title: North Platte Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Austin Priest, age 35, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Priest to a total of 120 months’ imprisonment. Priest’s federal sentence will be served consecutive to a state prison sentence he is serving for state violations related to possession of meth. There is no parole in the federal system. After Priest’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On October 15, 2023, officers with the North Platte Police Department stopped a vehicle driven by Priest as it entered North Platte for at traffic violation. From prior intel, officers suspected the vehicle had been involved in the distribution of narcotics and suspected narcotics were currently in the vehicle at the time of the stop. Both Priest and his passenger were asked to step back to patrol cars while officers checked their identification, and a drug dog was deployed while the traffic stop was in progress. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics and officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. In a XL men’s sized jacket pocket, officers located a pound of meth. The jacket was located on the floor of the passenger’s side seat. A search warrant executed on the co-defendant’s phone located a selfie style photo taken of Priest and the co-defendant that same day of the two of them, with Priest wearing the jacket. During interviews, Priest initially denied being outside of Nebraska, saying they had just been to Ogallala. A search incident to his arrest located receipts from Colorado in his pockets, at which point he admitted having been in Colorado but denied knowing anything about the meth in the car. At the time of the traffic stop, Priest was out on bond, having been released by a state court judge on three separate state cases relating to either the possession of or the distribution of meth. The recovered meth was sent to the state crime lab where it was tested and confirmed meth, with a purity of 95.7% for a total of 400 grams of actual meth. This case was investigated by the North Platte Police Department.


title: Two Rhode Island Men Charged for Leading Roles in Large-Scale Organized Theft Crime Ring; Investigation Continues

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – Following the seizure of approximately 60,000 stolen items, primarily over-the-counter pharmaceutical products and cosmetics worth an estimated $1.6 million dollars, two Rhode Island men described in court documents as high-level members of an organized retail theft crime ring that targeted retailers nationwide, and then resold the stolen goods in bulk to other retailers and private citizens, have been arrested and charged in federal court in Providence, RI, announced Zachary A. Cunha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. As reflected in court document, it is alleged that Norman L. Cipriano, 52, of Warwick, and Patrick M. Vigneau, 59, of Cranston, RI, are high-level wholesalers known within organized theft rings as Diverters. Diverters often set up shell companies, own warehouses where stolen merchandise is shipped, and act as suppliers for small to mid-size retail chains. These organizations frequently utilize e-commerce marketplaces to promote and offer their goods and use unregulated third-party processors such as PayPal in order to avoid detection. To date, agents and task force officers from the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Warwick Police Department have executed multiple search warrants in Warwick, Cranston, and Pawtucket, RI, seizing enough stolen goods to fill three fully loaded 24-foot box trucks. Authorities have also moved to freeze several bank and e-commerce accounts, and have seized more than two dozen boxes in transit via UPS. It is alleged that, over the last several years, this Rhode Island-based organized retail crime theft has netted roughly $12.3 million dollars in sales. “The scale of the retail theft network whose alleged leaders we have charged today is staggering,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “In addition to imposing higher prices on legitimate retail consumers, theft rings like this one put unsuspecting customers at risk from damaged, expired, or adulterated goods, and impose untold economic costs. Today’s arrests and the disruption of this network reflects the kind of tenacity and dedication that this Office and our partners will continue to bring to bear to combat this type of brazen criminality.” Stolen Items Seized by Law Enforcement “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to dismantling organized retail theft,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “These criminals use the U.S. Mail to ship the stolen items to unsuspecting customers who assume they are purchasing legitimate goods from a reputable online seller. The impact of this type of crime is more than just using the mail for illegal gain. This crime has significant negative impact on businesses, retailers, and public safety. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue criminals who victimize postal customers and bring them to justice.” “The scale of this alleged theft organization is simply astonishing. Special agents and officers seized tens of thousands of stolen items valued at over $1.6 million, but this represents only a snapshot of this alleged scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI is proud to work alongside our federal, local, and private industry partners to unravel this organization. Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime and when theft groups undermine international commerce and the supply chain, we all pay.” Colonel Bradford Connor of the Warwick Police Department stated, “The Warwick Police Department is dedicated to collaborating with our state and local partners to fight organized retail theft. This investigation highlights the various schemes aimed at defrauding businesses and citizens. The joint efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office were crucial in bringing these individuals to justice and dismantling this organized crime ring.” Stolen Items Seized by Law Enforcement Cipriano and Vigneau are charged by way of federal criminal complaints with interstate transportation of stolen goods, conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. Court documents allege that organized theft rings operate by dividing responsibilities among various individuals. At the first stage, these rings employ individuals known as “Boosters,” led by Crew Bosses who provide them with lists of items to be stolen from retail outlets, most often high-demand, high-priced products. The stolen items are then turned over to “Fencers,” middlemen who work between the Boosters/Crew Bosses and other individuals involved in the organization. Fencers move the items to “Cleansers” who strip retail and anti-theft stickers and devices from the stolen items prior to them being shipped off to “Diverters.” Diverters act as wholesalers, salespeople, or coordinators of secondary sales, often times selling the stolen goods to small to mid-sized retail chains that in turn sell the products to consumers. In this matter, it is alleged that stolen and cleaned merchandise was turned over to Cipriano and Vigneau in their roles as Diverters. The defendants, allegedly operating under the names of various shell companies, and working with others, sold large volumes of stolen merchandise via e-commerce sites such as eBay, Walmart, and Amazon. In order to avoid detection, unregulated third-party processors, such as PayPal, were used, tied to bank accounts controlled by the defendants. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. According to court records, Norman L. Cipriano was convicted in Rhode Island state court in 2005 and served a term of six years of incarceration for conspiracy and receiving stolen goods. Additionally, Cipriano was convicted in federal court in August 2013 on a charge of trafficking counterfeit goods and was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. Patrick M. Vigneau, convicted by a federal jury in March 1998 on charges of engaging in a continuing enterprise, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and conspiring to commit money laundering, was released from federal prison in 2020 and is currently serving a term of federal supervised release. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin. The matter is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England, HSI Providence, and the Warwick, RI, Police Department. United States Attorney Cunha acknowledges and thanks the following law agencies for their assistance: HSI Springfield, MA; HSI Hartford, CT; HSI New Haven, CT: Customs and Border Protection; Cranston RI, Police Department; Pawtucket, RI, Police Department; Providence RI, Police Department; Newport RI, Police Department; East Providence RI, Police Department; Portsmouth RI, Police Department; Rhode Island State Police; Rhode Island National Guard; Naperville, IL, Police Department; Wilmette, IL, Police Department; and the California Highway Patrol. United States Attorney Cunha also acknowledges loss prevention personnel from Walmart, Ahold Delhaize (Stop & Shop) CVS, Home Depot, United Parcel Service, Amazon, and eBay for their assistance to law enforcement. ### search_warrant_and_criminal_complaint_affidavits.pdf usa_cunha_news_conference_remarks_9-16-2024_004.pdf


title: Former Lafayette and Vermilion Parish Educator Sentenced to Federal Prison on Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced Jacob Conrad De La Paz , 34, has been sentenced for attempted receipt of child pornography. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced De La Paz to 84 months (7 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. De La Paz, a former teacher and coach at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette and a math teacher at North Vermilion High School in Maurice, was convicted by a jury in Lafayette on May 22, 2024. He was convicted of one count of attempted receipt of child pornography. Evidence at the trial revealed that De La Paz began communicating in January 2023 through social media with a former minor female student from North Vermilion High School who had reached out to him seeking his help as a math tutor. On January 12, 2023, De La Paz sent a video through the Facebook social media platform to the minor female student, who was 17 years old at the time, asking her to send him a video of her pleasuring herself. He then sent a second video to the minor victim of himself masturbating to ejaculation. Further testimony in court revealed that De La Paz instructed the minor victim to delete the video and all of their conversations from Facebook. “Parents expect educators and tutors of their minor children to simply teach those children and not influence or attempt to manipulate them sexually,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Children are a vulnerable segment of our society and when educators engage in this type of conduct with them, the DOJ’s mission requires us to prosecute them and that is what the public expects us to do. Today, justice has been served.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren L. Gardner and J. Luke Walker. # # #


title: Two Former High-Ranking FDNY Officials Charged With Bribery, Corruption, And False Statements Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging ANTHONY SACCAVINO and BRIAN CORDASCO, two former chiefs of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”) Bureau of Fire Prevention (“BFP”) with bribery, corruption, and false statements offenses. SACCAVINO and CORDASCO were arrested this morning and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco abused their authority as chiefs of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention to line their pockets in a pay-to-play bribery scheme. By allegedly selling priority access to the BFP’s services, which are vital to preventing New York City businesses and homes from fire-related incidents, Saccavino and Cordasco undermined the public trust and put their own greed above the interests of the taxpayers they swore to serve. This Office and our partners at the DOI and FBI will continue to ensure that City officials who put themselves over the public interest will be held accountable.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “When senior City officials provide special treatment in exchange for money, they abuse their authority, fail to serve New Yorkers fairly and equitably, and undermine confidence in the integrity of City government. As alleged, two senior leaders of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, responsible for fire safety approvals and inspections, and facing a significant backlog, fast-tracked dozens of projects in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments. I thank the FDNY for referring allegations of possible criminal conduct to DOI, prompting this investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for working with us to pursue this important case.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “The FDNY officials charged today allegedly took bribes to expedite the inspection process, undermining the fairness and integrity that are fundamental to our system. By doing so, they not only compromised public safety but also eroded the public’s trust in those who are sworn to protect us. Additionally, they damaged the trust of the overwhelming majority of New York City firefighters who are honest, hardworking public servants who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, often putting themselves in harm's way to ensure our safety. These men and women embody the highest standards of integrity and service. The actions of a few should not overshadow the dedication and bravery of the many who wear the badge with pride and honor.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] SACCAVINO and CORDASCO repeatedly abused their positions of trust as high-ranking officials in the FDNY from at least in or about 2021 through in or about 2023 by soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for providing preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies with matters pending before the BFP. SACCAVINO and CORDASCO were at relevant times Chiefs of the BFP, which is responsible for overseeing and approving the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in commercial and residential buildings in New York City. The BFP ensures that these systems comply with fire safety regulations by, among other things, reviewing and approving design plans and conducting on-site inspections of installed systems. In many cases, BFP approvals are required before a building can be occupied or opened to the public. As Chiefs of Fire Prevention—and, ultimately, the top two ranking members of the BFP—during the relevant period, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO supervised the BFP personnel who conducted these plan reviews and inspections. For nearly two years, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO misused their authority as Chiefs for their private financial gain. Specifically, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO solicited and accepted bribes from a retired FDNY firefighter, Henry Santiago Jr., who ran an unsanctioned “expediting” business (the “Santiago Company”). Acting in large part at the direction of SACCAVINO and CORDASCO, Santiago promised his customers that he could “expedite”—or fast-track—their plan reviews and inspection dates with the BFP, in exchange for payment. Santiago made this claim even though the BFP generally addressed applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and notwithstanding the significant wait times that BFP applicants generally faced during the relevant period. Behind the scenes, after a customer had hired the Santiago Company, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO directed BFP personnel to prioritize that customer’s plan review or inspection request in exchange for bribe payments from Santiago and/or the Santiago Company. In carrying out their official duties as Chiefs, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO justified the priority requests within the FDNY by lying to their BFP subordinates about the basis for their directions to prioritize certain projects over others. Santiago was paid by the customers of his company for this “expediting” and, in turn, Santiago made bribe payments to SACCAVINO and CORDASCO to obtain preferential treatment by the BFP for the Santiago Company’s customers. Collectively, SACCAVINO, CORDASCO, and Santiago received more than $190,000 in payments in connection with this scheme. As part of the investigation into this bribery scheme, in or about February 2024, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO each participated in voluntary interviews with the FBI. During those interviews, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO each repeatedly made false statements in an effort to conceal their involvement in the bribery scheme. * * * If you believe you have information related to bribery, fraud, or any other illegal conduct by FDNY or BFP employees, please contact tipline@doi.nyc.gov or (212) 825-2828. If you were involved in such conduct, please consider self-disclosing through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at USANYS.WBP@usdoj.gov. SACCAVINO, 59, of New York, New York, and CORDASCO, 49, of Staten Island, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of solicitation and receipt of a bribe, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Santiago, 46, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty on September 10, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. His case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Santiago agreed to cooperate with the Government. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the DOI and FBI. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Matthew King, and Daniel H. Wolf are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. “As illegally possessed firearms proliferate in our community, our office continues to hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We commend the efforts of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in investigating these criminal activities.” The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns. Those indicted in September include: Daniel Blount Cates , 50, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and two counts of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, referring to a machine gun and a firearm equipped with a silencer. Cates, who was sentenced in federal court to probation on an illegal gambling charge in 2021, was sentenced in June to 15 months in prison after U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall ruled that Cates had violated the terms of his probation by possessing firearms. Ray Charles Canady III , 51, of Augusta, charged with Interference with Commerce by Robbery; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Willie James Norton , 36, of Baxley, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Phillip Moore , 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Scottie Eugene Bryant , 48, of Grovetown, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Jack Anthony Bragg , 44, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and, Jacorey D. Lockett , 30, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Also previously indicted: Daniel Jamal Robertson , 33, of Brooklet, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, referring to an isomer of Ephylone, also known as bath salts; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include: Arthur Eugene Cannon , 41, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Chatham Counter Narcotics Team investigators determined that Cannon illegally possessed a stolen pistol discovered during a drug trafficking investigation. A co-defendant, Thomas Allen Gordon , 56, of Savannah, was sentenced to 70 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Daquan Minor , 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah police officers found a stolen pistol in Minor’s vehicle during a traffic stop. Minor previously was convicted of felony offenses including illegal gun possession and drug trafficking. Marqus Jamal Flanders , 38, of Brunswick, sentenced to 112 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In February 2023, Glynn County police found a pistol in Flanders’ possession after an attempted traffic stop led to a motorcycle and foot chase. Flanders was on probation on state felony charges at the time of his arrest. Daveon Daniels , 25, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 46 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun. Columbia County sheriff’s deputies were investigating a homicide when they determined that Daniels possessed a firearm, equipped with a “Glock switch” to convert it to fully automatic fire. Zanuck Lorenzo Berry , 43, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 87 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched Berry’s home in January 2023 as part of a drug trafficking investigation and found an assault-style rifle, two semiautomatic “ghost gun” pistols, a third handgun, and a shotgun. Jamario D. Owens , 24, of Savannah, was sentenced to 49 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found Owens in possession of a handgun while investigating a reported disturbance. Phillip Smith , 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 156 months in prison and fined $2,500, and Brian Hilliard , 40, of Augusta, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and fined $1,500, after both pled guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while Glen Taylor , 45, of Beech Island, S.C., was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,500 and Joshua Wasden , 36, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and fined $2,000 after both pled guilty to the conspiracy charge. Five co-defendants, including Edward Jake Walters , 29, of Grovetown; Dustin Bayles , 36, of Thomson, Ga.; Linda Campbell , 53, of Augusta; Gary Holcomb , 59, of Martinez; and Destiny Poole , 23, of Grovetown, await sentencing after pleading guilty to the drug conspiracy charge. All were charged in USA v. Walters et al., an indictment alleging an Augusta-area drug trafficking conspiracy. A tenth defendant, Donnie Skillman , 46, of Augusta, awaits further proceedings and is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Unique Haynes , 26, of Jacksonville, Fla., was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Fentanyl, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A co-defendant, Eric Massey , 29, also of Jacksonville, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to Illegal Use of a Communication Facility. Haynes and Massey were charged in Augusta following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol. Benjamin Priester , 56, of Pooler, Ga., was sentenced to 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Priester’s possession during a traffic stop and later determined Priester knew the gun had been stolen. Robert Antonio Green , 26, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A probation officer from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision found a handgun in Green’s possession during a meeting with Green. Michael Jerome Germany , 50, of Grovetown, Ga., was sentenced to 37 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police officers found a pistol in Germany’s vehicle during a traffic stop. Jarrett Lamar Knight , 45, of Savannah, was sentenced 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. As described in the plea agreement, Knight was a convicted felon when he sold a shotgun to a confidential informant during an ATF investigation. Thomas J. Fazio II , 41, of Grovetown, Ga, was sentenced to five years’ probation and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. In May 2023, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection intercepted suspected firearms silencers being shipped to Fazio, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant. During a search of Fazio’s residence, investigators found an unregistered firearm silencer. David Kreiss , 49, of Twin City, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. Twin City police found Kreiss in possession of a rifle and four shotguns while investigating a domestic disturbance. Andrey Denorris Blockett , 37, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia State Patrol troopers found Blockett in possession of a pistol with a loaded high-capacity magazine after Blockett fled on an off-road vehicle from a vehicle license check. Lial Stephens , 28, of Pooler, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery. Stephens pointed a pistol at a Garden City, Ga., convenience store clerk during robberies in September and November 2023. Richard Bruce Salyer Jr., 49, of Forsyth, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Chatham County police officers found a pistol in Salyer’s waistband while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle in November 2023. Salyer has two prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms, and at the time of his arrest was an escapee from the Jefferson County, Ga., Correctional Institute. Anthony Orlando Jones , 34, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies and the U.S. Marshals found Jones in possession of a semiautomatic pistol in November 2023 while serving him with an arrest warrant on a state felony charge. Barry Christopher Carpenter , 43, of Gainesville, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Carpenter was arrested on state charges in Columbia County during a burglary investigation. Eddie Lee Tolbert , 39, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Grovetown police found a pistol in Tolbert’s possession during a traffic stop. Deleon Alexander Jackson , 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County deputies found Jackson in possession of a rifle while investigating a reported disturbance at an Augusta store. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: Lakeland Man Indicted For COVID Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jeanty Cherilus (54, Lakeland) with five counts of wire fraud. Cherilus faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Cherilus that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $370,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. According to the indictment, Cherilus was an owner of Natransusa Corporation (NATRANS), a business that advertised to provide automobile salvage and transportation services. Cherilus, through NATRANS, submitted applications to obtain federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) to which Cherilus and NATRANS were not entitled. The loan applications had materially false and fraudulent representations, including an inflated number of employees and average payroll, and certifications that the loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Cherilus also included fraudulent supporting documentation to induce the Small Business Administration and an approved lender to fund the loans. After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Cherilus used them for purposes other than what was approved by the terms of the loans and for his own person enrichment. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development - Office of Inspector General and the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo. 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 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 Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced For Making False Statements To Purchase Firearms And Unlawful Sale/Transfer Of Firearms To Juveniles

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Gabriel Gladman (23, Akron, Ohio) to four years in federal prison for making false and fictitious statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer with the intent to purchase firearms, and unlawful sale/transfer of firearms to juveniles. Gladman was also ordered to forfeit the following: a Smith & Wesson (SD40) semi-automatic firearm, a Taurus G2 semi-automatic firearm, a Glock 26 semi-automatic firearm, a FMK 9C1 semi-automatic firearm, 2 - Taurus G3 semi-automatic firearms, and 2 - Tara TM-9X semi-automatic firearms which are traceable proceeds of the offense. According to court documents, on eight separate occasions between November 2022 and June 2023, Gladman provided false information to federally licensed firearm dealers in Tampa with the intent to purchase eight semi-automatic firearms. On six separate dates, Gladman sold/transferred some of those firearms to juveniles under the age of 18. It was determined that some of those firearms were used by the juveniles during violent crimes in Tampa. At the time of Gladman’s arrest in Ohio, he was found in possession of two additional firearms. This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky will handle the forfeiture. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today announced the formation of a pilot program that encourages early and voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct by individual participants in certain non-violent offenses. The six-month pilot program is geared toward individuals who have participated in and have knowledge of criminal wrongdoing by virtue of their employment. The purpose of the program is to encourage and incentivize individuals to self-report wrongdoing that was previously unknown to law enforcement, without fear of criminal prosecution for doing so. The benefit for those who make timely and meaningful disclosures is a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for their ongoing assistance. Depending on the success of the pilot program, the Office will determine whether to extend it on a more permanent basis. “We are implementing this pilot program to provide a roadmap for how to report individual and organizational misconduct,” said Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “We hope the program will enhance our effectiveness by incentivizing individuals and their counsel to provide us with actionable and timely information.” From today through March 15, 2025, the Office will accept submissions on a pre-printed intake form that should be emailed to USAILN.WBP@usdoj.gov . Each submission will be reviewed by a working group of Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Anonymous reporting is not allowed, and individuals who have already been informed they are a subject or target of a federal criminal investigation will not be eligible. The reporting individual must agree to forfeit or disgorge any proceeds from their own criminal wrongdoing and pay full restitution to victims. The program is not available to individuals whose misconduct involved violence, the threat of violence, terrorism, or any sex offense involving the force, fraud, or coercion of a minor. Additionally, elected federal or foreign officials, federal law enforcement officers, and individuals who are the highest-ranking person in their organization are not eligible to participate in the program. Click here for a full list of terms and conditions. NDIL Individual Self-Disclosure Intake Form NDIL Individual Self-Disclosure Pilot Program Terms and Conditions


title: Judge Hands District Man Eight Year Prison Sentence for 2023 Armed Robbery in Northwest D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jerome Lewis Jackson, aka Damon Hudson, 20, of Washington D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison for offenses committed against three victims, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Jackson pleaded guilty on December 11, 2023, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. On September 13, 2024, Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow sentenced Jackson to serve 96 months imprisonment for each offense, to be served concurrently, for a total of eight years, followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, with which Jackson agreed, at around 3:24 a.m., on September 10, 2023, Jackson and an unknown suspect approached the three victims in the 2000 block of 12 th Street NW, armed with a firearm. Jackson pointed the firearm at the first victim, ordered him not to move, and removed car keys from his pocket belonging to the second victim, who was also present. Jackson and his accomplice then entered the second victim’s vehicle, which was nearby, and ordered the third victim who was sitting in the car to get out, but not before taking a watch and U.S. currency from the third victim. Jackson then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle while the unknown suspect followed in a second vehicle. Approximately 15 minutes later, members of the Metropolitan Police Department observed the stolen vehicle and came into contact with Jackson, who was exiting the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle. On Jackson’s person were the keys to the vehicle taken from the first victim, as well as the watch taken from the third victim. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown Announces the Availability of  Additional Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Funds for the Western District of Louisiana

body_text: SHREVEPORT / LAFAYETTE / ALEXANDRIA / LAKE CHARLES/ MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force announced the availability of approximately $148,319 in additional PSN grant funds for the Western District of Louisiana. The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Bureau of Justice Assistance is seeking applications for funding of a grant under the PSN Program. At least 30% ($44,495.70) of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current gang violence reduction strategies in the Western District. The PSN approach is guided by four key 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 of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented. “The violent crime rate is down in our district, but we cannot rest and become complacent,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The awarding of this grant is evidence that federal government is continuing to collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners and non-governmental organizations to make Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Lafayette and all points between a safer place to live. If there are law enforcement partners and organizations ready to join us in the fight to combat violent crime through the acquisition of high-level investigative resources or the development of a crime prevention and deterrence strategy, I encourage you to apply for these funds.” Past recipients of PSN grants have been the Alexandria, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport and Lafayette Police Departments as well as the Caddo Parish and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Offices and Lafayette City Marshal’s Office. Funds were granted for various programs to include assisting with implementation of a new computer software program, body cameras for law enforcement officers, training for officers on gang prevention and overtime hours for law enforcement officers to increase patrols in areas that saw an increase in violent crime, including narcotics, gang and gun-related violent crimes. The Shreveport Police Department has been named as the fiscal agent for administering the funds allowed through this PSN grant. A committee comprised of community volunteers from the five major cities in the Western District of Louisiana has been appointed to be responsible for reviewing the applications received from law enforcement and non-governmental agencies who submit their grant proposals. The Shreveport Police Department, on behalf of the DOJ’s OJP, is seeking applications for these grant funds under the PSN Program. At least 30% of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current gang violence reduction strategies in the Western District. Various types of single or multi-grantee grant proposals are welcome, including those that address the following: Gang and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education; Enforcement, adjudication and supervision programs; Prisoner re-entry programs; or Other innovative related projects. The FY2024 PSN Grant Announcement can be found by clicking on the “Attachments” link below the press release on our website at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr . To be eligible, grant proposals must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, October 18, 2024, to the following e-mail address: USALAW.PSN@usdoj.gov . Interested applicants may also e-mail questions or contact Lisa Alwert at (337) 262-6618 for additional information. An informational meeting will be held via WebEx on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in applying for these grant funds and learning more about the details required to be eligible, please send your e-mail and contact information to: USALAW.PSN@usdoj.gov by Friday, September 27, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in order to obtain the link to the WebEx meeting. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . Attachments: PSN FY2024 Grant Announcement Attachment # # #


title: Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 70 Months for Role in Street Crew’s Drug Conspiracy in Northwest D.C.

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Daevon Narce, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a violent trafficking conspiracy that distributed significant amounts of crack cocaine and fentanyl near the corner of 7 th and O Streets, NW. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Narce, aka “Black Jesus,” was one of nearly two dozen defendants charged in connection with a wide-ranging drug trafficking investigation centered on the area of 7 th and O Streets. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Narce has six prior convictions, two of which were for escapes. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Narce to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, in mid-2021, the FBI and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) launched a probe into violent crime and drug activities around 7 th and O Streets in Northwest. Investigators discovered a group that included Narce selling controlled substances. The group used several residences in the neighborhood as stash houses where they processed and packaged drugs for resale. Law enforcement installed covert cameras in the stash houses and witnessed dozens of hand-to-hand sales transactions both inside the homes and on the adjacent sidewalks. Police and agents also executed controlled purchases of crack and fentanyl. The following co-defendants and defendants in related cases have pleaded guilty and received sentences in relation to this case: DEFENDANT GUILTY PLEA SENTENCE Bryan Rice aka “Ice” Pleaded January 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, and felon in possession of a firearm. Sentenced April 23, 2024, to 120 months in prison. Elliot Johnson aka “Nadir” and “Hundo” Pleaded May 5, 2023, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense Sentenced August 17, 2023, to 120 months in prison. Jeremy Young aka “G-Code” Pleaded March 1, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentenced June 7, 2023, to 70 months. William Proctor aka “Billy” Pleaded November 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. Sentenced February 24, 2023, to 60 months. Andre William aka “Sin” Pleaded March 22, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. Sentenced August 18, 2023, to 63 months. Ako Handy aka “K.O.” Pleaded December 15, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Sentenced April 11, 2023, to 60 months. Keith Gliss aka “K.D.,” “Flea” Pleaded May 4, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentenced August 4, 2023, to 84 months. Stanley Hood aka “Slim” Pleaded January 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced May 23, 2023, to five years of probation. Thomas Shelton aka “T” Pleaded January 10, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine. Sentenced April 10, 2023, to 24 months. Tyrone Wade aka “Fats” Pleaded April 10, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. Sentenced July 26, 2023, to 24 months. Harold Augostus Stone aka “Bankroll” Pleaded June 23, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. Sentenced October 12, 2023, to 60 months. Christion Cooper aka “Soulja” Pleaded February 23, 2023, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentenced February 3, 2023, to 60 months. Kenneth Watts aka “Wop” Pleaded December 22, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced April 6, 2023, to 24 months. Marquette Hunter aka “Q” Pleaded September 14, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced January 3, 2024, to time served. Brandon Benson aka “Jet” Pleaded January 11, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced May 15, 2023, to 51 months. Burnell Smith aka “Drip” Pleaded December 2, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced March 21, 2023, to five years' probation. Kelfa Kamara Pleaded December 9, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Sentenced March 29, 2023, to 46 months. Samuel Hall Pleaded February 1, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentenced on June 2, 2023, to five years of probation. Wesley Hilliard aka “God” Pleaded January 25, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. Sentenced May 7, 2024, to 37 months. Tyrone Robinson aka “Dog” Pleaded January 10, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 37 months. Daevon Narce aka “Black Jesus” Pleaded May 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Sentenced September 19, 2024, to 70 months. This case stems from a collaborative investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, and the Washington Division of the DEA. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg, Steven Wasserman, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaunik Panse. 22cr164


title: Justice Department Awards Over $3 Million in Community Project Grants to Strengthen Law Enforcement and Public Safety in the Southern District of Mississippi

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs has awarded three grants totaling more than $3 million for community projects that strengthen law enforcement and public safety in the Southern District of Mississippi, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee. The University of Southern Mississippi received $3 million to implement a rural digital forensics initiative to address the digital forensics needs of rural communities, the provision of forensic services, and creation of social media educational tools to assist with line law enforcement officer training in digital forensic investigations. The University of Mississippi Medical Center received $380,000 to enhance UMMC’s security infrastructure through comprehensive upgrades of its existing CCTV system. Copiah-Lincoln Community College received $20,000 to fund training for new and existing law enforcement officers. The grants are part of the 2024 Office of Justice Programs Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants. The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22 years old. Additional information about the Office of Justice Programs can be found at www.ojp.gov .


title: Suspect at Trump International Golf Course Charged with Firearms Offenses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Note : View the criminal complaint here . Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, has been charged by a criminal complaint in the Southern District of Florida with firearms charges related to an incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15. Routh was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Ryon M. McCabe in the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach. A detention hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 23. The investigation remains ongoing. According to allegations in the criminal complaint, a Secret Service agent walking the golf course perimeter saw what appeared to be a rifle poking out of the tree line. After the agent fired a service weapon in the direction of the rifle, a witness saw a man later identified as Routh fleeing the area of the tree line. Routh was later apprehended by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint alleges that in the area of the tree line from which Routh fled, agents found a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a black plastic bag containing food. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated. According to the complaint, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010. The FBI is leading the ongoing investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Secret Service are providing assistance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Puerto Rican Men Sentenced for Destroying Wetlands Including in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: On Friday, Sept. 13, two Puerto Rican men were sentenced for their destruction, removal and fill of protected wetlands in Puerto Rico in violation of the Clean Water Act. U.S. District Court Judge Gina R. Mendez-Miro for the District of Puerto Rico sentenced Rafael Carballo-Diaz, 51, to 12 months in prison, one year of supervised release and a $4,000 fine. According to court documents, starting in July 2020, Carballo-Diaz destroyed, removed and filled mangrove wetland areas within and around the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) in Las Mareas, Puerto Rico. Despite lacking a permit, he filled the area with quarry material, gated the area, placed at least six mobile housing units on the property and added a pool. He then named the property “Cacique Resort” and rented the units online as short-term vacation properties. Nathaniel Hernandez-Claudio, property manager at Carballo-Diaz’s Cacique Resort, was sentenced by Judge Mendez-Miro to 12 months of probation for his role in filling the property. Both Carballo-Diaz and Hernandez-Claudio were indicted in December 2023, and pleaded guilty in July. Mangrove wetlands, such as those destroyed by the defendants, are critical to local infrastructure, economies and ecosystems because they can limit damage from flooding and storms, reduce pollution and provide habitat for numerous marine and endangered species. The JBNERR was designated as a reserve in 1981 to protect the wetlands and study the biological and societal impacts of estuarine habitat, as well as provide recreation and educational opportunities to local communities. The reserve is home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee. Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. It prohibits the discharge of any pollutant and fill material into waters of the United States except when a permit is obtained from the United States. This case is part of an ongoing investigation into the destruction of wetlands in Puerto Rico. Previously charged individuals include Luis Enrique Rodriguez-Sanchez, sentenced in June; Awildo Jimenez-Mercado sentenced on Sept. 11; and Pedro Luis Bones-Torres, scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI investigated the case, with support from the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force . Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.


title: Mother Sentenced For Illegal Possession Of A Gun In Case Related To The Accidental Discharge Death Of Her Two-Year-Old Child

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Emma Huver, 26, of Lansing, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Huver previously pleaded guilty to possessing a purple 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol in her car on October 24, 2023, when her two-year-old son suffered a gunshot wound and later died. She had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense in 2020. “Today’s sentencing brings us closer to securing a measure of justice for this senseless loss of life,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “The tragic death of this two-year-old boy, due to the accidental discharge of a gun that wasn’t properly stored, could have been prevented. We must keep guns out of the hands of those who cannot legally possess them and do everything we can in our fight against the gun violence epidemic that is now the number one cause of death for our youngest, ages 0-19.” Two other Lansing residents are also charged in the indictment. Avis Coward, 44, pleaded guilty to possessing the purple gun and another pistol. Gina Schieberl, 27, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence. Coward is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2 and Schieberl is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21. As alleged, on October 24, 2023, Coward got out of a car at a Lansing gas station and went inside, leaving a two-year-old child and the child’s mother, Huver, in the car. Surveillance video showed that a minute later a bullet hole appeared in the car window. Huver got out of the car holding her child, who had blood on his face from a gunshot wound. As she did so, Coward’s gun fell out of the car. Huver handed the child to Coward, who then passed the child to a third person who took the victim into the gas station and attempted to control the bleeding until medical personnel arrived. Coward returned to the car, picked up the gun off the ground, and put it back in the car. The surveillance video also showed Coward use his hand to break out the front passenger window, which had the bullet hole. Coward then drove away. The child later died from his injuries. Police later found the car, which was found burned-out and abandoned in a field in Lansing, and a .45 caliber Springfield Armory semiautomatic pistol, the barrel of which was found disassembled and hidden in the wall of a house in Lansing. Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have slightly declined since 2021, they remain high. Resources and information on the safe storage of firearms can be found by reviewing the U.S. Department of Justice Safe Storage of Firearms guide, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pamphlet . Anyone who possesses a gun must follow all local, state, and federal laws. This case was investigated by the Lansing Police Department, Michigan State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. ###


title: Billings woman sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking meth directly from Mexico to Montana

body_text: BILLINGS —A Billings woman convicted at trial by a federal jury of trafficking methamphetamine by using her U.S. passport to bring the drug across the Mexico border and into California for mailing to Montana for distribution was sentenced on Sept. 13 to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Dawn Marie Guevara, 44, who was living in Tijuana, Mexico, was found guilty in a March trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Waters presided. In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that Guevara conspired with others to distribute pounds of meth in the Billings community from about July 2018 to December 2018. Law enforcement learned that Guevara, who was living in Mexico, was selling meth to an individual through social media orders and arranging to have another person in Billings receive the meth and complete the transaction. While living in Mexico, Guevara recruited her niece, Ashley Chesmore, to deliver the drugs. Chesmore was prosecuted in 2019 and sentenced to four years in federal prison for her role in the case. Investigators determined that Guevara would obtain meth in Mexico, cross into the United States using her U.S. passport and mail the meth from a post office in San Ysidro. Money collected from sales was wired to Guevara in Mexico. Border crossing information determined that Guevara entered the United States through the San Ysidro Port of Entry approximately 20 times between July 7, 2018 and Oct. 18, 2018. After her indictment in 2019, Guevara did not cross the border a single time between 2019 and 2023. Guevara was arrested in 2023 in the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Service conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Chinese National Charged for Multi-Year “Spear-Phishing” Campaign

body_text: ATLANTA – Song Wu, a Chinese national, has been indicted on charges for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), research universities, and private companies. “Efforts to obtain our nation’s valuable research software pose a grave threat to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “However, this indictment demonstrates that borders are not barriers to prosecuting bad actors who threaten our national security.” “Once again, the FBI and our partners have demonstrated that cyber criminals around the world who are seeking to steal our companies’ most sensitive and valuable information can and will be exposed and held accountable,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “As this indictment shows, the FBI is committed to pursuing the arrest and prosecution of anyone who engages in illegal and deceptive practices to steal protected information.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons. In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the United States government, including NASA, the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access. According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (“AVIC”), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing, China. AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world. Song Wu, 39, of China is charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. Song faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. Song faces a mandatory, two-year consecutive sentence in prison if convicted of aggravated identity theft. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NASA – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal is prosecuting the case. Within the National Security Division, this matter is being handled by Trial Attorney Tanner Kroeger of the National Security Cyber Section with assistance from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. This case is being coordinated by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Honduran Man Charged with Kidnapping and Holding for Ransom Guatemalan National Who Entered the U.S. Illegally

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A Honduran national illegally living in New Mexico has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to kidnap a Guatemalan man who had illegally entered the United States and then demanded ransom from the victim’s family living in Southern California, the Justice Department announced today. Darwin Jeovany Palma Pastrana, 30, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of kidnapping, one count of interstate communication containing a demand or request for ransom, and one count of making a threat by interstate communication. Palma, whom federal authorities arrested in New Mexico on August 21, was arraigned Friday afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and a November 5 trial date was scheduled. He remains jailed without bond. According to an indictment that a federal grand jury returned on September 4, Palma and co-defendant Eduar Isrrael Sauceda Nuñez, 25, another Honduran national illegally living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, conspired with others to kidnap and hold for ransom migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Once the migrants were in the U.S., they were driven to stash houses in Phoenix, El Paso, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Once at these locations, the migrants’ cellphones were seized and were not returned to them. At one stash house in Albuquerque, 57 migrants were located. Palma and his accomplices lived near the stash houses and kept large sums of cash and firearms available. Sauceda and other co-conspirators drove migrants to various locations, including Los Angeles, to reunite them with their family and friends. Specifically, on April 1, Palma told Sauceda that one victim, a Guatemalan national who had entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico, that he had to pay $1,500 before being released to his family. Sauceda then ordered the victim to contact a family member to meeting a Jack in the Box restaurant parking lot in Norwalk. At this parking lot meeting, Sauceda locked the victim inside the car and demanded a $1,500 ransom payment from the victim’s relative before driving away with the victim inside the car. Later that day, Palma contacted the victim’s relative and said unless $1,500 was paid, the victim would be returned to Mexico and Palma suggested the victim would be killed there. Sauceda then returned to the Jack in the Box parking lot, believing the victim’s relative would pay the ransom. Instead, law enforcement was nearby and later pulled over and arrested Sauceda. As he was being pulled over, Sauceda placed approximately $9,290 in cash, as well as receipts memorializing money transfers to individuals outside of the United States, in the center console of his car before he was arrested. On April 2, Palma sent messages via WhatsApp to the victim’s relative, threatening to kill her. In April and May of 2024, Palma’s cellphone was present near the Albuquerque stash house, where he drove a yellow school bus with a non-resident permit issued to him to and from the location. On May 20, when law enforcement approached the Albuquerque stash house to investigate a kidnapping complaint, one co-conspirator drove up to the house and appeared to point at officers while another conspirator fired multiple gunshots in the vicinity of the home. On May 21, a yellow school bus registered to Palma was parked at the Albuquerque house when law enforcement found 57 undocumented migrants being detained there. Sauceda, who is a fugitive, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of kidnapping, one count of one count of interstate communication containing a demand or request for ransom, and one count of transportation of aliens within the United States for private financial gain. “These defendants allegedly helped to smuggle migrants and then take advantage of them by demanding ransom from the victims’ families to secure their release,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will use our powerful tools to hold accountable those who use violence to profit off of vulnerable victims.” “Everyone in this country who is a victim of a serious crime is protected by U.S. law and this case is no exception,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The exploitation of vulnerable individuals and their families will be fully investigated by the FBI and its law enforcement partners. Eduar Isrrael Sauceda Nuñez is still wanted for this crime, and we ask that anyone with information as to his whereabouts to contact the FBI or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.” An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Palma and Sauceda would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force (SGVSSTF), which is comprised of agents and officers with the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Major Crimes Bureau/Prison Gang Unit and Custody Investigative Services/Operation Safe Jails, the Pomona Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the SGVSSTF and has been the headquarters for the task force since its inception in 2008. Assistant United States Attorney Sara B. Vargas of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Mason City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Lance Kohler, age 46, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced September 13, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison after a May 6, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. At the guilty plea, Kohler admitted that on December 5, 2023, law enforcement responded to a rollover accident in Cerro Gordo County. Kohler was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers could see a firearm in plain view and a few hypodermic needles. Law enforcement eventually seized firearm and approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle. Kohler told the arresting officer he was “just” a user of methamphetamine, and initially denied owning the firearm. During a subsequent interview with another officer, Kohler admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and the firearm. Lab results later confirmed that defendant had methamphetamine and cocaine in his system at the time of the accident. Kohler was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 72 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Kohler is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: United States Reaches Agreement with COBB Tuning Products for Clean Air Act Violations

body_text: The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement agreement with COBB Tuning Products to resolve claims relating to the manufacture and sale of automotive emission defeat devices in violation of the Clean Air Act. The settlement requires COBB to pay a civil penalty of just over $2.9 million, based on the company’s limited ability to pay, and to stop the manufacture and sale of defeat devices. COBB is an automotive aftermarket parts manufacturer and retailer based in Austin, Texas, which formerly sold its parts in Plano, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Fountain Valley, California. In the complaint filed with the settlement agreement, COBB is alleged to have manufactured and sold defeat devices prohibited under the Clean Air Act that, when installed, bypass or disable EPA-approved emission controls and harm air quality. “COBB created software that allowed users to disable emissions controls, increasing pollution and violating the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act, which remains one of our most important tools in helping to secure and maintain a clean environment.” “Defeat devices significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles, particularly in communities that already are overburdened by pollution,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Use of illegal defeat devices has gone on for far too long. EPA will use all of its enforcement tools to hold polluters like COBB Tuning accountable until these illegal practices stop.” COBB manufactured or sold over 90,000 of these aftermarket defeat devices since January 2015. COBB’s actions resulted in substantial excess emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Today’s settlement requires the company to stop manufacturing and selling aftermarket defeat devices. COBB may continue to sell tuners and software tunes which the California Air Resources Board determined do not increase emissions above allowable levels. This enforcement action will prevent additional excess emissions that would have resulted from the continued sale of these illegal products. In addition to requiring COBB to pay a civil penalty of more than $2.9 million, the settlement agreement requires the company to: Remove delete features from its software, Destroy violative products still in its inventory, Cease providing technical support or honoring warranty claims for previously sold violative products, Revise its marketing materials, Notify the customers that purchased the subject parts that the products at issue violate the Clean Air Act, and Conduct compliance training for its employees and contractors. Defeat devices, which are often sold to enhance engine performance, work by disabling a vehicle's emission controls, causing air pollution. As a result of enforcement efforts, some of the largest manufacturers of defeat devices have agreed to pay penalties and stop the sale of defeat devices. More information on this settlement is available on the COBB Tuning Performance Settlement Agreement web page . The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . The EPA investigated the case. Attorneys with the Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces $3.5 million in Justice Department grants to aid crime victims

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich today announced grant funding of more than $3.5 million for Montana from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to support crime victims. The funding, totaling $3,657,090, is for two programs. “Obtaining justice requires both accountability of the offender and support for crime victims. This funding demonstrates the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to ensuring that crime victims have access to assistance and compensation programs they need and deserve,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The Montana Board of Crime Control will receive $3,017,090 from the Office for Victims of Crime. The funds are from the Fiscal Year 2024 Victim Assistant Formula Grant through the Victims of Crime Act. The MBCC will provides funds from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance crime victim services in the state. These assistance funds are typically competitively awarded by the state to local community-based organizations that provide direct services to crime victims. The project period began Oct. 1, 2023 and will end Sept. 30, 2027. MBCC is a quasi-judicial board appointed by the governor to promote public safety. The Montana Department of Justice will receive $640,000 from the Office for Victims of Crime. The funds are from the Fiscal Year 2024 Victim Compensation Formula Grant through the Victims of Crime Act. The grant provides funds from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance State Victim Compensation payments to eligible crime victims. The Victims of Crime Act compensation funds provide financial assistance to Federal and State victims of crime. The project period began Oct. 1, 2023 and will end Sept. 30, 2027. XXX


title: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Two Years in  Federal Prison for Escape from Custody

body_text: A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center was sentenced September 13, 2024, to 24 months in federal prison. Casey Duhme, age 35, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 16, 2024, guilty plea to one count of escape from federal custody. At the plea hearing, Duhme admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Duhme admitted that, between June 12, 2023, and August 31, 2023, he left custody without authorization by failing to return to the Hinzman Center as required. Duhme was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Duhme was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 24-20. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former CEO Of Kubient, Inc. Charged And Pleads Guilty In Connection With Accounting Fraud Scheme

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the filing of an Information charging PAUL ROBERTS, the founder, former Chief Executive Officer, and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kubient, Inc, a digital advertising technology company, with securities fraud. The charge results from ROBERTS’s execution of a scheme to defraud investors and auditors of Kubient, during which he caused Kubient to improperly recognize more than $1.3 million in fraudulent revenue in Kubient’s financial statements at the time of Kubient’s initial public offering and made material misrepresentations about the efficacy of Kubient’s proprietary fraud detection tool, Kubient Artificial Intelligence (“KAI”). ROBERTS plead guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2024. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Paul Roberts, the founder and former CEO of Kubient, inflated his company’s revenue and lied about the performance of one of its signature products, an AI-powered tool that was supposed to detect ad fraud in the digital advertising industry. To carry out his scheme, Roberts had fake documents created to mislead the independent certified public accountants engaged to audit Kubient’s financial statements. Today’s charge and guilty plea sends a message that this Office is committed to holding corporate executives accountable when they resort to fraud.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “Mr. Roberts was caught lying about Kubient’s AI fraud detection tool. And in this case, the only thing that was detected as fraudulent was what Mr. Roberts told investors to improperly bolster his company’s revenue during Kubient’s IPO. This is our promise to the American public: Postal Inspectors along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect investors from falling victim to greedy individuals.” As alleged in the Information: In or about May 2017, ROBERTS founded Kubient, Inc. (“Kubient”), a digital advertising technology company headquartered in New York, New York. From in or about August 2020 to in or about November 2023, Kubient’s shares were publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker “KBNT.” At various times relevant to the Information, ROBERTS was Kubient’s Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Interim Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Strategy Officer. From at least in or about October 2019 through at least in or about March 2021, ROBERTS executed an accounting fraud scheme at Kubient. During that time, ROBERTS caused Kubient to improperly recognize more than $1.3 million in fraudulent revenue in Kubient’s financial statements (the “Fraudulent Revenue”). The Fraudulent Revenue was over 94% of Kubient’s reported revenue for 2020 at the time of its initial public offering (“IPO”) in or about August 2020, over 74% of its reported revenue for 2020 at the time of its secondary public offering in or about December 2020, and approximately 45% of Kubient’s reported revenue for all of 2020, as reported in Kubient’s 2020 annual financial statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on SEC Form 10-K in or about March 2021. With his scheme, ROBERTS misled Kubient’s auditors and deceived the investing public about Kubient’s financial condition. At the core of the accounting fraud scheme by ROBERTS was a fraudulent $1.3 million transaction that ROBERTS arranged between Kubient and another digital advertising technology company (“Company-1”) and one of Company-1’s affiliates (the “Company-1 Affiliate”). In a set of three contracts negotiated and executed together in or about October 2019, Kubient and Company-1 agreed to provide certain services to the other for nearly identical fees. Under the terms of two contracts, Kubient agreed to use its proprietary fraud detection tool Kubient Artificial Intelligence (“KAI”) to scan data provided by Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate for instances of digital ad fraud and then deliver the results of KAI’s findings to Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate (the “KAI Agreements” of the “KAI Transactions”). At the same time, pursuant to a Data Services Agreement, Company-1 agreed to sell Kubient other data and provide certain data-related services. From in or about January 2020 through in or about November 2020, Kubient paid Company-1 $1,300,336 and Company-1 paid Kubient $1,300,338.03 (which Kubient fraudulently recognized as revenue), but neither company ever provided any of the services they agreed to provide to the other company under the contracts. For example, with respect to the KAI Transactions, Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate never sent Kubient any data to be scanned by KAI, Kubient never scanned any Company-1 or Company-1 Affiliate data with KAI, and Kubient never delivered any results or reports to Company-1 or the Company-1 Affiliate with any findings by KAI. To conceal his fraudulent scheme, ROBERTS directed Kubient employees to generate fake KAI reports and misled them about how he intended to use such reports. Rather than receive data from Company-1 or the Company-1 Affiliate to be scanned by KAI, ROBERTS had Kubient employees create “sample” KAI reports based, at first, on Kubient’s own data and then eventually based on made-up metrics and no underlying data at all. ROBERTS told Kubient employees he needed these “samples” to demonstrate for bankers and potential investors the kind of reporting of which KAI was capable. In fact, ROBERTS needed the “sample” KAI reports to mislead Kubient’s independent certified public accountants (the “Audit Firm”) into believing that Kubient had performed its contractual obligations to Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate under the KAI Agreements when, in fact, Kubient had not, so that Kubient could recognize the associated revenue in its financial statements. ROBERTS repeatedly made material misrepresentations in SEC filings and in management representation letters submitted to the Audit Firm relating to Kubient’s KAI revenue recognition. Contrary to representations ROBERTS made in these filings and letters, Kubient did not perform its obligations to Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate under the KAI Agreements and, consequently, none of the Fraudulent Revenue should have been recognized as revenue in Kubient’s financial statements. In addition, ROBERTS repeatedly made material misrepresentations in SEC filings about the efficacy of KAI in identifying and preventing digital ad fraud, including in connection with Kubient’s initial and secondary public offerings when Kubient was touting KAI as one of the company’s premier products that would differentiate it from its competitors. For example, ROBERTS personally added language to Kubient’s SEC Form S-1 registration statements that ROBERTS signed and that Kubient filed in or about July, August, and December 2020, stating that, in 2020, KAI provided “two large enterprise clients” [i.e., Company-1 and the Company-1 Affiliate] “the ability to prevent the purchase of non-human or fraudulent advertising traffic” and that “KAI was identifying and preventing approximately 300% more digital ad fraud then [sic] the client’s current partners.” ROBERTS made these statements knowing that they were false. More specifically, ROBERTS knew that Kubient never received any data from Company-1 or the Company-1 Affiliate to scan with KAI pursuant to the KAI Agreements, that Kubient never scanned any of Company-1’s or the Company-1 Affiliate’s data with KAI, and that Kubient never delivered any results or reports to Company-1 or the Company-1 Affiliate with any findings by KAI, let alone that KAI was not “identifying and preventing approximately 300% more digital ad fraud” than Company-1’s and the Company-1 Affiliate’s “current partners.” Fueled by the misrepresentations about Kubient’s KAI revenue recognition and the efficacy of KAI in identifying and preventing digital ad fraud that ROBERTS made in Kubient’s SEC filings and elsewhere, Kubient raised more than $12.5 million in its IPO in or about August 2020, resulting in its shares being publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange, and more than $20 million in its secondary public offering in or about December 2020. Kubient’s IPO and its secondary public offering would not have been possible without ROBERTS’s fraudulent misrepresentations about KAI and the KAI Transactions. * * * ROBERTS, 48, of Melville, NY, is charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS. Mr. Williams also thanked the SEC, which filed a civil action against ROBERTS after he pleaded guilty, for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin V. Rodriguez and Alex Rossmiller are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Pinellas County Convicted Child Sex Offender Indicted For Attempting To Entice A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Andrew Finley (46, St. Petersburg) with using the internet to attempt to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Finley faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Finley is a convicted child sex offender, having previously been convicted in Wisconsin (2009) of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Finley is currently detained pending his trial scheduled for December 2024. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth and Marijuana Convictions

body_text: Dereck Meyer, 34, from Council Bluffs, IA, was sentenced on September 13, 2024, to 144 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. Meyer pled guilty April 19, 2024, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In 2011, Meyer was previously convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa for possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of methamphetamine within a protected location. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 19, 2022, law enforcement officers in Denison, Iowa stopped a vehicle driven by Meyer. Meyer admitted to being in possession of marijuana, failed to follow officer’s commands and drove off at a high rate of speed initiating a pursuit through Denison, Iowa. Meyer ultimately drove into the alley and was taken into custody. During a search of the vehicle officers located 55.46 grams of methamphetamine in the rear seat next to Meyer’s wallet. Officers also seized four plastic bags, each containing approximately one ounce (about 28 grams) of marijuana, a clear plastic bag containing 4.4 grams of marijuana, and a clear plastic bag containing 3 grams of suspected cocaine. Meyer intended to distribute some or all of the drugs to another person or persons. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Meyer was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and must serve an eight-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Meyer remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and the Denison Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4013. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.