title: New York and Delaware Companies are Enjoined from Manufacturing and Distributing Adulterated and Misbranded Dietary Supplements

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brian M. Boynton, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and Michael C. Rogers, MS, Acting Associate Commissioner, of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Regulatory Affairs announced today that two New York companies, a Delaware company, and the companies’ owner have been enjoined from distributing and manufacturing adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). “Consumers trust that dietary supplements they purchase are unadulterated. My Office is working diligently with our partners at the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the FDA to ensure that these products are what they purport to be and safe. When they are not, we will take all appropriate action to protect consumers.” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors have an important responsibility to ensure product quality and safety,” stated Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Boynton. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the FDA and take action against manufacturers and distributors who fail to abide by laws designed to protect public health.” “It is imperative that dietary supplement manufacturers comply with the FDA’s regulatory requirements to help ensure product safety and protect consumers,” said Acting Associate Commissioner Michael C. Rogers, MS, for FDA’s Regulatory Affairs. “When evidence of non-compliance is identified, the agency holds dietary supplement manufacturers responsible. The FDA is dedicated to exercising its full authority under the law to take action against adulterated dietary supplements, as part of our ongoing commitment to protect the health of U.S. consumers.” A civil complaint filed on October 18, 2023 at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), alleged that Total Body Nutrition LLC, TBN Labs LLC, and Loud Muscle Science, LLC (collectively, “TBN companies”), and the companies’ owner, Mohammed Islam, violated the FDCA at the companies’ facility in Hauppauge, Long Island, and their previous facility in Edgewood, New York, by manufacturing and distributing adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements. The complaint alleges that Islam and the TBN companies violated the FDCA by manufacturing dietary supplements without establishing product specifications for the finished batches and without testing or examining the finished batches to verify that they met product specifications, and by using dietary ingredients in their dietary supplements without first testing or examining the ingredients to verify their identity. The complaint also alleged that FDA inspected the TBN companies’ current and previous facilities four times, in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023, and found violations of the FDCA at each inspection. According to the complaint, FDA also issued Islam and the TBN companies warning letters in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Islam and the TBN companies agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The negotiated consent decree entered by the court enjoins Islam and the TBN companies from violating the FDCA, and requires, among other things, that Islam and the TBN companies comply with the dietary supplement current good manufacturing practice regulations and the dietary supplement labeling provisions of the FDCA and its implementing regulations. Further, Islam and the TBN companies must destroy all of their adulterated dietary supplements. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Blume of the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kimberly R. Stephens of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel Roselle Oberstein of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel. In March 2022, Mr. Peace announced the creation of a Consumer Protection Team in the Office’s Civil Division. The Consumer Protection Team has focused on protecting the health, safety, economic security, and dignity of individuals in the Eastern District of New York and nationwide, including our most vulnerable residents. The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 23-CV-9073


title: Justice Department Launches National Law Enforcement Accountability Database

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: As directed by Executive Order 14074 , Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety , the Justice Department today launched the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD), a centralized repository of official records documenting instances of misconduct as well as commendations and awards for federal law enforcement officers. The NLEAD is accessible only to authorized users to help determine suitability and eligibility of candidates for law enforcement positions. As required by the Executive Order, on an annual basis, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will publish a public report containing aggregated and anonymized data to maintain transparency and accountability. “No law enforcement agency — including the Justice Department — can effectively do its work without the trust of the public,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This database will give our law enforcement agencies an important new tool for vetting and hiring officers and agents that will help strengthen our efforts to build and retain that trust.” “This database will make policing safer and more effective by strengthening trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Justice Department and law enforcement agencies throughout the federal government are committed to ensuring that the database strengthens hiring practices while protecting the safety, due process rights, and privacy of law enforcement officers.” “The NLEAD will help ensure that federal hiring officials have the most accurate and important information when making hiring decisions,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This database, along with our work to expand access to this information at the state and local level, is a significant step forward in increasing transparency and accountability, and in enhancing police-community trust.” The NLEAD connects all federal law enforcement agencies under one accountability infrastructure. With the NLEAD, law enforcement agency hiring personnel will have more accurate and complete information about misconduct in a job candidate’s past. Agencies can then make more informed hiring decisions, which enhances both accountability and public safety. As of today, the database includes records for the Department’s law enforcement officers. Pursuant to the Executive Order, by Feb. 16, 2024, other executive branch federal law enforcement agencies will report data for their law enforcement officers to the database. The database will include records of instances of misconduct for current and former federal law enforcement officers that occurred over the past seven years, and the Department will conduct regular periodic compliance reviews to assess data quality. In order to support similar law enforcement officer accountability efforts at the state and local level, the Department has also partnered with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST). IADLEST’s National Decertification Index (NDI) is a national registry of law enforcement de-certification and revocation actions relating to officer misconduct that is currently used by all 50 states and D.C. The Department is working with IADLEST to expand the NDI to include additional categories of information required by the Executive Order. The Department is also awarding discretionary grants in a manner that supports and promotes the adoption of the Executive Order’s policies by state and local agencies, including language outlining priority consideration for applicants who use the NDI as part of their hiring and vetting of new officers. As part of the Justice Department’s ongoing work to improve public safety and advance accountability in law enforcement, the Department has contributed to more than 90 Executive Order steps, including issuing 18 reports and guidance documents, which can be found on the Office of Legal Policy’s webpage . More information can be found on the NLEAD website .


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Release 2023 Merger Guidelines

body_text: Today, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jointly issued the 2023 Merger Guidelines , which describe factors and frameworks the agencies utilize when reviewing mergers and acquisitions. The 2023 Merger Guidelines are the culmination of a nearly two-year process of public engagement and reflect modern market realities, advances in economics and law, and the lived experiences of a diverse array of market participants. “ These finalized Guidelines provide transparency into how the Justice Department is protecting the American people from the ways in which unlawful, anticompetitive practices manifest themselves in our modern economy,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Since releasing the Draft Merger Guidelines earlier this summer, we have engaged with stakeholders across the country, and the Guidelines are stronger as a result. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the laws that safeguard competition and protect all Americans.” “The Guidelines we release today are faithful to the law and reflect how competition plays out in our modern markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “Ensuring that our merger enforcement protects that competition is our North Star. Competitive markets and economic opportunity for all Americans go hand in hand. We were grateful to hear from authors, nurses, farmers, and other concerned citizens from across the country as we worked to put together the 2023 Merger Guidelines. Their comments were invaluable — and our merger enforcement will be better as a result.” “Fair, open, competitive markets have been essential to America’s dynamic, thriving economy, and policing unlawful mergers is our front line of defense against harmful corporate consolidation,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The 2023 Merger Guidelines reflect the new realities of how firms do business in the modern economy and ensure fidelity to statutory text and precedent. I am grateful for the thousands of comments submitted by American workers, consumers, entrepreneurs, farmers, business owners, and other members of the public. This input directly informed the guidelines and allowed us to pursue this work with a deeper understanding of the real-life stakes of merger enforcement.” The 2023 Merger Guidelines released today modify the Draft Merger Guidelines , released on July 19, to address comments from the public, including extensive engagement from attorneys, economists, academics, enforcers, and other policymakers at the agencies’ three Merger Guidelines Workshops. They emphasize the dynamic and complex nature of competition ranging from price competition to competition for the terms and conditions of employment, to platform competition. This approach enables the agencies to assess the commercial realities of the United States’ modern economy when making enforcement decisions and ensures that merger enforcement protects competition in all its forms. The agencies protect competition through enforcement of the antitrust laws and other federal competition statutes. Since 1968, the agencies have issued merger guidelines to enhance transparency and promote awareness of how the agencies undertake merger analysis before deciding whether or not to challenge an acquisition. Over the years, the agencies have worked collaboratively to update the Merger Guidelines periodically to reflect changes in the law and market realities, including in 1982, 1984, 1992, 1997, 2010, and 2020. The robust process to develop the 2023 Merger Guidelines began in January 2022. The agencies announced an initiative to evaluate possible revisions to the 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines and the 2020 Vertical Merger Guidelines and published a Request for Information on Merger Enforcement , which sought public comment on modernizing merger enforcement. The agencies received more than 5,000 comments. Commenters highlighted excessive market consolidation across industries and overwhelmingly urged the agencies to strengthen their approach to merger enforcement. At the agencies’ four listening sessions , business owners, workers, and other advocates similarly highlighted the potential for mergers and acquisitions to undermine open, vibrant, and competitive markets, in industries ranging from food and agriculture to health care. Informed by this feedback, agency experience and expertise, as well as developments in the market, law, and economics, the agencies drafted and jointly released a proposed version of the 2023 Merger Guidelines for public comment in July 2023 and received more than 30,000 comments reflecting the views of consumers, workers, academics, interest organizations, attorneys, enforcers, and many others across various sectors of the American economy. The agencies also held three Merger Guidelines Workshops to discuss the draft Merger Guidelines. This engagement informed an in-depth revision process culminating in today’s release of the 2023 Merger Guidelines. Like the prior horizontal and vertical merger guidelines they replace, the 2023 Merger Guidelines are not themselves legally binding, but provide transparency into the agencies’ decision-making process. The 2023 Merger Guidelines do not predetermine enforcement action by the agencies. Although the Merger Guidelines identify the factors and frameworks the agencies consider when investigating mergers, the agencies’ enforcement decisions will necessarily depend on the facts in any case and will continue to require prosecutorial discretion and judgment.


title: Houston Woman Sentenced to 4 Months of Probation for Cares Act Fraud and Theft of Government Funds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TEMIKA SANTEMORE, age 44, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on December 12, 2023 to four months of probation by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. In addition, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program was a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act provided funding for EIDL loans for business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to the PPP, EIDL loan amounts were determined based on the recipient businesses’ historical revenue and disbursed directly to the recipient by the SBA. According to the charging documents, SANTEMORE made false statements to the SBA to fraudulently obtain approximately $13,540 in pandemic-related relief loans, including PPP funds, that were funded by the federal government. SANTEMORE also applied for an EIDL from the SBA in July of 2020 and illegally received $5,000 for a dormant business that she owned. In addition to probation, SANTMORE was ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment, serve 150 hours of community service and pay restitution in the amount of $187,027.86. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations, the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Four in Alleged Multi-State Burglary Ring  Targeting Primarily Individuals of Asian Descent

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A federal grand jury has indicted four individuals for their alleged roles in a sweeping, multi-state burglary ring that primarily targeted residents of Asian descent, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy: Mohammed Islam , 29, of Stamford, CT; Jorge Andres Cardenas Murillo , 30, of College Point, NY; Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido , 20, of Woodside, NY; and Tania Valentina Espitia Cuellar, 24, address presently unknown, collectively identified and surveilled individuals, typically of Asian descent at the victim’s residences and businesses, which included Asian restaurants and nail salons, and then executed well-planned burglaries at homes in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Wisconsin, and Florida, typically targeting large sums of money, jewelry, credit and debit cards, and other valuable items. It is alleged that in one such burglary, members of the conspiracy burglarized a home in Jacksonville, FL, and stole approximately $500,000 worth of property and cash, as well as numerous debit and credit cards. As alleged in charging documents, members of the conspiracy used sophisticated means to carry out their scheme. In addition to surveilling individuals, the conspirators are alleged to have used drones and GPS trackers placed on vehicles to monitor victim’s movement and identify times when they were away from their residences. They are also alleged to have used drones and lookouts to monitor law enforcement activity, and to have had a getaway car and driver at the ready while other conspirators broke into and burglarized the residences. Mohammed Islam, Jorge Andres Cardenas Murillo, Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido, and Tania Valentina Espitia Cuellar are each charged by way of indictment with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Islam, Cardenas Murillo, and Barrera Garrido are also charged with two counts of attempt to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, and Islam is charged with a fourth count of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Julianne L. Klein. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Warwick and Smithfield, RI Police Departments; Shrewsbury and Framingham, MA Police Departments; Gorham, NH Police Department; Stamford, Wallingford, and Westport, CT Police Departments; West Allis, WI Police Department; New Castle County, DE Police Department; Manalapan, NJ Police Department; New York City Police Department; Jacksonville and Flagler County Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Pennsylvania State Police; and the United States Postal Inspection Service. ### indictment.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis Host a safe housing summit focused on health and safety in HUD-assisted housing

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a Safe Housing Summit on December 14, 2023, to promote health and safety for tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. “Our office is determined to address inequities in our district that exist in underserved communities who must heavily rely on HUD’s housing assistance programs,” said U.S. Attorney Buchanan. “These citizens deserve to live and raise families in residential areas that are safe and thriving. Our partnership with HUD-OIG, and with other federal agencies and community members, will afford us the necessary resources to support at-risk communities in a more coordinated and impactful way. This Summit is just the beginning of our expanded effort.” “Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and safe environment without fear of being exposed to environmental hazards or being sexually harassed or assaulted by their housing provider,” said Housing and Urban Development’s Inspector General Oliver Davis. “We are working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to spread the word about ways to help victims who currently are experiencing such violations of their rights or who have been impacted in the past. Outreach summits like the one we cohosted are an important way to increase awareness, share information, and build strong partnerships in the community to help call out and eliminate these problems together.” The Summit took place at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta, and focused on eliminating environmental hazards, as well as combatting sexual misconduct, in HUD-assisted housing. The topics included safe housing strategies, environmental justice concepts, and how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in HUD-assisted housing. Participants included representatives from organizations who routinely work with vulnerable populations most likely to be impacted by environmental injustice or sexual harassment in housing by their landlords, property managers, maintenance staff, and other housing personnel in positions of authority. “Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination prohibited by the Fair Housing Act, and no one should be forced to endure illegal harassment in exchange for housing,” added U.S. Attorney Buchanan. “We will continue to devote resources to enforce the Fair Housing Act by investigating and prosecuting discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.” A variety of organizations and local law enforcement agencies also attended the Summit, including fair housing organizations and organizations which provide pro bono legal services. Participants were encouraged to build partnerships and share concerns during a networking session. If you or someone you know has information about environmental hazards and unsafe unit conditions in HUD-assisted housing or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation—even if the events occurred years ago—report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline . You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov . Individuals who believe they may have been victims of environmental injustices or housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at USAGAN.CivilRights@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-4626. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: United States Files Complaint Against St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Steward Medical Group and Steward Health Care System

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Steward St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center of Boston, Inc. (SEMC); Steward Medical Group, Inc. (SMG); and Steward Health Care System, LLC (Steward) alleging that they violated the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the “Stark Law”) and submitted and caused the submission of false claims and statements to the Medicare program. Steward – the owner of SMG and SEMC – is an integrated healthcare system and one of the largest, private, for-profit health care networks in the nation. Congress enacted the Stark Law to protect against physicians’ financial relationships from impacting their medical decision-making for Medicare patients. Relevant to this case, the Stark Law prohibits a hospital from billing Medicare for services referred by a physician with whom the hospital has an improper compensation relationship. The Stark Law protects patients and the Medicare program from physicians’ financial relationships leading to unnecessary overutilization of services or increased costs. In 2012, SMG recruited Dr. Agnihotri, a cardiac surgeon, to serve as the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at SEMC. The government alleges that the defendants recruited Dr. Agnihotri because they wanted to increase the number of cardiovascular surgeries at SEMC in Boston, as a means to grow their profits via reimbursement from Medicare and other insurers. The government’s complaint alleges that, from January 2013 through March 2022, SMG paid Dr. Agnihotri compensation that exceeded fair market value as well as incentive compensation that varied based on, and took into account, the volume or value of his referrals to SEMC. Specifically, the amount of incentive compensation that SMG allegedly paid to Dr. Agnihotri varied based on the number of surgeries that Dr. Agnihotri referred to SEMC. It is alleged that SMG paid Dr. Agnihotri approximately $4,868,500 in incentive compensation that it calculated by including as a variable the number of cases Dr. Agnihotri referred to SEMC. The complaint alleges that Dr. Agnihotri made referrals to SEMC in violation of the Stark Law and SEMC submitted over 1,000 claims to Medicare knowing that the claims for those referred services were not eligible for payment. As a result, Medicare mistakenly paid tens of millions of dollars to SEMC for false claims. “The government’s complaint today alleges that in its drive to increase cardiac surgeries at SEMC, the defendants entered into improper compensation arrangements with a cardiac surgeon, and knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We are committed to enforcing the Stark Law, and protecting patients and the Medicare program from financial relationships that can corrupt clinical decision making.” “Improper financial arrangements between hospitals and physicians can compromise medical judgement and threaten the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to thoroughly pursue allegations of Stark Law violations.” “Health care providers need to ensure that compensation agreements with physicians are appropriate, and the claims they submit to Medicare are based on the clinical needs of patients, not financial ones,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate deals that we believe could undermine impartial medical judgement, drive up health care costs, and erode the public’s trust in our health care system.” The government’s investigation was prompted by False Claims Act allegations brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General also assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica J. Weber and Andrew A. Caffrey, III of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are handling the matter. The claims in which the United States has intervened are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Salvadoran Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Two Handguns and Threatening to Kill Domestic Abuse Victim

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Ramon Alvarez-Hernandez, 40, of El Salvador has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. According to court documents, on February 22, 2023, IMPD officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic violence incident. Upon arrival, officers learned Alvarez-Hernandez punched, choked, and pulled a firearm on the victim, threatening to kill her. Officers observed bruises on the victim’s face and red marks on her neck. Alvarez-Hernandez was not present at this time. The next day, officers learned that Alvarez-Hernandez threatened to shoot the victim if she cooperated with the police. Alvarez-Hernandez also threated the victim’s neighbor and attempted to question the neighbor about his relationship with the victim. On April 12, 2023, Alvarez-Hernandez was arrested on an outstanding warrant during a traffic stop. Officers searched his person and located a two handguns and 19.3 grams of cocaine. Alvaerz-Hernandez is a citizen of El Salvador, and not lawfully present in the United States. Under federal law, individuals who have not obtained citizenship in the United States and are present without lawful status are prohibited from possessing firearms. “Research shows that armed domestic abusers pose a profound risk to the safety of those closest to them and to the public at large. Our office, together with IMPD and HSI, will continue to prioritize the LEATH initiative to save the lives of those impacted by domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. Homeland Security Investigations and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Alvarez-Hernandez be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this 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. This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms. ###


title: U.S. Attorney Attends the Violent Crime Reduction Summit

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: Tulsa, Okla. – U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson attended the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Violent Crime Reduction Summit: Partnerships for Safer Communities , in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Violent Crime Reduction Summit (Summit) brought together local leadership and federal partners from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) sites. More than 1,100 attended the Summit to discuss violence reduction strategies, identify evidence-informed practices to increase public safety, enhance partnerships in the participating communities, and reduce violent crime. U.S. Attorney Johnson was accompanied by Assistant U.S. Attorney and NDOK PSN Coordinator John Brasher, Cherokee Nation Deputy Marshal Erik Fuson, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Deputy Chief Daniel Wind, Tulsa Police Department Majors Mark Wollmershauser Jr. and Richard Alexander and Tulsa Police Department Sergeant Jeremy Ballard. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced in the opening session the release of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Roadmap . This is a one-stop shop to assist local jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies to prevent, intervene in, and respond to violent crime. The Roadmap is part of a comprehensive Justice Department strategy to help connect jurisdictions with the information and resources they need to meet the complex and evolving challenges to help reduce violent crime. In Dec. 2022, Tulsa hosted the National PSP Violent Crime Reduction Summit. More than 500 key stakeholders from PSP sites attended, as well as DOJ officials, experts, local and federal law enforcement. The Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco delivered the opening remarks . The attendees examined evidence-based practices to increase public safety while reducing violent crime. They further discussed how to enhance partnerships within the participating communities. “The Northern District of Oklahoma is working hard to address violent crime at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Tulsa hosted the National PSP Violent Crime Reduction last December. The Roadmap will strengthen then ongoing collaboration between local, federal and tribal partners ability to address violent crime. I’m pleased to know that the resources made available can support our local, federal, and tribal partners.” Dozens of Justice Department resources available from the Roadmap are organized around actions outlined in Saving Lives: Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Violence Now , developed by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank for the criminal justice field. The Police Executive Research Forum , funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, will provide local jurisdictions with tailored training and technical assistance on how to implement the 10 essential actions and utilize the Justice Department’s resources identified in the Roadmap, to reduce violent crime while building community trust. Training and technical assistance offerings include specialized expertise to help organizations solve problems and build capacity, and they provide direct connections to subject matter experts as well as how-to materials.


title: Bowling Green Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green woman was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Task Force made the announcement. According to court documents, Adrienne Cauzzort, 40, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by a 4-year term of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. There is no parole in the federal system. On June 6, 2022, Cauzzort possessed, with the intent to distribute, 30.27 grams of methamphetamine. Cauzzort also possessed two handguns after having been previously convicted of the following felony offenses. On July 20, 2015, in Warren Circuit Court, Cauzzort was convicted of wanton endangerment in the first degree and robbery in the second degree. Cauzzort was also convicted of possessing the two handguns in furtherance of her drug trafficking crime. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Nationwide Drug Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2023 in federal court in Worcester to his role in a nationwide large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy and for distribution of large quantities of fentanyl. Francis Jose Perez-Baez, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing hearing for April 25, 2024. Perez-Baez was charged in November 2021 along with Javier Robledo Perez, Vicente Castro and Carlos Longoria. Perez-Baez was a Boston-based drug distributor who distributed large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. Perez-Baez received multiple kilograms of cocaine from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that utilized commercial semi-trucks to transport dozens of kilograms of cocaine throughout the United States, including to Massachusetts. Over the course of the investigation, Perez-Baez paid the drug trafficking organization nearly $280,000 in drug proceeds for multiple kilograms of cocaine that the organization had previously supplied to him on credit. Additionally, Perez-Baez sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness on multiple occasions – over 500 grams of fentanyl in August 2020 and 200 grams of fentanyl in April 2021. On March 31, 2023, Longoria was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 34 months in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and the charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl both carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to life, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Laredo and Dallas Divisions provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and State and Local Law Enforcement Officials Release Fourth “Don’t Click December” PSA

body_text: BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Idaho State Police, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, and the Garden City Police Department, released a fourth PSA as part of their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, AARP Idaho, and the Better Business Bureau also participated in the announcement. The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “don’t click it.” In the fourth and final PSA, available here , Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford, FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Bodily, and U.S. Attorney Hurwit warn the public about the “phantom hacker” scam and explain some of the ways in which individuals can protect themselves. The "phantom hacker” scam is a relatively new scheme that is particularly complex and devious. First, scammers send unsolicited messages by phone, email, text, or pop-up pretending to be “tech support,” and asking you to provide access to your computer so software can be updated to thwart hackers. But once the scammers access to your computer, they instead install software to steal your financial information. Then they send messages pretending to be your financial institution, saying that your accounts have been hacked and you need to move your money to a third-party account for “safety.” Sometimes the scammers even pretend to be the government or law enforcement and send messages that your money is still unsafe and needs to be moved to a new “alias” account. This scam draws victims in using entities you typically trust: Like tech support, financial institutions, and law enforcement. Each step builds the scam to bilk people out of thousands of dollars. Don’t click it . Protect yourself from the “phantom hacker” scam: do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, links sent via text messages, email links, or attachments. Do not contact the telephone number provided in a pop-up, text, or email. Do not download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you. Do not allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer. Remember, the Government will never ask you to send money via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. This four-part series of PSAs, released in the weeks leading up to Christmas, is an effort to alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments. “Everyday Idahoans are targeted by online scammers, and this activity spikes during the holidays in December,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But we are not helpless. Through our Don’t Click December videos, we point out some of the red flags that individuals can spot to protect themselves and their loved ones. And we also want to encourage people to report online scams to law enforcement so that we can recover lost money and hold the perpetrators accountable. We are all in this together.” “Last year, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 800,944 complaints about suspected internet crimes. That’s more than 2,000 complaints every single day,” said David Bodily, Supervisory Special Agent of the Salt Lake City FBI’s Boise Resident Agency. “As cyber scams continue to increase in scope and sophistication, it’s important that law enforcement and the public work together to stay ahead of the risks.” “When people on the internet ask you for any kind of information, our advice is to stop and think – why are they asking? Does it make sense?” said Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford. “Just pausing for a beat and doing some critical thinking is probably the best thing you can do to prevent online crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country. For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement. To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov , and if you believe you are the victim of a scam, take action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency. ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Prison for Smuggling Migrants and Drugs on Panga Boat that Landed on Central Coast

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Mexican man was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for trafficking 11 undocumented individuals, as well as 45 pounds of methamphetamine, on a panga boat that landed on a Santa Barbara County beach. Jorge Muñoz-Muñoz, 27, of Ensenada, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. At the conclusion of a five-day trial in December 2022, a federal jury found Muñoz-Muñoz guilty of one count of conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States, 11 counts of alien smuggling, 11 counts of alien smuggling for private financial gain, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and one count of importation of methamphetamine. On the morning of September 27, 2021, law enforcement sighted a panga boat adrift off the coast of Santa Barbara County. The vessel, which was having engine trouble, ultimately made landfall at Arroyo Quemada Beach, approximately 25 miles west of Santa Barbara. The investigation in this matter revealed that there were 15 people on the boat, including several crewmembers. Two black bags that contained a total of 40 vacuum-sealed and plastic wrapped bindles, totaling approximately 45 pounds, were thrown off the boat by passengers at Muñoz-Muñoz’s direction and later were recovered by law enforcement. Authorities also later confirmed that all occupants of the boat were undocumented aliens. Based on interviews with the passengers, it was determined that the passengers arrived at a beach in Ensenada, Mexico to board a panga that would smuggle them into the United States for a price of approximately $15,000 each. On July 6, Judge Fischer ordered Muñoz-Muñoz acquitted of one count of aiding and assisting an alien convicted of an aggravated felony to enter the United States. Muñoz-Muñoz has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2021. Roel Aranzubia-Álvarez, 45, of Sinaloa, Mexico, the panga boat’s captain, was convicted at trial with Muñoz-Muñoz of alien smuggling charges in this case and was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Another defendant and panga boat crewmember, Caín Camargo-López, 46, of Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to two counts of alien smuggling and one count of conspiring to allow an alien convicted to aggravated felonies to enter the United States. On August 7, Judge Fischer sentenced Camargo-López to five years in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. United States Customs and Border Protection, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Haoxiaohan Cai of the General Crimes Section and Justice Department Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi prosecuted this case.


title: Antitrust AAG Kanter Statement After Adobe and Figma Abandon Merger

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement after Adobe Inc. abandoned its proposed acquisition of Figma Inc.: “The Antitrust Division remains committed to protecting competition in technology markets. The decision to abandon this acquisition ensures that designers, creators, and consumers continue to get the benefit of the rivalry between the two companies going forward. I am grateful for the tireless efforts of our talented staff of lawyers, economists, paralegals, and others at the Antitrust Division who conducted a thorough investigation of this proposed merger and do such a tremendous job safeguarding competition.”


title: Castroville Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Firearms

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A Castroville man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 60 months in prison for one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Buel DeWayne Smiley, 63, was reported to the FBI for sharing posts that expressed anti-government and pro-white sentiment and encouraged others to blow up infrastructure. In his posts, Smiley displayed books on making improvised munitions and chemicals that could be used as precursors to make explosives. The FBI determined that Smiley, a convicted felon, also was depicted brandishing firearms in his social media posts and agents observed him on his property with a gun that appeared to be one visible in the posts. FBI agents arrested Smiley on March 9. A search of his residence revealed loaded firearms, boxes of ammunition, several books or instruction manuals about making improvised explosives, lab equipment, handwritten notes that appeared to discuss experiments with homemade explosives, and chemical precursors for explosives. Smiley pleaded guilty to the charge of felon in possession of a firearm on Aug. 15. “This is a great example of ‘If you see something, say something,’” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to a concerned member of the community who was alarmed by the defendant's social media broadcasts calling for political violence, the FBI was able to investigate and arrest the defendant for illegally possessing firearms before he could do further harm to the community. I thank our partners at the FBI for their hard work.” “Buel Smiley not only made threats to attack critical infrastructure, he had the materials and instructions to follow through,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division. “This sentence ensures that he won’t have the opportunity to follow through with his threats to endanger our communities. I want to thank the Medina County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen prosecuted the case. ###


title: Executives Charged with Bid Rigging, Territorial Allocation and Defrauding the U.S. Forest Service After a Wiretap Investigation

body_text: BOISE – Following a court-authorized wiretap investigation, a federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment last week charging two executives, Ike Tomlinson, 60, of Terreton, and Kris Bird, 61, of Salmon, of competing companies with conspiring to rig bids and allocate territories in violation of the Sherman Act, conspiring to commit wire fraud, and committing wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to the seven-count felony indictment, Tomlinson and Bird’s conspiracy affected contracts for forest-firefighting services. As alleged, the U.S. Forest Service runs a competitive bidding process for these contracts to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently. The indictment alleges that from at least in or about February 2014, up to and including in or about March, Tomlinson and Bird coordinated their bids to “squeeze” and “drown” competitors; accepted payment for fuel trucks at collusive and noncompetitive daily rates; and tried to conceal their actions. This investigation was conducted by the department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), which included FBI agents, with judicial authorization, intercepting phone calls between Tomlinson and Bird. As alleged, Tomlinson and Bird spoke with one another shortly before the deadline to submit bids on fuel truck contracts. During calls quoted in the indictment, they allegedly agreed to rig bids, allocate territories, and target competitors. A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the maximum. A violation of the wire fraud statute carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Matthew Chou and Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case. In November 2019, the Justice Department created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation, and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: St. Tammany Parish Men Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – LARRY JAMES , age 23, ALVAREZ JOSEPH CYPRIAN , age 23, and ALSKIIN MILLICAN , age 21, all of St. Tammany Parish, were indicted on December 8, 2023, announced U.S Attorney Duane A. Evans. The indictment was unsealed following the arrest of JAMES, CYPRIAN, and MILLICAN. In the indictment JAMES , CYPRIAN, and MILLICAN were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. JAMES was charged with three counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. JAMES was also charged with being in possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(j). CYPRIAN was charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). MILLICAN was charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of the drug conspiracy, JAMES and MILLICAN each a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least 4 years of supervised release, and CYPRIAN faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. Additionally, if JAMES is convicted of being in possession of a stolen firearm, he faces up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. For each count charged against them, JAMES , CYPRIAN, and MILLICAN also face payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Trial Jury Finds Texas Man Guilty of Kidnapping an Adult Victim and Transportation of a Minor Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual Activity

body_text: Louisville, KY – Friday evening a federal jury convicted a Texas Man of fifteen criminal offenses to include transportation of a person for illegal sexual activity, transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity, and inveigle and decoy kidnapping. To “inveigle” a person means to lure, or entice, or lead the person to do something by making false representations or promises or using other deceitful means. “Decoy” means enticement or luring by means of some fraud, trick, or temptation. He was also convicted of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate threats to ransom. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in November of 2018, Bryan Douglas Conley, age 41, used an online dating website to lure and entice a minor from Ohio to travel to Tennessee to meet with him. Conley created and used a false online profile named “Bryant” and offers of money and property to lure the minor across state lines. Conley and the false profile “Bryant” offered the minor money for sexual activity in Kentucky and Tennessee. Conley ultimately abandoned the minor several days later in Texas and stole her purse and phone. In January of 2019, Conley used an online date website to inveigle and decoy an adult victim. Conley created the online profile “Lance Debeers” and falsely claimed to be a modeling agent. Both Conley and “Lance” engaged the victim in discussions about modeling. On January 29, 2019, Conley met the victim in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. He took the victim’s phone and provided her an unknown substance to drink as part of the modeling contract. He bound the victim and drove around Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee issuing ransom demands to the victims’ parents in Tennessee. The ransom demands included threats to physically and sexually harm the victim if his demands were not met. On January 30, 2019, Conley retrieved a ransom placed by the FBI in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He was arrested shortly after retrieving the ransom. The victim was located in the car. Prior to the kidnapping, Conley met the victim and took her credit card and attempted to make purchases at a retail store in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He also attempted to access her credit card customer profile using the victim’s social security number. In June of 2019, after Conley had been arrested and released from custody and ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device, he removed the device and fled to Ohio. He was subsequently arrested and detained. Conley is scheduled for sentencing on March 11, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Conley remains in federal custody pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Brentwood Tennessee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Joel King are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal James Aaron Cooper. ###


title: Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NESTOR SOSA-ORTIZ, 39, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into a Waterbury-based drug trafficking operation headed by Sosa-Ortiz. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Sosa-Ortiz’s organization received large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics through a network of co-conspirators. After Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators, including his sisters, Imirici Sosa-Ortiz and Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz. The Sosa-Ortiz organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin, and to process and package the drugs for street sale. On October 29, 2019, several of Nestor Sosa-Ortiz’s co-conspirators were arrested. On that date, investigators executed search warrants at the Bishop Street apartment and four other locations and seized approximately six kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, approximately 100,000 bags of fentanyl/heroin packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm, and approximately $50,000 in cash. Nestor-Sosa Ortiz has been detained since May 18, 2019, and his federal charges that were pending in the Southern District of New York were subsequently transferred to the District of Connecticut for further prosecution. On June 18, 2020, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, related to both the Connecticut and New York. Seventeen individuals were charged and convicted as a result of this investigation. Imirici Sosa-Ortiz and Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 94 months of imprisonment. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Founder And Managing Director Of Tax Lien Investment Firm Charged With Bank Fraud And Wire Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of JOHN ARTHUR HANRATTY for charges in connection with a fraudulent scheme to steal money from a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)-insured bank through lines of credit totaling $20 million granted to HANRATTY’s municipal tax lien investment firm. HANRATTY was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Puerto Rico. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “John Arthur Hanratty, a New York-licensed attorney and the founder of a multi-million-dollar municipal tax lien investment firm, allegedly stole money from a bank to obtain lines of credit totaling $20 million, which he misappropriated by paying back investors who had sued his firm. Thanks to this Office’s teamwork with the FBI, Hanratty is now facing serious criminal charges for his alleged fraud.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Fraudsters are very good at what they do. They are extremely convincing and will jump at every opportunity to defraud a new pool of potential victims. John Hanratty allegedly prioritized his own greed over decency and respect for the laws of our country. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and holding accountable those who flagrantly disregard our laws by seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of their victims.” According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal Court: [1] HANRATTY was the Founder and Managing Director of Ebury Street Capital, LLC (“Ebury Street Capital”), an investment firm with a portfolio primarily comprised of municipal tax liens. At all relevant times, HANRATTY served as the Managing Director and Principal for Ebury Street Capital, which manages two different funds known as Ebury Fund 1 and Ebury Fund 2. HANRATTY has been an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of New York since 2002 and has previously held legal and compliance positions at well-known investment firms and financial institutions, including serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel for a trading broker dealer. Between 2017 and 2021, HANRATTY participated in a fraudulent scheme to steal money from an FDIC-insured bank (“Victim Bank-1”) by drawing down on $20 million in commercial lines of credit that had been extended to Ebury Street Capital. Specifically, HANRATTY made materially false statements on spreadsheets (known as “borrowing base certificates”) submitted to Victim Bank-1 summarizing the value of the municipal tax liens that Ebury Street Capital was offering as collateral for its commercial line of credit. As a result of these false statements on Ebury Street Capital’s borrowing base certificates, Victim Bank-1 paid Ebury Street Capital large sums of money to which it was not entitled. The false statements on Ebury Street Capital’s borrowing base certificates included, among other things, listing large quantities of municipal tax liens on the borrowing base certificates that Ebury Street Capital did not actually own and double-counting municipal tax liens by listing the same liens on multiple borrowing base certificates. Additionally, although Ebury Street Capital was contractually required to use money from Victim Bank-1 either to purchase municipal tax liens or for ordinary business expenses, HANRATTY actually used portions of the money obtained from Victim Bank-1 to pay off Ebury Street Capital’s investors who were threatening to sue and who, in fact, ended up suing Ebury Street Capital and HANRATTY after Ebury Street Capital was unable to pay investors who were seeking to pull out their investments from the fund. Ebury Street Capital’s commercial line of credit has now been completely exhausted, and the entity owes over $20 million in principal and interest to Victim Bank-1. * * * HANRATTY, 49, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is charged with one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of bank fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Field Office in San Juan for their assistance in the investigation of this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and Nicholas Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Allen County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – An Allen County, Kentucky, man was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Chief Darren Tabor of the Scottsville Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Timothy E. Austin, 50, of Scottsville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by 5 of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute 154.747 grams of methamphetamine on August 15, 2022. Austin was sentenced for possessing a total of 263.876 grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The increased drug amount was based on other relevant conduct of the defendant that the Court considered when imposing the sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the DEA and the Scottsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case. ###


title: Trevor Milton Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Securities Fraud Scheme

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TREVOR MILTON was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to four years in prison for engaging in securities and wire fraud in connection with his scheme to defraud and mislead investors about the development of products and technology by the company he founded, Nikola Corporation (“Nikola”). MILTON was previously convicted after a one-month trial before Judge Ramos. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Trevor Milton lied to investors again and again — on social media, on television, on podcasts, and in print. But today’s sentence should be a warning to start-up founders and corporate executives everywhere — ‘fake it till you make it’ is not an excuse for fraud, and if you mislead your investors, you will pay a stiff price.” According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial: From at least in or about November 2019 up through and including at least in or about September 2020, TREVOR MILTON engaged in a scheme to defraud investors by inducing them to purchase shares of Nikola Corporation, the electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicle and energy company that MILTON founded, through false and misleading statements regarding Nikola’s product and technology development. MILTON’s scheme targeted individual, non-professional investors — so-called “retail investors” — by making false and misleading statements directly to the investing public through social media and television, print, and podcast interviews. MILTON made these false and misleading statements regarding Nikola’s products and capabilities to induce retail investors to purchase Nikola stock. MILTON took advantage of the fact that Nikola went public by merging with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company or “SPAC,” rather than through a traditional IPO, by making many of his false and misleading claims during a period where he would have not been allowed to make public statements under rules that govern IPOs. MILTON made false claims regarding nearly all aspects of Nikola’s business, including: (i) false and misleading statements that the company had early success in creating a “fully functioning” semi-truck prototype known as the “Nikola One,” when MILTON knew the prototype was inoperable; (ii) false and misleading statements that Nikola had engineered and built an electric- and hydrogen-powered pickup truck known as “the Badger” from the “ground up” using Nikola’s parts and technology, when MILTON knew that was not true; (iii) false and misleading statements that Nikola was producing hydrogen and was doing so at a reduced cost, when MILTON knew that in fact no hydrogen was being produced at all by Nikola, at any cost; and (iv) false and misleading claims that reservations made for the future delivery of Nikola’s semi-trucks were binding orders representing billions in revenue, when the vast majority of those orders could be cancelled at any time. For example, when Nikola’s stock was publicly traded in 2020, MILTON claimed that Nikola had defied expectations as a young, disruptive company when it managed to build its prototype hydrogen-powered semi-truck, the Nikola One, which Nikola unveiled on or about December 1, 2016, at a large event that was filmed and broadcast on the internet. During that event and later, MILTON claimed that the prototype Nikola One “fully functions and works, which is really incredible.” In fact, the Nikola One prototype was never completed and never functioned. Rather, the prototype was wholly missing significant parts, including gears and motors, and the control system (i.e., the system that communicates the driver’s directions to the vehicle) and other significant systems were missing or incomplete. Later, in or about January 2018, and despite the fact that the Nikola One prototype was never completed or operational, MILTON published on Twitter and also published on his own Twitter account a video in which the Nikola One appeared to be driving on its own power down a road with no incline. In fact, to film these clips, the Nikola One was towed to the top of a hill, at which point the “driver” released the brakes, and the truck rolled down the hill until being brought to a stop in front of the stop sign. Also in 2020, at the same time he was spreading misinformation to investors generally to increase Nikola stock price, MILTON also made false and misleading statements about Nikola’s business and technology to a particular individual as part of an effort to use Nikola stock to make purchases, even when MILTON was subject to a lockup and so could not yet sell his stock. Specifically, MILTON made misrepresentations about Nikola’s business to an individual in order to induce that individual to accept options to purchase Nikola stock (the value of which had already been inflated by MILTON’s scheme to defraud retail investors) in lieu of cash for the purchase of a substantial ranch in Utah. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, MILTON, 41, of Alpine, Wyoming, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit a property in Utah, and ordered to pay a fine of $1 million. Judge Ramos will set restitution in a future proceeding. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which jointly conducted the investigation in this case with special agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a parallel civil action, for its cooperation. The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Podolsky and Nicolas Roos are in charge of the case.


title: Former Lake City, PA Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Laws Related to the Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Lake City, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. William Joseph Leuschen, 38, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around May 2020 to in and around February 2022, Leuschen received and possessed images depicting prepubescent minors, some as young as infants and toddlers, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his plea, Leuschen agreed to a sentence of 15 years in jail to be followed by ten years of supervised release. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for maximum a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie County Detectives Bureau and the Erie County Adult Probation and Parole Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Leuschen.


title: Lubbock Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Concealing PPP Loan Fraud

body_text: Lubbock woman was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in federal prison for concealing PPP Loan Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Hope Leticia Hastey, 51, was charged via criminal information in August 2023 and pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony. Ms. Hastey was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered her to pay $3,545,894.36 in restitution. According to plea documents, Ms. Hastey founded Radar Supports, LLC, a company that provided certain contract services, including speech and occupational therapy and Radar Foundations, Inc., a non-profit that organized community fundraisers to benefit individuals with intellectual limitations. Radar Supports employed approximately 10 individuals and Radar Foundations did not employ anyone. In May 2020, an assumed name certificate was filed for “Radar Supports Construction,” indicating Ms. Hastey as the owner. Radar Supports Construction never provided goods or services of any kind and never filed a tax return. Ms. Hastey employed Andrew Travis Johnson, 59, —an accomplice in a separate case—to provide bookkeeping services for her business. During the Covid-10 pandemic, Mr. Johnson engaged in a bank fraud scheme to obtain loans for Radar Supports, Radar Supports Construction, and Radar Foundations through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He obtained the loans by falsely inflating payroll data related to Radar Supports and Radar Foundations and fabricating payroll data for Radar Supports Construction. Ms. Hastey signed the loan documents, which included certifications that the loan proceeds would be used for payroll costs and other business-related expenditures. Hastey failed to notify authorities of the fraud. Instead, to make it appear as though the loan proceeds were used for payroll costs, Hastey wrote a check to a colleague who worked for Radar Supports. The check was not intended for the colleague and was never given to the individual. Ms. Hastey deposited the check into another bank account she controlled. In total, Ms. Hastey and Mr. Johnson applied for five PPP loans and received nearly $3.5 million. Ms. Hastey spent the money on personal expenses, including heavy equipment to help family members start a new business; a cash purchase of a new home; home renovations; multiple vehicles; vacations; clothing; cosmetic and dental procedures; college tuition; and expenses for a wedding. All five loans were forgiven. According to court documents in Mr. Johnson’s case, he pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud, one count of identity theft and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity in March 2023. He was sentenced in August 2023 to 180 months in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Saurabh Sharad handled the forfeiture.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathon Dewayne Eads, 37, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 7, 2022, Eads sold approximately 227 grams of methamphetamine for $1,500 to a confidential informant at a Garrison Avenue residence in Charleston. Eads and his co-defendant sold quantities of methamphetamine totaling approximately 392 grams to a confidential informant in Charleston on June 14, 2022, August 21, 2022, and October 7, 2022. Eads has a long criminal history that includes multiple prior convictions. In Kanawha County Magistrate Court, Eads was convicted of conspiracy and operating a clandestine drug lab on January 24, 2007, possession of a controlled substance on March 31, 2011, and possession of a controlled substance on April 4, 2013. In Kanawha County Circuit Court, Eads was convicted of fleeing on April 22, 2015, and of two counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and one count of person prohibited from possessing firearms on June 3, 2019. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney J.C. MacCallum prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-115. ###


title: Muncie Drug Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Trafficking of Fentanyl Pills

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Jesse Daniel Ross, II, 23, of Muncie, Indiana, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on multiple occasions in early 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration agents observed Ross sell a total of 1,000 fentanyl pills for $3,000. On June 12, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Ross’ Muncie home. Officers located over 3,000 more pills containing a total of 779 grams of fentanyl, over $12,000 in cash, and two handguns. Both of the guns were loaded and within arm’s reach of Ross’ fentanyl stash and drug proceeds. In an interview with investigators, Ross admitted to selling “M30” labeled fentanyl pills to as many as four people per day. At the time of his arrest, Ross was on probation in Delaware County following a prior conviction for dealing narcotics in the presence of a minor. Ross is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony conviction. “The ongoing fentanyl crisis continues to ravage our families and communities—drug poisonings are now the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old. The defendant had a direct hand in pushing thousands of these poisonous pills into Muncie’s neighborhoods,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Armed fentanyl traffickers are a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. With our federal, state, and local partners, we are committed to dismantling these operations and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.” The DEA, Muncie- Delaware County Drug Task Force and the Muncie Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Ross be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this case. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug. One Pill Can Kill : Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill . Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late. ###


title: Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory Alan Haston II, 40, of Scott Depot, was sentenced today to three years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 2, 2023, Haston was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer in the St. Albans area. During a search of the vehicle, the officer seized a bag that he found on the floor near Haston’s feet. Haston admitted that the bag contained approximately 76 grams of fentanyl, which he possessed with the intent to distribute. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-136. ###


title: Sisseton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact by Force

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota man, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact by Force. The sentencing took place on December 11, 2023, in Pierre, South Dakota. Ira Alan Arias, age 48, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Arias was indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child by a federal grand jury in April of 2018. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023. According to court documents, on or about May 3, 2015, Arias forcefully engaged in three sexual acts with the victim, who was 14 years old at the time of the sexual abuse. The sexual abuse occurred in a hotel room in Codington County. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case. Arias was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced to 7 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Devin A. Lewis, 38, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lewis pleaded guilty to this charge on August 9, 2023. In February 2023, Lewis was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by a La Crosse police officer for a traffic violation. During the stop, Lewis jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to flee. After being caught, Lewis physically struggled with an officer to resist arrest. Retracing Lewis’s path, officers found a bag containing over 200 grams of prepackaged methamphetamine and a smaller amount of fentanyl. Text messages on Lewis’s phone indicated he was intending to sell these drugs. Lewis has a lengthy criminal history involving the trafficking of controlled substances, including a number of prior convictions where he has tried to run from law enforcement and resist arrest. Lewis’s convictions also include causing substantial injury to an officer and armed robbery. Judge Peterson acknowledged that Lewis’s conduct was the last link in a chain of criminality and that this activity degrades the community. Judge Peterson also noted that the volume of Lewis’s drug dealing extended beyond the level of supporting personal use. The charge against Lewis was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Marie Boor and Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.