex in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) provides a comprehensive set of standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. More than 525 individuals were checked, and law enforcement found that over 50 individuals were not compliant with SORNA standards. Operation Clean Sweep II is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Ashley Robert. The law enforcement who participated in the operation are personnel from the HSI Tulsa office, the U.S. Marshal Service, the FBI, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Tulsa Police Department, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Broken Arrow Police Department, Owasso Police Department, Sapulpa Police Department, Bristow Police Department, Mayes County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If you or someone you know is a victim of child exploitation, confidential help is available. Resources and contact information for child exploitation are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children . Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The U.S. Attorneys' Offices and Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page . 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: Federal Drug Conspirators Sentenced

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Four members of a federal drug conspiracy were sentenced on July 19 in federal court. Otis Sanders, Jr., 35, of Moss Point, Mississippi; Richard Dewise, 39, of Grand Bay, Alabama; Jeffery Ryan Clark, 28, of Mobile; and Maurice Marcell Carter, 44, of Moss Point, Mississippi, appeared before United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose in separate sentencing hearings. Carter pled guilty in November of 2023 to one count charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count charging possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sanders, Dewise and Clark were convicted by a jury after a trial conducted in May of 2023. The trial jury convicted Sanders of eleven counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and the count charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The trial jury convicted Dewise of three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and the conspiracy count. Evidence from the trial established that Sanders operated a large, interstate distribution organization in which he obtained methamphetamine from suppliers in Texas for distribution in Mobile County. Sanders hired couriers to get money to Texas and return to Mobile with the drugs. The evidence showed that some of the couriers rode commercial buses for that round trip, and others used private vehicles for their transportation. Drugs were stored a residences in Moss Point and in south Mobile County until they were packaged into smaller amounts for distribution to local dealers. Investigators made controlled buys of methamphetamine from Sanders, Dewise and Carter during the investigation. They also obtained a court authorized wiretap on some of Sanders’ phones. Monitored phone calls between Sanders, Dewise and other conspirators proved the connection between the conspirators in the distribution organization and helped establish their roles. As a result of a series of calls and texts between Sanders and Dewise, investigators stopped Dewise traveling from a gas station in Mississippi, where they observed his meeting with Sanders, to Mobile County. They seized approximately one kilogram of Sanders’ methamphetamine ice from Dewise before he could get back to his residence in the Lakeland Drive neighborhood. Clark was identified as a courier for Sanders when he was arrested driving a vehicle in Beaumont, Texas, traveling from Mobile to Houston with approximately an ounce of methamphetamine and $17,000 in drug proceeds to pay one of Sanders’ suppliers. Sanders, Dewise, Clark, Carter and other conspirators were all arrested on the federal charges in June of 2023. Numerous firearms and additional quantities of methamphetamine were seized during the arrests. One firearm seized was a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which illegally converts a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun. Sanders was also identified as the instigator in a drive-by shooting on Ramsay Road in south Mobile County when a member of the distribution conspiracy testified against him during the trial. Sanders did not pay one of his couriers for a shipment of 10 or 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a dispute arose when the courier’s cousin, one of Sanders’ distributors, withheld payment for methamphetamine previously supplied. Sanders drove by the residence where they were staying on Ramsay Road, and fired shots at them in the yard. They began a pursuit, and shots were fired between the vehicles. Mobile County sheriff’s deputies responded to the running gun battle when a complainant notified them that one of the bullets had penetrated her trailer and lodged in the wall above her bed, where she was lying when she heard the shots. Sanders abandoned his silver Suburban in the road near the intersection with Highway 188. The deputies impounded the vehicle and seized shell casings inside the vehicle, establishing that Sanders had fired shots from the interior of the vehicle. Sanders attempted to have a private wrecker tow the vehicle before law enforcement arrived, but they were already present and investigating at that location when the wrecker driver arrived. Photographs of the Suburban were introduced into evidence, showing the vehicle had been struck by numerous bullets and the tires on the driver’s side were shredded by gunshots. Judge Dubose sentenced Sanders to 240 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Sanders was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Conditions of his supervision include drug and alcohol testing and treatment and the model search provision, which permits a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated his supervision. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. The judge sentenced Dewise to 150 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Dewise was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The same conditions as those imposed for Sanders’ supervision were likewise imposed for Dewise. Dewise was ordered to pay $400 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. Clark was sentenced to 120 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Clark will also serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Clark will also be subject to the same conditions as those imposed for his codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. Carter was sentenced to 120 months in prison on his two counts of conviction, with a 5 year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. Carter will be subject to the same conditions of supervised release as the codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the Beaumont Police (Texas) Department, the St. Tammany Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobile Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Ocean County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of Orthodox Jewish Community

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 480 months in prison for a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today. Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U,S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a six-count information charging him with five counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the hate crimes violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, all because they were Jewish. “The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation. This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.” “These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: At 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him in the process. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away. A surveillance video in the area captured Marsh arriving in the area prior to the carjacking and assault. At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim. At 6:06 p.m., Marsh then used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones. At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man. Marsh used the stolen vehicle to deliberately strike the man, who was walking in Lakewood. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries. At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries. In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Marsh to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; officers of the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; officers of the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; prosecutors and detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.


title: Drug Courier Sentenced In Federal Court

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Lexington, Mississippi, man was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, Morris Alan Morgan, 39, was a courier for Darrin J. Southall, a notorious and prolific drug distributor who operated in Mobile, Alabama, since 2016. Southall previously pled guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder drug money, and was sentenced in 2022 to 35 years’ imprisonment in federal prison. Morgan was hired by Southall to transport drug money and drugs concealed in compartments in various vehicles Southall owned back and forth between Mobile and Houston, Texas. Morgan admitted responsibility for smuggling 30 kilograms of cocaine in shipments for Southall during early 2021. Morgan pled guilty to the charges in March of 2023. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed the 60-month sentence and ordered that Morgan will serve a term of five years’ supervised release when he completes his prison time. Morgan will be subject to testing and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and he is subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated the terms of his supervision. No fine was imposed in the case, but Morgan was ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Fairhope Man Sentenced For Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Fairhope, Alabama, man was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 24 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense. According to court documents, Christopher Caleb Thomas, 30, was arrested by Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies who came upon Thomas’ vehicle stopped in the middle of a road in Baldwin County. Deputies activated their lights and siren, and Thomas began to drive the vehicle away from the patrol car. Thomas stopped his vehicle after moving forward about 50 yards. When deputies approached the vehicle, Thomas was identified as the driver. They observed an empty holster on his belt, and he was asked to step out of the vehicle. Thomas told the deputies that the gun was under the front seat. Thomas knew that he was a convicted felon and that he could not legally possess a firearm. He admitted that he had bought the gun for $100. He told ATF investigators that the gun was in the holster on his hip until the deputies got behind him and he placed it under his seat after they activated their blue lights. Thomas pled guilty to the charge in March of 2023. United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed the 24-month sentence and ordered that Thomas will serve a term of three years’ supervised release when he completes his prison time. Thomas will be subject to testing and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and he is subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated the terms of his supervision. No fine was imposed in the case, but Thomas was ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama and made the announcement. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Burlington County Man Admits Possessing Destructive Devices

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing five destructive devices, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jeremy Giliberti, 52, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with possessing destructive devices. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On July 26, 2023, Hamilton Township Police Division officers conducted a motor vehicle stop of Giliberti. During a subsequent search of Giliberti’s vehicle, one of the officers found a duffle bag on the front passenger-side floor which contained four pipe bombs. Two of the devices were encased in 5-inch steel pipes and two of the devices were encased in cardboard tubing wrapped in duct tape. Following a search of Giliberti’s residence, law enforcement recovered a fifth destructive device. All five of the devices contained numerous metal pellets, an explosive mixture, and a pyrotechnic fuse. The charge of possession of a destructive device is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; members of the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Chief Kenneth R. DeBoskey; members of the New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, with the investigation leading to today’s plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton. giliberti.information.pdf


title: Riverside County Chiropractor Agrees to Pay $180,000 to Resolve Allegations of Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Chiropractor Kevin Michael Brown, of Menifee, has agreed to pay $180,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting hundreds of false claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today. As part of the settlement, Brown stipulated that, through his companies, Revive Medical of San Diego and Revive Medical LLC, located in Oklahoma City, he submitted claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulator devices, even though his companies did not perform surgery or implant neurostimulators. Brown stipulated that he and his companies instead taped a disposable “electroacupuncture” device called “Stivax” to their patients’ ears. Stivax devices do not require surgical implantation and are not reimbursable by Medicare. The United States alleges that this conduct violated the False Claims Act. In addition to paying the civil settlement, Brown agreed to a five-year exclusion period from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs. “In addition to the clinics in San Diego and Oklahoma City, Revive Medical personnel performed Stivax procedures at a pain clinic in Chico, which is in the Eastern District of California,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “As this case demonstrates, we are committed to vigorously pursuing those who defraud Medicare and will use all tools available to us, including civil enforcement remedies. The investigation into false claims involving Stivax is ongoing.” “Health care professionals who fraudulently bill Medicare for services never actually provided divert taxpayer funding meant to pay for medically necessary services for Medicare enrollees,” stated Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health care programs and those served by those programs.” The investigation was conducted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia P. E. Morris handled the case for the United States.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A convicted felon has been sentenced in connection with firearm and drug offenses that occurred in 2019 and his subsequent possession of firearms and narcotics while on pre-trial release for the previously charged offenses. Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 31, of Brockton, was sentenced on July 18, 2024 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 12 years in prison and four years of supervised release. In July 2023, Soares pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone); and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In July 2019, Soares fled on foot from law enforcement during a traffic stop. Soares threw a backpack during the chase before he was ultimately apprehended, arrested and searched. A firearm with rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as a digital scale, firecrackers, a hooked knife and buprenorphine strips were recovered from Soares’ backpack. Quantities of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution were also recovered from Soares’ person. In August 2019, Soares was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug and firearm offenses. In December 2020, following a period of detention, the Court ordered Soares released on pre-trial conditions that included 24-hour confinement to a residence. Those conditions also prohibited Soares from possessing firearms, dangerous weapons, narcotic drugs, or other controlled substances. In March 2021, while still on pre-trial release, a search of Soares’ residence resulted in the recovery of over 100 grams of fentanyl, over 30 grams of MDA, over 40 grams of methamphetamine and over 70 grams of cocaine, multiple firearms and numerous rounds of assorted ammunition. Soares is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a prior state conviction for possession of a firearm, for which he served more than one year in prison. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office; and the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . This effort is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Indonesian National Pleads Guilty to International Ponzi Scheme that Defrauded Indonesian and Indo-American Community

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Francius Marganda, an Indonesian national, pleaded guilty to securities fraud in connection with a $23 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of predominantly Indonesian and Indo-American victim investors. The plea proceeding took place before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. As part of his plea, Marganda admitted that he agreed to launder proceeds of the securities fraud, and he agreed to forfeit more than $7.5 million that he misappropriated from investors. When sentenced, Marganda faces up to 20 years in prison. Marganda was extradited to the United States from Singapore in November 2023. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the guilty plea. “As he admitted today, Marganda led a $23 million Ponzi scheme directly targeting his fellow countrymen, Indonesian and Indo-American victims, stealing their hard-earned funds and spending them on luxury goods and real estate,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue to use all tools available to protect those living in the Eastern District, from prevention efforts, including educating the public about red flags of financial fraud, to holding swindlers accountable for their crimes and seeking to recover and return victims’ money.” Mr. Peace thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the DOJ Attachés based in Manila and Bangkok; law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché, the HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations office; and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, for their assistance with Marganda’s arrest and extradition. Mr. Peace also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth Regional Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Federal Trade Commission; the New York State Attorney General’s Office; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New York County District Attorney’s Office; the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Police Department; the Westford Police Department, Westford, Massachusetts; the Richfield Police Department, Richfield, Minnesota; and the Lexington Police Department, Lexington, South Carolina, for their assistance with the investigation. “Francius Marganda’s guilty plea serves as a positive step toward justice for more than 400 victims, whom he and his co-conspirators are estimated to have swindled out of over $23 million collectively throughout the global, years-long Ponzi scheme. We recognize there is more work to be done and there are likely countless additional victims worldwide who have not yet come forward. HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force is committed to leveraging our international footprint to protect the innocent public at home and abroad," said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. "We are proud to stand alongside the Eastern District of New York, the FBI, and all law enforcement partners in relentlessly pursuing predators who place their own selfish gain above all else.” As set forth in court filings, while living in New York, Marganda and his co-conspirators ran a scheme to defraud investors from May 2019 to May 2021 by soliciting investments in two sham loan programs called Easy Transfer and Global Transfer, which Marganda and his co-conspirators falsely represented were short-term, high-interest loan programs in which investors would earn passive income. The victims resided in more than a dozen states in the United States, including in New York, and in Indonesia. Many of the victims had limited means and had pooled their resources with relatives and friends to make investments. Marganda and his co-conspirators misappropriated the funds for their own benefit, including by buying real estate and luxury goods. The Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed in May 2021, when Marganda and his co-conspirators stopped making payments. The FBI and HSI have established a website and an e-mail hotline for potential victims. If you have information regarding the allegations in the indictment or believe that you may be a victim, please go to www.fbi.gov/Marganda or e-mail HSIMarganda@hsi.dhs.gov In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including securities fraud, such as the fraud that Marganda committed. To request a financial fraud presentation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, please email USANYE-SpeakersBureau@usdoj.gov . The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan. The Defendant : FRANCIUS MARGANDA Age: 41 Jakarta, Indonesia and formerly of Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-481 (DLI)


title: South Carolina Individuals Sentenced for Roles in Gun Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Six South Carolina individuals have been sentenced for conspiring to illegally sell firearms, including nine handguns, in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Kendell McFadden, 31, of Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to 48 months in prison for his role in the scheme after previously pleading guilty to the conspiracy. His conspirators – Laronmir McFadden, Savon Harrison, Dontavian Jones, Michael Gamble, and Donjanea McClary – were previously sentenced after each of them had also previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy. Laronmir McFadden, 30, had also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, and was sentenced to 49 months in prison. Harrison, 27, was sentenced to 30 months in prison; Jones, 26, was sentenced to 22 months in prison; Gamble, 33, was sentenced to 14 months in prison; and McClary was sentenced to 2 years of probation. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From August 2019 through September 2021, the defendants conspired to traffic firearms from South Carolina to New Jersey. Although Kendell McFadden was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a prior convicted felon, he and his conspirators utilized straw purchasers to purchase firearms in South Carolina and then transport the firearms to Paterson, New Jersey, and elsewhere for resale. On Sept. 26, 2021, law enforcement intercepted a vehicle containing Kendell McFadden, Laronmir McFadden, Harrison, and Jones travelling from South Carolina to New Jersey and recovered nine firearms. In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Kendell McFadden to three years of supervised release and fined $1,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti in the Newark Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims in the Charlotte Field Division; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the sentencings. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.


title: Schenectady County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Timothy “Mitch” Duell, age 47, of Schenectady County, New York, pled guilty today to possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office, made the announcement. Duell admitted that he possessed sexually explicit images of a child under the age of 12, and engaged in chats where he discussed his interest in engaging in sex acts with that child. At sentencing scheduled for November 26, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino, Duell faces a statutory maximum imprisonment term of 20 years. Additionally, Duell will be required to serve a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, must register as a sex offender upon release, pay restitution to the victim of his offense, and forfeit the device he used to commit it. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. HSI and the New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Kingman Felon Indicted for Distributing Firearms, Destructive Devices, Explosives, and Drugs

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. –Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an eight-count indictment against Matthew Edward Dach, 46, of Kingman, for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon, Distribution of Explosive Materials by a Non-Licensee, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm (Destructive Device) During a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Crime of Violence. The indictment alleges that, in May and June 2024, Dach sold a rifle, ammunition, homemade explosives, and methamphetamine to an undercover agent working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Dach also sold two homemade destructive devices, which he made in his home in Kingman, to the undercover agent. The undercover agent told Dach that he needed a device to physically harm a witness who was testifying in a federal trial. Dach made and sold one of the destructive devices for that alleged purpose and then sold the other destructive device to the undercover agent during a sale of methamphetamine and explosives. Dach has previous felony convictions for drug offenses, burglary, vehicle theft, and weapons offenses. A conviction for Distribution of Explosive Materials by a Non-Licensee and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Crime of Violence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Distribution of Methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Using and Carrying a Firearm (Destructive Device) During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime carries a maximum penalty of 30 years to life in prison, $250,000 fine, or both. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s (HIDTA) Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET). HIDTA is a grant-funded initiative of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08073-PHX-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-100_Dach # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Riverhead Man Sentenced to 25 Years' Imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Large Quantities of Narcotics, Including Fentanyl, on the East End of Long Island

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Marquis Douglas, a narcotics trafficker who operated a narcotics business that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other illicit substances throughout the North Fork of Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 25 years’ imprisonment. Douglas pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of fentanyl analogue (fluorofentanyl), and distribution of cocaine and fluorofentanyl on or about August 12, 2021, which resulted in the overdose deaths of four people. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the sentence. “Douglas’s singular contribution to the opioid epidemic on Long Island is horrific as the drugs he distributed contributed to the deaths of four human beings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s lengthy sentence should serve as a deterrent to those endangering our communities by distributing potentially lethal drugs. It is my hope that holding the defendant accountable for the terrible consequences of his actions will bring a measure of closure to the victims’ families.” U.S. Attorney Peace also extended his thanks to the Riverhead Police Department, the Southold Police Department, the Shelter Island Police Department and the New York State Police for their assistance with the investigation. “Marquis Douglas’s unlawful narcotics trafficking operation resulted in the deaths of four individuals on Long Island and posed a significant threat to the welfare of its citizens. His actions fueled an ongoing epidemic by supplying lethal drugs to our community. The FBI is committed to disrupting the flow of these illicit substances in our streets to prevent future unnecessary fatalities,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. “This defendant dealt multiple kilograms of various deadly drugs, resulting in four tragic overdose deaths. This underscores why New York State needs to adequately address the opioid overdose epidemic plaguing communities throughout NY state and the country,” said District Attorney Tierney. "Thankfully, the strong collaboration between our office and our federal law enforcement partners allowed this case to be charged federally and provide justice for the families of these victims.” On August 13, 2021, four men were found dead on the East End of Long Island after using cocaine that had been laced with a fentanyl analogue. An investigation by the Southold Police Department, the Shelter Island Police Department, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI determined that Douglas was the source of the lethal narcotics. In August of 2021, Douglas’ operation distributed a quantity of cocaine laced with a fentanyl analogue in Greenport, New York. When this product was re-distributed at the street level, it ultimately led to four fatal overdoses on a single day in Greenport and Shelter Island. Douglas had distributed multiple kilograms of cocaine over the years, as well as kilogram level quantities of heroin and large quantities of fentanyl. At the time of his arrest in May of 2022, Douglas was found in possession of 105 grams of fentanyl and 135 grams of cocaine. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Maffei and Andrew P. Wenzel, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Dana Gremaux, are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant: MARQUIS DOUGLAS Age: 39 Riverhead, Long Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-246 (JS)


title: Woman Who Kidnapped Her Roommate Gets Seven Year Prison Sentence

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Antoinette Gilmore, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for the October 2023 kidnapping of her roommate, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A jury convicted Gilmore of kidnapping on May 20, 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, on October 12, 2023, the victim, Michael Brown, got into an argument on the phone with Gilmore. During the argument, the defendant told Mr. Brown she wanted him out of her apartment. They agreed that the defendant would pick up Mr. Brown from downtown and bring him back to her apartment so that he could remove his belongings. Defendant Gilmore and her cousin went to pick up Mr. Brown. Once inside the car, the defendant instructed her cousin to punch and beat Mr. Brown and take his belongings as the defendant drove. Mr. Brown tried to get out of the car, but they locked the doors and trapped him from within. At one point, Mr. Brown was able to get the back car door open and escape. At the defendant’s direction, her cousin jumped out and chased Mr. Brown down, eventually catching him and dragging him by the collar of his shirt back into the defendant’s car. Once they reached their destination, Mr. Brown was pulled out of the car where he managed to break free. He ran straight to the Sixth District Police substation where he reported the incident to police. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur ordered five years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Hanson and Lauren Miller of the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy and Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of the Orthodox Jewish Community

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for committing a series of bias-motivated violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey. Dion Marsh, 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with five counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the Shepard Byrd Act violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of the victims because they are Jewish. “Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.” “The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.” “These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI Newark Field Office. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.” According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2022, Marsh carried out a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish Community in and around Lakewood. Each of Marsh’s victims were attired in traditional garments worn by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and were assaulted because they were visibly identifiable Orthodox Jews. Specifically, at 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away. At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim. At 6:06 p.m., Marsh used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones. At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in Lakewood by deliberately striking him with the vehicle. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries. At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries. The FBI Newark Field Office, Red Bank Resident Agency, Lakewood Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.


title: Iranian National Extradited to United States for Alleged Scheme to Illicitly Ship Sophisticated Electronics to Iran

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Note : View the indictment here Iranian national Saeid Haji Agha Mousaei, 53, made his initial appearance yesterday in Chicago federal court following his extradition from the United Kingdom to face charges for his role in a years-long conspiracy to evade U.S. export restrictions and transship advanced U.S. electronic testing technology to Iran using third-party countries. According to court documents, Mousaei was a manager of Dubai-based defendant company Millennium Product Company LLC (MPC). As alleged, from in or about January 2014 through at least August 2018, Mousaei, MPC and others, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain controlled electronics with military applications, including signals equipment like oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, for export and re-export to Iran. As alleged, Mousaei and his co-defendants understood export restrictions on U.S.-origin goods to prohibited destinations like Iran and falsely represented to U.S. distributors that their purchases would remain in countries other than Iran, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Armenia, where the defendants controlled unnamed companies. In reality, after arranging for distributors of U.S.-origin goods to export shipments to the UAE, the defendants allegedly transshipped goods from the UAE to Iran without the required license and in violation of U.S. law. Mousaei and MPC are each charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; smuggling goods from the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Mousaei was arrested in the United Kingdom on Jan. 24, 2023, pursuant to an Interpol diffusion notice. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) made the announcement. The FBI and BIS are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn D. McCarthy for the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Mousaei from the United Kingdom. This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

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

body_text: HAMMOND- Frank Stork, 45 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Stork was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on January 3, 2021, law enforcement observed Stork driving a vehicle while committing multiple traffic violations. When they stopped him, he physically resisted the officers. A loaded .45 caliber firearm which had been reported stolen in 2019 was recovered from the vehicle. Stork’s criminal history revealed he had six prior felony convictions, any one of which prohibited him from possessing the firearm. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Hobart Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Glen Burnie Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Engage In Dogfighting And Interstate Travel In Aid Of Racketeering

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Mario Flythe, age 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting, specifically the fighting of dogs, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; U.S. Marshal for Maryland Clinton Fuchs; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad. According to the guilty plea, Flythe was affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as his co-defendant, Frederick Douglass Moorfield, Jr. Flythe operated a kennel under the name “Razor Sharp Kennels,” and he used his home to keep, train and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years. A review of Flythe’s cellphone showed numerous message exchanges regarding dogfighting—primarily over the instant messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram—with members of a group known as the “DMV Board.” In addition to arranging dog fights and wagers, Flythe and the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs and criminal prosecutions of dogfighters. In some exchanges, Flythe and others discussed indictments of other members of the DMV Board and speculated about the identity of a potential “snitch.” Flythe’s instant messages also revealed several exchanges arranging—or “hooking”—dogfights. In those conversations, Flythe identified the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in a fight. Other dogfighters then proposed a fight against their own dog or matched Flythe with another of their contacts who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters would then agree on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after the match was made. In addition to stating the amount to be paid to the winner of the fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit—or “fit”—payments to be made if a dogfighter backed out of the fight before it was scheduled to take place. After hooking a fight, Flythe trained his dogs in a process known as a “keep.” Flythe’s typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training (using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories), a diet plan, and the use of steroids. Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network, not through legitimate veterinary prescriptions. When Flythe sponsored a dog in a fight, the fight ended only when a dog died or when the owner forfeited the match—either through the dog “quitting” the fight or the owner “picking up” the dog. On several occasions between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp related to his participation in dogfighting conduct. Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts in connection with the dogfighting enterprise. On September 6, 2023, during a search of Flythe’s home, investigators recovered a total of seven pit bull-type dogs from the premises. Four dogs were found chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property’s back yard, and three dogs were found in large metal cages in the basement. In each of the cages in the back yard, investigators observed water bowls that contained either only dirt or water that appeared contaminated. Canine feces was found in both the cages in the back yard and basement. The back yard and four of the seven dogs were infested with fleas. Flythe agrees that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them in dogfights. Flythe faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiring to engage in an animal fighting conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the DCIS, and the USDA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Elijah Wires, 20, was found in possession of a firearm with an extended magazine during the early morning hours of January 1, 2022. Wires, a Savage Life gang member who had multiple outstanding arrest warrants, was a passenger in a car that drove recklessly through Davenport, including driving through red lights and down one-way roads. Once the car stopped, Wires attempted to flee from officers on foot but was apprehended and arrested. At sentencing, the Court ordered Wires’s federal sentence to run consecutively to his undischarged state sentences. After completing his term of imprisonment, Wires will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Davenport, Iowa – A man was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to public court documents, Dale Ganaway Lucas, Jr., 39, was responsible for buying and selling large quantities of cocaine in the Quad Cities area. Law enforcement officers conducted a series of controlled buys from Lucas, which eventually led to the execution of a search warrant at Lucas’s home. Within Lucas’s home, law enforcement found approximately 80 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine) in a vacuum cleaner, approximately 10 grams of crack cocaine in Lucas’s vehicle, and evidence of drug distribution. Lucas has a prior federal conviction for possession of cocaine base with the intent to distribute, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and a prior conviction for delivery of cocaine, in the Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County. After completing his term of imprisonment, Lucas will be required to serve eight years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Manchester Felon Pleads Guilty to the Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Monytung Maker, a/k/a “MoSavage”, 27, pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2024. On August 2, 2023, members of the Manchester Police Department executed a search warrant at Maker’s Manchester apartment in connection to a drug investigation. During the search, law enforcement found a backpack in Maker’s bedroom containing his bank cards and a 9mm pistol loaded with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition. Maker later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed this firearm for protection. Maker was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior felony convicted for unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit in 2019. The charging statute provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a three-year term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon 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. ###


title: Nashua Felon Pleads Guilty to the Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

body_text: CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty today in federal court to firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Robert Reidy, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person and one count of possession of unregistered firearms. U.S. District Court Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2024. On December 5, 2023, members of the Nashua Police Department arrived at Reidy’s residence to execute a state search warrant. Reidy refused multiple commands to exit his residence, and ultimately surrendered after chemical munitions were deployed into his residence. Reidy admitted to possessing “ghost guns.” Law enforcement ultimately located one short-barreled AR-style rifle with a silencer threaded onto the barrel, three additional disassembled firearms hidden in the attic that all appeared to be privately manufactured, as well as 160 rounds of ammunition. Reidy was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior felony conviction for Escape from a Penal Institution in 2017. Reidy also did not register the short-barreled rifle or silencer as required by the National Firearm Act. The charge of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a 3-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of unregistered firearms provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a 3-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon 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. ###


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced July 16, 2024 to 120 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Lawaun Maurice Webster, 44 distributed approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine to another person from his residence in Council Bluffs, Iowa. During a search warrant at the residence, law enforcement recovered a loaded firearm near where other drugs and drug paraphernalia were found. After completing his term of imprisonment, Webster will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Council Bluffs Police Department. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Lamar County Man Pleads Guilty to Million Dollar Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Lamar County man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud which resulted in the loss of over $1 million. According to court documents and information presented to the Court, beginning as early as January of 2021, Aaron Brown, 42, conspired with multiple individuals to use his auto sales company and companies owned by his co-conspirators to engage in a systematic check kiting scheme. As part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators would continuously issue and deposit nonsufficient fund checks into their companies’ bank accounts. Many of these checks indicated that they were for vehicle sales that the conspirators knew had not actually occurred. Prior to the initiation of the scheme, between May and December of 2020, Brown’s auto sales company received a total of 163 incoming checks and issued a total of 50 checks. This resulted in over $5 million in deposits and withdrawals. However, at the height of the check kiting scheme, between June and August of 2021, the company received a total of 1,204 checks and issued 1,161 checks to just one of the companies owned by his co-conspirators. The total deposits and withdrawals for that three-month period exceeded $60 million. Ultimately, the financial institutions discovered the scheme and stopped payment. However, one of the financial institutions suffered a loss of over $1 million. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He will be sentenced on October 22, 2024, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner.


title: Former Boston Police Officer Sentenced for Overtime Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A former Boston Police officer was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) evidence warehouse. Michael Murphy, 64, of Hyde Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years of supervised release. Murphy was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $16,014 in restitution. In June 2021, Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Between September 2016 and February 2019, Murphy submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that he did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The “purge” overtime was a 4 – 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The “kiosk” overtime involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned. For the “purge” shift, Murphy claimed to have worked from 4 – 8 p.m., but he routinely left at 6 p.m., or before. For the kiosk shift, Murphy submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, but he only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts. Between September 2016 and February 2019, Murphy personally collected approximately $16,014 for overtime hours he did not work. To date, over a dozen Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse. Murphy is the sixth officer to be sentenced. From 2016 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Former St. Francis of Assisi University Parish Employee Charged with Wire Fraud

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former administrative assistant at St. Francis of Assisi University Parish in Tuscaloosa has been charged with embezzling money from the church, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. A one-count Information filed this week in United States District Court charges Kristen Marie Battocletti, 35, with one count of wire fraud. According to the Information, Battocletti engaged in a scheme to defraud St. Francis of Assisi University Parish from April to October 2023. St. Francis is part of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham. Battocletti stole approximately $300,000 from St. Francis, using the funds to purchase more than $220,000 in TikTok Coins and to pay personal expenses. Battocletti used the TikTok Coins to send digital gifts to TikTok content creators. According to the plea agreement, also filed this week, Battocletti has agreed to plead guilty to the charge. The Court will set a date for Battocletti to enter her guilty plea. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Canter is prosecuting the case. An Information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Newport News fraudster pleads guilty after stealing service member’s identity

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman pled guilty today to using a service member’s identity to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, in late 2022, Ceara Smith, 25, was in contact with a victim, identified as “A.D.,” an active-duty member of the United States Air Force. Smith represented to A.D., who is a musician, that she was a music concert promoter and led A.D. to believe that he would have the opportunity to perform as an opening act at a concert. A.D. was instructed to pay a fee and to provide his personal information. When A.D. was unable to complete the fee payment using peer-to-peer payment applications, he provided his username and password for PayPal to allow her to make the payment. A.D. was never hired to perform at a concert as promised. In 2022, Smith contacted A.D. again, claiming to be an ambassador for car rental company Turo, telling A.D. that if he completed a training program with Turo, they would both benefit financially. Smith offered to complete the training program on A.D.’s behalf. A.D. created an online account with Turo, submitted his debit card banking information, and uploaded a photograph of his driver license. A.D. then provided his Turo username and password to Smith, who told A.D. to expect a payment between $10,000 and $20,000. He never received any payment. In January 2023, Smith submitted an online inquiry in A.D.’s name to purchase a 2015 Dodge Charger from Your Kar Company in Norfolk. Impersonating A.D., Smith attempted to secure funding to purchase the vehicle through the regular financing used by Your Kar Company and through secondary financing options but was unsuccessful. Instead, on Jan. 10, 2023, Smith electronically submitted to Langley Federal Credit Union (LFCU) a vehicle loan application in the amount of $25,005 using A.D.’s name and other personal identifying information (PII), including his social security number, driver license number, and date of birth. At various times between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, 2023, Smith contacted LCFU and Your Kar Company pretending to be A.D. or an LFCU employee. Smith repeatedly used deception and misrepresentations to fraudulently provide authorizations and to avoid having to appear in person for identity verification. The car loan application ultimately was approved by LFCU and received by Your Kar Company. Pretending to be A.D., Smith completed the paperwork for purchasing the 2015 Dodge Charger online and over the phone and, pretending to be A.D.’s sister, dropped off the paperwork and took possession of the car. On Jan. 17, 2023, Smith applied for and received two credit cards and a debit card with LFCU in A.D.’s name. Smith immediately took an $800 cash advance on one of the cards and then used another card to make several purchases. She attempted to use another card to make a purchase, but the card was declined as suspected fraud. The following day, Smith impersonated A.D. to request that LFCU issue new credit cards. LFCU issued new cards as requested and, over the next two days, Smith used one of those credit cards to make several more purchases and to take two additional cash advances in the amounts of $500 and $400. When that credit card was flagged for suspected fraud, Smith contacted LFCU to attempt to unblock the card and again impersonated both A.D. and LFCU employees. On Jan. 20, 2023, LFCU was able to contact the real A.D. and informed him that he may have been the victim of identity theft. On March 20, 2023, an LFCU collections representative attempted to contact A.D. at the phone number on file, which was used by Smith, because no payments had been made to either credit card issued in A.D.’s name. Smith, pretending to be A.D., expressed concern that the credit cards had been blocked and asked when they could be used again, claiming that A.D. was going to be deployed soon. On June 23, 2023, LFCU repossessed the 2015 Dodge Charger after payments were not made on the loan obtained in A.D.’s name. LFCU provided permission for law enforcement to search the vehicle, and law enforcement recovered from the Dodge Charger, among other items, a debit card in A.D.’s name, receipts from purchases made on May 17 and 20, 2023, using a debit card in A.D.’s name, a FedEx package addressed to A.D. at an address in Hampton, and a photograph of Smith and an unknown individual. Smith pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a mandatory term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment imposed. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-45.


title: Pell City Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Financial Fraud Scheme

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala – A Pell City man has been sentenced in a scheme to defraud more than 40 investors in his various companies out of more than $4.7 million, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced John Michael Golden, 48, to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2024, Golden pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement and information provided at sentencing, Golden was the founder and owner of Wolf-Tek, LLC; MountainTop Timber, LLC; and DroneTek, Inc. Between January 2018 and at least October 2023, Golden devised a scheme to persuade individuals to invest in his companies. He made various misrepresentations to the investors, including telling them his businesses were about to be sold for millions of dollars to companies such as Amazon, he had timber leases and an ability to harvest timber for profit, and he had hundreds of pre-orders for drones that he simply needed capital to fulfill. Golden also gave some investors Promissory Notes in which he falsely promised lucrative returns on investments within a short period of time. Golden even defrauded a new victim eight days after originally signing a plea agreement. To continue his scheme, Golden placated victims by sending them text messages falsely claiming that their money was available and would arrive on specific future dates. Golden subsequently had his bond revoked for contacting victims and making false promises to them regarding repayment. Golden ultimately defrauded investors in his companies out of more than $4.7 million. He used the funds to pay back prior investors and for personal expenses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Securities Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case.


title: McKees Rocks Resident Sentenced to Prison for Violation of Federal Firearm Law

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on July 23, 2024, to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Darnell Maurice Manson, 23. According to information presented to the Court, Manson possessed a firearm after being convicted of several felonies for conduct that occurred in or around October 2018 in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On or about August 8, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant following a traffic stop, Brentwood Borough Police Department discovered a Smith & Wesson Model 9 M&P Shield, 9mm caliber pistol, and 9mm ammunition, as well as stamp gangs of heroin in the vehicle that Mason was driving. On February 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Manson for this conduct. On October 4, 2023, Manson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, which is a violation of federal firearms law. Manson’s federal sentence will be imposed consecutively to his state sentence of 24 months for violating his conditions of state parole. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Brentwood Borough Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Manson. 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.