title: Former Bosnian Prison Camp Supervisor Charged with Decades-Long Scheme to Conceal Wartime Persecution

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Swampscott man was arrested and charged today for allegedly making fraudulent claims of persecution to become a United States refugee and, later, a United States citizen. Kemal Mrndzic, 50, was charged with falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact from the U.S. government by trick, scheme, or device; using a fraudulently obtained U.S. passport; and possessing and using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate and fraudulently obtained Social Security card. Mrndzic was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon before Chief Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley, was released on a $30,000 cash bond. According to the complaint affidavit, Mrndzic served as a supervisor of the guards at a notorious prison camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the sectarian war which fractured the country in the 1990s. The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found that guards at the Celebici prison camp had committed numerous murders, rapes, and had engaged in torture and other forms of persecution of Serb prisoners held at the camp. Three of Mrndzic’s fellow guards were convicted by the ICTY after a trial in the Hague at which survivors testified to the harrowing prison camp conditions. According to the complaint, numerous survivors have since identified Mrndzic as being involved in the beatings and other abuses committed there. According to court documents, after the war ended, investigators from the ICTY interviewed Mrndzic in Sarajevo and allegedly accused him of being involved in the abuses at Celebici. Mrndzic subsequently concocted a scheme to flee the country by crossing the border into Croatia and allegedly applying as a refugee to the United States using a fabricated story. It is alleged that in his refugee application and interview, he falsely claimed that he fled his home after he was captured, interrogated and abused by Serb forces, and could not return home for fear of future persecution. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in 1999, and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009. Celebici Camp survivors and family members who have information about the operation of the Camp, or have questions regarding this matter, should call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 888-221-6023 or send an email to: usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov. Please indicate if you would prefer to be contacted in English or Serbo-Croatian. Bivši logoraši koji su bili u logoru u Čelebićima ili članovi njihovih porodica koji imaju informacije o logoru ili pitanje o ovom predmetu, mogu nazvati Jedinice za pomoć žrtаva kod kancelarije federalnog tužioca tel. 888-221-6023 ili putem e-mailom: usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov. Molim obavjestite nas ako želite da mi vas kontaktiramo na engleskom ili na srpskom-hrvatskom-bosanskom jeziku. Бивши логораши који су били у логору Челебићима или чланови њихових породица који имају информације о логору или питање о овом предмету, могу назвати Јединице за помоћ жртава код канцеларије федералног тужиоца тел. 888-221-6023 или путем е-маилом: usama.victimassistance@usdoj.gov. Молим обавјестите нас ако желите да ми вас контактирамо на енгелеском или на српском-хрватском босанском језику. The use of a fraudulently obtained passport and fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate charges each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. On each of the two remaining charges, the maximum sentence under the statutes is five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The ICTY judgment which provides a detailed recitation of crimes committed at Celebici can be found here. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. The Swampscott Police Department also provided important assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Jason A. Casey of Rollins’ National Security Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S. Attorney’s Office to Host Elder Justice Initiative on Friday in Garner

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is hosting a lunch and learn event to ‘Build Strong Support for Older Americans by Learning More about Elder Abuse.’ The event is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Garner Senior Center, and Meals on Wheels. Registration for the event is not required. WHERE: Garner Senior Center, 205 East Garner Road, Garner, NC 27529 WHEN: Friday, May 19, 2023, from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (Meals on Wheels will serve lunch beginning at 10:45) Media: please arrive at the Garner Senior Center by 11:00 for set up . For logistical information in advance of the media availability, please contact Don Connelly at USANCE.PublicInfoOfficer@usdoj.gov . ###


title: Cincinnati man sentenced to 13 years in prison for fentanyl crime, violating supervised release

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – Michael Anderson, 48, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 156 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it. He was also on supervised release in another federal case. According to court documents, on Nov. 1, 2021, Anderson possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and maintained his apartment as a place to manufacture, store and distribute drugs. Hamilton County Heroin Task Force officers were investigating the overdose deaths of Anderson’s significant other and the baby she was carrying. They discovered a kitchen blender, hand press, scale and multiple bags of controlled substances. Investigators identified Anderson’s DNA on the packages that included fentanyl, heroin and xylazine. Anderson had been sentenced in July 2017 to five years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. His current offense violated his supervised release. This case was prosecuted as part of the DEA’s Operation Overdrive , a data-driven, intelligence-led approach to combatting overdose deaths and drug-related violent crime. Cincinnati and Dayton were included in the 34 cities selected in Phase 1 of the operation. “I commend the dedicated work across federal, state and local law enforcement to identify and investigate cases through Operation Overdrive, and my office’s attorneys who prosecute such cases,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker U.S. Attorney Parker; Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; Amberley Village Police Chief Richard L. Wallace and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the sentence imposed on May 16 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Criminal Chief Karl P. Kadon is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: California Child Rapist Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender After Moving to Indiana

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- David Day, 54, of Alexandria, Indiana has been sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to failure to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, on April 6, 1992, Day was convicted in the state of California of Rape by Force of a Minor Under 14 Years of Age. Day was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment and was released on parole on May 19, 2011. He was later sent back to prison and released in March of 2015. As a result of his conviction for raping a child under 14 by force, Day was required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Day registered as a sex offender in California on March 14, 2015, where he signed a notice acknowledging “If I move outside California, I am required by federal law to register in the new state within three (3) working days.” Day renewed his registration 11 times while living in California, each time acknowledging the requirement to register in a new state within three working days should he move outside the state. In or around October 2019, Day travelled from California to Alexandria, Indiana. Day lived in Alexandria, Indiana from October 2019 until July 27, 2021, without re-registering as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Dan McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana made the announcement. “Sex offender registries exist to help protect our communities from violent child rapists like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “This prosecution and sentence should put every sex offender who is required to register on notice—failure to comply with federal registration requirements may result in a serious prison sentence. I commend the Marshals Service for their continuing efforts to keep our children safe.” The United States Marshals Services investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Day be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison. Day must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey Massa, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Los Angeles Harbor Area Gang Members and Associates Targeted in Federal Complaints Alleging Fentanyl and ‘Ghost Gun’ Sales

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement this morning arrested seven members and associates of Los Angeles Harbor area street gangs – including from the two largest gangs, Westside Wilmas and Eastside Wilmas – on federal charges alleging the trafficking of firearms and pound quantities of narcotics such as fentanyl. Those arrested today are among 10 members and associates of street gangs who are named across three criminal complaints filed in federal court. One defendant is in state custody, and law enforcement continues to search for two defendants. Authorities arrested an additional four defendants on state charges. In relation to the charges unsealed today, law enforcement seized approximately 23 firearms, 26.2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 23,000 fentanyl pills, 2.4 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, and one kilogram of cocaine. This morning’s arrests are the latest development in a violence reduction initiative started in late 2020 by a joint FBI and Los Angeles Police Department task force that targeted gang activity in the Harbor area. Prior to today’s arrests, 11 Harbor area gang members and associates were charged with federal drug, firearms and Hobbs Act robbery crimes. Three of those defendants already have been convicted and sentenced, receiving prison sentences of between 10 and 20 years. The seven federal defendants arrested today are charged in complaints filed May 10 with various federal crimes, including distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to an affidavit filed with one of the complaints, the task force has investigated influential members and associates of the Eastside Wilmas, Westside Wilmas and other Harbor area gangs who were suspected of being involved in a host of illegal activities. Both Eastside and Westside Wilmas are based in Wilmington, a Los Angeles neighborhood located near the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Harbor area gangs, including the Wilmas, commit their crimes under the direction and authority of the Mexican Mafia, a California prison gang that controls many of the Latino street gangs in Southern California. Mexican Mafia leaders and associates direct the activities of the Wilmas gangs from within the California state prison system. Leaders have access to illicit cellular telephones and other digital devices that they use to communicate with gang members in the community. Law enforcement believes the Wilmas gangs are controlled by separate Mexican Mafia members who are each serving a life sentence in a California state prison after being convicted of murder. One Mexican Mafia associate directs firearm and drug sales from prison despite being sentenced to death for murder. The complaint affidavit alleges from October 2022 to February 2023, reputed Wilmas and Mexican Mafia associate Patricia Amelia Limon, 53, of Lomita, fulfilled seven drug and firearm deals under the direction of the Mexican Mafia associate on death row. Limon personally, and at least once through an intermediary, supplied methamphetamine, fentanyl, firearms and ammunition to a buyer and collected money on behalf of the Mexican Mafia member. In one deal on November 2, 2022, Limon allegedly supplied 5,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills to a buyer for $5,300. Fifteen days later, Limon allegedly supplied 1.71 kilograms (3.8 pounds) of methamphetamine and 2,000 fentanyl pills to a buyer for $5,000. The affidavit further alleges Limon engaged in other illicit sales of fentanyl and firearms. The affidavit further alleges that Jesus Chuy Delgado, 46, of San Pedro, who reputedly is a high-ranking Westside Wilmas member, engaged in a series of methamphetamine and firearms sales, including several in January and February 2023 that allegedly occurred across the street from a high school and a middle school in San Pedro. Delgado allegedly sold firearms – including semi-automatic weapons lacking a serial number, commonly known as “ghost guns” – and 883.9 grams (1.95 pounds) of methamphetamine while on parole. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Limon and Delgado – who are charged with distribution of controlled substances – would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. The FBI and the LAPD are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin B. Reidy of Major Frauds Section and Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Union County Man Admits Role in Scheme to Steal Mail, Commit Credit Card Fraud, and Defraud United States

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a scheme to receive stolen credit cards and pandemic relief debit cards sent through the mail, commit bank fraud, and defraud the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jarid Brooks, 29, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to three counts of an indictment charging him with: one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, and to defraud the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury; one count of receiving stolen mail; and one count of bank fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From July 2019 to Oct. 6, 2020, Brooks and his conspirators obtained credit cards stolen from the mail from a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, fraudulently activated those credit cards, and then used them to make and attempt to make purchases without the cardholders’ authorization, including buying gift cards and electronics. The investigation to date has revealed that the victims have incurred approximately $70,000 in losses from fraudulent purchases made using their stolen credit cards. Brooks also schemed to fraudulently use over $13,000 of funds pre-loaded onto Economic Impact Payment (EIP) cards issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and sent in the mail pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), that were also stolen from the mail. The CARES Act authorized EIP payments structured as one-time refundable tax credits to certain eligible taxpayers of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, and up to $500 for each qualifying child. The goal of this part of their fraud was for the co-conspirators to unlawfully obtain the government funds pre-loaded onto these cards. The conspiracy and possession of mail theft charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 12, 2023. Brooks originally was charged with Justin Brooks, 23, Kyle Williams, 38, and Kyjuan Hutchins, 23, also of Vauxhall, in October 2020. Williams has pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced. Justin Brooks and Hutchins have pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Charles A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the Caldwell Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Boonton Police Department, and the Millburn Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the Criminal Division in Newark. brooks.j.indictment.pdf


title: Great Falls meth trafficker sentenced to more than five years in prison

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted to selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer was sentenced today to five years and eight months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. John Robert Terry, 38, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to possession with intent to distribute meth. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that in early 2020, law enforcement learned Terry was dealing meth in Great Falls. Witnesses told agents that they bought meth from Terry and that he kept firearms near where he stored meth at his house. Law enforcement conducted five controlled purchases of meth from Terry and found him in possession of meth during a stop of his vehicle because he had outstanding warrants. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case. The FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration and Russell Country Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Missing Marksmanship Medals Returned to Springfield Armory National Historic Site

body_text: BOSTON – Earlier today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Park Service held a ceremony to mark the return of the late-19th century marksmanship medals that went missing from the Springfield Armory, a national historic site located in Springfield, Mass., in the 1990s. “The medals you see before you are a part of Massachusetts history that should be preserved for the benefit of the public. Today, we return the 24 marksmanship medals that were unlawfully removed from the Springfield Armory many years ago,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This recovery would not have been possible without the efforts between the FBI, the National Park Service, and my office’s Asset Recovery Unit – whose collaboration is an example of our commitment toward the protection and preservation of our Commonwealth’s history. We are proud to say that these artifacts have returned to their rightful home.” “As we return these treasured medals, we do so with the purpose of preserving history. Their absence represented not just a physical and financial loss, but a loss to every visitor who missed out on viewing these significant pieces of military history, and our nation’s heritage. The FBI is honored to be able to return them to their rightful owner,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Combating the theft and sale of stolen historical property is a top priority of the FBI’s art crime team, and we’re grateful for the partnerships in this case that allowed us to recover, protect, and preserve these historic artifacts.” “Thanks to the efforts of federal law enforcement officers the National Park Service is happy to have these medals returned to their rightful owners, the American people,” said Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service. “These medals are returned to Springfield Armory, where federal employees have the expertise to preserve them for future generations to appreciate.” The medals were awarded to Milan Bull and Freeman Bull, members of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in the late 1800s. The daughter and niece of Freeman Bull and Milan Bull donated the medals to the Springfield Armory in 1944. In October 2021, a collector contacted Curator Alex MacKenzie at the Springfield Armory inquiring about the marksmanship medals. Based on the information provided by the collector, the Springfield Armory was able to determine that numerous items matching the collector’s items were missing from the Armory’s collection since the 1990s. The Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently seized the medals. It is a violation of federal law to embezzle, steal, purloin, or knowingly convert, or, without authority, to sell, convey or dispose of government property. In July 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action against the medals. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims. After the conclusion of the forfeiture case, the Department of Justice granted the National Park Service’s petition for remission to return the medals. U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and NPS Deputy Regional Director Talken-Spauling made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit. ABOUT THE PARK: Springfield Armory National Historic Site is the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968) and was established by George Washington. The site includes historic grounds, buildings, and the world’s largest historic American military firearms collection. For updates and further information call 413-734-8551, check the website at https://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm or go to https://www.facebook.com/SPARNHS/ .


title: Man Charged with Forcibly Assaulting U.S. Government Employee  at Congressman’s Office

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A criminal complaint has been filed charging a Fairfax man with assault of an employee of the United States engaged in the performance of official duties, which inflicted bodily injury. According to allegations in the complaint, on May 15, Xuan-Kha Tran Pham, 49, entered the District Office of Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly in Fairfax with a baseball bat. At that time, a member of Congressman Connolly’s staff (Victim 1) was showing a a new intern (Victim 2), how to complete administrative tasks. Using the bat, Pham allegedly struck Victim 1 on the head, causing her to fall to the floor, and struck Victim 2 in the ribs. He then returned to hitting Victim 1, allegedly saying, “I’m going to kill you” and “you’re going to die.” Victim 1 estimated that the defendant struck her approximately eight times. At one point thereafter, Pham was allegedly heard yelling, “Gerry,” and that he wanted to “talk to Connolly” as he destroyed items in the office with his bat. City of Fairfax Police Department officers responded to the scene, restrained Pham and placed him under arrest. Pham remains detained pending local charges being pursued by the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Blanchard is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-mj-107. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Inmate At FCI Schuylkill Charged With Assault With A Dangerous Weapon And Possession Of Contraband In Prison

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jared Sebaugh, age 35, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on February 20, 2023, Sebaugh assaulted another inmate with a prison-made weapon consisting of a combination lock attached to a cloth strap. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in a Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man on drug trafficking charges. According to court documents, Noel Carias Marin, 47, of Wichita was indicted on four counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intention to distribute methamphetamine. Marin has been known to also go by the name Ruben Gonzalez Lopez. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ola Odeyemi and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Cody McCormic k, 27, of Wichita was indicted on three counts of making a threat against the President of the United States. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Treaster and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case. Kenny Rivera-Colon , 28, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Treaster and Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case. 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: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To Seven Years’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that William Heck, age 42, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to seven years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine and an additional amount of fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Heck previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing more than fifty grams of methamphetamine and additional amounts of fentanyl for distribution in the Hazleton area of Luzerne County in 2020. The charges stem from an incident on October 2, 2020, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police served a search warrant at a residence in Hazleton, where Heck was living, and seized 226 grams of methamphetamine, 2,464 packets of fentanyl, $4,452 in U.S. currency, and other items of drug paraphernalia. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. ###


title: Former Chief Financial Officer of $21 Billion Biopharmaceutical Company Admits Insider Trading

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief financial officer for a biopharmaceutical company today admitted his role in an insider trading scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Usama Malik, 48, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to Count One of an indictment charging him with securities fraud/insider trading. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2018 through October 2020, Malik was the chief financial officer (CFO) of a New Jersey-based biopharmaceutical company listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. On April 6, 2020, the company publicly announced for the first time that its breast cancer drug – an antibody-based drug designed to treat certain breast cancer patients who had very limited treatment options beyond chemotherapy – had proven effective in pre-market clinical trials. In October 2020, another biopharmaceutical company acquired the company for which Malik worked for approximately $21 billion. Malik was among the first, and one of the few, employees who received material non-public information about the breast cancer drug before the public announcement. Within minutes of obtaining that information, Malik passed it along to Lauren S. Wood, 34, also of Washington, D.C. Wood lived with Malik at the time and was formerly employed by the same company as him. Before April 6, 2020, and within hours of receiving the insider information from Malik, Wood placed an order for approximately 7,000 shares of the company’s stock, despite the fact that during the same time period the company’s stock was downgraded by financial experts. After the company announced that its cancer drug had proven effective in pre-market clinical trials, its stock price increased. After selling her shares, Wood realized a significant profit. The count to which Malik pleaded guilty is punishable by a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2023. Wood pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022, to an information charging her with securities fraud/insider trading. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2023. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a civil complaint on Dec. 1, 2021, based on the same conduct. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the SEC Enforcement Division, under the leadership of Director Gurbir S. Grewal, and the FBI in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua L. Haber, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. malik.indictment.pdf


title: Browning man sentenced to prison for strangling woman on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to strangling a woman in the Browning area on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 27 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Brandon Thomas Weatherwax, 32, pleaded guilty in January to strangulation. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that in October 2022, Weatherwax was at home with the victim, Jane Doe. Weatherwax repeatedly assaulted Jane Doe, including strangling her until she became unconscious. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kalah A. Paisley and Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. XXX


title: Former Mutual Fund Founder And Manager Sentenced For Defrauding Investors

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that OFER ABARBANEL was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to four years in prison for defrauding investors and prospective investors in a mutual fund he founded and controlled. ABARBANEL previously pled guilty to one count of investment adviser fraud. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ofer Abarbanel violated the trust placed in him by investors. He promised investors safe and liquid investments, but instead transferred their money to counterparties he controlled and engaged in risky investments he was not authorized to make. Today’s sentence should send a strong signal to investment advisers that violations of their fiduciary duties to investors will have consequences.” According to the allegations in the Indictment, Superseding Information, and statements made in public court proceedings: Beginning in approximately 2018 through his arrest in June 2021, OFER ABARBANEL engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in a mutual fund he founded and controlled, called “Income Collecting 1-3 Months T-Bills Mutual Fund” (the “Fund”). ABARBANEL also owned and controlled the investment adviser to the Fund. In that capacity, ABARBANEL made materially false representations and omitted material information to the largest group of investors (the “Investor Group”) about how their money would be invested. Among other things, ABARBANEL falsely represented that investments in the Fund would be placed “primarily” in short-term United States Treasury securities, when instead of investing in such securities directly, ABARBANEL and his confederates transferred the investor funds to counterparties controlled by or otherwise closely associated with ABARBANEL for use, among other things, in trading not authorized by the Fund’s offering documents. ABARBANEL further represented that, in order to enhance income, the Fund intended to invest in securities lending transactions as well as repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. ABARBANEL represented, as to these transactions, that the Fund would receive and maintain in its possession and control safe and secure collateral in the form of Treasury securities that could be quickly liquidated in the event a counterparty defaulted on its obligations. ABARBANEL, however, failed to obtain for the Fund the promised collateral to secure the investments. Nonetheless, ABARBANEL repeatedly represented, in substance, that the Fund had possession of the collateral. In or about May and June 2021, ABARBANEL failed to honor a redemption request by the Investor Group for the entirety of its outstanding investment, totaling more than $100 million, instead placing conditions on the redemption that were contrary to the Fund’s offering document and to the Fund’s practices with respect to prior redemptions. On or about June 16, 2021, the Fund transferred more than $10 million in investor funds from the Fund to a personal brokerage account of an attorney working with the Fund. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, OFER ABARBANEL, 48, of Woodland Hills, California, was ordered to forfeit $106 million and to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $106 million. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Nichols is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Yonkers Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Errol Murray, age 22, of Yonkers, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the names of other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG). Murray admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with his personal identifying information and the personal identifying information of another person, which Johnson used to file false claims via the NYSDOL website. Murray further admitted that as a result of the two fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid $69,954 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Murray agreed to pay $69,954 in restitution to the State of New York. Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Murray faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on September 14, 2023 by Senior U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office, HSI, USPIS, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: False Claims Act Settlement Reached with Rockingham Health Care Provider

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston announced today that Compassionate Counseling Services, LLC (“Compassionate”), a behavioral health provider located in Rockingham, North Carolina, has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle civil claims under the Federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts concerning allegations that Compassionate caused the submission of false claims to the North Carolina Medicaid program. Specifically, the United States and the State of North Carolina alleged that from June 7, 2016 through January 8, 2021, Compassionate circumvented North Carolina Medicaid requirements by improperly submitting claims for Diagnostic Assessments and also by improperly submitting claims following those Diagnostic Assessments. Under North Carolina Medicaid rules and regulations, Diagnostic Assessments serve as the initial order to establish medical necessity for certain treatment services: they must be signed and dated by certain professionals and serve as the initial order for services to take place. The governments alleged that Compassionate employed only one such authorized professional to sign Diagnostic Assessments, who only worked on-site at Compassionate’s office location on the third Friday of each month and could not have provided the required signatures until then. The governments alleged that Compassionate circumvented the Diagnostic Assessment requirements by billing for, but failing to maintain, Diagnostic Assessments that were properly signed and dated by a required professional, while also engaging in the improper backdating of Diagnostic Assessments. As a result of failing to maintain properly signed and dated Diagnostic Assessments, the governments alleged that Compassionate failed to maintain documents supporting that the Diagnostic Assessments were properly rendered as claimed. The governments also alleged that Compassionate was unable to support medical necessity for services that were claimed as being rendered following the Diagnostic Assessments that were improperly billed without signature from a required professional. “Healthcare providers who choose to circumvent rules and regulations for an increase in their profits cause harm to our government healthcare programs and the populations they serve,” said United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “My office will continue to hold such providers accountable for their actions to protect the integrity of our government sponsored healthcare programs, for North Carolina Medicaid recipients, and taxpayers.” “Health care providers that receive Medicaid resources need to use those resources properly,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “When providers fail to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, my office will hold them accountable. I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney Hairston and her office for their continued partnership to protect health care resources.” The civil claims resolved by settlement here are allegations only. There has been no judicial determination of wrongdoing or admission of liability, and Compassionate denies the allegations. This matter was investigated by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina and the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office (“MID”). Special Deputy Attorney General Matthew R. Petracca, who also serves as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, represented the United States and the State of North Carolina. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina, in partnership with law enforcement agencies and state entities, investigates and prosecutes healthcare providers that defraud government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, and abuse their patients. The Medicaid Investigations Division investigates and prosecutes Medicaid fraud, patient abuse of Medicaid recipients, patient abuse of any patient in facilities that receive Medicaid funding, and misappropriation of any patients’ private funds in nursing homes that receive Medicaid funding. To report Medicare fraud or patient abuse in North Carolina, please visit the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ website at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/ or call 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). To report Medicaid fraud or patient abuse in North Carolina, please call the MID at 919-881-2320. ###


title: La Crosse Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kojoua Vu, 33, La Crosse, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Vu pleaded guilty to this charge on January 26, 2023. On August 18, 2021, Vu sold an ounce, or approximately 28 grams, of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in La Crosse. On October 28, 2021, law enforcement officers pulled over Vu’s car in La Crosse. She had a bag containing 30 grams of methamphetamine in her coat pocket, and a bag containing 195 grams of methamphetamine was found under the driver’s seat of the car. Vu admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and when officers told her that they had completed a controlled buy on her, she asked, “Was it three days ago?” This response led the officers to believe that Vu was still regularly selling methamphetamine. Officers also executed a search warrant at the residence in Onalaska, Wisconsin where Vu was believed to be living with her boyfriend. Additional methamphetamine, a large quantity of cash, and drug trafficking paraphernalia were found at the residence. At the time of these events, Vu was on state supervision for a prior felony state methamphetamine trafficking conviction and out on bond for an open felony state case that alleged maintaining a drug trafficking home and possessing methamphetamine. Vu’s supervision was revoked in August of 2022, and she was ordered to serve 2 years, 3 months, and 29 days in state prison. Judge Conley ordered that Vu’s federal sentence run concurrently with the remainder of her state sentence. At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted that Vu was already on state supervision for methamphetamine trafficking at the time she engaged in the conduct charged in this federal case. The charge against Vu was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse, Onalaska, and Campbell Police Departments and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. The La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Aaron D. Wegner prosecuted this case.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Money Laundering Case

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. - A resident of New York was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release after a federal jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. KAODICHIMMA OKECHUKWU ANYANWU of Valley Stream, New York, was sentenced to a 33-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition to prison time, ANYANWU was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay a special assessment of $100.00. According to court filings and evidence at trial, the case involved a business email compromise, which was an act of wire fraud, and a group of individuals who subsequently laundered the proceeds of that crime. A business email compromise or “BEC” is a cyber fraud scheme through which criminals target companies, large and small, that frequently transfer money by wires. In the typical BEC scheme, criminals use information obtained through a computer intrusion or social engineering to send spoofed emails or other phishing emails in an effort to trick the company’s employees into conducting unauthorized and unintended transfers of funds. Once the victim of the BEC transfers money to the criminal network, individuals who receive ill-gotten gains from these types of crimes frequently open bank accounts in the names of shell companies, fictitious identities, or stolen identities in an attempt to distance their true selves from being associated with the crime. In this case, according to court filings and evidence at trial, ANYANWU’s co-conspirators obtained approximately $660,766 through a BEC that victimized a public university located within the Middle District of North Carolina. ANYANWU, who was born in Nigeria, laundered approximately $67,921 of that money through a bank account ANYANWU held in the name of an alias. A federal jury convicted ANYANWU after a week-long trial. “Business email compromises like the one in this case continue to threaten organizations and institutions across the United States,” said United States Attorney Hairston. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue the criminals who, here or abroad, participate in any way to further these conspiracies.” The investigation was undertaken by Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Kroeger and Nicole DuPré. ###


title: New Jersey Man Indicted For Passing Over $2,600 In Counterfeit Currency At Stores In Lackawanna, Lycoming And Columbia Counties

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brandon Williams, age 35, of Mercer County, New Jersey, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on April 20, 2022, Williams and an unidentified female co-conspirator passed $1,400 in counterfeit bills at the Michaels store in Dickson City and $750 in counterfeit bills at the CVS Pharmacy located on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. On April 23, 2022, Williams passed $280 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Montoursville, $160 in counterfeit bills at the Weis Market in Montoursville and attempted to pass additional counterfeit bills at the Dollar Tree in Bloomsburg but was unsuccessful. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Dickson City Police Department, the Scranton Police Department, the Montoursville Police Department, and the Hemlock Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. ###


title: Memphis Man Charged with Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from China

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Mohammed Al-Abadi, 51, of Memphis, has been indicted and arrested for one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods and one count of causing the criminal transportation of hazardous materials by air carrier. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the charges today. According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, from about October 1, 2019, to January 14, 2021, Al-Abadi imported counterfeit motor vehicle airbag parts from China, assembled them and then sold them on eBay to unsuspecting automobile repair shops and individual customers. Federal agents recovered more than 2,000 counterfeit airbags and parts from the defendant’s residence and place of business. “The alleged actions of the defendant have placed unsuspecting motorists and the general public in harm’s way,” said United States Attorney Kevin Ritz. “Vehicle airbags are subject to strict quality standards which must be followed to ensure passenger safety. The defendant’s alleged actions undermined the efforts of the automobile industry and regulatory bodies to keep the public safe.” “The diligent and extensive investigative work by our special agents led to the discovery of the sale of fraudulent, counterfeit airbags, sold by bypassing regulatory oversight meant to keep dangerous and ineffective products out of the U.S. market,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, HSI Nashville. “The defendant will now have to answer for his alleged criminal actions that put consumers lives at risk.” “Counterfeit air bags are not regulated or tested to ensure they meet federal safety standards, and when transported and used by unsuspecting consumers, they can be unsafe and lead to potentially grave consequences,” said Todd Damiani, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “The indictment and arrest handed down demonstrates the continuous coordination with our federal and prosecutorial partners to curtail the flow of these dangerous and illegal automobile products into the United States.” If convicted, Al-Abadi faces up to ten years imprisonment and a fine of two million dollars for trafficking in the counterfeit airbags and up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for causing the transportation of hazardous materials by air carrier. Both charges also carry a period of up to three years supervision following release from imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin is prosecuting this case.


title: Pinckneyville Correctional Officers Indicted for Excessive Force and Obstruction of Justice

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – On Tuesday, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging three correctional officers employed at Pinckneyville Correctional Center for civil rights violations and conspiring to falsify reports about the incident. Cord A. Williams, 35, Christian L. Pyles, 25, and Mark C. Maxwell, 52, are charged in the indictment. Williams and Pyles were indicted for violation of civil rights under color of law, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. The indictment alleges that on April 24, 2022, correctional officers Williams and Pyles beat an inmate who was fully restrained with his hands cuffed behind his back and secured in leg irons. Maxwell is charged with a separate civil rights violation. That count alleges Maxwell was working as an acting lieutenant when he failed to intervene and allowed the inmate to be beaten in his presence. As part of their official duties, correctional officers are required to write incident reports to accurately document any unusual incidents that they observe or are reported to them, including disturbances or the use of force. The conspiracy count alleges that Williams and Pyles colluded with other officers to file false reports about the incident. Williams and Pyles are separately charged with obstruction of justice for filing their false reports. Deprivation of civil rights under color of law is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Conspiracy to obstruct justice is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. Obstruction of justice is punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Each count also carries a possible fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. “Accusations of unlawful misconduct by correctional officers must be investigated in order to protect the integrity of the criminal justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. The Illinois State Police are leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.


title: Four MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering, Violent Crimes, and Drug Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Four Northern Virginia MS-13 gang members were sentenced today to terms of imprisonment of 10 and 20 years for drug distribution, racketeering, and their roles in two attempted murders in Prince William County in 2019. According to court documents, Roberto Cruz Moreno, 23, of Woodbridge, was a “pasa de homeboy,” and Marvin Torres, 22, of Manassas, was a “chequeo,” which are soldiers, in the Guanacos Lil Cycos (GLCS) clique of MS‑13; Kevin Perez Sandoval, 25, of Warrenton, was an “observacion,” which is a lower-level soldier in the GLCS clique; and Jose Rosales Juarez, 32, of Manassas, was a “paro,” which is an entry level member of the GLCS clique. In March 2019, Cruz Moreno picked up three other GLCS gang members and a victim identified as E.P.A. and drove them to an isolated wooded area in Bristow, where one GLCS gang member shot E.P.A. multiple times and another stabbed E.P.A. in the neck and attempted to slit his throat. GLCS gang members believed E.P.A. had been disrespecting MS-13 and associating with a rival gang. Following the attempted murder, Cruz Moreno fled the scene with the three other GLCS participants and drove them to his residence. In April 2019, local law enforcement officers in Fairfax County found Cruz Moreno in possession of a firearm and several grams of packaged cocaine in his vehicle, along with three other GLCS gang members traveling with him in the vehicle. Cruz Moreno had earlier that day been selling cocaine on behalf of the clique. In July 2019, Torres identified a victim, known as N.M.S., as a rival gang member in GLCS‑controlled territory and provided photographs of N.M.S. to fellow gang members. On August 3 and 4, 2019, Rosales Juarez surveilled N.M.S. at a restaurant in Manassas, and discussed plans to kill N.M.S. with GLCS’s First Word, or leader, Andy Tovar, 33, of White Post. Tovar is considered to be one of the highest-ranking MS-13 members in the United States. On Aug. 12, 2019, Tovar granted GLCS permission to kill N.M.S. That day, Perez Sandoval drove two members or associates of MS-13 to retrieve a firearm, a mask, and a change of clothes, then back to N.M.S.’s location where a member or associate of MS-13 shot him. Perez Sandoval then drove the associates from the scene of the shooting to Rosales Juarez’s residence. Rosales Juarez provided Perez Sandoval a different car to drive and rented a hotel room under his own name for the two other GLCS gang members involved in the attempted murder of N.M.S., in order to hinder law enforcement detection of those involved. On February 4, 2022, Tovar pleaded guilty to each of the crimes with which he was charged in an indictment, including engaging in conspiracies to murder a victim identified as M.R.G. Tovar authorized GLCS gang members to kill M.R.G., and, on July 3, 2017, GLCS gang members traveled from Prince William County to Charlottesville to murder M.R.G because the GLCS clique believed M.R.G was a rival gang member. Following Tovar’s authorization, four GLCS gang members stabbed M.R.G to death over 140 times using knives and a machete before they dumped the victim’s body in a creek, burned his car, and fled back to Prince William County. On September 27, 2022, Tovar was sentenced to life imprisonment. For their roles in the conspiracies, Cruz Moreno and Perez Sandoval were sentenced to 20 years in prison and Torres and Jose Rosales Juarez were sentenced to 10 years in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division; Colonel Sean Reeves, Chief of Albemarle County Police; Douglas W. Keen, Chief of Manassas City Police; Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police; Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth Attorney for Prince William County; and Kevin Davis, Chief of Fairfax County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Amanda Lowe, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy, prosecuted the case. These prosecutions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-18.


title: Second Clerk Sentenced for Stealing from Struggling North St. Louis County Municipality

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The former assistant city clerk of Flordell Hills, Missouri was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in federal prison for stealing $159,903 from the struggling city. U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel also ordered Donna Thompson, 76, to repay the money. Thompson is the second former employee of Flordell Hills to be sentenced this week for stealing from the city, which is roughly six blocks square, has an annual budget of about $400,000 and a population of about 800. More than half of those residents live below the poverty line. On Tuesday, Judge Sippel sentenced the former city clerk, Maureen Woodson, 68, to 18 months in prison and ordered her to repay the $487,673 that she stole. Both women wrote roughly 614 city checks to themselves from about February 2016 to April 2022, forging the signature of the mayor and/or treasurer and either cashing the checks or depositing them into their personal bank accounts. The mayor, the treasurer and the board of aldermen had no knowledge of the checks being written on city accounts. Woodson and Thompson used the cash for personal expenses and gambled the rest away. On about 381 occasions, Woodson and Thompson used Flordell Hills funds to directly pay for their own personal expenses, by either writing checks or wiring city funds directly to third party vendors for entertainment, restaurants, home rental payments, and personal taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Due to the financial difficulties caused by the women’s embezzlement, city officials at times did not take salaries, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said. There was not enough money for road maintenance and other vital city services. Mayor Joe Noeth and other volunteers mowed overgrown areas of the city and cleared streets and roads when they were blocked by downed trees or limbs. Woodson and Thompson were terminated in May of 2022, after the embezzlement was discovered. Woodson had been working at the city since 2010. Thompson was hired in 2012. Woodson and Thompson each pleaded guilty in February to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for Arson and Possession of Destructive Devices

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today the unsealing of a two-count indictment returned on May 5, 2023, that charged RICKY WILSON , age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, for violation of the National Firearms Act. WILSON is charged in Count One with arson in violation Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i)(1) and in Count Two with possession of destructive devices, identified as incendiary devices commonly known as Molotov cocktails, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d). As to Count One, WILSON faces a term imprisonment of not less than 5 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release; as to Count Two, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $10,000, and up to 3years of supervised release. Each count carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Violent Crimes Unit is assigned the prosecution.


title: Drug Trafficker Enlisted Juvenile in Drug Trafficking Operation, Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that Daniel Ruiz, aka “P-Nut,” 35, of Agawam, Massachusetts was sentenced today to serve 140 months of imprisonment after his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Ruiz to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration. According to court records, Ruiz was arrested on March 23, 2022, shortly after the execution of search warrants at the Highlander Motel in Rutland, Vermont. Ruiz fled out the bathroom window of Room 15 of the Motel, and was apprehended shortly thereafter. Inside of Room 15, law enforcement located approximately 37 grams of cocaine base, 168 bags of fentanyl, over $5,000 in cash, and a Glock 9mm handgun. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed Ruiz was a supervisor and manager of a drug trafficking operation that operated out of the Highlander Motel from approximately January 2022 until Ruiz’s arrest on March 23, 2022. Ruiz’s criminal conduct involved the trafficking of at least 200 grams of cocaine and 80 grams of fentanyl, with Ruiz making up to $1,000 a day in profits from the sale of controlled substances. One of the people Ruiz managed and supervised was his co-defendant, Joel Caquias Aviles, 21, who was sentenced on November 9, 2022 to serve 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ruiz also managed and supervised the drug trafficking activities of a 17-year-old juvenile, whom Ruiz recruited into the group. Ruiz had the juvenile make deliveries of cocaine base and fentanyl to purchasing customers, paying the juvenile in both cash and marijuana. Ruiz has a prior federal conviction in the District of Massachusetts for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine base, as well as a conviction in Massachusetts state court for possession with intent to distribute heroin. These two convictions made Ruiz a career offender under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Vermont State Police, the Bennington Police Department, the Weathersfield Police Department, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department, the Ludlow Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, Vermont Department of Corrections, and the Burlington Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and John J. Boscia. Ruiz was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino, Esq. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Presents 2023 Law Enforcement Awards

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson honored more than 60 federal, state and local law enforcement professionals today for their outstanding contributions to investigations and cases in the Southern District of West Virginia. The 2023 Law Enforcement Awards, presented during a ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston, recognize both invaluable assistance within specific categories of cases and office initiatives as well as overall exemplary service over the past year. “These are the men and women who keep our communities safe. They represent the ideals of law enforcement,” Thompson said. “Through these awards, we particularly seek to honor collaborative efforts, in the way of joint investigations or partnerships formed to spearhead criminal justice initiatives.” The annual awards ceremony is held in conjunction with National Police Week, which pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. The names engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial this year include that of Nicholas County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Edward Baker III. On June 3, 2022, Deputy Baker was fatally shot while he and other law enforcement officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the Birch River area. Thompson led a moment of silence for Deputy Baker and other fallen law enforcement officers during the ceremony. Law enforcement officers and organizations were honored in the following categories: Category: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched by the Department of Justice in 2006. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Outstanding PSC Case: U.S. v. Todd Christopher Roatsey (2:21-cr-235) Special Agent Terrance Taylor, HSI Computer Forensic Analyst Leland “Fred” Pickering, HSI Forensic Interview Specialist Candice Cooper, HSI Criminal Analyst Chris Powell, HSI Trooper First Class Michelle R. Shaffer, West Virginia State Police Roatsey, a Kanawha County elementary school counselor, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempted production of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor. Roatsey used the Snapchat instant messaging application to target multiple minor females. Roatsey knew several of the minor females through his position as a counselor at Pinch Elementary School. Roatsey also obstructed justice by deleting the Snapchat account he used to engage in these activities, after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at his residence and seized numerous electronic devices found to contain child pornography. Category: White Collar Crime Outstanding White Collar Crime Case: U.S. v. Kenneth Emeni et al. (3:21-cr-68) Sergeant Bradford S. Burner, West Virginia State Police Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Dept. (Task Force Officer) Postal Inspector Seth Summers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Nine defendants were convicted in connection with multiple internet-based fraud schemes that operated in the Huntington area and defrauded at least 200 victims from across the country, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million. Fraud scheme participants created false personas to establish romantic, friendship or business relationships with unwitting individuals via email, text messaging, online dating websites and social media platforms. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas. The defrauded funds were laundered for distribution among the defendants and others. Some of the defrauded funds were transferred overseas. Category: Outstanding Drug Trafficking Cases U.S. v. Scott Midkiff et al. (3:21-cr-109) Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Allen Davis II, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI Special Agent Adam D. Bennett, FBI Special Agent Letisha Hartsough, FBI (Columbus, Ohio) Intelligence Analyst/Operational Support Technician Angie Botzet, FBI Detective Jared Cremeans, Cabell County Sheriff’s Office (TFO) Deputy Andrew Richmond, Cabell County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Russ Blank, Cabell County Sheriff’s Office Deputy C.J. Stewart Cabell County Sheriff’s Office Director Samuel L. Stowasser II, Cabell County Sheriff’s Office HCO Matthew Denning, Cabell County Sheriff’s Office Officer Evan Wilson, Hurricane Police Department (TFO) Officer Nate Campbell, Marshall University Police Department (TFO) Officer Matt Napier, Marshall University Police Department Officer Ethan Smith, Marshall University Police Department First Sergeant Lacy J. Deskins, West Virginia State Police Sergeant Sally Hatten, West Virginia State Police Corporal Kristy Adkins, West Virginia State Police Trooper Nate Rodgers, West Virginia State Police All 19 defendants in this case were convicted and sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (also known as “crack”), oxycodone, and heroin in the Huntington area. Law enforcement officers seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of cocaine and 2 pounds of heroin as well as 14 firearms and more than $335,000 in cash. Nine defendants were sentenced to five years or more in prison, including four who were sentenced to prison terms of 10 years or more. U.S. v. Jermaine Williams et al. (2:21-cr-32) Special Agent Charles Tippett, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Lance Lehnhoff, DEA Special Agent Anthony Brumfield, DEA Intel Research Specialist James Summers, DEA Intel Research Specialist Kristi Rhoda, DEA Special Agent Scott M. Smith, DEA (Detroit, Michigan) Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Deputy U.S. Marshal Marc Loretta, U.S. Marshals Service Corporal Adam Aldridge, Charleston Police Department Lt. Ryan Higginbotham, Charleston Police Department Corporal Jonathan Weaver, Charleston Police Department (TFO) Corporal Anthony Thomas, Charleston Police Department (TFO) Sergeant Jason Webb, Charleston Police Department Sergeant D.M. McMillan, West Virginia State Police This investigation, dubbed “Woo Boyz,” disrupted a DTO with ties to the Bloods and Gangster Disciples criminal gangs. During the course of the nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $375,000 in cash, and 45 firearms including an IMI Industries Uzi fully automatic 9mm submachine gun. Members of this DTO were involved in or suspected of numerous shootings around Charleston but particularly on the West Side. A dozen defendants were sentenced to prison terms of between two years and 20 years and one month after pleading guilty to various felony offenses. U.S. v. Carlo Ramsey et al. (2:21-cr-163) Detective Jonathan Casto, Williamstown Police Department Special Agent Matthew Yount, DEA The case resulted from a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Six defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison for their roles in a DTO responsible for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in Parkersburg and elsewhere. The investigation also yielded more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County. U.S. v. Ramon David Alston et al. (2:21-cr-172) Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI Special Agent John Reese, FBI Special Agent Genevieve Baushke, FBI Forfeiture Investigator Dean Lauffer, FBI Intelligence Analyst Sarah Cole, FBI Staff Operations Rose Chestnut, FBI Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, ATF Sergeant Jason Webb, Charleston Police Department Sergeant Jared Austin, St. Albans Police Department Detective Justin Raynes, Nitro Police Department Corporal Owen Morris, Charleston Police Department (TFO) Detective P. J. Hodge, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office (TFO) Corporal Seth Johnson, Charleston Police Department (TFO) Corporal Wes Daniels, Charleston Police Department (TFO) Lieutenant Ryan Higginbotham, Charleston Police Department Corporal Adam Aldridge, Charleston Police Department Corporal Justin Jones, Charleston Police Department Detective Nigel Waller, Charleston Police Department Detective Dakota Dennison, South Charleston Police Department Detective David Harvey, South Charleston Police Department This case resulted from an investigation that dismantled a large-volume DTO that operated primarily in the Charleston, Rand, and St. Albans areas of Kanawha County from March 2019 to September 2021. The DTO distributed more than 160 pounds of methamphetamine as well as quantities of fentanyl and other drugs. Law enforcement officers seized more than 12.3 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 34 firearms, more than $86,000 in cash, and several vehicles including three motorcycles. The investigation also prevented a fatal drug overdose in St. Albans and several violent incidents, including a plan by four of the defendants to murder an individual on Charleston’s West Side on July 4, 2021. All 17 individuals indicted in the case were convicted. Category: Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) brings 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. Outstanding Violent Crime Case: U.S. v. Kymoni Davis (3:20-cr-18) Special Agent Sean McNees, ATF Special Agent Jeff Baker, ATF Sergeant Steve Maniskas, Huntington Police Department Sergeant Paul Matovich, Huntington Police Department Detective Adrian Rosario, Huntington Police Department Officer Ernie Blackburn, Huntington Police Department Lieutenant Paul Minigh, Huntington Police Department Lieutenant Eddie Pritchard, Huntington Police Department Captain Stephen Compton, Huntington Police Department Corporal Kyle Quinn, Huntington Police Department Davis was sentenced to eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, after admitted to shooting into a Huntington club on January 1, 2020. Davis had been ejected from the Kulture Hookah Bar during a New Year’s Eve party prior to midnight. Davis returned with a 9mm pistol and fired through the front door before fleeing the scene. Seven individuals were injured in the shooting. Surveillance video captured the shooting, and along with statements from witnesses helped to identify Davis. Spent casings at the scene collected by law enforcement officers were analyzed by the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, or NIBIN, and determined to match with a firearm seized by Charleston Police officers in an unrelated investigation. Davis was arrested in the Detroit area several months later and returned to West Virginia. Outstanding Violent Crime Case: U.S. v. Bisheem Jones (5:22-cr-46) Special Agent Jarrod C. Chittum, ATF Special Agent Jeff Goode, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mark Pritt, IRS-CI Nineteen individuals were convicted of various felony offenses after participating in a conspiracy led by Jones to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jones and his fellow gun traffickers and other co-conspirators recruited individuals from the Beckley area to straw purchase firearms on his behalf. Jones selected the firearms for these straw purchasers to buy and provided the money to purchase them. The straw purchasers falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were purchasing them for Jones and his trafficking conspiracy. The conspirators took the firearms back to Philadelphia to sell for profit. Of the over 140 firearms trafficked in the conspiracy, approximately 45 have been recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia. Those have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses. Category: Drug and Violent Crime Task Force of the Year FBI Transnational Organized Crime West Task Force Commander: Acting Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Adam D. Bennett, FBI This award recognizes outstanding cooperative law enforcement efforts and endeavors that have significant and lasting community impact. This year’s award recognizes the task force’s investigative efforts in U.S. v. Scott Midkiff et al. The TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Beckley Police Department, the Hurricane Police Department and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. Category: Law Enforcement Officers of the Year Special Agent Jarrod C. Chittum, ATF Sergeant Bradford S. Burner, West Virginia State Police Corporal Jonathan Weaver, Charleston Police Department This award category recognizes federal, state, and local law enforcement officers whose work consistently stands out in significant cases and honors them for their commitment, dedication, and leadership by example. About National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. Deputy Baker’s name is among 224 added this year of officers who were killed during 2022. An additional 332 names engraved in 2023 are of officers died in years previous to 2022. They include the names of nine officers with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office killed in the line of duty between February 21, 1900, and October 5, 1933, and a McDowell County correctional officer killed on April 15, 1961. The full Roll Call of officers added to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial in 2023 is online: https://nleomf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/roll-call-2023-FINAL-updated-4-21-23.pdf 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. ###


title: Pelahatchie Man Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Trafficking Heroin

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Pelahatchie man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Director Steve Maxwell of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. According to court documents, John “Mo Money” Moore, 55, possessed heroin with the intent to distribute it on four separate occasions in 2017 and 2018. A joint federal and state investigation resulted in the conviction of Moore in connection with the distribution of large amounts of heroin over several months. Moore supplied heroin to Erica Rhodes of Forest, Mississippi. Rhodes distributed and sold the heroin on multiple occasions in Pelahatchie and in the Jackson metropolitan area. In January 2023, a jury convicted Moore after a trial in U.S. District Court in Jackson. Rhodes was convicted in Rankin County Circuit Court and received a 15-year sentence for her role in the drug trafficking operation. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Rankin County District Attorney’s Office, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Ridgeland Police Department, the Pearl Police Department, the Flowood Police Department, the National Guard Counter Drug Unit, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jackson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Clark and Charles W. Kirkham are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery and Attempted Robbery

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis, Missouri man who robbed a St. Louis gas station convenience store at gunpoint and tried to rob another business to 57 months in prison. On July 15, 2019, Kevin L. Gordon, 42, robbed the convenience store at 5003 Natural Bridge Avenue at gunpoint, taking the cash register. He left his gloves and his DNA behind, however. On Sept. 19, 2019, Gordon walked into the King Grill grocery and restaurant at 3746 St. Louis Avenue, raised his shirt to show a pistol and threatened employees. He tried to steal money from the cash register but was thwarted by employees, who wrestled the cash register away from him. Gordon pleaded guilty in February to two counts of robbery. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.


title: Judge Imposes Eight Consecutive Life Sentences Plus 260 Years In Prison For 2017 Murder Of Eight Victims And Attempted Murder Of 18 Others In NYC ISIS Truck Attack

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, and Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that United States District Judge Vernon S. Broderick sentenced SAYFULLO SAIPOV to eight consecutive life sentences, two concurrent life sentences, and a consecutive sentence of 260 years in prison for carrying out a terrorist attack on October 31, 2017, in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), in which SAIPOV used a truck to murder eight victims and injure many more on a bike path in lower Manhattan. On January 26, 2023, a jury convicted SAIPOV of all 28 counts in the Indictment, which charged SAIPOV with murder for the purpose of gaining entrance to a racketeering enterprise (ISIS); assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder for the purpose of gaining entrance to a racketeering enterprise (ISIS); providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS) resulting in death; and damage and destruction to a motor vehicle resulting in death. On March 13, 2023, the same jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether Saipov should be sentenced to death, resulting in a mandatory sentence of life in prison. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In March 2023, a jury determined that Sayfullo Saipov would spend the rest of his life in prison for his heinous crimes. Today, the Court issued the maximum possible penalty on each count of conviction and ordered that eight of Saipov’s life sentences along with 260 years in prison will run consecutively to the other sentences imposed. These eight life sentences account for the eight lives Saipov stole when he committed his vicious ISIS attack. The 260 years in prison constitutes the maximum penalty for the eighteen attempted murders Saipov cruelly committed, which included the attempted murders of four children. More than just holding Saipov accountable for his depraved crimes, the proceedings today gave further voice to the victims. More than 20 victims and family members addressed the Court and confronted Saipov. They bravely and boldly shared their pain and devastation. While we cannot make these victims whole after what Saipov stole from them, this Office along with our partners in the Department of Justice and the FBI are proud to have served the victims and sought justice on their behalf.” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “Today’s sentence means that Sayfullo Saipov will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for brutally murdering eight innocent victims during his carefully calculated ISIS terrorist attack. The Department of Justice honors the victims, their families, and the survivors of this horrific attack. We will continue to vigorously defend the American people from threats of terrorism and will work tirelessly to bring those who perpetrate terrorist attacks to justice.” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “Although it has been more than five years since Sayfullo Saipov carried out this horrific, senseless attack in the name of ISIS, the FBI never relented in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their loved ones. This case demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who commit acts of violence inspired by terrorist groups.” As set forth in public documents in the case and statements made during court proceedings: On Halloween afternoon in 2017, SAYFULLO SAIPOV used a 6,000-pound truck to strike more than 20 innocent people on the Hudson River Bike Path in lower Manhattan. SAIPOV killed eight of his victims and critically injured many others, including a 14-year-old child. SAIPOV’s surviving victims suffered amputations, serious brain injuries, life-altering physical injuries, and significant psychological trauma. SAIPOV committed his attack after years of devotion to the brutal terrorist organization ISIS and after months of careful planning. In the weeks before his attack, for example, SAIPOV rented a truck to practice maneuvering it so that he could hit as many people as possible. SAIPOV brought a note to the attack with the ISIS flag and rallying cry written on it. After his attack, while in custody at a hospital, SAIPOV told the FBI that he committed the attack in response to calls from the leader of ISIS and that he was proud of what he had done. SAIPOV smiled when describing his attack and sought to hang the ISIS flag in his hospital room. After the attack, ISIS praised SAIPOV as an Islamic State soldier and called his attack one of the most prominent attacks in the United States. In the years since his attack, SAIPOV continued to demonstrate his devotion to ISIS, including through statements in court, recorded telephone calls, and writings seized from his prison cell. In prison, SAIPOV also made statements confirming his continued belief that enemies of ISIS should be eliminated and threatening to cut the heads off of corrections officers. At the liability and sentencing phases of trial, many of SAIPOV’s victims and their family members bravely described the terror he caused and the pain and suffering they continue to endure. Judge Broderick sentenced SAIPOV to the statutory maximum penalty on each count of conviction and ordered that SAIPOV’s sentences on the counts of conviction charging him with murder and attempted murder of particular victims would run consecutively to each other and to all other sentences imposed. In total, SAIPOV was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences, 260 years in prison to run consecutively, and two additional life sentences to run concurrently to each other and to all other sentences imposed. The Judge will issue an order concerning restitution to victims at a later date. More than 20 victims and family members delivered emotional and powerful victim impact statements at SAIPOV’s sentencing. * * * In addition, SAIPOV, 34, of Uzbekistan, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section, Organized Crime and Gang Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, and Office of International Affairs for their assistance. The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Houle, Jason A. Richman, Alexander Li, and Andrew Dember, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Daniel Sitko, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Warbel of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section and Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.