title: Eight Chinese Government Officials Charged with Directing Employee of a U.S. Telecommunications Company to Remove Chinese Dissidents from Company's Platform

body_text: Today, an amended complaint was unsealed charging a total of 10 defendants, including a former executive of a U.S. telecommunications company (Company-1) who worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), six officers of the PRC Ministry of Public Security (MPS), two officials with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), and one other civilian with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment and unlawful conspiracy to transfer means of identification. All the defendants are believed to reside in the PRC and remain at large. Carolyn Pokorny, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York [1] ; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office (FBI), announced the charges. “The amended complaint charging a former PRC-based employee of a U.S. telecommunications company illustrates the insider threat faced by U.S. companies operating in the PRC,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pokorny, who thanked Company-1 for its cooperation in the government’s investigation. “As alleged, Julien Jin and his co-conspirators in the Ministry of Public Security and Cyberspace Administration of China weaponized the U.S. telecommunications company he worked for to intimidate and silence dissenters, and enforce PRC law to the detriment of Chinese activists in New York, among other places, who had sought refuge in this country to peacefully express their pro-democracy views.” “These cases demonstrate the lengths the PRC government will go to silence and harass U.S. persons who exercise their fundamental rights to speak out against PRC oppression, including by unlawfully exploiting a U.S.-based technology company,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “These actions violate our laws and are an affront to our democratic values and basic human rights.” “These cases demonstrate that the Chinese Communist Party, once again, attempted to intimidate, harass, and suppress Chinese dissidents in the United States,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sundberg. “In the U.S., freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the FBI will work tirelessly to defend everyone's right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the CCP. These complex investigations revealed an MPS-wide effort to repress individuals by using a U.S. communications platform and fake social media accounts to censor political and religious speech.” As alleged in the amended complaint, ten individuals, including a former PRC-based Company-1 executive, six MPS officers, and two officials with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate harassment and unlawful conspiracy to transfer means of identification. In December 2020, the Department first announced charges against Julien Jin in connection with his efforts to disrupt a series of meetings on the Company-1 platform held in May and June 2020 commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre . Julien Jin served as Company-1’s primary liaison with PRC government law enforcement and intelligence services. In that capacity, he regularly responded to requests from the PRC government to terminate meetings and block users on Company-1’s video communications platform. As detailed in the original complaint, Jin and others conspired to use Company-1’s U.S. systems to censor the political and religious speech of individuals located in the United States and elsewhere at the direction of the PRC government. For example, Jin and others disrupted meetings held on the Company-1 platform to discuss politically sensitive topics unacceptable to the PRC government – including the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Jin and his co-conspirators fabricated evidence of purported misconduct to cause U.S.-based employees of Company-1 to terminate the meetings. The allegations in the amended complaint reveal that Jin worked directly with and took orders from defendants at the MPS and the CAC to disrupt meetings on the Company-1 platform and that the co-defendants had targeted U.S.-based dissidents’ speech on Company-1’s platform since 2018. Starting in 2018, Jin and his co-defendants repeatedly sought to terminate video chat meetings organized by a Chinese dissident residing in New York City who has been a vocal critic of the PRC government and the Chinese Communist party. After the CAC requested that Company-1 terminate the dissident’s meetings on the Company-1 platform, Jin worked to identify all accounts associated with the dissident, caused meetings related to the dissident to be hosted in a “quarantine zone” – that is, on a server with known lags in response time – and later worked to block all accounts associated with the dissident. Similarly, in 2019, Jin collaborated with the MPS and CAC to block accounts seeking to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The charges in the amended complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Ian C. Richardson, Nicholas J. Moscow and Jessica K. Weigel of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution. The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. Please visit: www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression . The Defendants : JIN XINJIANG (also known as “Julien Jin”) Age: 42 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA CHEN YUANYUAN (陈媛媛) Age: Unknown PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA FU YIBIN (傅一彬) Age: 39 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HUANG YIWEN (黄奕雯) also known as “Nicole Huang” Age: 25 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA JIN TAO (金涛) Age: Unknown PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA LIU ZHIYANG (刘智洋) Age: 43 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SHEN ZHENHUA (沈振华) Age: 41 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA SONG GUORONG (宋国荣) Age: 43 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TIAN XINNING (田心宁) Age: Unknown PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA XU WEI (徐威) Age: 35 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA [1] U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York is recused from and has not participated in this case.


title: Orange County Woman Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Prison for Embezzling Over $3 Million from Two Anaheim Companies that Employed Her

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County woman who embezzled more than $3 million from two companies while she worked as their financial controller, cheated on her taxes, and fraudulently obtained a COVID-relief business loan was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison. Rosalba Meza, 48, a.k.a. “Rosalba Sceville,” of Dana Point, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered her to pay $4,192,470 in restitution. Meza pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of wire fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. From May 2017 through the end of 2019, Meza made unauthorized transfers – totaling approximately $3,071,880 – to her own bank accounts from accounts belonging to Trilogy Plumbing Inc. and a related back-office support company called Matrix Management LLC, both based in Anaheim. Meza held various positions at these companies since 2003 and was entrusted with access to and control of the companies’ financial and banking information. In her role, Meza – whose annual salary was approximately $65,000 – oversaw and handled the companies’ daily financial activities, including banking, bookkeeping and preparation of financial statements. She also had the authority to access the companies’ bank accounts for the purpose of making authorized electronic payments on the companies’ behalf. Meza used her knowledge of the companies’ accounting software to intentionally falsify their accounting records. She misrepresented the amounts in the companies’ various accounts to conceal the unauthorized transfers and falsely show the companies’ accounts were balanced. For example, Meza falsely recorded some unauthorized transfers as business expenses, when in fact these amounts were payments to herself. In February 2019, Meza told executives their companies did not have funds to meet payroll obligations and failed to inform the executives that she had been embezzling from the companies. Several months later, while the companies were the subject of an IRS enforcement action because of unpaid payroll taxes, Meza falsely told the executives that she did not pay the quarterly payroll taxes because she instead had used those funds to pay employees. Once Meza transferred the funds to her accounts, she used the stolen money on personal expenses, withdrew a large amount in cash, wired a significant amount to a family member-owned bank account in Mexico and made other transfers of the illicitly obtained funds to family and friends. The scheme lasted until January 2020, when Trilogy and Matrix fired Meza. “Particularly troubling is that in executing her embezzlement scheme, [Meza] took advantage of the responsibility she was entrusted with at the expense of her employers,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Meza’s] fraudulent schemes ran the course of several years and caused significant harm. This is not the case of defendant making one bad decision on one particular day, this is a pattern of bad decisions that spanned the course of several years.” In addition to her embezzlement, for the tax years 2017, 2018 and 2019, Meza knowingly and willfully signed – under penalty of perjury – false personal federal income tax returns that vastly understated her annual income. For example, on her 2018 federal tax return Meza falsely reported that her income was $65,728, which did not include the $1,363,654 she obtained that year from stealing from her employers. In total, Meza willfully failed to report $3,132,617 in income to the IRS, resulting in a total tax loss of $1,100,022 to the United States. In her plea agreement, Meza admitted to submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application for $20,569 for Rosalba Meza, her eponymous business entity. In support of that loan application, Meza falsely listed monthly payroll and tax information. A bank approved the false application and disbursed her requested loan proceeds to the bank account she listed on the PPP paperwork, causing an actual loss of $20,569. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case. Anyone with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Philadelphia Man Admits Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Glenn Long, 28, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Long conspired with other individuals who acted as “runners” or “couriers” for a drug-trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl. Drug customers would call Long to place orders for drugs, and the runners would deliver the drugs. Long admitted that on a date on which law enforcement agents executed search and arrest warrants in connection with the investigation into his conduct, Long’s conspirators possessed more than 2,700 grams of methamphetamine and 400 grams of fentanyl for the conspiracy. Long participated in this conspiracy while he was a fugitive on a federal drug trafficking indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to which he has since pleaded guilty. Thirteen other defendants have previously pleaded guilty as a result of the investigation. Long faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel J. Kafafian, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Drug Enforcement Administration, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; FBI; Bensalem Police Department; Berlin Borough Police Department; Berlin Township Police Department; Bucks County District Attorney’s Office; Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; Clayton Police Department; Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Task Force; Deptford Township Police Department; Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office; Gloucester Township Police Department; New Jersey State Police; New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsville Police Department; and Winslow Township Police Department for their assistance. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. long.sindictment.pdf


title: Fresno Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dealer Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Bobby Hood, 65, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Jan. 14, 2021, investigators executed a warrant and searched Hood’s residence, car, and person and seized over a pound of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of powdered fentanyl. This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case. Hood is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Hood faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: Mexican National Residing in Bakersfield Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegal Cockfighting in Violation of the Animal Welfare Act

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Horacio Ortega-Martinez, 36, a citizen of Mexico residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for possessing roosters for the purpose of using them in an animal fighting venture, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In addition, the forfeiture of the fighting roosters and 49 breeding hens was ordered. On Nov. 10, 2022, Ortega pleaded guilty to an Animal Welfare Act crime involving the possession of 250 roosters for use in an animal fighting venture. According to court documents, law enforcement agents became aware of Ortega’s involvement in breeding, fighting, and selling roosters in January 2022 through recorded conversations obtained from a court-authorized wiretap of a phone used by Jorge Calderon-Campos, 42, of Bakersfield. Ortega and Calderon had various telephone conversations about buying, selling, and fighting roosters. On April 26, 2022, a search warrant was served at Ortega’s property, where agents found approximately 250 fighting roosters, approximately 250 “gaffs” (razor-sharp steel blades that are tied to the birds’ legs), mitts commonly used for training and fighting roosters, and miscellaneous antibiotics, vitamins, and supplements that are commonly used for breeding and training roosters for fighting. Calderon has been charged with various drug trafficking offenses and animal fighting venture crimes in two separate indictments. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) , the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistance was also provided by the Humane Society of the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Franklin Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Director Jacky Hunt of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, and Sheriff Jere Dee Hopson of the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to court documents, on December 31, 2019, Adrian Nolan, 42, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and a mixture of cocaine. Nolan also possessed a Glock 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Nolan was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had been convicted of the following felony offenses. On January 5, 2009, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Nolan was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and aiding and abetting. On March 17, 2009, in the Simpson Circuit Court, Nolan was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance. On March 16, 2009, in Simpson Circuit Court, Nolan was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second offense. On December 19, 2005, in Simpson Circuit Court, Nolan was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance. On February 21, 2000, in Simpson Circuit Court, Nolan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. After the 260-month prison sentence, Nolan was ordered to serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by HSI Bowling Green, the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, and the Simpson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts  Man For Illegally  Possessing Two Machine Guns

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – XAVIER DUHON , age 20, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on April 14, 2023 in a one-count indictment for possession of machine guns, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. If convicted, DUHON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Atlantic County Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits Programs

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.77 million in restitution and 327,987 in forfeiture for his role in defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions. John Sher, 40, of Margate, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.


title: Man Who Carjacked a FedEx Truck in Greenville Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Kinston man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for carjacking a FedEx truck, crashing it into a vehicle and a business, and trying to kidnap a child from the car he hit. On November 1, 2022, Dequan Martail Boone, also known as “Day Day,” pled guilty to one count of interfering with interstate commerce by robbery. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Boone, 33, stole a FedEx truck by force from a driver delivering packages around 10:30 a.m. in Greenville. Boone sped away from the scene, crashing head-on into another vehicle and then into a commercial building. Upon exiting the FedEx truck, Boone ran to the vehicle he hit and tried to take a young child from inside. The child’s mother, who was driving the car, had to fight Boone off to make him release her child. Boone was subdued by bystanders and held until law enforcement arrived on scene. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori B. Warlick and Aakash Singh prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-44-M.


title: Kenner Man Indicted for Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ALTON GRAYSON , age 37, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, was charged on April 14, 2023 in a three-count indictment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. GRAYSON is charged in Count 1 with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). For Count 2, GRAYSON is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B). For Count 3, GRAYSON is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted of Count 1, GRAYSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 2, GRAYSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, GRAYSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine and up to 5 years of supervised release. As to each count, GRAYSON faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kenner Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Sumter Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison in Tax and Covid-19 Loan Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Maggie-Anne Boler, 61, of Sumter, was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison in relation to a scheme to submit false tax returns and a fraudulent Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loan to the United States. The schemes defrauded the United States out of roughly $180,000. According to evidence presented during Boler’s trial and sentencing, Boler promised friends and family that she knew a secret way to get them large refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Boler used her bogus system to prepare tax returns for herself, her disabled brother, and others. Boler would claim huge unsubstantiated withholdings on the returns, generating tax refunds of as much as $44,000. Some of Boler’s family members were unemployed and had no actual withholdings during the year. Once the fraudulent returns were discovered by the IRS, Boler’s friends and family were forced to repay the refunds and were burdened with additional penalties and fees. Many of the relatives testified during the trial that Boler took a fee for preparing the returns and promised them that her methods were lawful and that she knew obscure rules that would get them large refunds. In addition to the tax fraud, Boler received a $20,000 PPP loan based on her fraudulent claims. Evidence produced during the trial showed that Boler took these PPP funds while also receiving thousands of dollars in South Carolina unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Maggie-Anne Boler made false promises, defrauded American taxpayers, and stole from businesses in desperate need of support during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting financial fraud in all its forms, and we encourage the public to ensure they are only working with reputable tax professionals this tax season.” “The defendant in this case thought she had figured out a clever scheme to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “This sentencing is an important victory for America's taxpayers who play by the rules and have no tolerance for those who make up their own rules.” “Financial fraud undermines the integrity of the U.S. tax system and erodes consumer confidence,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Steve Jensen. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others that such criminal activity will not be tolerated. The FBI, along with our federal partners, will continue to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.” Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Boler to 30 months in prison. She was also ordered to repay $53,696.00 in restitution to the United States Small Business Administration and the IRS. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cate Cardinale and T. DeWayne Pearson. ###


title: Fresno Area Man Arrested for Operating Business to Buy and Sell Stolen Catalytic Converters

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury has indicted George Thomas, 70, of Clovis, for selling thousands of stolen catalytic converters to a company in Oregon for over $2.5 million, and then withdrawing the proceeds from his bank accounts in increments under $10,000 to avoid federal reporting requirements, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The indictment was unsealed today following Thomas’s arrest. According to court records, between January 2021 and November 2022, Thomas purchased stolen catalytic converters from thieves in the Fresno area who cut the converters off people’s vehicles. The thieves called or texted Thomas to arrange the sales, and the sales occurred in parking lots and behind buildings during all hours of the day and night. Thomas paid the thieves significantly below market rates and paid them in cash to conceal the source of the converters. Thomas gave the thieves instructions on the types of catalytic converters that he was looking for and how to best cut the converters off of vehicles. Thomas also helped some of the thieves buy new saws to use after the thieves’ saws were confiscated by the police or were stolen. Thomas took photographs of the thieves, and he required them to provide their identification cards and the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) for the vehicles from which the catalytic converters were supposedly cut off. Thomas told the thieves that it did not matter where they got the VINs. For example, in one instance, Thomas said, “It’s supposed to come off the one you got it off of, but it’s up to you what you do. All I need is a VIN number is all.” In other instances, Thomas altered the VINs that thieves gave him to make the VINs look better. Many of the VINs were later determined to be fake or from stolen vehicles. Thomas drove the stolen catalytic converters to Oregon where he sold the converters to a company that extracted the valuable metals and sold the metals for further processing. Thomas made several misrepresentations to the Oregon company, including that he had purchased the converters from legitimate businesses and that the VINs he provided were for the vehicles from which the converters had been removed. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone with knowledge of Thomas activities is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 5-Plus Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of Firearms

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement. According to court documents, on September 8, 2022, Deonta Degroat, 34, possessed with the intent to distribute 149 grams of fentanyl. Degroat also possessed a DPMS, Model A15, multi-caliber rifle, a Sharps Brothers, Model Hellbreaker, multi-caliber AR-pistol, an Apache Armament, Model AA15, multi-caliber rifle, and an ARMSCOR, Model M1911-A1, .45 caliber pistol. Degroat was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On March 20, 2013, in the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan, Wayne County, Michigan, Degroat was convicted of home invasion in the second degree (attempt). After the 63-month prison sentence, Degroat was ordered to serve 4 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the DEA and the ATF with the assistance from the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Two Inmates Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapons at FCI McDowell

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Two inmates were each sentenced today for possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison for separate incidents at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell. Artemas Roberts, 42, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 6, 2022, FCI McDowell staff conducted a random visual search of Roberts. Staff found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” and several doses of a substance that Roberts admitted was suboxone. The shank was a sharpened metal medical scalpel with a plastic handle, and was designed and intended to be used as a weapon. Roberts admitted to possessing the shank and the suboxone, and further admitted that he did not have a prescription for the suboxone. Ray Ramirez-Bueno, 59, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On June 10, 2021, a FCI McDowell staff member conducting a pat-down search of Ramirez-Bueno found a “shank” on his person. The object was a piece of metal approximately four inches long, sharpened to a point on one end. Ramirez-Bueno admitted to possessing the object and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the cases. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-143 (Roberts) and (1:21-cr-210). ###


title: Greenbrier County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

body_text: BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Arica L. Anderson, 37, of Lewisburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 2, 2022, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Anderson was a passenger in the Pickaway area of Monroe County. The officer saw Anderson try to conceal an Acier Comprime, .25-caliber pistol. Anderson admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Anderson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of her prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit a felony offense: robbery in the first degree, in Monroe County Circuit Court on September 16, 2013. Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-104. ###


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kameron I. Ziegler, 23, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, Kilan Nicks, also known as “Low,” sold approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Roby Road residence in Huntington. Ziegler admitted to being at the residence and providing the methamphetamine to Nicks in advance of the sale to the informant. Nicks was sentenced to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on March 6, 2023, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-118. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Washington School District to Remedy Discriminatory Seclusion and Restraint Practices

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Spokane Public Schools in Spokane, Washington, to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities. The settlement agreement, which resolves the department’s investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), will protect students with disabilities by eliminating seclusion and reforming the district’s restraint practices. The department’s investigation concluded that the school district inappropriately and repeatedly secluded and restrained students with disabilities and did not limit its use of restraint and seclusion to emergency situations, as required by state law and the district policy. Instead, the district restrained and secluded students with disabilities to address noncompliant behavior, even when those actions appeared to escalate the behavior or when students showed clear signs of trauma. As a result, students with disabilities missed hundreds of hours of instructional time. Under the settlement agreement, Spokane Public Schools has agreed to end the use of seclusion, overhaul its restraint practices and better train staff on how to anticipate, address and de-escalate students’ disability-related behaviors through effective and appropriate interventions and supports. “When schools discriminate against students with disabilities through improper restraints and seclusion, they unjustly deprive those students of equal access to education and the opportunity to succeed,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools need the tools and the training to appropriately serve all students, including students with disabilities. This agreement will put Spokane Public Schools firmly on a path to systemic reforms that will protect students with disabilities and provide them with a safe and supportive learning environment. The Civil Rights Division will continue to fight discrimination against children with disabilities in public schools across the country.” “Each and every child deserves a fair and equal opportunity to learn and thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington. “Our office, in partnership with the department’s Civil Rights Division, will vigorously investigate allegations of discrimination on the basis of disability in all settings, including in our public schools. We are heartened by the school district’s commitment to this sweeping agreement, which will undoubtedly improve the education and everyday lives of many of our students in the Spokane community.” The district fully cooperated throughout the investigation, and before entering the agreement, began steps to voluntarily reform its practices. Among other actions, under the agreement, the district will: Prohibit the use of seclusion (referred to in the agreement as “isolation”) at all district schools; Only restrain students when their behavior poses an imminent likelihood of serious harm to the student or another person; Improve data collection efforts and establish review protocols following the use of restraint; Review and improve behavioral intervention plans; Create classroom-wide behavior management plans that promote positive behaviors and de-escalate noncompliant behaviors to support teachers and students in classrooms serving students with high-intensity behaviors; Deliver appropriate training and resources to help schools implement the agreement and respond appropriately to student behavior; Create a complaint procedure through which families can file a complaint with the district regarding the use of seclusion or restraint; Offer counseling and compensatory education services to students with disabilities who were subjected to the district’s discriminatory practices; and Appoint an Intervention Coordinator to ensure the district’s compliance with the agreement and Title II of the ADA. Enforcement of Title II of the ADA is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. This agreement is the most recent in a series of division settlements to address and prevent unlawful seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities in public schools. On Feb. 16, for example, the division reached a settlement with the Anchorage School District in Alaska to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities. The division reached similar agreements in December 2022 with the Okaloosa County School District in Florida, in September 2022 with the Cedar Rapids Community School District in Iowa, in December 2021 with the Frederick Public School District in Maryland and in December 2020 with the North Gibson School Corporation in Indiana. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. To learn more about the section’s work under the ADA to combat improper seclusion in schools, visit this website: www.justice.gov/schoolseclusion . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . download_doj_cover_letter.pdf download_settlement_agreement.pdf download_settlement_agreement_summary.pdf


title: Cabell County Man Sentenced to Prison for  Federal Child Pornography Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jason Robert Henthorne, 48, of Milton, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography. Henthorne must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2021, Henthorne possessed videos and more than 1,000 images of child pornography stored on electronic devices at the Milton residence where he was staying. Henthorne admitted that some of the images and videos depict infants and prepubescent children subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct. Henthorne further admitted that one of the images depicts adult males sexually assaulting a prepubescent female. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-234. ###


title: Missouri Felon Who Threatened Driver, Bar Patrons with Gun Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a convicted felon from Butler County, Missouri who threatened both a driver and bar patrons with a gun to 66 months in prison. Donald Edward Christie Jr., 37, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of his plea, he admitted possessing a firearm on two occasions on Feb. 12, 2022. The first was reported to the Butler County Sheriff’s Department about 15 minutes past midnight. A driver said they were followed from a gas station by someone the driver believed to be a law enforcement officer in an SUV. After the victim pulled over, the SUV driver exited with appeared to be an AK-style rifle, chambered a round and demanded that the victim turn off their vehicle and provide ID. The gunman returned, gave back the victim’s ID and said, “You never saw me, and I never saw you,” the plea agreement says. About 30 minutes later, deputies received another call, this time from a rural bar reporting a man brandishing a firearm. When deputies arrived, they found bar patrons holding Christie down. Witnesses told deputies that he’d entered the bar and become confrontational with the occupants. He had a pistol in his pocket and the bartender asked him to leave. Christie said that he had a “machine gun” in his vehicle and was going to get it and kill them, the plea says. The bartender tried to hold the door shut when Christie returned, but he pushed his way inside. Using what appeared to be a rifle, Christie ordered the occupants to move behind the bar. He was taken down from behind by a patron, and patrons and the bartender disarmed him. He was in possession of a 9mm Striborg SP9A3 semi-automatic pistol with a brace, which resembled a short-barreled rifle or submachine gun, and a Bryco .380-caliber pistol. The case was investigated by the Butler County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.


title: Maine Resident Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Fraud and Tax Offenses Stemming from $1.8 Million Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD F. ZIEGLER II, 64, of Bridgton, Maine, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and tax offenses stemming from a 15-year embezzlement scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ziegler, who formerly resided in New Britain, was employed as the office manager for a small, family-owned business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” based in Berlin, Connecticut. In approximately 2006, Ziegler opened a bank account in his name and with the qualifying language “Doing Business As [Company A].” Over the course of approximately 15 years, Ziegler diverted more than 400 checks from Company A’s customers and deposited them into the secret bank account he had established. Ziegler also made fraudulent entries in Company A’s books and record keeping system to cover up the fact that he had diverted the checks and used the funds for his own benefit. Through this scheme, Ziegler embezzled $1,880,280.54 from Company A. In addition, Ziegler failed to pay $173,003 in federal income taxes on his embezzled income for the 2015 through 2019 tax years. Judge Dooley ordered Ziegler to pay full restitution to Company A and the IRS Ziegler was arrested on March 16, 2022. On November 10, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Ziegler, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 20. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Bridgton (Maine) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.


title: Three Men Indicted for Murder-for-Hire Plot

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Jagninder Singh Boparai, 46, of Manteca; Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 45, of Dublin; and Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 49, of Tracy; charging all three with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire, and charging Boparai with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in February 2023, Boparai met with a person he believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Boparai and the other defendants throughout their interactions, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI. Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of Victim 1, and once he proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job. The following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault of Victim 1. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. According to court documents, after more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of Victim 1 laying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.” According to court documents, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder of Victim 2. Sandhu provided Victim 2’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that Victim 2 must disappear without any evidence remaining. Boparai then made two calls to Birla asking for Victim 2’s Facebook profile. Boparai subsequently received a Facebook profile picture of Victim 2, which he showed to the confidential informant. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill Victim 2 and take Victim 2’s remains to Mexico in a suitcase. All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Project Safe Neighborhoods News

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces the following actions in federal PSN cases. Indictments Charles Jerome Moore , 40, of Madera, was indicted on April 13, 2023, and charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to court documents, on Dec. 14, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Moore after finding a loaded firearm and ammunition in Moore’s vehicle. Moore was arrested again on March 13, 2023, when officers located ammunition in his vehicle. Moore is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he has prior felony convictions. This case was the product of an investigation by the Madera Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case. Evan Moore, 39, of Chowchilla, was indicted on April 13, 2023, and charged being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 18, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop and found Moore to be in possession of a loaded firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Madera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case. Aaron Michael Correia , 37, of Manteca, was indicted on March 30, 2023, and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, Correia was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 Ruger revolver and a box of .22 caliber ammunition. Correia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including 2017 and 2021 convictions for felon in possession of a firearm in San Joaquin County. This case is the product of an investigation by the Manteca Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Correia, Charles Jerome Moore, and Evan Moore face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Guilty Pleas Earnest Donte Ruff , 24, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime. According to court documents, on April 21, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a barbershop in Fresno and observed Ruff wearing a camouflage, cross-body satchel as he entered the rear-passenger seat of a car. Ruff was arrested and found to be in possession of a loaded .40‑caliber gun with no serial number. Ruff has four convictions for illegally possessing firearms or ammunition. Sentencing in this case is set for July 24, 2023. Ruff faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case. Sentencings Darien Williams , 24, of Fresno, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2021, in Fresno, law enforcement officers tried to stop a car in which Williams was a passenger. The driver failed to yield, sped away, and crashed into another car. After the crash, Williams fled on foot. While fleeing, he discarded a loaded handgun that officers found after they caught and arrested Williams. Williams is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony record. This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case. These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Construction Company Owner Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay Nearly $1 Million in Restitution for Rigging Bids and Bribing a Public Official

body_text: WASHINGTON – A construction company owner in California was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $984,699 in restitution for his role in a bid-rigging and bribery scheme involving California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) improvement and repair contracts. According to a guilty plea entered on Nov. 14, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento, Bill R. Miller engaged in a conspiracy from April 2015 through as late as December 2019. As part of the conspiracy, Miller recruited others to submit sham bids on Caltrans contracts, including co-conspirator William D. Opp, a former business partner who pleaded guilty in the case on Oct. 3, 2022. In addition to pleading guilty to bid rigging, Miller also pleaded guilty to paying bribes to Choon Foo “Keith” Yong, the former Caltrans contract manager who managed the contracts involved on behalf of Caltrans, a California state agency that receives significant federal funding. On April 11, 2022, Yong pleaded guilty for his role in the bid-rigging and bribery scheme. According to Yong’s plea agreement, Yong received the bribes in the form of cash payments, wine, furniture and remodeling services on his home. The total value of the bribes that Miller paid to Yong was nearly $1 million. Miller is the first defendant to be sentenced in the case. “This sentence sends a strong message that criminals who corrupt the competitive bidding process will face stern consequences,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Protecting infrastructure spending and taxpayer dollars remains a top priority for the Antitrust Division and our Procurement Collusion Strike Force partners.” “A lengthy investigation and a series of guilty pleas has led to the sentencing today for a bid-rigging and bribery conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “But our work is not done. Anticompetitive practices harm taxpayers and legitimate businesses alike. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute such conduct.” “Fair and free competition is essential to ensure taxpayer money is only obligated and spent on essential services and contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to investigate such allegations, and bringing to justice those who conspire to enrich themselves by cheating the American public as a whole. We hope this sentence serves as ample warning to anyone contemplating a scheme to falsely influence a government bidding process for personal gain.” Today’s sentencing is the result of a joint investigation that was conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, and the FBI’s Sacramento Division as part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). Trial Attorneys Christopher J. Carlberg and Tai S. Milder and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Bickley prosecuted the case. In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to construction or infrastructure, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force .


title: Kankakee, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 207 Months in Prison for Carjacking, Discharge of Firearm

component: Department of Justice

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – A Kankakee, Illinois, man, Anycco M. Rivers, 25, of the 1100 th block of E. Merchant Street, was sentenced today to an aggregate term of 207 months’ imprisonment for carjacking and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The sentencing follows a four-day jury trial where the government presented evidence showing that Rivers and an accomplice stole a vehicle at gunpoint and that Rivers discharged a firearm at bystanders as the men fled the scene. In finding Rivers guilty, the jury further found that he had the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm to another during his theft of the vehicle. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence demonstrating that Rivers fired the gun in a populated area near a park and baseball fields. The bullets struck several vehicles in the area of the carjacking. One image admitted at the hearing showed that a bullet fired by Rivers lodged mere inches away from a child’s car seat. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Rivers’s actions recklessly created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another person. Judge Bruce weighed Rivers’s troubled upbringing versus the need to protect the public from his dangerous actions. In counseling against future violent behavior, Judge Bruce told Rivers, “You only get one life. You don’t want to squander it.” At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Bruce sentenced Rivers to an aggregate term of 207 months’ imprisonment, comprised of consecutive terms of 87 months’ imprisonment for the carjacking and 120 months’ imprisonment for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Judge Bruce also imposed concurrent terms of supervised release – three years for the carjacking and five years for the firearm discharge. Additionally, Judge Bruce ordered Rivers to pay restitution to the victim of his crime following his release from prison. Rivers faced statutory penalties of up to 15 years in prison for carjacking. And he faced a consecutive term of 10 years to life imprisonment for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The case investigation was conducted by Bourbonnais Police Department; Bradley Police Department; Kankakee Police Department; Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Ritzer and William Lynch represented the government at trial. Rivers’s co-defendant, Ladonta A. Tucker, 30, of the 7400th block of E. Second Street in Sun River Terrace, Illinois, is set to be sentenced on June 12, 2023, at 1:30 PM in Courtroom A of the Urbana, Illinois, federal courthouse. The 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: Marrero Bookkeeper Indicted On  Federal Fraud and Tax Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARY B. KATICICH , age 63, of Marrero, Louisiana, was indicted on April 14, 2023, with four counts of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. If convicted, KATICICH faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years imprisonment as to each count of wire fraud and a maximum term of three (3) years imprisonment as to the tax charge. As to each count, KATICICH also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.00 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person resulting from the offense, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, KATICICH faces a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years on the wire fraud counts and up to one (1) year on the tax count. Each count also carries a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to today’s indictment, from January 2015 to June 2018, KATICICH was employed as a bookkeeper with Company A based in Belle Chase, Louisiana. During this timeframe, KATICICH stole funds from Company A’s bank accounts without permission or authorization . To enact this scheme, KATICICH executed electronic transfers from Company A to her business and personal bank accounts via ACH deposits and payroll check deposits in amounts exceeding her authorized annual salary. To conceal her embezzlement scheme, KATICICH failed to report to the IRS funds that she received from Company A, resulting in a total tax loss to the IRS of approximately $109,664. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: South Los Angeles Man Found Guilty of Knowingly Recruiting Teenage Girls for Commercial Sex Work and Trafficking an Adult via Threats

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was found guilty by a jury today of nine felonies for recruiting and enticing teenage girls for whom he acted as a “pimp” and providing them for commercial sex work. Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 31, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking with a minor, three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of sex trafficking through threats of force, fraud, or coercion. According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, from the summer of 2021 to February 2022, Bradford conspired with Layla Kalani Valdivia, 23, of Ventura, to cause one of the minor victims – a then-15-year-old girl – to be used for commercial sex acts. Bradford recruited the victim to work for him as a commercial sex worker. As the victim’s “pimp,” Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night. Bradford and Valdivia advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in commercial sex acts with the victim. Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts with Valdivia and a sex client together. Customers paid Bradford for “dates” with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford or Valdivia her earnings. Bradford assaulted the minor victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford also filmed himself engaging in sex acts on two separate occasions with her. From March 2021 to November 2021, Bradford recruited and enticed two other girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex activity. From May 2021 to August 2022, Bradford also recruited and sex trafficked an adult victim through threats of force, fraud or coercion, including multiple instances of violence. Bradford and Valdivia have been in federal custody since August 2022. United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt scheduled an August 17 sentencing hearing, at which time Bradford will face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Valdivia pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4, at which time she will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners and thanks them for their participation and assistance, including: the Los Angeles Police Department; the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Pomona Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office; the Santa Maria Police Department; the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case. “ Operation Cross Country ,” an FBI-led nationwide effort which ran in August 2022, focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking.


title: President of Metalhouse LLC Indicted for Sanctions Evasion and International Money Laundering

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – The Justice Department announced today the indictment and arrest of John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, the president of Metalhouse LLC, for engaging in a three-year scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against oligarch Sergey Kurchenko and two of Kurchenko’s companies by providing those sanctioned parties with over $150 million in return for steelmaking materials. As alleged in the indictment, between July 2018 and October 2021, Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, Florida, acting through his company, Metalhouse, transferred over $150 million to Kurchenko and companies controlled by Kurchenko. In return, Unsalan received from Kurchenko metal products used in steelmaking and attempted to collect from Kurchenko millions of dollars of funds for undelivered products. “The arrest of John Can Unsalan should serve as a warning to those who seek to do business with sanctioned individuals or entities that endanger the security of the United States and our allies,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is relentlessly pursuing those whose seek to evade sanctions imposed against the Russian regime and whose crimes enable the regime to continue its unjust, illegal war in Ukraine.” “For over three years, the defendant pursued personal profit at the expense of our national security, by unlawfully transacting with sanctioned entities that were propping up puppet governments in Russian-occupied Ukraine, as alleged in today’s indictment,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Department of Justice will use all of its authorities to stop those who would conspire with Kremlin cronies to support Russia’s unprovoked attacks on Ukraine.” “For years, John Can Unsalan engaged in a scheme to do business with a sanctioned oligarch and his company through more than $150 million in illegal transactions,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Today’s arrest demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to pursue those who seek to violate sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked aggression toward Ukraine.” “Economic sanctions are critical tools used to protect the national security of the United States and our allies,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “During a three-year scheme, Unsalan allegedly transferred $150 million to Sergey Kurchenko, who was sanctioned for his role in misappropriating Ukrainian state assets. Let the defendant's arrest serve as a reminder of the FBI's commitment to bringing to justice those who try to evade U.S. sanctions in an effort to support sanctioned Russian oligarchs.” “As highlighted by this arrest, we are firmly committed to enforcing the sanctions imposed by the United States against Russia for its malevolent military invasion of Ukraine,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Thanks to the dedicated investigative work by our law enforcement partners, an individual who willfully sent more than $150 million to a sanctioned oligarch is facing the possibility of a lengthy term of imprisonment.” Kurchenko was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine. The two sanctioned companies – Kompaniya Gaz-Alyans, OOO (Gaz-Alyans), based in the Russian Federation, and ZAO Vneshtorgservis (Vneshtorgservis), based in the Russian occupied Georgian region of South Ossetia – were designated by OFAC in 2018 for acting on behalf of and providing material support to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic in the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine. Unsalan allegedly engaged in trade with these sanctioned individuals and entities to procure steelmaking equipment and raw material despite knowing that Kurchenko, Gaz-Alyans, and Vneshtorgservis were subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibited Unsalan from doing business with them. No licenses from OFAC were applied for or issued for these payments or transfers. Unsalan is charged with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA); 10 counts of violating IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and ten counts of international money laundering. The indictment also provides notice of the United States’ intention to forfeit from Unsalan the proceeds of his offenses. Unsalan made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Norway of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Tampa Field Office, Orlando Resident Agency, and Washington Field Office, International Corruption Unit, are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and OFAC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sergeant Bluff Business Owner Sentenced in Federal Court for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: The owner of a Sergeant Bluff, Iowa construction firm was sentenced on Friday, April 14, 2023, to two years in federal prison for his role in tax evasion offenses, including for evading payment of his company’s employment taxes, his personal income taxes, and evading payment of a company’s employment taxes which he kept in the name of another. According to court documents and statements made in court, Kevin Alexander, 62, of Sioux City, owned K&L Construction, Inc., a landscaping and construction company. As the sole shareholder and president of K&L Construction, Alexander was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over to the IRS payroll taxes withheld from employees’ wages. From the second quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2017, K&L Construction paid approximately $3.8 million in wages to its employees and withheld approximately $1 million in payroll taxes, but the company did not pay over any of these withholdings to the IRS. During IRS collection proceedings, Alexander accepted responsibility for paying K&L Construction’s outstanding tax balance. Alexander, however, submitted a false form to the IRS that concealed some of his assets. Alexander admitted that he submitted the false form for the purpose of concealing assets and evading payment of K&L Construction’s outstanding payroll tax liability. He evaded payment of K&L Construction’s tax debt by operating it through another company, Circle A Construction, Inc. and keeping ownership of Circle A Construction in another’s name. Alexander was found liable, for sentencing purposes, of at least $757,314.74 in tax liability for Circle A Construction. Alexander also willfully evaded paying his personal income taxes for 2014, 2015, and 2016, totaling $667,544 in personal income tax loss. Alexander was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 24 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $1,678,722.39 in restitution. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Mr. Alexander admitted that he purposely hid his assets to avoid paying his company’s outstanding payroll tax liability,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “Employers cheat their employees when they fail to meet that obligation. That’s a serious offense that harms the employee and all the honest taxpayers who’ve paid their fair share of taxes in a timely manner.” U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax of the Northern District of Iowa and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Timmons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa and Trial Attorney Meredith Havekost of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 21-4092. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former Oakland Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Misuse of Public Funds

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Terry A. Poland, 33, of Fremont, Nebraska, was arraigned and pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Michael D. Nelson, United States Magistrate Judge, to Misuse of Public Funds. Poland further agreed that he has or will surrender his law enforcement certification before the date set for sentencing, and that he will not work as a law enforcement officer in the future. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2023 before Magistrate Judge Nelson. During February 2020 to January 2021, Poland purchased about 27 gift cards in four transactions from a sporting goods store operating in Nebraska, using the charge account that the City of Oakland had at the store. The total value of the gift cards that Poland acquired with Oakland’s funds was $14,631.00. Poland used the gift cards to acquire items for the use of himself and family members. Poland purchased among other things women’s and children’s clothing, an ice fishing house, an auger, fishing equipment and a basketball backboard. Poland acquired the basketball backboard on or about March 22, 2020, in the amount of $949.99. Poland made most purchases using the gift cards at store locations in Nebraska but made at least one purchase online. An outside auditor questioned the acquisition of the gift cards. At the request of the outside auditor, the Oakland City Clerk requested additional receipts from Poland. Poland stated that all the gift cards were used to purchase ammunition for the Oakland Police Department and provided to the City Clerk five purported receipts, each captioned “Purchase Statement.” Each Purchase Statement was purportedly from the store and reflected the purchase of ammunition on a particular date during August 2020 to January 2021. The Purchase Statements that Poland provided to the City Clerk were phony. They were not issued by the store, and the transactions, item numbers and item descriptions did not match the store’s records. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: California Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogue

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Alejandro Berrelleza-Bojorquez, 25, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on April 14, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Berrelleza-Bojorquez to 76 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. After completing his sentence, Berrelleza-Bojorquez will be placed on supervised release for 4 years. Berrelleza-Bojorquez faces deportation from the United States following the service of his sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. On March 7, 2022, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle driven by Berrelleza-Bojorquez on Interstate 80 in Dawson County for speeding. His co-defendant, Orlando Castro-Gutierrez, was the passenger. The trooper smelled marijuana odor emanating from the vehicle, and the vehicle was searched. In the trunk, law enforcement found 10 triple-wrapped bags under clothing. Those bags contained about 10,000 pills. Law enforcement also found in the trunk 15 zip-lock baggies in a paper sack that contained about 15,000 pills. The vehicle was towed, and both men were arrested. Upon further search after the tow, law enforcement found a 1 kilogram-sized brick in a box in the trunk. Sample pills from the 10 wrapped bags were tested at the state lab, and the lab confirmed that they contained fentanyl. The pills in those ten wrapped bags weighed over one kilogram. Sample pills from the 15 zip-lock baggies were tested at the lab, and the lab determined they contained para-fluorofentanyl, a schedule I substance and analogue of fentanyl. The pills from those 15 baggies weighed about one and a half kilograms. The brick was tested at the lab as well, and the lab confirmed it contained fentanyl. Castro-Gutierrez is scheduled to plead guilty on May 3, 2023, in Lincoln. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Level III Sex Offender for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A level III sex offender, charged and convicted three times in Rhode Island state court on child pornography charges, has been in indicted by a federal grand jury on additional, and unrelated, child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. The grand jury returned an indictment charging Patrick K. Beattie, 37, of Charlestown, with two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. It is alleged in court documents that in February 2023, a state probation officer received information that Beattie, while serving a terms of state probation related to previous state child pornography convictions, was allegedly violating the terms of his state probation. It was alleged that Beattie possessed an internet-connected smartphone in violation of the terms of his court-imposed probation. Court documents allege that, on February 10, 2023, during an unannounced home visit of Beattie’s residence, as was permitted by the terms of his state probation, Beattie was found to be in possession of a smartphone. A subsequent, court-authorized search of the phone revealed child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Beattie was arraigned on Friday in federal court and ordered detained in federal custody. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. According to court documents, Beattie was previously convicted in Rhode Island State Court in April 2017, March 2022, and in January 2023, on child pornography charges. The current case, charged by way of a federal grand jury indictment, is being prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Charlestown Police, and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Unit. ###


title: Credit Card Processors Ordered to Pay $650,000 in Consumer Redress for Assisting in Fraudulent Computer Repair Telemarketing Schemes

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that the government will collect $650,000 in consumer redress from corporate defendants Nexway, SASU, Nexway Group AG, Nexway, Inc., asknet Solutions AG, asknet, Inc., (collectively Nexway), and individual defendants Casey Potenzone and Victor Iezuitov. The defendants’ payment of the $650,000 will result in the suspension of the total monetary judgment of $49.5 million granted by the court. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the government alleges that, since at least August 2016, the defendants violated the FTC Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by processing credit card payments for India-based Tech Live Connect and other foreign clients that commit telemarketing fraud via tech support scams. The complaint alleges that Nexway helped its clients open and use merchant accounts to process credit card charges. In a typical scam, Nexway’s client caused deceptive pop-up notifications to appear on a consumer’s computer screen, warning that the computer was infected with a virus or freezing the screen and displaying a phone number to call for help. Consumers who called reached call centers in India and were convinced to pay for “repairs.” The consumers’ credit card charges were processed by Nexway’s credit card merchant account. Nexway received a commission for each charge. The complaint alleges that Nexway and its principals worked with TLC and other fraudster clients despite knowing or consciously avoiding knowing that they were engaged in fraudulent telemarketing and other deceptive practices. The government also asserts that Nexway engaged in “credit card laundering” by allowing its clients to use Nexway’s credit card merchant accounts for their telemarketing scam even though Nexway was not the merchant on those transactions. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue and hold accountable payment processors who facilitate tech support scams that defraud consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting consumers from companies that engage in or support deceptive practices.” “Companies like Nexway that knowingly launder charges for scammers are breaking the law and helping scammers cheat money from consumers,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will not hesitate to use its law enforcement powers to stop them.” This matter is being handled by Claude Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Russell Deitch and J. Ronald Brooke of the FTC. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov .