title: Trucker Federally Indicted on Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an out-of-state truck driver with violations of various child pornography laws. According to court documents, David Morrison, Jr., 49, of North Carolina transported a collection of child pornography into Delaware from out of state on or about July 20, 2023. Additionally, the indictment alleges that, while in Delaware, Morrison received and possessed child pornography. Morrison is charged with Transportation, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, with a maximum penalty of 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Morrison was originally charged via complaint on August 2, 2023. David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox is prosecuting the case. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER . An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.


title: Niles Man Indicted For Possessing A Firearm As A Felon And Possessing A Machinegun

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lawrence Edward Slaughter II, 19, of Niles, with possessing a loaded Glock handgun when he was ineligible to possess firearms because of a prior felony conviction. The indictment also alleges that the handgun had been modified to a fully automatic firearm using a conversion device. A conversion device meets the federal definition of a “machinegun.” “Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts immense trauma on communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “The prevalence of machinegun conversion devices in the Western District is a particularly troubling trend that my office takes seriously. Criminals who traffic or possess these devices face the prospect of federal prosecution.” At the conclusion of the press conference, U.S. Attorney Totten affirmed his Office’s commitment to protect communities in every corner of the state: “Rest assured that whether you live in a big city or a small town, whether you work in a major metropolitan center or make your living working the land in the rural parts of the state: we are here to protect you and we will go anywhere to do so.” The indictment charges Slaughter with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a machinegun. The maximum possible penalty for felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison; the maximum penalty for possession of a machinegun is 10 years. “Removing violent offenders from our communities is one of the highest priorities of the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “We are proud of our partnership with the Niles Police Department and of our combined efforts to remove the most violent offenders from this community.” “The Niles Police Department reaffirms its commitment to combatting illegal gun violence and possession within our community,” said Niles Police Department Captain Chad Mitchell . “By joining forces with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Niles Police Department aims to bolster its resources, intelligence-sharing capabilities, and prosecutorial strength to target and apprehend those involved in illegal gun activities.” The indictment was announced during a press conference at Niles Police Department with U.S. Attorney Totten, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan Devin Kowalski, Niles Department of Public Safety Director Mike Dawson, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey, and the Michigan State Police. Video of today’s press conference can be viewed on the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page . The case was investigated by the Niles Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Saint Joseph, Michigan. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaToyia Carpenter. A copy of the indictment is attached. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. slaughter_lawrence_indictment.pdf ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Vestavia Man  on Child Pornography Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Last week, Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, of Vestavia, was convicted of distribution and transportation of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples made the announcement. In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s Operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. The evidence at trial established that Reid had distributed and transported numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material on the Kik messaging application in various private groups during the first half of 2020. The maximum penalty for distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography is 20 years in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years up to life. The FBI Birmingham's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Milwaukee Division, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Osborne and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for his role as a drug runner in a conspiracy to distribute internationally sourced fentanyl operating out of Lawrence, Massachusetts., U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Ramon Jaquez Diaz, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendant was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl on April 6, 2023. “For an international drug conspiracy to function, criminals perform various jobs- including delivering the drugs to suppliers and customers. Regardless of the role, those involved in conspiracies to distribute fentanyl will be prosecuted and punished,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crime and should serve as a deterrent to those who pollute our communities with this deadly poison.” “New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Diaz, who are contributing to the crisis,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence holds Mr. Diaz accountable for his crimes, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.” At trial, the government introduced transcripts from recorded telephone conversations between Jaquez Diaz and his co-conspirators, wherein the co-defendants discussed Jaquez Diaz’s role as the runner in the New England area. The evidence against the defendant also included law-enforcement surveillance. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth R. Aframe, Heather A. Cherniske, and John Kennedy are prosecuting 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: Justice Department Secures Agreement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against  Baltimore County Fire Department

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Baltimore County, Maryland, for significant relief and compensation for victims of sexual harassment. The settlement resolves the department’s complaint alleging that the county, through the Baltimore County Fire Department (BCFD), violated Title VII by subjecting several female employees to a hostile work environment on the basis of their sex. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices. “Women deserve protection from sexual harassment and sex discrimination in the workplace, and this lawsuit and consent decree demonstrate the department’s commitment to that principle,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Like any other employer, fire departments must take prompt and appropriate actions to correct an ongoing hostile work environment. Addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry is critical to efforts to bring more women into a profession where they have faced historic rates of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination.” According to the department’s complaint, filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, several female employees were subjected to a hostile work environment when a male coworker distributed nude and other inappropriate photographs of female BCFD employees to other coworkers, solicited such photographs from coworkers and posted the photos on a social media site. The complaint further alleges that BCFD failed to take prompt and appropriate actions to correct the ongoing hostile work environment. As alleged, BCFD failed to promptly and thoroughly investigate the harassment and failed to adequately communicate with the victims as the harassment came to light, perpetuating the hostile work environment that the female employees faced. Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, BCFD will overhaul its process for investigating complaints of sexual harassment, provide periodic sexual harassment training to its employees and conduct a workplace climate survey to gather information to aid in efforts to keep the workplace free of harassment. The county will also pay $275,000 to compensate female employees that were harmed by the harassment. “Every workplace should foster respect and dignity for all employees, period,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Our mission to protect civil rights extends to sexual harassment and employers should be on notice that we will vigorously enforce the laws. We are pleased that Baltimore County has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that their employees feel safe, respected and valued at their workplace.” This case stems from a charge of discrimination by a commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and investigated by the EEOC’s Baltimore office. The EEOC investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe that BCFD violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department. “Sexual harassment in the workplace too often goes uncorrected,” said Director Rosemarie Rhodes of the EEOC Baltimore Office. “Allowing such behavior to go unchecked when it affects one victim of sexual harassment is too much, let alone when it affects at least eleven victims. It’s critical to remind victims that sexual harassment is against the law, they do not have to tolerate it at work, and they are protected when they complain.” Employees with complaints of sexual harassment can report them to their local EEOC office or their respective state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office . The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Shan Shah and Sharion Scott of the of Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt for the District of Maryland. The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section .


title: 19-year-old pleads guilty to possessing firearm on local middle school grounds

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A 19-year-old Dayton man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to possessing a gun in the parking lot of an area middle school. Jacob Ruff, Jr. admitted he possessed a firearm on the grounds of Edwin Joel Brown Middle School on May 12, 2023. According to court documents, ballistics were collected from the scene and sent to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) when Dayton police officers responded to a shots fired call in the parking lot of the school. Security footage of the school implicated Ruff in the crime. On May 31, 2023, Ruff was arrested after fleeing from law enforcement at the site of a loud block party in a public roadway. Once he was apprehended, officers discovered a gun in his fanny pack. Agents with the ATF test fired the weapon and submitted shell casings to NIBIN, which matched the shell casings collected at Edwin Joel Brown Middle School. Ruff was charged federally in June 2023. Possessing a firearm in a school zone is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence, and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Through the violent-crime reduction program, 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. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Nokes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline H. Gentry. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Advertising Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to advertising child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web. Scott Allison, 58, of Glasgow, Ky., pleaded guilty to one count of advertisement of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 11, 2024. Allison was initially charged by criminal complaint in November 2021 in the Western District of Kentucky, and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in December 2021. In April 2021, Allison was identified advertising and posting links to CSAM, including images of boys as young as approximately two years old, via a website on the dark web for which he served as a moderator. Allison used at least two different usernames on various websites on the dark web. During a search of Allison’s home in November 2021, an external hard drive was located plugged into Allison’s computer in his bedroom and found to contain approximately 130,000 images and videos of CSAM. Allison also had the content or text of approximately 108,000 posts to child pornography websites saved on his computer. Additionally, a box containing boy’s underwear, diapers and condoms as well as a silicone mold of a boy’s buttocks with partial genitalia were also found during the search. The charge of advertisement of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Michael A. Bennett, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Nashville made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Vandalia man pleads guilty to possessing bulk amounts of fentanyl within elementary school zone

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A Vandalia man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today for possessing drugs in a school zone. Jason Glanton, 34, of Vandalia, possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl within 1,000 feet of Helke Elementary School on Randler Avenue in Vandalia. According to court documents, in the fall of 2022, the FBI and Dayton Police Department began investigating Glanton for fentanyl trafficking. Law enforcement observed Glanton sell fentanyl on at least three occasions in January and February 2023. While executing a search warrant in February 2023, agents discovered more than 136 grams of fentanyl, $9,000 in cash, five semiautomatic handguns and more than 300 rounds of ammunition in a basement office at Glanton’s home on Pool Avenue. Investigators also discovered three loaded handguns in the primary bedroom. In Glanton’s Chevrolet Silverado, officials discovered $10,000 in cash in the trunk and a loaded handgun in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle. When Glanton was arrested in March 2023, he had more than $1,700 in cash on him and nearly 75 grams of fentanyl in his Chrysler 300. Glanton faces a prison sentence of five to 80 years. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Duvall, Washington, man awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleads guilty to contacting minor online for illegal images

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A Duvall, Washington, man who was given a time-served sentence for possessing images of child sexual abuse, pleaded guilty today to a new crime, committed while he was awaiting the earlier sentencing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven Michael Burke, 37, will be sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor on December 8, 2023. Both the defense and prosecution will recommend a ten-year sentence. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentencing allowed by law. According to the plea agreement, while he was awaiting sentencing for possessing images of child sexual abuse, Burke reached out to an 11-year-old child via an internet program asking the child to send sexually explicit images. Burke also sent the child such images. The crime was discovered after Burke was sentenced for the earlier criminal conduct. Attempted Enticement of a Minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Burke has been in custody since his arrest on May 4, 2023. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon.


title: Former Finance Director at two non-profits sentenced to 41 months in prison for embezzling over $3 million

body_text: Seattle – The former Finance Director at two Seattle area non-profits was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 41 months in prison for embezzling more than $3 million from her employers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Susana Tantico, 63, of Renton, Washington committed the embezzlement over an eleven-year period. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, he could not understand how Tantico went from defrauding one non-profit to another, especially since the first provided medical care to immigrant communities. “You were leaving people who are sick today without the money to treat them,” Judge Robart told Tantico. “Ms. Tantico chose to victimize non-profit organizations, whose work is critical to our community: one employer provided medical care to those who cannot afford it; the other works to assist youth in the criminal justice system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But over 11 years, knowing she was putting critical services at risk, she stole millions to finance her mortgage, pay for her vacations, and finance her gambling losses.” According to records filed in the case, in 1999 Tantico began working for a non-profit that provides healthcare to underserved populations. Ultimately, Tantico became the non-profit’s Finance Director. Between 2011 and June 2020, Tantico secretly embezzled millions of dollars from the healthcare organization. Bank records are available only for the period beginning in December 2016. Between December 2016 and 2020, Tantico stole nearly $2.3 million from the healthcare non-profit. She used the non-profit’s debit and credit cards to withdraw $1.6 million at casinos for gambling. She also used the debit and credit cards to pay for personal vacations, such as a $26,000 family trip to Florida, and trips to Las Vegas and San Diego. Tantico also used the healthcare non-profit’s debit and credit cards for more than $83,000 worth of purchases at Nordstrom, and $40,000 worth of purchases at Apple stores. After running up these expenses, Tantico used the non-profit’s funds to pay the credit card bills and disguised the payments as legitimate expenses. For example, she categorized expenses for one vacation as “pharmacy supplies” in the accounting system. Throughout this timeframe, Tantico told the non-profit auditors that she was aware of no fraud at the non-profit. In 2020, Tantico went to work as Finance Director for a different non-profit -- one with a focus on criminal justice issues. Tantico used more than $485,000 of the non-profit’s funds for gambling at casinos. She transferred $21,000 from the non-profit to her mortgage servicer to pay her home mortgage. She also transferred money to her personal bank account. Tantico then altered the bank records to hide the embezzlement. At one point, Tantico was questioned by one of the organization’s banks about the pattern of withdrawals at casinos. She claimed that the non-profit held youth programs at the casinos, and that the withdrawals were for cash prize giveaways. In all, Tantico stole nearly $893,000 from the non-profit. The non-profit has incurred $132,000 in costs to forensically audit its books, fix its accounting procedures and records, and reply to vendors. In court today, Dominique Davis spoke about the impact of the embezzlement on his organization, Community Passageways. “This was rough, this betrayal of trust. It almost ruined our whole organization. We barely survived this. We were made out to be villains,” Davis told the court. In recommending a 41-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson noted, “Tantico abused positions of trust. Tantico was hired (twice) to safeguard the finances of her employers, and they trusted her to manage the funds with integrity. Instead, Tantico not only stole the money, but used her position to hide her theft. She created phony accounting entries that made her expenditures look like business expenses. She doctored bank statements. She lied to auditors. And she showed extreme duplicity by developing financial policies prohibiting the personal use of corporate credit cards, while knowing she was stealing millions of dollars by doing exactly that.” Tantico’s theft averaged about $550,000 per year between 2016 and 2022. In court today, Tantico said “I am truly sorry… They were my work family…. It’s like I was two separate people…. I always meant to fix it.” Following prison, Tantico will be on three years of supervised release. She has a restitution obligation of $3,121,572. She provided the court with a $60,000 check today from the sale of her home. The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson.


title: PHYSICIAN CONVICTED IN $9.5 MILLION HEALTH CARE FRAUD CONSPIRACY TO ACCEPT KICKBACKS

body_text: NASHVILLE – A federal jury in Nashville has convicted Doctor Benjamin T. Toh, 68, of Chicago, Illinois, for his role in a more than $9.5 million health care fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022. He was convicted of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute after a two-week trial. According to the evidence at trial, the defendant, who was enrolled as a Medicare provider and licensed to practice medicine in multiple states, worked with purported telemedicine companies to obtain access to Medicare and Medicaid patients around the country. From March 2019 through September 2019, he and others caused the submission of more than $9.5 million in fraudulent ]claims to Medicare and Medicaid for cancer genetic tests. The defendant ordered thousands of these tests despite never actually meeting the patients in person or via telemedicine and never reviewing test results. In exchange for providing signed orders for genetic testing, the defendant was paid kickbacks by co-conspirator telemedicine companies. These companies were, in turn, paid by co-conspirator marketing companies that targeted Medicare and Medicaid patients through door-to-door marketing, at senior fairs, at nursing homes, and at other locations, and convinced patients to provide their genetic material via a mouth swab kit. The marketers then provided the swab kits to a lab in Spring Hill, Tennessee, for laboratory cancer genetic testing and in exchange for kickbacks paid to them by the lab. The lab billed Medicare and Medicaid for the tests. “The defendant abused the trust Medicare placed in him to enrich himself and his co-conspirators at the expense of Medicare recipients and taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “The jury’s verdict should serve as a powerful reminder that health care providers who do so will be held accountable.” Based on the count of conviction, the defendant faces up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced on January 9, 2024. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a second conspiracy charge. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine are prosecuting the case. # # # # #


title: 59 Charged with Illegal Trafficking, Possession, and Use of Firearms, Drug Trafficking, and Conspiracy as a Result of Summer Violent Crime Reduction Effort in Cleveland

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Federal, county, and local law enforcement officials today announced that 59 individuals were charged and arrested in connection with firearms-trafficking, narcotics, conspiracy, or other firearms offenses after a three month, violent-crime-reduction initiative in Cleveland this summer. The vast majority were charged in U.S. District Court, while the remaining individuals were charged in state court. These individuals were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests made during the last two weeks. “The Justice Department’s work to disrupt and dismantle the criminal gun trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns has never been more urgent than it is now,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why our prosecutors and agents are working more closely than ever before with our local law enforcement partners to get illegal guns off of our streets and hold accountable those who put illegal guns in the hands of violent criminals.” Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. They detail a lengthy investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), that focused on reducing firearms-related crime in several areas of Cleveland by studying data about areas with gun-crime violence, then identifying illegal firearms sellers to disrupt their trafficking. The investigation resulted in the seizure of over 240 firearms, 203 of which law enforcement purchased from illegal sellers and permanently removed from Cleveland’s streets. National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) data shows that a significant number of those firearms are connected to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that took place in Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio suburbs in 2022 and 2023. Of the purchased firearms, 17 are “ghost guns” – meaning, unserialized and untraceable firearms, typically assembled at home – and 28 are machinegun conversion devices or “switches” – a device that enables a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode. In one case, law enforcement purchased more than 50 firearms from a group of seven people working together to sell firearms on Cleveland’s streets, even though none of the involved individuals hold a federal firearms license. Those firearms included stolen firearms, firearms with obliterated serial numbers, “switches,” already-loaded firearms, assault rifles, and firearms that had been previously used to commit violent crimes. Sometimes, these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement officers at the same time. In two additional cases, law enforcement purchased, respectively, 33 firearms (including “switches”) and 23 firearms (including “switches”) from two other individuals who do not hold a federal firearms license. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas while nearby uninvolved, law-abiding citizens were engaged in their day-to-day errands or engaged in recreational activities. Also, during this investigation, the ATF identified five individuals who were actively engaged in a conspiracy to conduct a home invasion and rob, at gunpoint, what they believed to be a “stash house” containing several kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement intervened before these individuals could carry out their plan. Additionally, during this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized almost 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 215 grams of cocaine base, almost three kilograms of methamphetamine, 686 fentanyl pills, almost 1.5 kilograms of heroin/fentanyl mix, and 1,144 MDMA pills (otherwise known as Molly or Ecstasy). Some defendants were charged together, but several others were charged individually. In all cases, however, the charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort this past summer, led by the ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to clamp down on the illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, as well as the associated distribution of drugs, in Cleveland. The following is a breakdown of the charges in U.S. District Court, according to court documents: Malachi Berry, 21; Darvell Jackson, 20; and Steven Armstrong, 19, all of Cleveland, were charged together with conspiracy to possess a machinegun. Jackson and Armstrong were further charged with illegal possession of a machinegun. In the same indictment, these individuals, along with Nimar Linder , 21, of Cleveland, were also charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. Armstrong and Linder were charged as felons in possession of a firearm. Carlos Dupree, 43, of Cleveland; Dominique Goldsby, 32, of Cleveland; Jesse Mcdade, 41, of Cleveland; Norman Young, 37, of Cleveland; Martin Goodson, 41, of Cleveland; Lajuan Erwin, 25, of Mayfield Heights; Chevez Moorer, 23, of Cleveland; Aaron Wimbley, 22, of Garfield Heights; Alexander Duncan, 19, of Cleveland; Damien Body, 39, of Cleveland; Derrick Donald, 41, of Cleveland; Nahum Holmes, 31, of Brook Park; Akil Edmonds, 39, of Cleveland; Willie C. Jackson, 36, of Cleveland; and Deandre Smith, 36, of Cleveland, were indicted on distribution of drugs charges. Josean Ortiz-Stuart, 34, and Jesus Vega, 29, both of Cleveland, were indicted together and both charged with distribution of drugs. Also named in that indictment was Gerald Matos, 38, of Cleveland, who was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Elias Pagan, 32, Ivan Santana, 26, and Angel Santiago, 46, all of Cleveland, were indicted together. Pagan faces numerous charges for distribution of drugs, as well being a felon in possession of firearms, and both Pagan and Santana were also charged with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Santiago is also charged with distribution of drugs. Ambray Underwood, 25, of Euclid, was charged in an indictment for conspiracy to distribute drugs, and drug distribution. Willie Earl Jackson, 26, of Cleveland, and Shane Plats, 31, of Ashtabula, were charged in the same indictment with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license. Wiilie Earl Jackson was also charged in that indictment with trafficking in firearms. Deshonn Brown, 19, and Demarius Jefferson, 18, both of Cleveland, were both charged with illegal possession of machineguns. Jacob Plumb, 40, of Parma, was charged with distribution of drugs and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Isaiah Overton, 23, of Cleveland, and Charles Morris, 33, of East Cleveland, were charged in a single indictment with distribution of drugs. Additionally, Overton was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking Crime. Corte’z Buggs, 29, of Cleveland, was charged in an indictment with distribution of Drugs and receipt of firearm while under felony indictment. Michael Mcpherran, 38, of Parma, was charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and distribution of drugs. Harold Pearl, 39, of Cleveland, was charged with distribution of drugs and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Alante Heard, 33, of Cleveland; Antonio Sweeney, 24, of Cleveland; Maurice Commons, 22, of North Randall; and Markus Williams, 33, of Cleveland, were charged by complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute drugs and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Marquis Henson, 38; Deon Brown, 19; and Clarence Payne, 38, all of Cleveland, were charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kenneth Smith, 23, of East Cleveland, was charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, illegal possession of a machinegun, and being a felon in possession of firearms. Andre Lewis, 35, of Cleveland, was charged with distribution of drugs and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Devaunty Lewis, 31, and Nicholas Johnson, 33, both of Cleveland, were charged jointly in an indictment with conspiracy to engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license, and conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking. Both were individually charged with engaging business in dealing with firearms without a license and trafficking in firearms. Lewis was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Johnson was also charged with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Maurice Sterett, 39, of Cleveland; Antonio Cross, 22, of Cleveland; Marvell Roach, 43, of Willoughby; Kenneth Timberlake, 30, of Cleveland; and Travis Williams, 46, of Cleveland, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Sterett, Cross, Timberlake, and Williams were further charged, individually, with engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms without a federal firearms license. Sterett, Cross, Roach, Timberlake, and Williams were also charged with conspiracy to engage in firearms trafficking and individual counts of firearms trafficking. Sterett, Timberlake, Travis Williams, and Roach were also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Sterett was further charged with distribution of drugs. Cross was also charged with illegal transfer of a machinegun. Darion Shelton, 20, of Cleveland, was charged with engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license, and trafficking in firearms in connection with machinegun conversation devices or “switches.” He has also been charged with illegal possession of a machinegun. The following is a breakdown of the charges in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, according to court documents: Marcel Battle, 30, of Canton: drug trafficking; Avant Wilson, 22, of Cleveland: receiving stolen property (motor vehicle); Nathan Roby, 44, of Cleveland: drug trafficking; Raymond Callahan, 34, of Cleveland: drug trafficking; Raphael Deen, 30, of Cleveland: drug trafficking; Terry Lyons, 33, of Cleveland: drug trafficking; If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any penalty after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Attorney General Garland and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement. ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott, and Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as regarding larger firearms enforcement and violence-prevention efforts. ATF investigated these cases, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Ohio Investigative Unit, Customs and Border Patrol, Air and Marine Division, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Galvin and other Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of Ohio and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office are prosecuting the cases. An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. –Judy Ann Goodman, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, was sentenced today to two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Goodman conspired with Western Regional Jail inmate Corey Michael Perkins during phone calls to assist the smuggling of a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. The phone calls were recorded by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Goodman admitted that she helped to pay a woman working at the jail to transport the drugs into the jail. Goodman further admitted that Perkins instructed her on what to do with the package and arranged a meeting between Goodman and the jail worker. Investigators intercepted the package when the jail worker attempted to deliver it. Goodman admitted that the package contained 126 Suboxone strips and approximately 7.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the controlled substances were buprenorphine and 6.8 grams of methamphetamine. Perkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. The jail worker, Bryanna Danielle Kern, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone. Both await sentencing. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the investigations section of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe, Courtney L. Finney, and Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-220. ###


title: Bitcoin-for-Cash Exchange Business Owner Agrees to Plead Guilty to Failing to Maintain an Effective Anti-Money Laundering Program

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man has agreed to plead guilty to breaking federal law by allowing his cryptocurrency-cash exchange company to help scammers and drug traffickers launder millions of dollars in criminal proceeds through his business, the Justice Department announced today. Charles James Randol, 33, agreed to plead guilty to a single-count information charging him with failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Both the information and plea agreement were filed today in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Randol is expected to formally plead guilty to the charge in the coming weeks. According to his plea agreement, from October 2017 to July 2021, Randol owned and operated a virtual-currency money services business that eventually was known as Digital Coin Strategies LLC. This company offered cryptocurrency-cash exchange services for a commission. Randol offered his cryptocurrency exchange services in various ways, including meeting anonymous customers in-person to complete transactions, controlling and operating a network of automated kiosks in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties that converted cash to Bitcoin and vice versa, and conducting Bitcoin-for-cash transactions for unknown individuals who mailed large amounts of U.S. currency to him, including to post office boxes that he controlled. Randol advertised his business on various websites, and he maintained a company website that falsely claimed his business was “a fully compliant…money services business” that was registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the United States Treasury Department. In fact, as Randol admitted in his plea agreement, he repeatedly violated federal law and his company’s own AML policies by facilitating suspicious currency exchange transactions and taking steps to conceal them from law enforcement, including by failing to file required currency transaction reports and suspicious activity reports. For example, Randol frequently conducted in-person cash transactions that exceeded $10,000 with anonymous or pseudo-anonymous individuals, including people who Randol knew only as “Puppet Shariff,” “White Jetta,” “Aaavvv,” “Aaaa,” “Yogurt Monster,” and “Hood.” In his plea agreement, Randol admitted to engaging in three specific transactions from October 2020 to January 2021 in which he exchanged a total of $273,940 in cash for Bitcoin without requesting a name, proof of identity, Social Security number, or any other information about the buyer or the source of the funds being exchanged. Such transactions violated the Bank Secrecy Act and his company’s AML policy, which required, among other things, that he verify the identity of customers engaging in transactions over $9,999 by obtaining the customer’s full name, address, Social Security number, a verified phone number, and a photocopy of the customer’s official government identification. Exchanging Bitcoin for cash sent in the mail from unknown persons While operating his crypto-exchange business, Randol also conducted hundreds of Bitcoin-for-cash transactions after receiving large cash shipments in the mail from anonymous individuals. In a typical transaction, an anonymous individual would text Randol using an encrypted platform to notify him that a parcel containing cash had been sent to a location that Randol controlled in or around Los Angeles. Once Randol received the parcel, he would count the money and send an equivalent amount of Bitcoin – minus a commission – to a digital wallet controlled by his customers. As with in-person transactions, Randol did not conduct any due diligence on the people mailing him large sums of cash, the source of funds being exchanged, or the purpose of the transaction. When Randol received the packages, the cash was often packaged in a suspicious manner, including cash hidden inside children’s books, concealed inside fake birthday or holiday presents, buried within puzzle pieces, or wrapped within multiple magazines. On June 5, 2019, FBI agents interviewed Randol about fraud proceeds that had been mailed to post office boxes he controlled. Two days later, Randol texted a customer stating that he would be taking a “hiatus” from converting cash parcels into cryptocurrency because he “ran into an issue with [law enforcement].” But less than a week later, Randol resumed his cash parcels activity after that same anonymous customer asked Randol if he could exchange $10,000 in cash for Bitcoin. Randol admitted that his failure to comply with Bank Secrecy Act requirements, including maintaining an effective AML program resulted in criminals using Randol’s business to launder millions of dollars of criminal proceeds. For example, between June 2018 and early 2020, Randol exchanged Bitcoin for cash that was mailed to him by a New Jersey resident who had been tricked into believing his grandson was facing criminal prosecution after purportedly killing an elderly woman in a traffic accident and that the money the victim was sending would be used to help the victim’s grandson with his legal problems. Based on these lies, the victim drained his savings and retirement accounts. While Randol did not participate in the fraud, his business converted the victim’s cash to cryptocurrency and sent it to various digital wallets without conducting any customer due diligence or investigating the source of the money he was receiving. Illegal Bitcoin kiosk transactions Because to Randol’s deficient AML practices, criminals were also able to structure and launder funds through his Bitcoin kiosks. Specifically, Randol operated numerous Bitcoin kiosks, which were in malls, gas stations, and convenience stores in cities such as Los Angeles, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, and Riverside. But the setting on Randol’s kiosks allowed customers to structure funds to avoid currency reporting requirements by creating numerous accounts and by engaging in successive transactions involving up to $3,000. He also set up one or more “test” accounts that contained no customer information, which he allowed customers to use to complete kiosk transactions. In September 2020, Randol hired a compliance officer for Digital Coin Strategies. Randol ignored this individual’s advice to cease any use of “test” accounts for customer transactions on Bitcoin kiosks. Randol also continued to conduct in-person transactions, despite his compliance officer’s warning that doing so increased the risk that the cash or Bitcoin Randol was receiving was derived from an unlawful source. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter, with assistance from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Shelton Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Amazon

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OSHANE STEWART, 31, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”). According to court documents and statements made in court, Stewart created multiple vendor accounts with Amazon allowing him to sell merchandise through the website on a third-party basis. He often opened the accounts using false names, email addresses and other identifying information. After setting up the accounts, Stewart represented to Amazon that he was shipping it valuable merchandise to be held for sale by the company. In reality, he would not ship the merchandise, and would later falsely claim that it had been lost, supporting his false claims with fabricated documents. Amazon sent Stewart a series of refunds for the purportedly lost merchandise. Through this scheme, Stewart defrauded Amazon of approximately $742,231.16. Judge Thompson ordered him to pay full restitution. On November 8, 2022, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Stewart who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 5. Two other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with this scheme. On February 10, 2022, Stewart’s brother, Kenoy Stewart, pleaded guilty and admitted that his conduct resulted in a loss to Amazon exceeding $1 million. Rajhni Yankana pleaded guilty on August 26, 2022. Each awaits sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: St. Paul Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Role in Child Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and restitution to the victims for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 21, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts. The prosecution team, led by Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Williams, Laura Provinzino and Emily Polachek, said, “Anton Lazzaro and Gisela Castro Medina have been held accountable for their crimes. This case has shown the reality of modern-day sex trafficking: wealth, privilege, and social media used as weapons to target and manipulate vulnerable youth. It’s been a long road and we are grateful to the victims for their strength and resilience throughout.” According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangement website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual acts with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Half of each cash payment was for Castro Medina. According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls. Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vapes, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items. According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore. On December 19, 2022, Castro Medina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. She was sentenced today by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz who stated that Castro Medina helped Lazzaro at “every step of the way.” This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams, Laura M. Provinzino, and Emily A. Polachek are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: Former county attorney convicted of extorting money from defendant’s mother

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 50-year-old man from Rio Grande City has pleaded guilty to extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Victor Canales was a Starr County attorney from 2005 to 2022. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes. In September 2021, a woman reached out to Canales for assistance because her son had been charged with three misdemeanor offenses in Starr County. He said he could help her and that for $1500, he could take care of the Starr County tickets. The mother gave Canales three money orders totaling $1500. He deposited the proceeds into his own checking account and used it for his own personal needs rather than depositing the monies into the Starr County account. Canales then sent a series of letters to Cameron County indicating the three charges against the woman’s son would be dropped. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 15. At that time, Canales faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Canales was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation with the assistance of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations and Texas Rangers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Profit is prosecuting the case.


title: Maryland Security Guard Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Maryland security guard was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for tax evasion. In December 2022, Gaston Gilberto Reyes of Germantown was convicted of six counts of tax evasion following a jury trial. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Reyes did not file income tax returns for the years 2011 through 2020 and thus did not report more than $1.6 million in income from his employment as an armed security guard at federal buildings in Maryland. In addition to not filing tax returns, Reyes provided his employers with false Forms W-4 claiming he was exempt from federal income tax withholding, causing little or no federal income taxes to be withheld from his wages. In total, Reyes caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $330,000. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel ordered Reyes to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $219,167 to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and George Meggali of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Statement by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office, issued the following statement: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer their diverse student body a unique academic and cultural experience built on pride, resilience, and unity. HBCUs and their students strengthen our communities. We are incredibly fortunate to have HBCUs throughout the country, including here in South Florida. HBCUs were created in the 1800s to provide educational opportunities for Black students who were excluded and unwelcome from attending existing colleges and universities. HBCUs across our great nation are venerable institutions where students thrive and should always be safe from harm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI stand ready to investigate and prosecute allegations of a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. We are united in our efforts to protect the safety and security of our South Florida students, visitors, and residents. As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated last month, “The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.” We encourage the community to report all suspected hate crimes to the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324 ) and tips.fbi.gov. ###


title: Bakersfield Resident Sentenced for Methamphetamine Sales from Smoke Shop

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Abraham Eduardo Navarro Mendez, 39, of Bakersfield, Calif., was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in 2019, agents of Homeland Security Investigations received information that Navarro Mendez was selling methamphetamine from Havana Smoke Shop in Bakersfield. They then conducted two separate undercover drug transactions with Navarro Mendez, who delivered a total of 2.5 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine for $3,750. This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.


title: Repeat drug and gun offender sentenced to nine years in prison for new crimes committed while on supervised release

body_text: Seattle – A former resident of Pierce and Thurston Counties was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 9 years in prison for gun and drug crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Deon Jordan, 35, was released from federal prison in September 2020, following an 87-month prison sentence for dealing drugs while armed. Jordan almost immediately violated the terms of his supervised release with drug use as well as firearms possession. Following two contacts with police when he was found to have guns and drugs – including fentanyl - Jordan was charged with new federal crimes. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat facing our country.” “The goal of supervised release is to help offenders return to the community and live a crime-free life. Sadly, Mr. Jordan chose to reject any assistance and instead carried on with criminal conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This nine-year sentence is now needed to keep the community safe from the drugs Mr. Jordan trafficked and the guns he was prepared to use to protect his deadly stash.” In October 2022, Jordan was found passed out in a car under the freeway in downtown Seattle. After being identified by police, Jordan fled from the scene and hid a gun that he carried under a nearby car. Police seized that weapon and when they searched the car Jordan had been in, they found three more firearms as well as distribution amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl pills and more than a kilogram of methamphetamine. A warrant was issued for Jordan’s arrest. In November 2022, Jordan was located near a Seattle homeless encampment. Federal officers surveilled the area, and observed Jordan get into a car. When the car stopped at a convenience store, officers moved in. Jordan was arrested with a 9 mm Baretta pistol in his pocket and a second unregistered 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine in his backpack. Jordan had fentanyl pills, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, drug ledgers and more than $10,000 cash in his possession. In April 2023 Jordan pleaded guilty to illegal firearms possession, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In asking for a 12-year prison sentence for both the new crimes and the violations of supervised release, Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham wrote to the court, “Simply put, whenever Jordan is not in custody, he sells drugs while using firearms to protect his business… When released, he exhibits complete disregard for the law and the Court by possessing firearms and ignoring the terms of his supervision. Furthermore, the fact that Jordan consistently carried loaded firearms and ammunition makes clear he is willing to fire these weapons if necessary to protect his drug stash…. Jordan’s actions put his entire community at risk.” The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham. 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: Cooperating Federal Contractor Resolves Liability for Alleged False Claims  Caused by Failure to Fully Implement Cybersecurity Controls

component: Civil Division

body_text: Verizon Business Network Services LLC, of Ashburn, Virginia, has agreed to pay $4,091,317 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it failed to completely satisfy certain cybersecurity controls in connection with an information technology service provided to federal agencies. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Verizon took a number of significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government. “When government contractors fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, they may jeopardize the security of sensitive government information and information systems,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch. “We will continue to pursue knowing cybersecurity related violations under the Department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative and to provide credit in settlements to government contractors that disclose misconduct, cooperate with pending investigations and take remedial measures, all of which are critically important to protecting the nation against cyber threats.” This settlement relates to Verizon’s Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS), which is designed to provide federal agencies with secure connections to the public internet and other external networks. The settlement resolves allegations that Verizon’s MTIPS solution did not completely satisfy three required cybersecurity controls for Trusted Internet Connections with respect to General Services Administration (GSA) contracts from 2017 to 2021. After learning of the issues, Verizon provided the government with a written self-disclosure, initiated an independent investigation and compliance review of the issues and provided the government with multiple detailed supplemental written disclosures. Verizon cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues and took prompt and substantial remedial measures. “The United States should get the cybersecurity controls that it contracts and pays for to safeguard against cyber threats that could compromise critical information and systems,” said Acting Inspector General Robert C. Erickson of the GSA. “I appreciate the efforts of the investigative team that worked on this case.” On Oct. 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here . The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the GSA’s Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: New Britain Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing and Selling Catalytic Converters

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERTO ALICEA, 31, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into the coordinated theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component. The investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Alicea, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Business records seized during the investigation revealed that, between December 2021 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Alicea approximately $540,000 for catalytic converters. Alicea’s criminal history includes convictions for larceny, criminal trespass, property damage, assault with a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon, and engaging in a police pursuit. Alicea has been detained since his arrest on August 23, 2022. On June 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.


title: Federal Escapee Sentenced for Leading $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Trevor Scott Sparks, a Kansas City, Missouri, federal defendant who escaped after trial and was recaptured, was sentenced in federal district court today for his role in leading a $4.1 million heavily armed drug-trafficking conspiracy, and directing two kidnappings, both resulting in murders, and numerous assaults. The drug trafficking organization (DTO) Sparks led distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas in 2017 and 2018. Sparks, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to life imprisonment, plus 60 months consecutive, in federal prison without parole on the drug, money, and gun charges, all consecutive to 33 months for the escape. The court also ordered Sparks to pay a money judgment of $400,000.00, which represents the profits he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average street sale price of $7,500.00 per kilogram, and an average cost to the DTO of $3,500.00 a kilogram. Sparks and the co-conspirators he supplied are believed to have distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 2 years. On November 7 th , 2022, Sparks was found guilty by a jury of all counts presented during the weeklong trial. The charges included participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds from January 1, 2017, to December 18, 2018, possessing firearms in relation to that drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sparks and several of his co-conspirators were arrested out of a residence on Smart Avenue in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri, on December 18, 2018. Located in that residence were numerous firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, United States currency, drug ledgers, and other indicia of drug trafficking. This is the same residence where at least two of the DTO related assaults occurred. While no one was charged with nor convicted at trial of it, members of the Sparks DTO were found responsible at sentencing by the Court for two murders. In early August 2018, James “Old School” Hampton was seized in St. Louis by members of the Sparks DTO at the direction of Sparks. Hampton was seized because the drug conspiracy was convinced Hampton could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, Hampton was restrained, beaten, and tortured. Hampton was then kidnapped and transported from St. Louis to Kansas City in the trunk of his own car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten, tortured, restrained, and kidnapped, was also kidnapped and taken to Kansas City. Once in Kansas City, Hampton was left in the trunk of his car and he and his car were secreted in a co-conspirator’s garage near the Smart residence. Broyles managed to obtain control of another co-conspirator’s cellular telephone and surreptitiously send text messages to friends and family in St. Louis about her and “Old School’s” plight. Once that was discovered by the DTO, Sparks directed the DTO to move from one hotel to another, thereby thwarting efforts to locate Broyles. Her friends and family and law enforcement were unable to locate her before she was murdered by members of the Sparks DTO. On August 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Missouri. This was after members of the DTO retrieved Hampton’s car (and body) from the secreted location and Sparks directed them to take it and burn it because of the odor emanating from the vehicle and to destroy the evidence and Hampton’s body. Witnesses and video identified Co-Defendant Gerald Lee Ginnings of Grandview, Missouri, being followed by Co-Defendant Markus Michael A. Patterson, of Kansas City, Missouri, in another co-conspirator’s car, as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car with his body in the trunk to Bates City, Missouri, where it was found by the Sni Valley Fire Department fully engulfed. Once they extinguished the flames, Hampton’s desecrated body was found in what was left of the trunk. Sparks forgave a drug debt of Ginnings for this duty. On August 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered near the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head. While not charged nor convicted of it, the Court at sentencing found that witnesses and evidence implicated Sparks in ordering her killing because of what she knew about Hampton. Ginnings and Patterson were likewise implicated as the two responsible for this murder. Ginnings was sentenced August 25, 2023, to 520 months in federal prison on similar charges to Sparks. Co-Defendant Patterson was sentenced August 17, 2023, to 560 months on the same charges. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone involved in drug trafficking to possesses firearms related to that trafficking and it is also illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Sparks has prior felony convictions for robbery, drug offenses, and assault. Sparks was the main defendant over two indictments with 32 co-defendants, all who have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in those two cases. On December 6, 2022, Sparks and fellow federal inmate Sergio Perez-Martinez escaped the Cass County jail where they were being held for sentencing in their respective federal cases. On December 30, 2022, Sparks was apprehended in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. Also charged in that escape case was Perez-Martinez (still at large), Sparks’ mother and stepfather, and another man, who was the co-conspirator that stored the car with Hampton in it. Sparks was also sentenced today for that escape to which he pled guilty on June 28, 2023. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. They were investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Sni Valley Fire Department, the Jackson, Lafayette, Buchanan, Phelps, and Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Departments, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. James, Mo., Police Department.


title: Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing a Firearm  in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Derrick Gage, 42, of Bakersfield, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance a Drug Trafficking Offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, law enforcement officers were on patrol at the Plaza Motel on Union Avenue in Bakersfield when they saw Gage inside a room with a firearm and what appeared to be drugs. The officers searched the room and seized a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun as well as cocaine. Gage is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions for domestic violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and sales of cocaine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Laurel J. Montoya 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Friant Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl  that Caused an Overdose Death

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Bobby Hood, 65, of Friant, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in the summer of 2020 law enforcement learned that Mr. Hood was trafficking fentanyl and heroin. Just a few months later, on Christmas Day, a small amount of fentanyl powder that Mr. Hood distributed led to an overdose death. In that overdose investigation, investigators reviewed phone evidence that corroborated Mr. Hood’s sale of the lethal dose and other instances of his fentanyl dealing. All that information led to federal officers searching Hood, his car, and his residence. Those searches turned up a firearm, 508 grams of methamphetamine, 67 grams of fentanyl, and 1.75 ounces of heroin. This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: Eagle River Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography, Sexual Abuse of a Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man pleaded guilty today to one count sexual exploitation of a child for production of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Michael V. Ross, 32, coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and documented some of the abuse through pictures and videos kept on his cell phone. It is alleged that the abuse occurred between March 2017 and August 2021, sometimes occurring weekly. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey and Adam Alexander are prosecuting the case.


title: San Jose Man Sentenced for Eight Years and Six Months for Conspiring to Traffic Methamphetamine in Solano County

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Esteban Gerardo Ramirez, 32, of San Jose, was sentenced today to eight years and six months in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Sept. 13, 2021, and March 8, 2022, Ramirez conspired with his codefendant, Marsha Garma Phillips, of Fairfield, to distribute methamphetamine in Solano County. Supplied by Ramirez, Phillips sold over 5 pounds of methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source. Phillips and Ramirez were arrested in Fremont on March 8, 2022, when they were found in possession of 2 additional pounds of methamphetamine. Ramirez has two prior state sentences for methamphetamine trafficking. Ramirez is in federal custody. Phillips previously pleaded guilty and her next court date is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2023. This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Fairfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Lantry Woman Sentenced for Larceny

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lantry, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on September 1, 2023. Trude Clown, age 47, was sentenced to all time served through October 11, 2023, equal to approximately one-and-a-half months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay restitution of $20,143.61 and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Clown was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. She pleaded guilty on May 31, 2023. The conviction stemmed from Clown purchasing a variety of goods and services between February 1, 2022, and June 1, 2022, with information she obtained from the victim’s bank card. Clown used this information to make numerous unauthorized purchases online and from businesses located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Indian Reservation. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Clown was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Indictment Charges D.C. Man with Sexual Abuse and  Exploitation of Children

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Humphrey, 41, of Washington, D.C., a registered sex offender, was indicted today in U.S. District Court on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, first degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, and transportation and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to a previously filed criminal complaint, on July 3, 2023, Google LLC reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that two Google accounts, later identified as Humphrey’s, uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the Google LLC servers on May 16, 2020, May 17, 2020, August 30, 2020, September 22, 2020, December 1, 2020, and June 16, 2023. In total, Humphrey uploaded more than 40 files depicting the sexual abuse of children. Law enforcement obtained a warrant authorizing the search of Humphrey’s Google account. In his Google account, law enforcement discovered at least three videos that show Humphrey sexually abusing a young girl. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that over the past several years, Humphrey has had unsupervised access to several children. Law enforcement is asking for assistance in identifying and locating additional victims of Humphrey’s abuse. If you have any information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099, or send an anonymous text to 50411. Humphrey previously has been convicted on charges relating to the sexual abuse of children. On March 10, 2020, he was convicted of third-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland. As a result of this conviction, Humphrey was required to register as a Tier III Sex Offender. Following his release from custody, he failed to register as a Sex Offender, as required by law. On March 17, 2022, Humphrey was charged in Montgomery County for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was subsequently found guilty of the offense. Humphrey was ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender upon release for a March 10, 2020, conviction in Montgomery County, Maryland. On May 2, 2022, Humphrey registered as a sex offender in the District of Columbia as required by law. Humphrey was arrested on August 11, 2023, and has been in custody ever since. Sexual exploitation of a child carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years, in prison. Because of his prior convictions, and his status as a registered sex offender, Humphrey could face a mandatory minimum of 35 years imprisonment if he is found guilty of this offense. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Amy Larson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and Justice Department Civil Rights Division Secure Agreement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Baltimore County Fire Department

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced today that they have reached a settlement with Baltimore County, Maryland for significant relief and compensation for victims of sexual harassment. The settlement resolves the Justice Department’s complaint alleging that Baltimore County, through the Baltimore County Fire Department (BCFD), violated Title VII by subjecting several female employees to a hostile work environment based on their sex. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices. The settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. According to the complaint, filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, several female employees were subjected to a hostile work environment when a male coworker distributed nude and inappropriate photographs of female BCFD employees to other coworkers, solicited such photographs from coworkers, and posted the photographs on a social media site. The complaint further alleges that BCFD failed to take prompt and appropriate actions to correct the ongoing hostile work environment. As alleged, BCFD failed to promptly and thoroughly investigate the harassment and failed to adequately communicate with the victims as the harassment came to light, perpetuating the hostile work environment that the female employees faced. “Every workplace should foster respect and dignity for all employees, period,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Our mission to protect civil rights extends to sexual harassment and employers should be on notice that we will vigorously enforce the laws. We are pleased that Baltimore County has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that their employees feel safe, respected, and valued at their workplace.” “Women deserve protection from sexual harassment and sex discrimination in the workplace, and this lawsuit and consent decree demonstrate the department’s commitment to that principle,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Like any other employer, fire departments must take prompt and appropriate actions to correct an ongoing hostile work environment. Addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry is critical to efforts to bring more women into a profession where they have faced historic rates of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination.” Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, BCFD will overhaul its process for investigating complaints of sexual harassment, provide periodic sexual harassment training to its employees, and conduct a workplace climate survey to gather information to aid in efforts to keep the workplace free of harassment. The County will also pay $275,000 to compensate female employees that were harmed by the harassment. This case stems from a charge of discrimination filed by a Commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (“EEOC”) Baltimore office. The EEOC investigated the charge and found reasonable cause that BCFD violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Department of Justice. The Baltimore EEOC Office Director Rosemarie Rhodes added, “Sexual harassment in the workplace too often goes uncorrected. Allowing such behavior to go unchecked when it affects one victim of sexual harassment is too much, let alone when it affects at least eleven victims. It’s critical to remind victims that sexual harassment is against the law, they do not have to tolerate it at work, and they are protected when they complain.” The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Shan Shah and Sharion Scott of the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights work, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights. # # #