title: Pasadena Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Using Fraudulently Obtained EDD Cards to Withdraw Nearly $1 Million in Cash

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for using dozens of fraudulently obtained debit and credit cards as part of a scheme to defraud the state’s unemployment insurance program out of nearly $1 million, and for possessing methamphetamine and ammunition. Robert Sloan Mateer, 32, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered him to pay $937,173 in restitution. Mateer pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one count of use of unauthorized access devices, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 1, 2020, Mateer – whose criminal history includes a felony conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in March 2020 for driving or taking a vehicle without consent – and co-defendant Sarah Taylor Brown, 36, of Los Angeles, were stopped in Pasadena for a traffic violation and his vehicle was searched. The search of Mateer’s Maserati SUV revealed: approximately 85 grams of methamphetamine; two cellphones with debit and credit cards in names belonging to persons other than Mateer and Brown; a 9mm-caliber pistol with no serial number and loaded with two rounds of ammunition; an additional round of 9mm-caliber ammunition in the driver’s side pocket of the car; 17 California Employment Development Department (EDD) cards in the names of third parties; five credit and debit cards in other people’s names; and approximately $197,711 in cash. Mateer admitted in his plea agreement that he fraudulently obtained EDD debit cards by applying for unemployment insurance benefits using another individual’s personal identifying information on the EDD website. On the website, Mateer would direct the EDD debit card to be sent to an address that did not belong to the individual whose identity he was using. Mateer, Brown, and other co-conspirators then would retrieve the debit cards from the Mateer-designated address and use the card at ATMs to withdraw cash benefits. In total, the conspiracy caused actual losses to the EDD program of approximately $937,173. Brown was captured on ATM surveillance footage making at least $54,740 in withdrawals. Judge Wright in November 2021 ordered the Maserati SUV and the $197,711 in cash forfeited to the United States. Brown pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of use of unauthorized access devices. On February 7, Judge Wright sentenced Brown to time served, after she had served nearly 20 months, to be followed by supervised release for three years, and ordered her to pay $54,740 in restitution, to be held jointly and severally liable with Mateer. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.


title: Monmouth County Pair Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $3.75 Million in Loans Meant to Help Small Businesses During COVID-19 Pandemic

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two former residents of Monmouth County, New Jersey, who allegedly obtained approximately $3.75 million in federal pandemic-related loans have been indicted, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Jean Rabbitt, 52, and Kevin Aguilar, 52, both of Sherman, Texas, and both previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, are each charged by indictment with: one count of conspiracy to engage bank fraud; seven counts of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud; conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; and one count of aggravated identity theft. Rabbitt is additionally charged with one count of making a false statement in a loan application. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Rabbitt and Aguilar submitted seven fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of four businesses that Rabbitt owned or controlled. Rabbitt and Aguilar made multiple false statements in their PPP applications, at least one of which was submitted to a Federal Home Loan Bank member. The lenders approved PPP loans totaling $3.33 million, and transmitted those funds to Rabbitt’s businesses. Rabbitt and Aguilar also submitted fraudulent applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Based on false statements in those applications, the SBA approved EIDLs to three of Rabbitt’s businesses, totaling approximately $447,000. After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Rabbitt and Aguilar transferred those funds to other businesses that Aguilar created to give the false appearance that the PPP and EIDL funds were being used for legitimate purposes. Aguilar and Rabbitt then used the PPP and EIDL funds for personal expenses. Rabbitt and Aguilar also engaged in identity theft, by submitting an EIDL application using the name and identifying information of an individual who did not authorize the use of that information. Rabbitt is also charged with making a false statement on a loan application, including with respect to her gross monthly income, in order to obtain financing to purchase a new truck from a Monmouth County car dealership. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge is Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, in Newark. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. rabbitt.aguilarindictment.pdf


title: Lead Defendant Pleads Guilty in Case Targeting International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Corrupt Air Traffic Controllers

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in an indictment targeting an international drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty today to conspiring to smuggle tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine by aircraft from Colombia to Mexico for distribution in the United States via the maintenance of secret airstrips and the bribery of air traffic controllers. Jaison Dávila Amador, 56, a.k.a. “Costeño” and “María Angélica,” of Bogotá, Colombia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation. Dávila has been in federal custody since September 2021 after his extradition from Colombia. According to his plea agreement, from at least October 2017 to May 2019, Dávila participated in the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Dávila and his accomplices carried out their plan by maintaining clandestine airstrips in Colombia where aircraft from Mexico would land to retrieve bulk quantities of cocaine. To facilitate the scheme, members of the conspiracy bribed air traffic controllers and law enforcement officials to ensure the flights from Mexico could enter Colombian airspace undisturbed. On November 5, 2017, an aircraft bound from Mexico entered Colombian airspace for the purpose of receiving a cocaine shipment, but it was intercepted and forced down by the Colombian Air Force and then destroyed it with machine gun fire. Near a clandestine airstrip and near the airplane’s wreckage, law enforcement found approximately 515 kilograms (1,135 pounds), which Dávila and his co-conspirators intended to traffic by aircraft. Investigators estimate that the seized cocaine, if sold in the United States, would have been valued at more than $13 million. Dávila admitted in his plea agreement to coordinating various aspects of the conspiracy, including bribe payments to air traffic controllers, financing for the cocaine shipment, and logistical support for the aircraft that would transport the cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. United States District Judge George H. Wu scheduled an August 28 sentencing hearing, at which time Dávila will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. All 13 defendants arrested and extradited to the United States in this case have pleaded guilty to participating in the international drug trafficking conspiracy. Those defendants include: Miguel Hadad Facusseh, 40, a Mexican national previously extradited from Canada , who procured financing for aircraft, pilots, and clandestine airstrips in Mexico to facilitate cocaine shipments; Marta Elizabeth Orozco Acevedo, 57, an air traffic controller in Colombia who used her position to monitor Colombian airspace during the anticipated arrival and exit of the plane from Mexico that would retrieve cocaine shipments; and José Alberto Cantillo Aponte, 58, a Colombian government worker who was employed to bribe or otherwise influence corrupt government officials to permit the aircraft from Mexico to enter Colombian airspace. Two other defendants were also charged: Eduardo Antonio Bula Correa, a retired colonel in the Colombian National Police who died while awaiting his extradition to the United States, and Francisco Javier Ruelas Tejada, 61, who remains a fugitive and is believed to reside in Mexico. The investigation into this drug trafficking organization was conducted by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which received substantial assistance from the Colombia National Police’s Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol (DIJIN) and Colombia’s Fiscalía General de La Nación. This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the defendants’ extradition from Colombia and Canada. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Fraud Section, Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Elia Herrera of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Cargo company fined for failing to screen for explosives

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A Texas company operating in Harris County has been ordered to pay a significant penalty after admitting they failed to comply with regulations regarding proper screening of cargo through Bush International Airport (IAH), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Air Cargo Screening & Solutions LLC (ACSS) pleaded guilty June 7, 2022, admitting they made material false statements in relation to the proper screening of air cargo for explosives on commercial flights. Today. U.S. District Judge Charles D. Eskridge ordered them to pay a $415,508.16 fine which included the profits for the screenings they did not conduct. The company will also be on probation for five years. At the hearing, the court noted these screening procedures were put in place after 9-11 to provide for the safety and security of passengers and air cargo and that ACSS had violated this trust. “Checking packages for explosives, packages destined for aircraft carrying passengers, is vital to saving lives and protecting the national security,” said Hamdani. “Whether through significant fines or federal prison time, we will pursue those charged with such security who knowingly shirk that duty. Put simply, companies must answer for potentially putting lives and the nation at risk.” The Aviation and Transpiration Security Act, passed two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, mandates the screening for explosives on cargo transported on passenger aircraft. To meet these requirements, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) established guidelines to certify facilities in the United States that screen cargo prior to tendering it to passenger aircraft. Pursuant to this program, ACSS screened air cargo for domestic and foreign air carriers that traveled through IAH. However, a comparison of records from explosive trace detection machines and forms ACSS employees completed showed that ACSS falsified records, claiming they had screened 100 percent of the cargo passing through their facility when, in truth, they had not. TSA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel prosecuted the case.


title: Two Butte men sentenced to prison for drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering crimes

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — Two Butte men convicted in a large armed drug trafficking operation that brought pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs to the Butte community and laundered proceeds were sentenced today to prison terms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Mark Ernest Spani, 65, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, while co-defendant Stanley Roy Vires, 68, was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Both defendants pleaded guilty in 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement learned in July 2021 that Spani and Vires were dealing drugs together and purchased meth from Vires through a confidential informant. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Vires’ residence and recovered approximately five pounds of meth, a little more than one pound of heroin, 26 firearms and cash. In June 2022, law enforcement searched properties owned by Spani and found one pound of meth, cash and numerous firearms. The government further alleged that Spani was involved in dealing meth, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, traveled out of state to obtain and bring drugs back to Montana and carried guns while trafficking. When arrested, Spani appeared “to be reaching toward his right-hand side waist area,” which is where a gun was located. Spani had a previous federal felony drug conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms. In addition, the government alleged Vires was involved in dealing meth and heroin and that Vires admitted he received a total of about 15 pounds of meth in 2020 and 2021. Fifteen pounds of meth is the equivalent of 54,360 doses. When searching Vires’ vehicle, law enforcement found two loaded firearms. Vires was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had a prior federal conviction for drug trafficking. The government also alleged Vires and Spani and others conspired to conceal money and used cash proceeds to buy additional drugs, including in Arizona. Vires and others also bought additional assets using drug trafficking proceeds. Under a forfeiture count, Vires and Spani agreed to forfeit a residence in Butte, approximately 10 acres known as Fleecer View Estates, a 1955 Chevrolet 210 vehicle, a 2013 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic motorcycle, a 2019 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Classic, a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 pickup, a 2022 Dodge Ram 3500 Big Horn, a 2011 Montana 5 th Wheel and $33,346 in U.S. Currency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Butte Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Justice Department Secures $400,000 in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Connecticut Landlord

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that New London, Connecticut, landlord Richard Bruno violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants and applicants. The settlement also resolves claims against Domco LLC and Domco II LLC, which, along with Bruno, owned the properties where the alleged harassment occurred. Under the consent decree, subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, defendants are required to pay $350,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the harassment and pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. With this settlement, which is part of the department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative , the department has obtained over $10 million for victims of sexual harassment. “No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When landlords and housing providers sexually harass those seeking a roof over their head, they undermine human dignity, and violate the sense of safety and privacy in one’s home that we all deserve. As the Justice Department commemorates National Fair Housing Month, we stand more committed than ever to holding housing providers accountable for their unlawful behavior and seeking relief for survivors.” “Mr. Bruno abused his power as a landlord to sexually harass and victimize his vulnerable tenants for years,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement serves as an important reminder to the Connecticut community that sexual harassment by landlords is a violation of federal law, and this office will not hesitate to seek justice for any victims of such intolerable conduct.” Special Agents from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General supported the Justice Department’s work in this matter. “The allegations of sexual harassment in this case in violation of the Fair Housing Act are serious,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Every person deserves to find and stay in housing without facing sexual harassment from a landlord. HUD OIG is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for survivors and to hold housing providers accountable for sexually assaulting or harassing HUD tenants.” Under the consent decree, Bruno is permanently prohibited from owning and managing residential rental properties in the future. The property owners must hire an independent property manager to manage their properties, obtain fair housing training and implement non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures to prevent sexual harassment at their properties in the future. The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in February 2019, alleged that from at least 2011 through 2016, Bruno sexually harassed female tenants and applicants of rental properties owned or co-owned by Bruno, Domco LLC and Domco II LLC. According to the complaint, Bruno engaged in harassment that included making unwelcome sexual advances and comments, engaging in unwanted sexual touching, demanding or pressuring female applicants to engage in sexual acts to obtain rental privileges, evicting or threatening to evict female tenants who objected to or refused sexual advances, entering the homes of female tenants without their consent, asking to take and taking pictures and videos of the bodies of his tenants and their female children and establishing, maintaining and forcing his tenants and their minor female children to view “dungeons” or “sex rooms” in the rental properties. Bruno, a former resident of Waterford, Connecticut, has been incarcerated since 2017. He is serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison, following his guilty plea to charges related to producing child pornography with a tenant’s minor child in one of the properties he managed. The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 30 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10 million for victims of such harassment. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Brown, Jr. and Stewart Dearing of the District of Connecticut in coordination with Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by submitting a report online or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut at: (203) 821-3700. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online .


title: Former Southwest Key employee arrested for sexual contact with unaccompanied minors aboard airplane

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 61-year-old Harlingen resident, and former Southwest Key employee, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual contact with a ward, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities arrested Rodolfo Alanis today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker tomorrow at 9 a.m. A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment April 18, which was unsealed upon his arrest. “The migrant children in these facilities are the most vulnerable; they are alone and often do not speak the language,” said Hamdani. “We have to entrust them to the care of others while there and as they are transported from point A to point B. As such, my office will seek to hold those accountable who allegedly violate that trust. These allegations are serious and we will follow the case to its end to ensure justice is served overall, but especially on behalf of any potential young victim.” According to the charges, Alanis was a youth care worker at Southwest Key in both McAllen and Brownsville. Southwest Key operates several facilities that temporarily house immigrant children. They have facilities in McAllen and Brownsville. Alanis allegedly engaged in sexual contact with three minor children who, at the time, were detained and under the custody and authority of Alanis. The indictment further alleges the sexual contact occurred on three separate occasions while on board an airplane. If convicted, Alanis faces up to two years imprisonment on each count. FBI and Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation with the assistance of Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia and Alexa Parcell are prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Detroit Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT, MI - A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to a wire fraud scheme in which he stole $297,000 of pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits from the State of Michigan, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Special Agent in Charge John Marengo of the United States Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office. Terrell Heard, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman. According to court records, Heard committed fraud by obtaining pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) to which he was not entitled. The plea documents indicate that in approximately April 2020, Heard began to submit electronic applications for PUA benefits to the State of Michigan in the names of various individuals without those individuals’ authorization. In some instances, the PUA benefits were sent to bank accounts Heard controlled. In other instances, the PUA benefits were loaded onto Bank of America debit cards which were then mailed to addresses to which Heard had access. According to the plea papers, Heard continued submitting false claims to the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency until approximately July 2020. He managed to obtain approximately $297,000 from the agency as a result of this fraud, and has agreed to a money judgment forfeiting that amount as part of his plea agreement. He also agreed that his criminal conduct involved more than ten identity theft victims. Sentencing is set for August 21, 2023 before Judge Leitman. Heard faces a maximum of twenty years in prison. “Fraud involving COVID-19 relief programs is sadly widespread, both in our community and nationally,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated. My office alone has charged over 100 defendants with such crimes since the pandemic began. Today’s guilty plea marks another positive step in our ongoing effort to bring to justice those who defrauded pandemic assistance programs.” “Terrell Heard engaged in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme targeted at the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. Heard conspired to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of other individuals. Today’s guilty plea affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the unemployment insurance program. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate these types of allegations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Thank you to the Department of Labor and the US Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting COVID relief fraud. The U.S. Secret Service will continue to work cases that impact our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Marengo. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John K. Neal. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the Secret Service, with assistance from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.


title: Six indicted as part of Whatcom County fentanyl trafficking organization

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A federal grand jury indicted six people in connection with a Whatcom County fentanyl distribution organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. The ring has been under investigation since late 2022 and was actively moving fentanyl from the Seattle area to redistributors in the Bellingham, Washington area. Three of the six people indicted are in custody. Three more are being sought by law enforcement. “I commend the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Gang Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration for a fast-moving investigation that worked to interdict potentially deadly pills over the last four months,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “These alleged traffickers also possessed guns – some stolen, some with extended magazines – a dangerous combination with the narcotics.” In a detailed criminal complaint, law enforcement officers described how they observed various apparent drug transactions and interdicted the drug loads. In one instance, law enforcement was called to a mini-mart where two people involved with the drug ring overdosed on fentanyl and had to be revived and transported to the hospital. Investigation of the ring revealed that the alleged two top leaders lived in Burien, Washington, and downtown Seattle. Multiple members of the ring have criminal histories which prohibit them from possessing firearms. The grand jury charges all six defendants below with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Additionally, the defendants are charged as follows: Robel Sisay Gebremedhin A/K/A Robel Sisay Gebremedhui, 40, of Burien, WA is charged with: possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed, 34, of Seattle, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Ahbdurman Ahmed, 32, of Seattle, WA is also charged with: two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm. Matthew Anderson, 35, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with: two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute Daniel John Faix, 39, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Natasha Parkhill, 37, of Bellingham, WA is also charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. State charges are anticipated on seven additional defendants. “While our community struggles with the impacts of fentanyl overdoses and deaths, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Drug Task Force continues to work closely with our local, state, and federal partners to hold those distributing this dangerous drug accountable for their actions. We aggressively investigate those that bring these deadly drugs and criminal enterprises into our communities that prey on our most vulnerable,” said Whatcom County Undersheriff Doug Chadwick. “In order to continue to protect the Puget Sound region from organizations that distribute fake pills laced with fentanyl, we will act swiftly, as we did in this investigation, with all of our local and federal partners to ensure the health and safety of our communities,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. For some defendants in this case, the large drug quantities involved, and the firearms, require mandatory minimum penalties of ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of a firearm is furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a consecutive five years in prison on top of any sentence imposed on other charges. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, and the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.


title: Alabama Resident Sentenced  for Violating the Federal  Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – QUINCY WHITE , age 43, a resident of Alabama, was sentenced on April 18, 2023 to 188 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry. WHITE had previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on October 24, 2021, federal and local agencies conducted a controlled delivery of 970 grams of pure methamphetamine to WHITE . The delivery occurred in the parking lot of a Home Depot in LaPlace, Louisiana. After being arrested, WHITE admitted he paid $10,000 for the packages of “methamphetamine” that were located inside the spare tire of the vehicle he was driving. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, and the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Massachusetts Health Care Company Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay More Than $2.5 Million for Purchasing Botox That was Packaged and Labeled for Use Only in Foreign Countries

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Massachusetts-based medical corporation, Greater Boston Behavioral Health LLC, has agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the receipt of misbranded drugs and to pay in excess of $2.5 million in fines and forfeiture. “Greater Boston Behavioral Health disregarded laws designed to protect patient safety,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting patients and the integrity of federal health care programs, and we will continue to use our criminal authority to ensure that health care providers play by the rules that protect the public and ensure quality of care.” “Administering misbranded prescription drugs to patients puts their health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando P. McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public’s health.” Pursuant to a criminal information filed in federal court in Boston, the United States charged Greater Boston Behavioral Health with violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. As part of the criminal resolution, Greater Boston Behavioral Health has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor offense, to pay a criminal fine of $657,678 and to forfeit $1,929,464. According to the criminal information, Greater Boston Behavioral Health sought out sources from which it could purchase Botox® that was packaged and labeled only for sale in the United Kingdom and other foreign countries. The label of the foreign Botox purchased by Greater Boston Behavioral Health differed from the FDA-approved label for Botox and Botox Cosmetic and lacked the designation “Rx Only” as required by the FDCA for prescription drugs. The label also typically did not include the FDA-required “black-box warning” concerning potential side-effects of Botox. Greater Boston Behavioral Health purchased foreign Botox at prices significantly below the price that Allergan and its authorized distributors charged for Botox and Botox Cosmetic that was manufactured and labeled for sale in the United States. Doctors at Greater Boston Behavioral Health used the foreign Botox to treat patients suffering from migraine headaches and did not disclose to these patients that they purchased the drug from foreign sources or that it was not labeled for distribution in the United States. U.S. Attorney Rollins and FDA-OCI SAC McMillan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Looney of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit handled the matter.


title: Lebanon Man Charged With Extortion

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that John Zayas, age 34, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information on April 7, 2023, with extortion by interstate communication. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between September 5, 2022 and October 20, 2022, in Lebanon County, Zayas attempted to extort money from a victim, through communications containing threats to injure the reputation of the victim. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for the extortion offense charged in the information is imprisonment for two years, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. 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 by information are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. ###


title: Former State Employee Sentenced to 12 months in Prison for Role in $2 Million Scheme to Defraud the Office of AIDS

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yvonne Gaide, 61, of Orangevale, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $472,717 in restitution for wire fraud in relation to a scheme to divert funds from the California Department of Public Health, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Gaide was employed as an analyst for grants and fiscal matters in the Office of AIDS within the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento. The Office of AIDS is responsible for working on behalf of the State of California to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Between December 2017 and November 2018, Gaide participated in a fraud scheme along with Schenelle Flores, 47, and Christine Iwamoto, 59, both former Office of AIDS employees from Sacramento. In total, the participants in the fraud scheme obtained at least $2 million in personal benefits, including cash and purchased items. According to court documents, as part of the scheme, Flores directed a state contractor to make payments allegedly on behalf of the Office of AIDS and to charge those payments to the state. In reality, those payments benefitted Gaide, Flores, Iwamoto, and others personally rather than the Office of AIDS. For example, Gaide, Flores, and Iwamoto caused the contractor to pay for personal expenses on its debit cards, order gift cards for personal use, and pay false invoices to shell companies for services allegedly provided to the Office of AIDS. This included, among other things, $450,000 in phony invoices submitted by Iwamoto for a shell company that she had created to defraud the state, which Gaide and Flores then helped ensure would be paid. After the invoices were paid, Iwamoto shared the proceeds with Gaide by meeting in person to give Gaide cash, as well as giving Gaide blank checks that she could write out of the phony company’s bank account. Gaide personally gained over $70,000 from the scheme including the following: • $19,217 from personal fraudulent use of the state contractor’s debit cards, including for Disneyland, Universal Studios, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and apparel and home items; • $20,000 to $25,000 (at least) in cash from Iwamoto in person, after helping process fraudulent invoices from Iwamoto’s fake shell company; • $29,090 in checks written by Gaide out of the fake shell company’s bank account that Gaide knew housed fraud proceeds; and • $3,500 in gift cards purchased by the state contractor and charged to a contract with the Office of AIDS that Gaide obtained for her personal use. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Public Health and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hales prosecuted the case. On March 3, 2022, Flores was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution in a related case, United States v. Flores , 2:21-cr-025. On April 7, 2022, Iwamoto was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $481,200 in restitution in a related case, United States v. Iwamoto , 2:21-cr-193.


title: Rochester Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 235 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for leading a methamphetamine trafficking ring, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, from September 2021 through February 2022, Jerry Lee Milliken, 40, led a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy based in Rochester and operated throughout southeastern Minnesota and elsewhere. Milliken organized the delivery of methamphetamine from a supplier in Kansas City, Missouri, to sub-distributors in the Rochester area. Milliken also collected and received drug proceeds and facilitated communications in support of the conspiracy. Between the fall of 2021 and the winter of 2022, law enforcement seized approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine from the conspiracy during various enforcement operations. Milliken pleaded guilty on November 18, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Aaron Raymond Dombovy, 30, one of Milliken’s coconspirators, pleaded guilty on November 16, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rochester Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, and the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter Jr. prosecuted the case.


title: Man Admits Robbing ATM Workers in St. Louis County

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man on Thursday admitted stealing a bag of cash from workers servicing an ATM in St. Louis County, Missouri. Mark Anthony Diggs, 21, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to one robbery charge and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Diggs admitted robbing two employees of ATM Solutions on May 31, 2022 as they were servicing an ATM machine at a Vantage Credit Union. Diggs emerged from the back seat of a white Kia Optima, armed with a fully-automatic Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm and demanded that an employee throw him a bag of cash. The robbery was captured on video. A Missouri Highway Patrol trooper found the money bag, and Diggs’ DNA was later found on paper inside it. A search of Diggs’ home on July 14 found clothing identical to items worn by the robber. “It did not take long to identify Mark Diggs as a suspect,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “When it comes to violent federal crime, the FBI will surge resources to bring perpetrators to justice. In this case, video cameras that are always watching were key to solving the case.” Diggs is scheduled to be sentenced July 18. The robbery charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years consecutive to any other charge. The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.


title: Lame Deer man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for aggravated sexual abuse

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man convicted of sexually abusing a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in 2022 was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. James Cale Allen, 29, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to aggravated sexual abuse. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, Allen was drinking alcohol in a Lame Deer residence and became angry with the victim, a woman. Allen first slapped and punched the victim and then sexually assaulted her while she was telling him no. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI. XXX


title: Oroville Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Joseph Alan Childers, 37, of Oroville, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Childers conspired with others to acquire and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in Butte and Yuba Counties. On Feb. 27, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Childers in Oroville. A later search of the vehicle uncovered over 2 pounds of fentanyl, a half a pound of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and packing materials. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and the Oroville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Childers faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, announced today that Sean Patrick Fosler was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Fosler, 30, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on April 28, 2022 to production of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Fosler will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Dec. 2, 2021, a confidential source notified HSI that Fosler had live-streamed an incident of sexually explicit conduct with a then eight-year-old child through Snapchat. During the investigation, HSI agents located two Snapchat accounts belonging to Fosler, each containing numerous images of child pornography produced by Fosler with the victim starting as early as when she was six or seven years old. Fosler told the victim to not tell anyone because otherwise he would go to jail. “HSI special agents remain committed to work tirelessly to protect innocent children victimized by those who engage in such heinous and perverse actions,” said Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge for HSI El Paso. “This case was a great example of multiple agencies in our region collaborating to bring justice for a minor victim, and we will stop at nothing to put an end to child victimization.” "Those who use minors for their own sexual gratification are selfish and cowardly,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “Those who then capture and share those darkest moments of a child-victim’s life infinitely compound the harm. I’m proud to partner with Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico State Police, and the El Paso Police Department to support healing and closure for the victim and their loved ones.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and R. Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. # # # 23-82


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Receives 10 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Cameron Hansen, 39, of Holly Ridge, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for trafficking drugs with a sawed-off shot gun. On January 11, 2023, Hansen pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, on February 14, 2021, Hansen was stopped by deputies from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation while travelling South on Highway 17 in Jacksonville. Hansen stopped his truck in the parking lot of a local business. An Onslow County Sheriff’s K-9 detected the odor of narcotics coming from the truck. Law enforcement searched the truck and recovered a sawed-off shotgun and approximately one ounce of 95 percent pure methamphetamine. The investigation uncovered that Hansen distributed methamphetamine in the Holly Ridge area. Hansen has a prior federal conviction for possession of a stolen firearm. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Onslow County Sheriffs’ Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00081-FL.


title: Charlotte Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Separ, 40, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to filed documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in July 2021, an investigation began into Separ’s drug distribution activities. On July 28, 2021, CMPD officers pulled over Separ’s vehicle for a traffic violation. Over the course of the traffic stop, Separ attempted to flee the scene. Following that incident, court documents show that officers conducted a search of Separ’s vehicle, seizing more than half a kilogram of methamphetamine, nearly half a kilogram of cocaine, almost a kilogram of marijuana, and four firearms and ammunition. On July 29, 2021, a search warrant was executed at Separ’s residence, and law enforcement seized more drugs, two additional firearms, and ammunition. On November 16, 2022, Separ pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigative efforts. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: Canton Man Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Possession of 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Canton, Illinois man, Derek Lee Pollitt, 37, of the 100 block of South Avenue H, has been sentenced to 81 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession of five grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence that in April 2022 Canton police officers stopped a car in which Pollitt was a passenger. On the front passenger-side floorboard, where Pollitt had been seated, officers found a large zip-lock style baggie containing 29.2 grams of actual methamphetamine. They also found that Pollitt had in his possession $129 in cash, along with various pills. Officers obtained records from CashApp that showed Pollitt was using the mobile financial service to transfer money to drug suppliers and customers. Pollitt was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2022 and pleaded guilty in December 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his indictment. The statutory penalties for possession of five grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute are not less than five years and up to forty years imprisonment, not more than a $5,000,000 fine and four years to life of supervised release. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canton Police Department, and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution. The case against Pollitt is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally out of the Pekin Police Department. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Timothy Gross, 39, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, admitting to making a fraudulent payment with an employer-issued credit card as part of a scheme to divert more than $65,000 in credit card charges to his personal bank account. According to court documents and statements made in court, Gross was hired by Amerihost LLC in 2020 as a maintenance worker for Beckley Town Homes, a multi-unit apartment building in Beckley. Amerihost issued Gross a credit card for legitimate business purposes and not for personal use. On April 5, 2020, Gross used his Amerihost-issued credit card to submit a $1,712 payment to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing.” Gross admitted that no work had been conducted to justify the payment, and that he created a fraudulent invoice that described the payment as being for eight circuit-breaker panel boxes. Gross further admitted that he opened an account for “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” on the Square payments platform to divert payments from the Amerihost-issued credit card for his personal use, and linked that Square account to his personal bank account. On at least 38 separate occasions from at least January 1, 2020, until at least April 15, 2020, Gross used the Amerihost-issued credit card to send more than $65,000 in unauthorized, fraudulent payments to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” for work that was not performed. Gross created false work invoices as part of his scheme. Gross is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Gross owes more than $65,000 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Beckley Police Department. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-191. ###


title: Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Crimes

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Richard Massey, 50, of Shady Spring, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering. Massey admitted to issuing fraudulent payments as an insurance claims adjuster and using the money to fund a powersports business that he owns. According to court documents and statements made in court, Massey was employed as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company from 2015 until June 2019. Massey was routinely assigned claim files to investigate after Allstate customers filed a claim under their insurance policy. Massey’s job included investigating assigned claims, determining coverage, and coordinating with the insured customer and others to determine what services were needed to bring a claim to conclusion. In his role as claims adjuster, Massey had the authority to issue settlement check payments to policy holders and businesses on behalf of Allstate to settle insured property damage claims. Massey admitted to authorizing and issuing a $15,110.29 check on behalf of Allstate to a business called American Mitigation Services LLC, also known as AMS Cleaning, on December 26, 2018. The check was issued for mitigation work allegedly performed by AMS Cleaning and was deposited into AMS Cleaning’s bank account. Massey admitted that this payment was fraudulent, as AMS Cleaning had completed no work to justify the payment. Massey further admitted that he had a business relationship with AMS Cleaning and was an authorized signer on the business’s bank account. Massey also admitted that he authorized and issued 68 fraudulent claim payment checks totaling more than $850,000 on behalf of Allstate to AMS Cleaning from at least January 22, 2018, until at least June 19, 2019. Massey attempted to hide the fraudulent nature of some of these checks by creating fraudulent receipts and documents that appeared to justify the payments. Massey used the fraudulent claims payments deposited in AMS Cleaning’s bank account to fund Massey Powersports LLC, a Beckley business owned and operated by Massey. The investigation revealed that Massey routinely wrote checks from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to pay Massey Powersports employees, to purchase inventory for Massey Powersports, and to pay Massey Powersports’ recurring bills. Massey admitted that on December 27, 2018, he wired $105,403.20 in fraudulently obtained proceeds from AMS Cleaning’s bank account to a North Carolina business to prepay for tractors intended for Massey Powersports. Massey attempted to conceal his scheme from investigators. On June 27, 2019, Massey falsely told an Allstate fraud investigator that he had no financial interest in AMS Cleaning. On August 14, 2020, Massey created and submitted a fictitious $1 million sales contract for AMS Cleaning in response to a federal grand jury subpoena. On January 22, 2021, Massey falsely told a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent that he had negotiated the sale of AMS Cleaning with an individual identified by Massey as “Jerry Wayne.” Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Massey owes $862,871.29 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-219. ###


title: Two Southern Idaho Men Sentenced for Federal Drug Crimes

body_text: BOISE – Two men from southern Idaho were sentenced to federal prison in separate drug trafficking cases, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. Steven Feller, 65, of Kuna, was sentenced to 114 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Feller to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to court records, in July and August 2021, Feller sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. In September 2021, law enforcement stopped Feller in Iron County, Utah. Feller was in possession of five pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute in Idaho. In May 2022, law enforcement located a package containing drugs being shipped to Feller at his residence in Kuna. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on Feller’s residence and located approximately a pound and a half of methamphetamine and three firearms. Feller has a prior conviction for trafficking drugs. In a separate case, Lawrence Eric Barnes, 42, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Barnes to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence According to court records, during a traffic stop in Twin Falls County in June 2022, a Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Deputy seized 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 20 grams of fentanyl powder, 200 fentanyl pills, and a loaded .40 caliber handgun, from Barnes’ vehicle. Barnes was traveling from California with the intention of distributing the drugs in the Treasure Valley. Barnes has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for domestic violence and controlled substance offenses. At the time of the instant offense, Barnes was on parole for trafficking in methamphetamine and attempted strangulation. U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Idaho State Police, the Nampa Police Department, and the Ada County Sherriff’s Office for their collaborative work on the Feller case and commended the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on the Barnes case. ###


title: Wives of Convicted Drug Traffickers Plead Guilty to Laundering Drug Proceeds

body_text: CHICAGO — The wives of convicted drug traffickers Pedro Flores and Margarito Flores have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. VIVIANNA LOPEZ, also known as “Mia Flores,” 42, and VALERIE GAYTAN, also known as “Olivia Flores,” 47, both confirmed in their plea agreements that from December 2008 until March 2020, they conspired with each other – as well as others – to conduct financial transactions involving drug proceeds, knowing the transactions were designed in part to conceal the nature of the proceeds. Additionally, their plea agreements state that between at least May 2005 and December 2008, Margarito Flores and Pedro Flores operated a Chicago-based distribution cell for the Sinaloa Cartel and the Beltran Leyva Organization, which involved the transportation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and kilogram quantities of heroin per month to customers in Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Los Angeles, and Vancouver. This drug trafficking activity generated hundreds of millions of dollars of proceeds from the sale of narcotics. After their husbands’ cooperation began in November 2008, Lopez and Gaytan stored cash drug proceeds from their husbands’ drug operations, proceeds which they accessed and spent for the benefit of themselves and others until 2020. The charges alleged that the money was spent on various items, including more than $165,000 in private school tuition for children of Vivianna Lopez and Gaytan, more than $99,000 in international and domestic travel by Vivianna Lopez and Gaytan, more than $80,000 for Vivianna Lopez’s residential rent, and approximately $11,000 in child support for a child of one of the incarcerated husbands. Both have agreed to the government’s forfeiture request of $504,858. Gaytan pleaded guilty on April 14, 2023 and Lopez plead guilty on April 20, 2023. Laura Lopez also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on April 20, 2023. Sentencing dates have not been set. Each count carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. The plea agreements are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Erika L. Csicsila.


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Henderson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 3, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in downtown Charleston of a vehicle in which Henderson was a passenger. During the traffic stop, a police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in a duffel bag belonging to Henderson. Officers searched the bag and found approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-65. ###


title: Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. -- A Gulfport man pled guilty to producing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court documents, Derrick Patrick Flanagan, 38, was identified in February of 2022 in an investigation brought to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office had received two CyberTip Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. One of the reports used the name “John Adams” with a gmail.com email address and the other account was under the name of “Derrick Flanagan” and used another gmail.com email address. These CyberTips were ultimately found to be related to Hancock County Deputy Derrick Flanagan, who was assigned to work at the Diamondhead Police Department and resided in Gulfport. Forensic examinations of a laptop and cellular telephones recovered during the investigation found multiple visual depictions of child sexual abuse material. In addition, the investigation recovered over 40,000 lines of chats sent via a SnapChat App that corresponded to multiple visual depictions. Flanagan is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, unless he is determined to have a qualifying prior conviction under federal sexual exploitation statues, military law, or any state law, to include but not limited to, aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual conduct involving a minor, where he would then face a penalty of not less than 25 years nor more than 50 years in prison, and a fine of not more than $250,000. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division, and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Ringleader and Two Associates of Illicit Massage Parlor Operation Sentenced to Combined 6 Years in Prison

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Three women from South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina were sentenced today to combined 72 months in prison for their management and involvement in an illicit massage parlor operation between August 2020 and June 2021. The leader of the organization, Ok Hwa Lee, 55, was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Shanyu Song, 50, and Xuejin Bai, 51, were sentenced to 26 and 12 months and 1 day, respectively. Additionally, Lee was ordered to forfeit $151,000; Song $146,000; and Bai $55,000. On November 10, 2022, Lee pled guilty to three counts, including one count of conspiracy and two counts of bribing a public official and Song pled guilty to conspiracy. On December 12, 2022, Bai pled guilty to one count of conspiracy. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lee, Song, and Bai were arrested as part of a broad undercover operation for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers to provide protection for their illicit massage parlors where sexual services were being offered in Cary, Durham, and Wilmington, North Carolina. During the investigation, an undercover HSI agent met with Lee, Song, Bai, and other individuals who provided more than $18,000 in bribes to the agent, believing that the bribes would provide protection from unwanted law enforcement inquiries at the various massage parlors. Song was Lee’s main accomplice within the organization and Bai was a part owner of two illicit massage parlors in Wilmington. On June 16, 2021, HSI, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies, led a coordinated takedown across four different federal districts that included the execution of search warrants at eight different massage parlors, multiple residences, and the arrest of six individuals, including Lee, Song, and Bai. Two other co-defendants, Ming Ji Cao and Ogbun Park, were previously sentenced, and the corresponding press release can be found here . Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and other state and local investigators investigated the case and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-cr-00079-FL.


title: Meridian Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for  Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - A Meridian man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to court documents, Patrick Terrell Lewis, Jr., 31, was found in possession of a firearm in his vehicle by officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office on January 7, 2021. Lewis was stopped by officers while in the parking lot of a motel on suspicion connected to an unrelated investigation. The officers smelled marijuana. One officer then checked Lewis’s vehicle and saw a marijuana grinder inside the vehicle on top of the center console. When the officer looked under the driver’s seat the officer found a 9mm pistol. Lewis has two prior felony convictions and was on probation at the time of this incident. Lewis pled guilty on October 31, 2022 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica S. Terrill and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case. This case is being 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: Billings felon admits to firearms crimes after illegally possessing stolen gun

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who was on state supervision for felony convictions admitted today to firearms crimes after law enforcement found him in possession of a stolen gun, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Joseph Lee Doney, 41, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and to possession of a stolen firearm. Doney faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Doney was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 13, 2022, Billings Police Department officers arrested Doney on a probation violation warrant after he was spotted in a stolen truck the previous night. Doney had absconded from state supervision in January 2022. In a search of a trailer where Doney had been living, officers seized a stolen Ruger .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. Doney admitted to an officer that there was ammunition in his trailer and that he was in the stolen truck the night before. In a recorded jail call after his arrest, Doney admitted he knew the gun was stolen. The owner of the stolen truck and pistol confirmed that the gun was in his truck, which was parked outside of his home, when both were stolen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Taos Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Kidnapping and Domestic Violence

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Richard Mascarenas was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Mascarenas, 38, of Taos Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Taos, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to one count each of kidnapping, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating. Upon his release from prison, Mascarenas will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. According to the plea agreement and other court records, over a two-week period from April 17, 2022, to May 4, 2022, Mascarenas assaulted the victim, identified as Jane Doe, and held her against her will at a residence in Taos Pueblo. In his plea, Mascarenas admitted that he would not allow Doe to leave, contact her family, or report the assaults because he did not want anyone to know how severely he had hurt her. Mascarenas locked Doe within the residence, hid the keys to the vehicles, and kept the gate to the property locked. On May 4, Doe’s brother contacted Taos Police and requested a welfare check, leading police to discover the ongoing kidnapping and assault. As a result of the assault, Doe suffered numerous serious injuries, including a stroke. Despite her injuries, Doe’s prognosis for recovery is good and she is residing with family. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-83


title: Former Cumberland County Official Sentenced To Federal Prison For Civil Rights Violations

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: NASHVILLE – A former county commissioner and director of the Solid Waste Department in Cumberland County, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for sexually assaulting seven women who worked under his supervision at the Cumberland County Recycling Center. Michael Harvel, 61, was previously convicted on nine counts of committing sexual assault. According to evidence introduced at trial – including testimony from 13 women who described Harvel’s sexual abuse – Harvel abused his authority as a county official to sexually assault women who worked under his control at the recycling center. Many of Harvel’s victims were sent to the recycling center to serve court-ordered community service, were required to keep a job as a term of their probation or were otherwise vulnerable because they struggled with substance abuse, were impoverished, or were sole caregivers for their dependents. The jury convicted Harvel of four counts of sexual assault that included kidnapping and three counts that included aggravated sexual abuse. "Michael Harvel is a predator who used his position of authority to victimize vulnerable women," said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis. "I am extremely proud of the work our office did, alongside our partners at the Civil Rights Division and FBI, to hold him accountable and to stand up for the rights of the victims." According to witness testimony at trial, Harvel told one victim to stop by his office at the end of the day, purportedly to discuss a job opportunity, then locked the door to his office and orally raped the woman. He falsely told a second victim that he needed her help with a county work project, then drove her to an isolated landfill in the woods and raped her in a guard shack. The jury also heard evidence that Harvel covered up his pattern of behavior by threatening his victims and other employees so that they would not report his crimes. “The defendant abused his official position and authority to deprive the victims of their constitutionally-protected right to bodily integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While this sentence can’t undo the extraordinary pain and suffering the defendant caused these women, it should send a clear message to public officials they are not above the law and will be held accountable when they sexually assault and abuse people subject to their authority.” “This sentencing should send a clear message that the FBI makes it a priority to bring to justice anyone who violates the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI is committed to protecting the civil rights of all people and will continue to vigorously investigate these kinds of cases alongside our local, state and federal partners.” The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. In 2021, in a separate civil action, the Justice Department secured $1.1 million from Cumberland County to resolve a sexual harassment lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, that Cumberland County failed to take adequate precautions to prevent Harvel, as the director of the county’s Solid Waste Department, from sexually harassing women he supervised. According to the complaint, Harvel regularly subjected the women to unwanted sexual contact, including kissing and groping, and to unwelcome sexual advances. # # # # #


title: Kalispell man admits threatening to murder U.S. Sen. Jon Tester

body_text: MISSOULA — A Kalispell man accused of threatening to kill Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester in calls to his office admitted to a threats charge today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Kevin Patrick Smith, 46, pleaded guilty to threats to murder a United States Senator. Smith faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Aug. 24 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Smith was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on Jan. 30, Smith made numerous threatening phone calls to Sen. Tester, a member of Congress, by leaving voicemails at Sen. Tester’s Kalispell office. In one message, Smith said: “There is nothing I want more than to have you stand toe to toe with me. You stand toe to toe with me. I rip your head off. You die. You stand in a situation where it is physical between you and me. You die.” And: “I will never stop … And I would love to destroy you and rip your (obscenity) head from your shoulders. That is no problem. Call that a threat. Send the FBI.” Smith also left a message for Sen. Tester that said: “I would love to (obscenity) kill you. I would love to see your FBI at my door. I would love to see something in the news.” Smith acknowledged in the recordings that he threatened Sen. Tester and such threats were “on purpose.” Smith made the threats because he was upset with Sen. Tester’s political decisions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police. XXX


title: Supervisory Paramedic Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Fentanyl and Tampering with Drugs Intended for Patients

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Christopher Robert Pattinson, age 41, of Commerce City, was sentenced to three years in prison for tampering with fentanyl intended for patient use. According to the plea agreement, Pattinson was a Paramedic Field Lieutenant Supervisor at a Denver hospital. For a period of four years, he stole approximately 1900 vials of fentanyl from the paramedic department, and in the last few months of his employment, tampered with fentanyl vials intended for patient use. He concealed his theft by altering the hospital’s narcotics logs and making false entries in the hospital’s records. When the defendant tampered with the narcotics, he removed fentanyl vials from a locked narcotics supply cabinet, replacing the drug with a clear liquid believed to be saline. The defendant then returned tampered fentanyl vials to the locked narcotics supply cabinet and placed tampered vials in narcotics kits to be used on ambulances to respond to emergencies. “We won’t tolerate medical professionals who put patients at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Drug addiction is tragic, but it’s no excuse for harming patients – this conduct will send you to prison for a long time.” “Health care professionals who tamper with patient medications not only harm patients but also put at risk the trust that U.S. consumers have in those who provide their medical care,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.” “Trust is the cornerstone of a patient’s relationship with the medical community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division. “Mr. Pattinson violated that trust, and as a result of his actions, the DEA, the FDA, and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office have held him accountable.” United States District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney sentenced the defendant on April 19, 2023. After his period of incarceration, the defendant will also serve three years on supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the hospital. Substance abuse and mental health services are available to medical professionals experiencing addiction and other issues that may be detrimental to their ability to safely practice their profession. Nurses, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists, and other medical professionals can reach out to nonprofit agency Peer Assistance Services, Inc. ( peerassistanceservices.org ), and emergency medical professionals can contact nonprofit agency Path4EMS ( path4ems.org ). These programs promote earlier identification and intervention to prevent professionals from engaging in unsafe practices. This matter was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Case No. 22-cr-0263-CNS


title: Four Defendants Convicted of Trafficking Fentanyl,  Methamphetamine and Cocaine Receive Sentences  Totaling Over 43 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: LAKE CHARLES/LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that four defendants received lengthy sentences today for their participation in the trafficking of narcotics in the Lake Charles and Lafayette areas. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced two of the defendants in Lake Charles as follows: Christopher Wayne Jones, II , 29, of Lake Charles, Louisiana , was sentenced to 175 months (14 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl. On November 4, 2020, while patrolling an area near 18 th Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, an officer with the Lake Charles Police Department observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer activated his emergency lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, later determined to be Jones, fled at a high rate of speed. After a short chase, Jones lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway, and struck a utility pole. Jones exited the vehicle holding a red backpack and fled the scene on foot. Officers gave chase and Jones was apprehended shortly thereafter and placed under arrest. After a brief search, officers found the red backpack that Jones had been carrying in a nearby backyard. Inside the backpack officers found approximately 554 pills which weighed approximately 282 grams. Lab reports revealed that the pills contained a mixture of acetaminophen and fentanyl. In addition to the narcotics found in Jones’ backpack, officers also found a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol in the front seat of his vehicle. Jones pleaded guilty to the charge on December 12, 2022. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen. Michael Javel Toefield , 52, of Baytown, Texas, was sentenced to 130 months (10 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On May 13, 2019, officers with the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force, Criminal Patrol Unit, conducted a traffic stop on May 13, 2019, of a vehicle which was driven by Toefield. A K-9 officer positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle and officers began a search. During the search of the vehicle, officers discovered a white bag containing a cardboard Ultra beer box and inside were two clear plastic tubs containing over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Toefield admitted to knowing the drugs were hidden inside the box and pleaded guilty to the charge on November 12, 2022. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced the following two defendants in Lafayette today: Shane Christopher Malveaux , 51, of Eunice, Louisiana, was sentenced to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Malveaux pleaded guilty to the charge on November 29, 2022. According to information introduced in court, Malveaux was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy with others from August 2019 until January 2021. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into their organization and conducted controlled purchases from Malveaux’s co-conspirators. In addition, agents intercepted electronic communications between Malveaux and his co-conspirator, Shawn White, in which he purchased both powder cocaine and cocaine base from White on multiple occasions. Agents conducted physical and electronic surveillance of Malveaux and his drug trafficking activities, and he was charged with participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy. The case was investigated by the DEA, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen. Dallas Prejean, 60, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 113 months (9 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Prejean was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy with several others and was charged in an indictment in October 2019. Through their investigation using physical and electronic surveillance of Prejean and his co-defendants, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence to secure a search warrant for a residence occupied by Prejean in Rayne, Louisiana. Agents found numerous firearms and large amounts of narcotics and other drug paraphernalia in the residence. Prejean admitted possession of the items to agents and pleaded guilty to the charge on October 13, 2021. The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel. # # #