title: Pavion Company to Pay $1.75 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Small Business Contracting Fraud

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. –A company located in Chantilly has agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle civil fraud allegations that it and its subsidiaries improperly obtained government contracts that were set-aside for small businesses. The United States alleged that the Pavion Company (Pavion) ceased to qualify as a small business concern after its predecessor company was acquired in 2016 by the private equity firm Tower Arch Capital. The United States further alleged that, after its acquisition, Pavion, including two of its subsequently acquired subsidiaries, falsely certified themselves as qualified small businesses in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). Following its acquisition by Tower Arch Capital, Pavion and its subsidiaries were awarded 117 set-aside small business contracts across twenty different federal agencies that they were ineligible to receive. Pavion’s management submitted a written contractor disclosure to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General in August 2023. The disclosure explained that Pavion discovered its conduct during post-acquisition integration and consolidation activities and described the corrective actions that Pavion has taken to prevent future misrepresentations concerning its size. Pavion cooperated in full during the ensuing investigation. This settlement resolves federal civil claims under the False Claims Act. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office; the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Major Procurement Fraud Field Office; Naval Criminal Investigative Service Economic Crimes Field Office; the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General; the Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General; the Department of the Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General; the Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Housing Finance Agency; the Department of State, Office of Inspector General; the National Transportation Safety Board; the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission; and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Major Frauds and Corruption Unit. This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor. The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia .


title: Windsor Locks Man Who Victimized Teens Through Snapchat Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUSTIN McKENNEY, 29, formerly of Windsor Locks, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses. According to court documents and statements made in Court, in October 2021, Glastonbury Police began investigating the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an individual she met on Snapchat. The investigation revealed that McKenney posed as a high school student on Snapchat. He began communicating with the minor victim in September 2021, and he subsequently enticed her to engage in sexual activity. McKenney also used Snapchat to receive child pornography from three other minor females between the ages of 14 and 17. McKenney has been detained since his arrest on March 17, 2022. On April 11, 2023, McKenney pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Glastonbury Police Department, the Windsor Locks Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, with the assistance of the Hudson (Mass.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Daniel E. Cummings. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.


title: Former CEO of Sacramento Non-profit Indicted for Stealing over a Million Dollars from the Charity

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The former CEO of a Sacramento non-profit was arrested today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. On Nov. 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Richard Alan Abrusci, 45, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with nine counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity. The indictment was unsealed after the arrest. According to court documents, in 2014, Abrusci began working at a non-profit organization that operates a chain of retail stores in California and Nevada. Abrusci became the Chief Operating Officer of the organization in 2016 and its president and CEO in 2018. From 2016 through 2021, Abrusci fraudulently caused the non-profit organization and one of its subsidiaries to pay approximately $1.4 million to Resolution Arrangement Services (RAS). RAS consisted of nothing more than a fictitious business name that Abrusci registered in 2008 and a bank account that he opened the same year. Abrusci caused the fraudulent payments into the RAS bank account that he controlled by using various false documents, including invoices and purchase orders. In one instance, Abrusci used a forged letter purporting to be from an attorney representing the non-profit organization to convince the organization’s CFO to pay RAS $55,000 under false pretenses related to a lawsuit. The payments to RAS were supposedly for information-technology services, helping to facilitate settlement of a lawsuit, and assisting the non-profit organization in running call centers for the State of California during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, RAS provided none of the services for which it billed the non-profit organization and its subsidiary. This case is the product of an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Abrusci faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the nine counts of wire fraud. Additionally, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity. Finally, he faces a consecutive two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. abrusci_indictment_unsealed.pdf


title: Four Members of Violent Bridgeport Gang Guilty

body_text: On December 5, 2023, a federal jury in New Haven found KEISHAWN DONALD , 22; TREVON WRIGHT , also known as “Tre,” 22; ERIC HAYES , also known as “Heavyweight Champ,” 26; and TRAVON JONES , also known as “Budda,” 21, guilty of racketeering offenses related to their involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick. According to the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones have been members of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End. East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. During the trial, the government presented evidence that: On January 30, 2018, Donald shot and killed Eric Heard, a.k.a. “Fetti,” a member and associate of the GHB/Hotz gang; On March 5, 2019, Hayes shot and killed Jerrell Gatewood; On July 12, 2019, Jones and another East End Member, Tyrone Moore, shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang; On September 15, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Marquis Isreal, a.k.a. “Garf” or “Gbaby,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang; On October 17, 2019, Jones shot and attempted to kill Joshua Gilbert, a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang; On December 8, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Arvan Smith, a.k.a. “Arv Barkley,” an associate of the O.N.E. gang; On January 26, 2020, Wright shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang The jury found Donald, Wright, Hayes, and Jones guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity. At sentencing, Donald, Wright, and Jones face a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Hayes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. All are detained pending sentencing. U.S. Attorney Avery noted that due to rising level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, this wide-ranging investigation commenced in January 2020, shortly before the violence culminated on January 27, 2020, when GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members, in retaliation for the Myreke Kenion murder and D’Andre Brown shooting, attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport. After a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the courthouse, law enforcement and first responders discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a car. Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have now been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders. “We believe that the investigation of these warring gangs and resulting prosecutions have had a significant and substantial impact on the violence being perpetrated in Bridgeport,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “In 2020 and 2021, when many other cities saw significant surges in gun violence, much of it caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and longstanding societal issues, Bridgeport saw a significant decrease in gun violence, with a 61 percent decline in gang-related homicides and a 59 percent decrease in gang shootings not resulting in death. Moreover, the gun violence, and particularly the gang related violence, has decreased from 2022 to 2023. While these statistics are encouraging, the amount of gun violence in our cities remains unacceptable and a top priority for our office and our federal partners. I thank all of the law enforcement officers who have contributed to these investigations, and commend and acknowledge the trial teams that are prosecuting these cases.” “Every Connecticut resident, regardless of where they reside or their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class, should be able to feel safe in their community,” U.S. Attorney Avery continued. “No person, or group of people is entitled to wreak havoc by engaging in repeated acts of violence, instilling fear and trauma on the children and families who reside in our communities. Every life matters. We implore anyone engaged in, or planning to engage in, senseless violence like these defendants to reconsider so you don’t end up either killed or facing the prospect of wasting your life sitting in a federal prison.” “The continuing cooperation between local, state, and federal officials in Bridgeport is a model of effective law enforcement,” said Fairfield Judicial District State’s Attorney Joseph T. Corradino. “The net result of these sustained efforts is a safer community for the people who live and work in the Greater Bridgeport area. We are committed to maintaining this successful long term relationship with our federal counterparts for the benefit of the people we serve.” “The level of complexity involved in this long term investigation proved to be no match for our Connecticut professional law enforcement partners ability, skills and determination to bring about justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “We here in Connecticut have a unified partnership with local, state, and federal partners that is second to none in the country. Justice has been served.” “Keishawn Donald, Trevon Wright, Eric Hayes and Travon Jones have been found guilty in federal court of gang related racketeering offenses, including murder and other violent crimes. Said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “The ATF alongside our local, state and federal partners remain dedicated to protecting the citizens of Bridgeport from violent gangs like the East End gang.” “Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Drug dealers and street gangs value their own profits over human life, and are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. These crimes hold law abiding citizens of Connecticut hostage to drug-fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state, and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.” “On behalf of the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Police Department, I want to the thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of the federal law enforcement agencies for their continued support and partnership in helping to reduce violent crime in the City of Bridgeport and bringing those responsible for violence in our city to justice,” said Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The East End gang cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale, and Stephanie T. Levick This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group. 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: Man Sentenced to Eleven Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm While Trafficking Fentanyl in Chicago

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to eleven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while trafficking fentanyl and cocaine in Chicago. THOMAS L. GATES illegally possessed the gun and drugs on the evening of Nov. 16, 2021, in the Old Town neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. Chicago Police officers detained Gates in the 1500 block of North Sedgwick Avenue after observing him display the firearm to another individual. The officers then discovered approximately 45 small, packaged baggies of fentanyl and cocaine in Gates’s jacket pocket. Gates had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was not lawfully allowed to possess a firearm. Gates, 43, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal drug and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the sentence Tuesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI, DEA, and Illinois State Police. “Possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking are extremely serious offenses,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant posed a severe threat to the community, which is already plagued by gun violence, when he carried a loaded semi-automatic weapon on a public street to protect his drug distributions.”


title: Wedgefield Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Martez Mandel Coleman, 44, of Wedgefield, was sentenced to a total of 12 years in federal prison yesterday. The sentence consists of 120 months for charges of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of marijuana stemming from an incident in Oct. 2022. Coleman also had 24 months revoked on his supervised release stemming from a 2001 federal murder conviction. Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of Oct. 10, 2022, a deputy with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a Mercedes after observing a traffic violation. When the deputy approached the vehicle, he smelled marijuana and observed a baggy of what he believed to be illegal narcotics on the center console. Coleman, the sole occupant of the vehicle, admitted to having marijuana and a firearm in the vehicle. Deputies recovered a loaded 9mm handgun and several baggies of fentanyl and marijuana inside the vehicle. A drug analysis later showed that it was approximately 126 grams of fentanyl and approximately 47 grams of marijuana in the baggies. The investigation revealed the firearm as having been previously reported as stolen in Florence. Coleman is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his 2001 federal convictions for murder in relation to felony drug offense, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and five kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute/distribution of crack cocaine, using/carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking crime, and causing death of a person through use of firearm. After being convicted following a jury trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Later Coleman filed a motion for a reduced sentence pursuant to the First Step Act of 2018. The court reduced his sentence in 2020 to 300 months imprisonment with five years of supervised release. Coleman was released from federal prison in 2021 and was on federal supervised release at the time of the Oct. 2022 incident. Therefore, in addition to the new charges, Coleman faced a revocation of that federal supervised release. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. imposed both the sentence and revocation. The Court ran 12 months of the 24-month revocation concurrent to the 120 months sentence and the other 12 months consecutive to that 120-month sentence. Upon completing the total terms of imprisonment, Coleman will be on supervised release for eight years. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case, as well as Coleman’s earlier 2001 case. ###


title: Georgia Motel Manager Sentenced for Trafficking and Forced Labor of Victim

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A motel manager in Georgia was sentenced to 57 months in prison for trafficking a victim with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude or forced labor and ordered to pay $42,648 in restitution to seven individuals. According to court documents, Shreesh Tiwari, 71, an Indian national and legal U.S. permanent resident, began managing the Budgetel Motel in Cartersville, Georgia, in 2020. Shortly thereafter, Tiwari hired the victim to work as a maid at the motel and provided her with a room where she could live. Tiwari knew that, prior to arriving at the motel, the victim had experienced homelessness, struggled with a heroin addiction and lost custody of her young child. Tiwari promised the victim that he would help her regain custody of her child by providing her with pay, an apartment and an attorney. Instead of following through with his promises, Tiwari monitored the victim’s interactions with motel guests and employees and forbade her from speaking to them. He also discouraged the victim from communicating with her family and friends, falsely claiming that they did not care about her. Tiwari began making numerous sexual overtures to the victim. When Tiwari became angry at the victim, he threatened to evict her from the room he provided her at the motel, knowing that she would become homeless as a result. In addition, Tiwari threatened to report the victim’s drug use to law enforcement or child welfare agencies whenever he was angry at the victim. Eventually, Tiwari began to regularly “evict” the victim from her motel room, and even locked her out of her room at night without warning. Tiwari even threatened to call animal control to remove the victim’s dog despite permitting the victim’s dog to live with the victim in her motel room at first. Ultimately, Tiwari required the victim to perform sex acts with him to stay at the motel. If she did not, Tiwari removed her from the property, causing her to be homeless. “Human trafficking can occur anywhere since traffickers are adept at identifying someone’s vulnerabilities and often fraudulently extend hope to someone looking for an opportunity to improve their dire circumstances,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence and the restitution secured for the survivors of this heinous labor trafficking scheme make clear that the Justice Department is committed to prosecuting anyone who flagrantly exploits their position of power. We will tirelessly seek restitution on behalf of the victims that traffickers callously exploit.” “Tiwari used his position of power to ruthlessly abuse a victim he knew had already suffered immeasurably,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The level of this defendant’s callousness is shocking. But we are thankful that our community is now safer, and other potential victims spared, due to the excellent investigative work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who made Tiwari’s conviction possible. Our office also intends for Tiwari’s prosecution and sentence to provide a stark warning to other traffickers that these crimes carry especially serious penalties on account of the lasting harm done to victims and their families.” “Tiwari preyed upon the victim’s difficult past and fear of homelessness to control and extort her, subjecting her to unspeakable horrors,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta. “HSI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to ensure that predators like Mr. Tiwari will be held accountable for their actions.” The HSI Dalton Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leanne Marek and Annalise Peters for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Kate Hill of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Federal Gun Crime

body_text: ST. LOUIS– A man who admitted tampering with a witness with information about a fatal hit-and-run in St. Louis pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal gun charge. Martez D. Lindsey, 31, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty Thursday to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lindsey admitted as part of his plea that while investigating a fatal hit-and-run, detectives performed a court-approved search of Lindsey’s apartment on April 25, 2023. In Lindsey’s bedroom, they found a stolen Taurus G3 pistol, .53 grams of cocaine base, .33 grams of methamphetamine, 1.14 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and $1,370 in cash. Lindsey admitted knowing that, as someone convicted of multiple felonies, he was barred from possessing a firearm. In an attempt to avoid detention in jail after his arrest on the federal charge, Lindsey contacted a key witness in the hit-and-run investigation and pressured her to recant her original report to police. He wanted her to claim she was tricked or made up a story because she was mad at him, the plea agreement says. Lindsey believed her statement was the “only proof they got,” the plea says. The witness was an ex-girlfriend and Lindsey previously had thrown a brick through the rear window of a vehicle she owned and tossed in a firework that destroyed the front window, the plea says. Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced March 13, 2024. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.


title: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randell Lee Proctor, 45, of Belle, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 29, 2022, Proctor possessed a Hi-Point, model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the Rand area of Kanawha County. Proctor fired two rounds with the firearm while outside a residence, one into the air and the other into the front porch ceiling of the residence while his girlfriend was inside. Law enforcement officers responding to complaints about the gunshots encountered Proctor inside the residence, where they recovered the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Proctor knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for domestic battery on September 15, 2016, November 26, 2013, January 24, 2005 and September 24, 2002, all in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. The Court granted an upward variance from Proctor’s original sentencing range. The Court cited several factors including Proctor’s prior convictions and criminal history, the fact that he discharged the firearm during an active domestic violence altercation, and the danger to the community he posed by discharging a firearm in a residential area. “With the upward variance granted by the Court, today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s crime and protects the public,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This defendant has a significant criminal history of domestic violence crimes dating back two decades. The fact that he fired shots in this incident raises grave concerns that his tendency toward violence in his domestic relationships is escalating.” Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. “This case shows why domestic abusers should not possess firearms. They pose extreme danger to intimate partners, family and to the public,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division which covers all of West Virginia. “ATF prioritizes these cases and will work alongside our law enforcement partners, including the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, to protect the community and send these dangerous offenders to federal prison, where they belong.” United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams 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. 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-74. ###


title: Fort Pierce Man Detained for Robbery of U.S. Postal Letter Carrier

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI - On Dec. 6, Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23 of Fort Pierce, Florida, was ordered detained in custody pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard, after he was charged by federal criminal complaint for participating in a conspiracy to commit a postal/U.S. Property robbery, armed postal/U.S. Property robbery, illegal theft/possession of a U.S. Postal Service Arrow Key, and use or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to the criminal complaint, between November 19, 2022, and October 21, 2023, Brown and two other individuals (Bernard Jerome Davis, III, and Jalen Dennis Elliott) committed armed robberies of U.S. Postal Letter Carriers, in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange, and Miami-Dade Counties. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Fort Pierce Police Department Chief Diane Hobley-Burney, Miami Beach Police Department Chief Richard Clements, Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson made the announcement. USPIS investigated the case with assistance from the Fort Pierce Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting it. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In May of 2023, the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced the Project Safe Delivery campaign to crack down on postal crimes and attacks on postal employees. Part of this effort includes increased reward amounts for these crimes. Currently there is an up to $150,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in these crimes. If you have information, please report it via www.uspis.gov/report or by calling 877-876-2455. You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-mj-00124. ###


title: Fall River Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the Mail and Diverting Packages

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to obstructing the mail by diverting multiple mail packages in his custody. Rafael De Los Angeles, 43, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2023 to five counts of obstruction of mail. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2024. On five separate occasions in August 2017, De Los Angeles knowingly and willfully obstructed the passage of five mailed packages he was responsible for delivering. Specifically, on each occasion, De Los Angeles drove the packages to different locations that were not listed as the delivery addresses. There, he scanned the packages to record them as having been delivered to the correct addresses before ripping off the address labels and giving the packages to someone other than the listed recipients. The charge of obstruction of mail provides for a sentence of up to six months in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Luke Goldworm of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Columbus vice detective pleads guilty to depriving victims’ civil rights, obstructing justice

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus vice detective pleaded guilty in federal court today to crimes related to kidnapping victims under the guise of an arrest. Andrew K. Mitchell, 59, of Sunbury, pleaded guilty to two counts of depriving individuals of their civil rights while acting under color of law and one count of obstructing justice. As part of the plea agreement, the parties involved have recommended a sentence of seven to 11 years in prison. Mitchell was employed by the Columbus Division of Police from 1988 until 2019 and was assigned to the vice unit from 2017 until 2019. As part of his duties in that role, Mitchell conducted law enforcement actions for solicitation offenses. According to court documents, in July 2017, Mitchell picked up a sex worker who was working in the Hilltop near Sullivant and Whitethorne avenues. Mitchell was in plain clothes and an unmarked black sedan. He told the victim he was a police officer and acted as if he were doing a check for any outstanding warrants on the victim. Mitchell used this ruse to handcuff the victim to the doorknob of his vehicle. He drove the victim to a nearby parking lot with multiple dumpsters and forcible held and detained the victim against her will before dropping her off at her boyfriend’s residence. Similarly, in September 2017, Mitchell picked up a second sex worker in the Hilltop. Mitchell was again in plain clothes and was driving a dark SUV. He began discussing the victim’s rates for sexual activity before announcing that he was an officer with the vice unit and said she was going to jail. Mitchell kidnapped the victim and drove her to Lindbergh Park, holding her against her will. Mitchell also admitted in his plea agreement to obstructing justice. Specifically, during the federal investigation into Mitchell’s civil rights crimes, he directed several individuals to assist him in cleaning out one of the rental properties he owned, located on Denune Ave. The individuals disposed of evidence including photos, clothing, bedding and rental records, and used bleach extensively in the apartment to clean a bed, couch, ottoman and floor. Mitchell was charged federally and arrested in March 2019. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Joliet Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm While on Court-Supervised Release

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Joliet man to more than two years in prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while on court-supervised release for a drug conviction. GARY MCDONALD, 50, illegally possessed the gun on Oct. 8, 2023, in a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Sherman Street in Joliet. McDonald had been released from federal prison in 2020 after serving time for a drug conspiracy conviction. He was to remain on court-supervised release until 2025, during which time he was not allowed to, among other things, possess a firearm or commit another federal or state crime. After a hearing in federal court on Nov. 30, 2023, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that McDonald violated the conditions of supervised release. Judge Blakey revoked McDonald’s release and sentenced him to an additional two years and three months in federal prison. The government was represented at the hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright. Valuable assistance with the supervised release prosecution was provided by the Joliet Police Department and the FBI. “Violating supervised release by possessing a loaded firearm is a serious offense that carries with it serious consequences,” said Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute serious violations of supervised release as appropriate.”


title: Cedar Rapids Man Charged with Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Christopher King, age 52, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with three counts of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on September 8, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. The Indictment alleges that, between February and August of 2023, King possessed a pistol, a shotgun, and ammunition while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of felonies. If convicted, King faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment. King appeared for a detention hearing on November 29, 2023, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. King’s next appearance for trial is set for January 16, 2024. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 23-62. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Del Rio Man Sentenced to Prison for Coaxing Sexually Explicit Material from Minors on Social Media

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Del Rio man was sentenced in federal court to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay a $35,000 special assessment for receipt of child pornography. According to court documents, Leeroy Hinojosa, 35, used the mobile app Snapchat to message two minors, knowing they were underage, and repeatedly request illicit sexually explicit photos and videos from them. The interactions led to Hinojosa receiving 129 images and 106 videos of child pornography from the victims. Hinojosa was arrested on Dec. 17, 2020 and has remained in federal custody. “Without help from members of the community who said something when they saw something, the authorities would not have been able to investigate and prosecute this offender who repeatedly sought nude photos and videos of underage girls,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We must look out for the innocent, vulnerable children in our lives and our community. I appreciate the investigative work of our local, state and federal partners, ensuring this predator serves his time in confinement, where he can no longer harm these victims.” “Homeland Security Investigations agents make it a top priority to work with all of our local law enforcement partners to investigate predators involved with the receipt of child pornography,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the HSI San Antonio Division. “Each year, millions of children fall prey to sexual predators, and it is imperative that we do our part to protect vulnerable children from victimization and ensure the perpetrators are punished for their heinous crimes.” HSI, Customs and Border Protection, Del Rio Police Department, and TX DPS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Pavlinski prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 46 Months for Transportation of Aliens and Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ruben Altunar-Lopez, a/k/a “Hervin Lopez-Javier,” age 49, a citizen of Mexico who was residing in Indiana, was sentenced last week to 46 months in prison for the transportation of aliens and his illegal reentry to the United States subsequent to a felony conviction. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea, Altunar-Lopez admitted that in the early morning of February 19, 2023, he picked up four aliens in the area of Mooers, New York, in his pickup truck, knowing that they did not have authorization to be in the United States. Altunar-Lopez intended to transport those individuals to other locations in the United States, including Indiana. Altunar-Lopez further admitted that he had two prior felony convictions, including a conviction in United States District Court for the District of Arizona for illegal reentry, for which he was still serving a term of supervised release. At sentencing on November 30, Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also revoked Altunar-Lopez’s previously imposed term of supervised release and sentenced him to a 6-month term of imprisonment on his supervised release violations, to run consecutive to the 46-month term Altunar-Lopez received for new criminal conduct. United States Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.


title: South Los Angeles Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Recruiting Teenage Girls for Commercial Sex Work and Sex Trafficking an Adult

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was sentenced today to life in federal prison for recruiting and enticing teenage girls for whom he acted as a “pimp” and providing them for commercial sex work. Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 32, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who at today’s hearing described Bradford’s actions as “inexcusable” and “horrific.” Judge Kronstadt also ordered Bradford to pay $67,000 in restitution and an additional $900 in special assessments. At the conclusion of a five-day trial, a jury on April 17 found Bradford guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking with a minor, three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of sex trafficking through threats of force, fraud, or coercion. From the summer of 2021 to February 2022, Bradford conspired with Layla Kalani Valdivia, 24, of Ventura, to cause one of the minor victims – a then-15-year-old girl – to be used for commercial sex acts. Bradford recruited the victim to work for him as a commercial sex worker. As the victim’s “pimp,” Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night. Bradford and Valdivia advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in commercial sex acts with the victim. Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts with Valdivia and a sex client together. Customers paid Bradford for “dates” with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford or Valdivia her earnings. Bradford assaulted the minor victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford also filmed himself engaging in sex acts on two separate occasions with her. From March 2021 to November 2021, Bradford recruited and enticed two other girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex activity. From May 2021 to August 2022, Bradford also recruited and sex trafficked an adult victim through threats of force, fraud or coercion, including multiple instances of violence. Bradford and Valdivia have been in federal custody since August 2022. “Bradford sex trafficked at least three minor girls and used threats of force and coercion to traffic a young adult – all for his own profit,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “To control his victims, he beat and berated them, pointed a gun in at least one victim’s face, intimidated them by referring to his gang membership, filmed himself having sex with them, took their money, and destroyed their property when they dared to leave him. With at least one victim, he took her earnings from sex customers as well as her financial aid from school.” Valdivia pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a federal prison sentence. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners and thanks them for their participation and assistance, including: the Los Angeles Police Department; the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Pomona Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office; the Santa Maria Police Department; the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case. “ Operation Cross Country ,” an FBI-led nationwide effort which ran in August 2022, focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking.


title: Florida Man Found Guilty of Trafficking Migratory Birds After Five Others Sentenced

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida last week convicted a Florida man of three counts of trafficking migratory birds. Ernesto Gonzalez Campos is the most recent conviction in “Operation Ornery Birds II,” which has resulted in five other defendants being sentenced in the Middle District of Florida. Operation Ornery Birds II was a Florida-wide investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Painted bunting, Exhibit 36 in case 8:22-cr-00287. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campos, 36, of Brandon, Florida, had engaged in the ongoing capture, sale and trade of protected migratory songbirds. On at least three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and blue grosbeaks, all of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Campos trapped the birds from the wild, and once they were tamed, was able to sell them within the songbird community. Prior to Campos’ conviction, five other Florida individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The defendants admitted to buying, selling or bartering a variety of MBTA-protected birds, all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. The defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps and the barter, purchase and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals in person and internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. The following individuals were sentenced: Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 8 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine. Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 14 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine. Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala, was sentenced on Aug. 18 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine. Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 6 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine. Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to one year of probation and a $500 fine. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the above defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spergel and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case against Campos.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Florida Restaurant to Resolve Claims of Employment Discrimination

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with OSI/Fleming’s LLC, which owns and operates the Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (Fleming’s) restaurant in Sandestin, Florida. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Fleming’s violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a lawful permanent resident when checking whether he had ongoing permission to work. “Employers that discriminate against workers by rejecting their valid documents or requiring that they show unnecessary documents to prove they can continue to work violate federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold employers accountable for unlawfully discriminating against workers because of citizenship, immigration status or national origin.” After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the department concluded that Fleming’s discriminated against a lawful permanent resident by rejecting the valid documents the worker originally provided and unnecessarily requiring him to present a document with an expiration date to prove his citizenship status. When he failed to do so, Fleming’s fired him, according to the department. Federal law allows workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to demonstrate their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers cannot demand more documents than are necessary or specify documentation they prefer to see as part of this process. After the department started its investigation, Fleming’s rehired the worker and paid him lost wages. Under the agreement, Fleming’s will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its human resources staff on the INA’s requirements and provide an alternative way of accepting a worker’s documentation if the company’s software will not accept a worker’s valid documentation. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits employment discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; retaliation; and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov ; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER. fnl_-_executed_settlement_agreement_flemings_redacted_ocred.pdf


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un restaurante de Florida para resolver unas acusaciones de discriminación en el empleo

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con OSI/Fleming’s LLC, propietaria y operadora del Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar restaurante (Fleming’s) en Sandestin, FL. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Fleming’s vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar a un residente permanente legal cuando verificó si contaba con un permiso continuo para trabajar. «Aquellos empleadores que discriminan a los trabajadores, rechazando sus documentos válidos o exigiendo que muestren documentos innecesarios para demostrar que pueden seguir trabajando, están vulnerando las leyes federales», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá responsabilizando a los empleadores de discriminar ilegalmente a los trabajadores debido a su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen». Después de abrir una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, el Departamento concluyó que Fleming’s discriminó a un residente permanente legal al rechazar los documentos válidos que el trabajador originalmente proporcionó y exigir, de forma innecesaria, que presentara un documento con una fecha de vencimiento para demostrar su estatus de ciudadanía. Según el Departamento, cuando no lo hizo, Fleming’s lo despidió. Las leyes federales permiten a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. Los empleadores no pueden exigir más documentos de los necesarios o especificar la documentación que prefieren ver como parte de este proceso. Después de que el departamento comenzara su investigación, Fleming’s volvió a contratar al trabajador y le pagó los salarios perdidos. En virtud del acuerdo, Fleming’s pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a su personal de recursos humanos sobre los requisitos de la INA y proporcionará una forma alternativa de aceptar la documentación de un trabajador si el software de la empresa no acepta la documentación válida de un trabajador. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Suscribirse a actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER. fnl_-_executed_settlement_agreement_flemings_redacted_ocred.pdf


title: Former Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Perryopolis, PA has been sentenced in federal court to a total term of 276 months’ imprisonment (23 years) on his conviction for seven counts of child sexual exploitation, including the production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, and transportation and attempted transportation of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon ordered a period of 25 years’ supervised release following McKenzie’s incarceration sentence and ordered that McKenzie pay restitution totaling $61,000.00 to his minor victims. According to information presented to the court, on three separate occasions in 2020-2021, McKenzie induced a minor known to him to shower and change in a bathroom where he surreptitiously recorded the minor. McKenzie saved one of the videos that he had captured of this minor on a thumb drive where he also had saved hundreds of other videos of child sexual abuse material, including videos that depicted prepubescent minors, toddlers, and babies being sexually abused. Additionally, McKenzie transferred the videos he created of the minor to a Dropbox account, along with another video of an unknown minor showering and changing. At the time of this criminal conduct, McKenzie was employed by the Pennsylvania State Police as a Corporal. Law enforcement recovered the thumb drive containing the child sexual abuse material from the lapel pocket of McKenzie’s Pennsylvania State Police uniform. In sentencing the defendant, Judge Bissoon acknowledged the pain and harm McKenzie caused all of the victims of his crimes. Judge Bissoon stated that McKenzie is a danger to society. “This defendant betrayed his oath as a sworn law enforcement officer and victimized the very children he was sworn to protect,” said United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. “McKenzie’s conduct represents the most disturbing betrayal of trust, and today’s sentence provides more proof that this office and our partners in law enforcement will bring the full force of federal law to seek justice for child sexual abuse victims.” “The investigation, prosecution and sentencing of Sean McKenzie was made possible by the unparalleled cooperation between HSI Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “Today’s sentence is a warning to all would-be predators that our law enforcement agencies continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent those who harm children. This is especially true when the perpetrator of these horrific crimes is a law enforcement officer.” Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McKenzie. 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Schuylkill County Man Sentenced To 16 Months’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that John Bartel age 64, of Pottsville, Schuylkill County, was sentenced on December 7, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to 16 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bartel previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl for further distribution. The charge stems from an investigation in which the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle Bartel was driving on August 3, 2022, in Pottsville, and seized approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine, 1,371 packets of fentanyl and $1,974 in U.S. currency. Bartel was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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: Winston-Salem Woman Pleads Guilty to False Statements in Connection with Cares Act Loan

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: WINSTON-SALEM – MICHELLE RENEE HOLLIS, of Winston-Salem, pled guilty today to one count of making a false statement related to fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and administered by the Small Business Association (“SBA”), announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. According to court documents, HOLLIS received an EIDL loan for a business called “Hollis House.” The loan application falsified the business’s gross revenues and number of employees. Based on the fraudulent representations, the SBA granted HOLLIS an EIDL loan of $134,900 and an EIDL grant of $5,000. Following disbursement of the loan, HOLLIS used the proceeds to purchase land in California and a 2017 Porsche Cayenne. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on March 12, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, courtroom number two, before United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder. At sentencing, HOLLIS faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Revere Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm Possession

body_text: BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing cocaine and fentanyl as well as receiving a firearm while under indictment for felony charges. Cesar Rivera, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2022, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and one count of receipt of a firearm while under indictment for felony charges. In December 2020, Rivera was wanted on outstanding warrants on multiple state gun cases for which he had failed to respond to court summonses or appear in court for over a year. On Dec. 22, 2020, Rivera was located at a carwash in Malden and subsequently arrested. At the time of his arrest, Rivera was carrying approximately 28 grams of crack cocaine, fentanyl and a Glock firearm. In October 2020, two months prior to his arrest, while wanted on the outstanding warrants, Rivera and Phillips Charles had a brief encounter with a rival gang member, his girlfriend and their one-year-old child at the Square One Mall in Saugus. After the encounter, Rivera and Charles pursued the victim and his family and fired at least seven rounds into their vehicle. Following Rivera’s arrest, ballistics examination of the Glock firearm recovered from Rivera in December 2020 revealed that it had been used in the October 2020 shooting. In September 2022 , Charles was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 78 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Middlesex County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: West Palm Beach Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison on Money Laundering, Gambling, Prostitution, and Tax Evasion Charges

body_text: MIAMI — On Dec. 6, Dion De Cesare, 54, of West Palm Beach, Florida was sentenced to 71 months in prison for operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiring to commit money laundering, using a facility of interstate commerce to carry on prostitution activities, and tax evasion. As part of his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ordered De Cesare to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $$1,046,224.19.The Government is seeking approximately $10,000,000 in the forfeiture of numerous items and money, including two residential properties, two commercial properties, a storage facility, five condos, six vehicles, and a Rolex watch. The Court will hold a forfeiture hearing at a later date. In a previous hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart, De Cesare admitted that from around April 2008 to November 2022, he owned two social clubs: Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT. During various times, the businesses provided an array of prostitution services to its customers. De Cesare collected the proceeds from those businesses and laundered them through third party bank accounts and the payment of mortgages and expenses owed on several of his properties in West Palm Beach. De Cesare also admitted that from about May 20, 2015 to October 2022, De Cesare also operated an online sports gambling business through a website whose server was located in Costa Rica. De Cesare laundered the gambling proceeds by having the gamblers send their debt payments to third party individuals and entities for De Cesare’s benefit. From 2011 to 2017, De Cesare owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach. From various times between 2011 and 2013, and from 2015 to 2016, De Cesare failed to pay personal and payroll taxes. U.S Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. HSI West Palm Beach Office, PBSO, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto and Trial Attorney Francesca Bartolomey of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Grosnoff and Raemy Charest-Turken are handling asset forfeiture. You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-80188. ###


title: Former Owner and Operator of Norfolk Dermatology Practice Sentenced for Stealing Over $310,000 in Government Benefits

body_text: BOSTON – The former owner and operator of a Norfolk-based dermatology practice was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for fraudulently receiving federal workers’ compensation and disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Karen Nolan, 66, of Norwood, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to time served (one day in prison) and three years of supervised release, with the first six months in home confinement. Nolan was also ordered to pay restitution of $235,563 to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) and $78,446 to the SSA. On Sept. 22, 2023, Nolan pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements. From approximately November 2017 through August 2021, Nolan stole federal workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security disability benefits from approximately July 2019 through August 2021, totaling more than $310,000. In April 2019, Nolan falsely reported to the SSA that she had not worked since 2017 due to a medical disability, but was actively self-employed at a dermatology practice at the time. Nolan also made similar false statements to OWCP in May 2021. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations, Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Lock Haven Man Convicted Of Visa Fraud

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vinaykumar Patel, age 33, a citizen of the Republic of India, was convicted of multiple counts related to visa fraud and conspiracy following a three-day jury trial that concluded on December 6, 2023. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Patel was the manager of the Fuel-On convenience store in Lock Haven, PA. In June 2019, Patel contacted an associate of his in New Jersey and asked that person to hire someone to stage a robbery at the Fuel-On store. After the staged robbery occurred, it was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police. Patel then used the PSP reports of the robbery to apply for a U-visa. The U-visa is a special visa offered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to non-citizens who are victims of crime and who are cooperative with law enforcement. Patel had no lawful immigration status in the United States at the time of the staged robbery. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey MacArthur and Alisan Martin prosecuted the case. Patel faces a maximum penalty of 25 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Repeat Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Two Businesses

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with the armed robberies of two Boston and Brockton businesses in March. Fernando Bost, 32, of Boston, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Bost was charged in September 2023. On March 29, 2023 at approximately 11:05 p.m., a man entered RJ Smoke and Convenience Store in Dorchester, held the victim cashier at gunpoint and took cash before fleeing the store. While investigating the robbery, law enforcement learned that a 7-Eleven in Brockton was robbed approximately 40 minutes earlier that same day. Surveillance footage depicts the robber wearing the same unique clothing worn in the RJ Smoke and Convenience store robbery. A subsequent investigation identified a Kia Sorento captured in the vicinity of both businesses prior to the robberies and leaving after each robbery took place. Records determined that the vehicle had been rented out to Bost’s girlfriend at the time of the robberies. It was also determined that Bost’s EBT card had been used at a gas station and a Target the same day of the robberies. Surveillance footage obtained from those locations show Bost wearing clothing identical to that worn by the robber. Bost was arrested during a traffic stop near Springfield where a loaded Glock 43x with a high-capacity magazine was recovered in his sweatshirt. Bost is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to two previous armed robbery convictions from 2012 and 2017. Additionally, at the time of the offense, Bost had several pending charges for armed and unarmed robbery as well as three outstanding warrants issued out of three different courts for armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering daytime for felony, receiving stolen property and shoplifting. The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police Department; the Hamden County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Tobyhanna Man Sentenced To 72 Months’ Imprisonment For Heroin, Fentanyl And Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Darius Jamal Scott, age 46, of Tobyhanna, PA, was sentenced on December 7, 2023, by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 72 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 4-year period of supervised release, for heroin, fentanyl and cocaine trafficking. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from approximately April 2022 until June 15, 2022, Scott conspired with others to distribute and did distribute over 40 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, as well as over 100 grams of cocaine, in Tobyhanna and surrounding areas in Monroe County, PA. Scott was out on state parole for a prior handgun offense at the time of his commission of this federal narcotics offense. At his sentencing, Judge Mariani ordered that Scott’s 72-month federal sentence run consecutively to the 24-month sentence that Scott received for his parole violation. “This investigation demonstrates HSI’s commitment to identifying the most determined recidivists that peddle poison and prey on the most vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “HSI will leverage every resource and partnership, especially our outstanding collaboration with the PA Office of the Attorney General - Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, to rid our communities of the drug traffickers that plaque them.” This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John 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. This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. # # #


title: Former NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty In Connection With Obstructing A Federal Investigation And Helping A Gang Leader Evade Capture After Committing Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of GINA MESTRE, a former New York City Police Officer, in connection with her involvement in obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and serving as an accessory after the fact to a murder committed by the gang’s leader. MESTRE pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Denise Cote. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As she has now admitted, Gina Mestre, a former NYPD Officer, abused her position of public trust and betrayed the oath she took to protect and serve the citizens of New York City by helping a gang member evade capture for a murder of a rival gang member that he committed in broad daylight. When law enforcement officers break the laws they are sworn to uphold, they do a disservice to their fellow officers, to the departments that employ them, and to the public they serve. My Office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute such corruption.” As alleged in the Indictment, other public court documents, and statements made during court proceedings: MESTRE was an NYPD Police Officer from July 2013 to May 2022 and assigned to the 52nd Precinct’s Public Safety Unit. In the summer of 2020, a major focus of the precinct and the Public Safety Unit was the reduction of gun violence, much of which was committed by members of the Shooting Boys gang. The Shooting Boys gang is a criminal organization based in the University Heights section of the Bronx. Since at least 2017, members of the gang have sold drugs, used guns, and committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members. The gang’s territory and base of operations fell within the jurisdiction of the NYPD’s 52nd Precinct, where MESTRE worked. The leader of the Shooting Boys was Andrew Done, a/k/a “Caballo.” In or about June 2020, MESTRE began communicating with Done through secret social media accounts and phone numbers. MESTRE and Done began an intimate relationship, during which MESTRE provided Done and other gang members with confidential, non-public law enforcement information about the federal grand jury investigation into the Shooting Boys. For example, MESTRE warned Done and other gang members that federal authorities were investigating the gang and preparing to bring a federal indictment. MESTRE also warned Done about impending law enforcement operations, enabling Done and other gang members to conceal their criminal activity. In addition, MESTRE disclosed the identity of a witness cooperating with law enforcement and providing information about the gang, which allowed Done and other Shooting Boys to assault and intimidate the witness in an effort to prevent the witness from further cooperation. On November 5, 2020, Done shot and killed a rival gang member (“Victim-1”) as Victim-1 sat in his car in the Bronx. NYPD Detectives investigating the murder recovered security camera video capturing Done’s commission of the murder. Several members of the 52nd Precinct were called upon to assist in the identification of the person captured on the video. MESTRE was one of several officers who identified Done as the perpetrator. During the manhunt to apprehend Done, of which MESTRE was a part, MESTRE covertly advised Done that authorities were looking for him and sent Done a copy of the video that showed him committing the murder (thus making clear to Done that the evidence against him was overwhelming). In the days and weeks following the murder, MESTRE continued to secretly communicate with Done and warn him about law enforcement’s efforts to capture him, which helped him avoid apprehension and eventually flee the United States. During this time, while authorities were trying to locate Done, MESTRE was aware of the cellphone numbers being used by Done, communicated with Done while he used those cellphones, knew that the cellphone numbers could be used by law enforcement to track Done’s location, but failed to share the information regarding Done’s use of the cellphone numbers with other law enforcement officers. In March 2022, 10 members of the Shooting Boys were charged in a 15-count indictment with various federal crimes, including racketeering conspiracy and murder. Done was charged with the murder of Victim-1 and was apprehended in the Dominican Republic several months later. On November 17, 2022, Done pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and admitted to murdering Victim-1. On February 22, 2023, Done was sentenced to 35 years in prison. * * * MESTRE, 33, of Mohegan Lake, New York, pled guilty to one count of accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MESTRE will be sentenced by Judge Cote on March 21, 2024. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau, Group 25, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.


title: St. Louis Man Accused of Nearly $600,000 Pandemic Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri has been accused in an indictment of fraudulently obtaining nearly $600,000 in pandemic relief loans. Shahron Vaulx, 39, was indicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on six counts of bank fraud and two counts of wire fraud. He appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty. The indictment accuses Vaulx of submitting nine fraudulent applications seeking a total of $649,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and receiving about $595,000. Vaulx made the applications on behalf of Fortunnett Financial LLC, SD Incorporation LLC, SV Collections LLC and SD Marketing LLC, the indictment alleges. The applications contained false information about monthly payroll and the number of company employees and was sometimes supported by fraudulent or misleading tax forms, the indictment says. Vaulx made bulk cash withdrawals and sent money to others and used other funds on unapproved personal expenses including personal credit card bills, clothing, advertisements and payments to OnlyFans, the indictment says. The PPP loans were intended to help small businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bank fraud and wire fraud charges are each punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.


component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida last week convicted a Florida man of three counts of trafficking migratory birds. Ernesto Gonzalez Campos is the most recent conviction in “Operation Ornery Birds II,” which has resulted in five other defendants being sentenced in the Middle District of Florida. Operation Ornery Birds II was a Florida-wide investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Picture of a painted bunting seized from Campos and presented at trial. Exhibit 36, case 8:22-cr-00287. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campos, 36, of Brandon, Florida, had engaged in the ongoing capture, sale and trade of protected migratory songbirds. On at least three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Campos sold and traded indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and blue grosbeaks, all of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Campos trapped the birds from the wild, and once they were tamed, was able to sell them within the songbird community. Prior to Campos’ conviction, five other Florida individuals pleaded guilty and were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The defendants admitted to buying, selling or bartering a variety of MBTA-protected birds, all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. The defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps and the barter, purchase and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals in person and internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. The following individuals were sentenced: Jorge Luis Mena Graveram Sr., 59, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 8 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine. Eliernesto Baez Garcia, 29, of St. Petersburg, was sentenced on Aug. 14 to time served, one year of supervised release and a $200 fine. Ariam Rodriguez Diaz, 32, of Ocala, was sentenced on Aug. 18 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine. Jorge Alberto Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 57, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 6 to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine. Adrian Michel Ortega Rodriguez, 42, of Tampa, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to one year of probation and a $500 fine. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made the announcement. The USFWS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the above defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spergel and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case against Campos. ###


title: Pocahontas County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jose Dominguez, 42, of Snowshoe, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 29, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Dominguez in Beckley. During the traffic stop, a police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicles. Officers observed an open bag containing methamphetamine on the driver’s side floorboard. Dominguez admitted that he possessed the approximately 659 grams of methamphetamine found in the bag, that he had just acquired the controlled substance and that he intended to distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia. Dominguez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Beckley Police Department, and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-15. ###