title: Southern California Man Charged With Diverting $4.8 Million In San Francisco-Based Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Joon Woo Kim with fraud in connection with two related fraud schemes—the first, an alleged scheme to mislead investors to contribute to a fund he formed in San Francisco, and the second, a scheme to obtain a multi-million dollar business loans and line of credit by lying to a bank—announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. Kim was arrested earlier today in New Haven, Conn., and appeared in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut to face the charges. According to the indictment, filed June 27, 2023, and unsealed today, Kim, 57, of Montebello, Calif., allegedly engaged in the first fraud scheme beginning June 2015 through at least March 19, 2022. Kim created an investment fund called the M5 Doctors Fund and allegedly induced investors to contribute to the fund by making false statements and omissions about the kinds of investments Kim would make while managing the fund’s assets. For example, Kim allegedly advertised that he would invest assets of the M5 Doctors Fund in securities of Tesla, Inc. and electric vehicle companies. Nevertheless, rather than invest the funds as he promised, Kim allegedly transferred nearly all M5 Doctors Fund assets, including funds from the liquidation of investments and the return on those investments, to CKR Enterprise, Inc., a wholesale food distribution company owned and operated by Kim and his wife. As General Partner of the M5 Doctors Fund and the person who held himself out as manager and person responsible for the fund, Kim had a duty to disclose all material business, transactions, and investments to the fund’s investors and Limited Partners. Nevertheless, according to the indictment, from 2015 through July 2018, Kim transferred approximately $4.8 million in M5 Doctors Fund assets to CKR without informing the fund’s investors. Additionally, the indictment alleges Kim continued to tell investors he was investing in Tesla stock and the stock of public electric vehicle companies; failed to disclose to M5 Doctors Fund investors that he had transferred essentially all of the fund’s assets to his business, CKR; and took actions to mislead fund investors into believing that the M5 Doctors fund was solvent and engaged in investment activities. In the second fraud scheme, Kim defrauded Hanmi Bank by applying for two loans for CKR, a $1,300,000 line of credit and a $3,200,000 business loan, that contained materially false and fraudulent representations and promises. In sum, the indictment charges Kim with eight counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; two counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; and one count of making a false statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014. Kim’s initial San Francisco federal court appearance is scheduled for July 28, 2023. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Kim faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, if appropriate, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; 30 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000, plus restitution, if appropriate, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344 and 1014. The court also may order an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term as part of any sentence. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Elizabeth Kim. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: U.S. Attorney and Federal Partners Address Gun Violence and Firearms Trafficking in Connecticut

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery and the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit convened a series of meetings last week with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to discuss continuing strategies to curb gun violence and firearms trafficking in Connecticut. “While I and members of my office regularly meet with our law enforcement partners to share information, discuss crime trends, and coordinate investigations and prosecutions, these meetings take on an added significance during the summer months when cities in Connecticut and across the country traditionally experience an uptick of gun violence and related criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Using a data-driven, intelligence, and evidence-based approach, we are able to focus on the small number of individuals who are driving the violence in our cities. Then, either through our violence prevention engagement initiatives, or through federal or state prosecution, we aim to stop the violence before it occurs. Our collective goal is to make our communities safer by freeing it of recurrent gun violence and the trauma it causes.” “Working collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat Connecticut gun violence and trafficking,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller. “Our FBI violent crime and violent gang task forces, which are located throughout Connecticut, consistently prove to be very effective in addressing gun violence in our cities and towns. This violent threat plaguing our communities is a top priority for the FBI.” “ATF is committed to our continued collaboration and support of our local, state and federal partners to address violent gun crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson. “DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling violent drug trafficking organizations operating in Connecticut,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities. DEA and its local, state, and federal partners will continue to work collaboratively to bring to justice those that commit these crimes.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service stands with our federal, state, and local partners to confront the violence in our communities,” said Ketty D. Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “We will aggressively pursue the criminals who, through their misuse of the U.S. Mail, facilitate the crimes which fuel the violence on our streets.” As the majority of violent crime in Connecticut occurs in heavily-populated Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office currently coordinates Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) programs in each of these cities. PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has recently supplemented resources in these four PSN cities, and continues to focus on violent crime in other cities across the state. Each PSN city’s police department is also an important participant in multiple federal law enforcement task forces that address crime throughout the region. Other Connecticut police departments also contribute significantly to federal task forces. Another significant part of federal law enforcement’s gun violence reduction strategy involves long-term investigations that target members of gangs and groups responsible for much of the violence in Connecticut’s cities. In Bridgeport, more than 30 alleged gang members have been charged across multiple indictments with offenses related to narcotics trafficking, murders, and other acts of violence committed in recent years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also currently prosecuting alleged gang members and associates in New Haven and Waterbury . The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also focusing on the illegal straw purchasing of firearms, the trafficking of firearms into Connecticut and around the state, increasing numbers of privately-made firearms (“PMFs” or “ghost guns”), as well as firearms containing “ switches ,” which convert ordinary firearms into fully automatic machine guns. “We are constantly challenged by the sheer number of illegal firearms on the streets, the destructive strength of many of them, and technologies that make their manufacture easier and their tracing harder,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “These guns endanger the community and the officers who are sworn to protect us. This is why we are prioritizing the prosecution of individuals who help turn legal firearms into illegal firearms, and those who manufacture and traffic guns. Police departments are also increasing the use of the ATF-sponsored National Integrated Ballistic Information Network ( NIBIN ) to help connect recovered firearms to shell casings found at shooting scenes, which leads to additional arrests and successful prosecutions.” In addition to the prosecution of firearm and violent crime cases, and the violence prevention efforts that are a major component of PSN, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office also actively participate in federal court-sponsored programs in an effort to reduce recidivist behavior and make communities safer, including Reentry Court , which offers assistance to formerly-incarcerated individuals on federal supervised release, and Support Court , which connects federal offenders with drug and alcohol addiction to treatment, other resources, and support networks. The Office has also reached thousands of teens through FED-UP and HEAT , which are anti-violence and drug prevention programs for middle school and high school students emphasizing the extreme dangers of joining groups engaged in violent crime, and of experimentation with fentanyl, including fake pills . “Ultimately, we know that reducing gun violence requires a multi-pronged approach, which is why members of my office and our law enforcement partners devote much time and energy engaging with returning citizens who have been through the penal system, as well as with youth who we hope will take a different path, to reduce the cycle of violence and save countless lives,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.


title: Former Pastor Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Receipt Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANCIS HUGHES, a former pastor at a religious institution in Queens, New York, was sentenced to five years in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for his receipt of images of child pornography from a 15-year-old minor in Westchester, New York, with whom HUGHES was engaging in sexually explicit text communications. HUGHES pled guilty on August 16, 2022, before Judge Halpern. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: On February 16, 2020, HUGHES communicated by text messages with a 15-year-old boy (“Minor-1”). During the course of the text communications, among other things, Minor-1 sent HUGHES three images of Minor-1’s penis. Upon receiving one of the images, HUGHES responded, among other things, “Yummmmm I will suck you so much” and “Make you cum.” During the communications, HUGHES told Minor-1 that he was a part-time college professor and a counselor. * * * In addition to the prison term, HUGHES, 68, of Glendale, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenburgh Police Department in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to  Illegally Using Social Security  Number to Obtain Employment

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – WILSON MAZARIEGOS SARAVIA , ("SARAVIA") age 28, a native of Honduras, plead guilty on July 12, 2023 to a one-count bill of information charging him with illegally using a social security number to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to filed documents, on or about December 14, 2022, SARAVIA, presented a false Social Security card when signing in for a pre-employment safety class in St. Rose, Louisiana. WILSON MAZARIEGOS SARAVIA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2023. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Calloway County Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Transportation of Stolen Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A Calloway County, Kentucky woman was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for illegally transporting a stolen firearm. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement. According to court documents, Denise Collins , 35, illegally transported and received a firearm stolen outside of the state of Kentucky on April 25, 2022. The firearm, a Sig Sauer, model P365 XL, .9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, was a stolen firearm transported from Tennessee to Kentucky by Collins , aided and abetted by Gary Rowland. The firearm was ultimately used by Rowland to shoot and kill Calloway County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jody Cash on May 16, 2022. Collins was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. “The tragic murder of Chief Deputy Cash serves as a stark reminder for all Kentuckians of the sacrifices made daily by those who wear the badge and keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to strategically investigate and aggressively prosecute those who violate federal firearms laws so that the Western District is safer for all who live and work here.” “Kentucky lost a hero, a man who dedicated his life to serving the Commonwealth, when Calloway County Chief Deputy Jody Cash was murdered,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Morrow. “This is a terrible reminder of what can happen when a firearm ends up in the hands of someone prohibited from possessing them. ATF is committed to combatting firearms trafficking and the violence it can cause in our communities. I commend the ATF case agents, the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners including Kentucky State Police, Murray Police, McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paris Police Department in Tennessee, who worked together to bring some sense of justice to Deputy Cash and his family.” This case was investigated by the ATF with the assistance from the Kentucky State Police, the Murray Police Department, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Paris Tennessee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter 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: Rosie Hidalgo Sworn In as Director for the Office on Violence Against Women

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced that Rosie Hidalgo was sworn in today as the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). As director, she will spearhead the Department’s principal efforts in confronting gender-based crimes. OVW provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and oversees more than $700 million annually for grant programs authorized under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Senate confirmed Hidalgo on July 11 in a bipartisan vote, making her the first Senate-confirmed director to lead OVW since 2012. Hidalgo’s career, spanning over 25 years, has been dedicated to eradicating gender-based violence. Her work as a public interest attorney, national policy advocate, and more recently as a White House advisor, culminates in her new role leading OVW. Before her current appointment, Hidalgo served as a special assistant to President Biden and senior advisor on gender-based violence at the White House Gender Policy Council. She also previously held a position at OVW as Deputy Director of Policy from 2014 to 2017. “I am proud to swear in Rosie Hidalgo as the first Senate-confirmed Director of the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women in 11 years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This is a historic affirmation of the Department's commitment to reducing gender-based violence, supporting survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable. Rosie has both the experience and the dedication to lead the Office’s essential work of protecting women, girls, and all those affected by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. I am confident that her return to the Department will further that crucial mission.” “The Office on Violence Against Women is vital to implementing the Violence Against Women Act and providing leadership in combating domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Rosie’s leadership of OVW will strengthen those efforts and build on the Department’s commitment to meeting the needs of survivors of sexual violence.” “Rosie Hidalgo has been a champion for survivors for years. Her experience and passion make her ideally suited to lead OVW, which has been steadfast in its mission to deploy the resources and tools communities need to address the needs of survivors,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Rosie's track record of working diligently to support survivors of gender-based violence, and in particular, survivors from underserved and historically marginalized communities, makes her an ideal leader for OVW.” “I am honored to have this opportunity to join colleagues at the Office on Violence Against Women and the Department of Justice to help advance our nation’s commitment to preventing and addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of gender-based violence,” said Director Rosie Hidalgo. “The renewal and strengthening of the Violence Against Women Act last year, along with increases in VAWA funding, enable us to enhance access to safety, justice, and holistic services for survivors, and support efforts to strengthen and broaden the coordinated community response.” Hidalgo is also a former senior director of public policy for Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities, a national resource center with a focus on providing training, research, and policy advocacy to prevent and end domestic violence and sexual assault. Her public service work includes a detail to the Office of the Vice President during the Obama administration, working with the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. She also served on the Biden Foundation’s Advisory Council for Ending Violence Against Women and on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and the New York University School of Law.


title: Jury Finds Former Correctional Sergeant Guilty of Perjury During Investigation into Cover-Up of Assault of a CSP Sacramento Inmate

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A jury found a former California state correctional officer guilty yesterday afternoon of perjury in connection with a federal grand jury investigation into a conspiracy to cover up an assault of an inmate, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Following a three-day trial, Brenda Villa, 32, of North Highlands, was found guilty of one count of perjury. According to the court records and evidence presented at trial, Villa was a correctional sergeant supervising other officers at California State Prison – Sacramento (also known as New Folsom State Prison or CSP-Sacramento) when correctional officer Arturo Pacheco unlawfully assaulted an inmate under color of law. Following the assault and the inmate’s death, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) initiated an internal investigation. As the CDCR internal investigation proceeded, a federal grand jury began investigating federal criminal charges in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Villa was called to testify in front of the grand jury about her role and the actions of her fellow officers in covering up the unlawful assault. Villa lied under oath to the federal grand jury investigating the incident. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case. Former correctional officers Arturo Pacheco and Ashley Aurich pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12½ years and 21 months in prison, respectively. Villa’s sentencing will be scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb at a future court hearing. The next hearing in the case is on Monday, July 24, 2023. Villa faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for perjury 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, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Former Bay Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Arson in the Lake Tahoe Area

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Douglas Gregory Edwards, 37, formerly of Berkeley, pleaded guilty today to setting fire to federal land in the Lake Tahoe area, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on July 5, 2020, Edwards set three separate fires in the forest and near hiking trails in a protected area of federal land known as the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. At the time of the fires, campfires were restricted, and smoking was prohibited except inside of a vehicle or other designated areas. The Echo Fire Edwards set the first fire at approximately 3:00 a.m. on a slope near Echo Lake, which became known as the Echo Fire. Civilian witnesses at the Echo Lake Chalet witnessed this fire as it began to emit smoke and notified first responders, who extinguished it with the help of a firefighting helicopter. A witness saw Edwards at the site of the Echo Fire watching an eight-foot dead tree burning but taking no steps to extinguish the fire. After firefighters extinguished the fire, investigators found a cigarette butt directly above the ignition site. The Upper Fire The second fire ignited shortly after 9:00 a.m. less than a mile downhill from the site of Edwards’s first fire. Again, firefighters contained this second fire using water drops from aircraft, and it was contained at approximately 4:30 p.m. Investigators found two cigarette butts near the ignition site of this second fire, and DNA analysis of those cigarette butts connected them to Edwards. In addition, a single set of shoe impressions from the Upper Fire’s origin area led back to a hiking trail that connects to Echo Peak. The tread and size of the shoe prints matched the shoes that Edward was wearing when he was arrested on July 5, 2020. The Lake Fire The third fire ignited around noon in the same general vicinity, near a hiking path that provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail. It was in a remote location with thick brush and trees that limited access for fire response resources. Multiple witnesses hiking in the area observed Edwards running and hiking near where this third fire began. The witnesses observed Edwards smoking a cigarette and holding a cigarette lighter. Law enforcement agents subsequently arrested Edwards in the afternoon as he was hiking approximately a quarter of a mile away from the ignition sites of each of the three fires. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service. The California Highway Patrol, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Science provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case. Edwards is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 24, 2023. Edwards faces a maximum statutory penalty of five 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, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Man Sentenced to 21 months in Prison for Committing Perjury in His Federal Trial by Lying About His Sexual Dysfunction

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that John Dompierre, 60, of Avondale, Arizona was sentenced to twenty-one months in federal prison for committing perjury in his Federal Criminal Trial. A federal grand jury indicted Dompierre with Conspiracy and Transportation for Illegal Sexual Activity on September 10, 2020. On November 3 and 4, 2021, Dompierre testified in his own defense during a trial in Federal District Court in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Subsequently, the United States obtained Dompierre’s comprehensive medical records, the content of which unequivocally refuted Dompierre’s own testimony at trial. Dompierre pleaded guilty to Perjury on March 28, 2022. In addition to the twenty-one-month prison sentence, Dompierre was fined $2,400 and will be on supervised release for three years following his release from the Bureau of Prisons. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case with substantial assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Thomas Outler prosecuted the case. # # # 23-154


title: Court Finds State of Florida Violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by Institutionalizing Children with Disabilities

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled on Friday that the State of Florida violates the rights of children with complex medical needs by keeping some children unnecessarily institutionalized in nursing facilities, while placing other children at serious risk of unnecessary institutionalization. Following a two-week bench trial in May, the court found that the children in nursing facilities are capable of living in the community. Based on the testimony of experts and family members during the trial, the court also found that parents and guardians of institutionalized children overwhelmingly want their children to live at home, but that they have not been given meaningful options other than institutional placement. The court’s decision, coming after nearly a decade of litigation, marks a major turning point in the treatment of children with disabilities in Florida and vindicates their right to community integration. The court heard from many families who struggled desperately to keep their children at home despite a lack of services, and others who had no choice but to place their children in nursing homes because they could not get the help they needed. For example, parent Heather Patten testified about having to place her son in a nursing home when he was a toddler, telling the court, “I was scared, and I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I felt like there was no choice.” Another parent, Martin Carrizales, testified that for his disabled teenage stepson, “The help that they would give is that they would put him in a home but I would not be able to take care of him, and that is not what I wanted for him.” “This important ruling will help Florida families of disabled children keep and care for their children at home by requiring increased access to medical support and services,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We look forward to seeing the systematic changes in Florida needed to prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of children with complex medical needs.” “This is a momentous decision impacting hundreds of vulnerable children and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The court’s ruling sends a clear message that children with complex medical needs deserve to grow up with the love and support of their families and should not be confined to nursing facilities where they are stripped apart from their communities. The Civil Rights Division is strongly committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are not isolated from society but are fully integrated into their communities.” The department’s lawsuit challenged the State of Florida’s policies that violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and resulted in children with disabilities living and growing up in nursing facilities, separated from their families, friends and community. To remedy its violation, Florida must take steps to ensure that children with complex medical needs can access the services they need to live in their own homes and communities. Florida must also develop transition plans for institutionalized children and engage families to ensure that they can make informed choices about where their children live. Approximately 140 children with disabilities are currently housed in three pediatric nursing facilities across Florida, and many more are at risk of entering these institutions due to a shortfall of services, including home nursing care. These children live with a range of medical conditions and disabilities, and many are dependent on medical technology such as ventilators. Under the ADA and the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. – which was decided over 24 years ago – Florida is required to serve children with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, as long as the children or their guardians do not oppose community integration. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov . ADA complaints may be filed online at www.ada.gov/complaint . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov . ###


title: Charlotte Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced To More Than 24 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced Herbert Eugene Brandon, 55, of Charlotte, to 292 months in prison for drug trafficking conspiracy, drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Cogburn also imposed five years of supervised release following incarceration. According to filed documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, in 2019, law enforcement identified Brandon as a member of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) associated with the CJNG Mexican drug cartel and responsible for distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine and heroin throughout Western North Carolina, including in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance and controlled drug buys, during which they observed Brandon engage in several drug transactions with a Confidential Informant and with other local drug dealers. In addition to trafficking narcotics, Brandon engaged in money laundering activity, by sending drug proceeds via wire transfers to Mexico-based DTO members in amounts varying from $980 to $1,500 per transaction. In October 2021, Brandon pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, and distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Gaston County Police Department for their coordination and investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Regina Pack, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: Armed Bank Robber Is Sentenced To More Than 11 Years

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced Franklin Earl Lawrence, Jr., 50, of Gastonia, N.C., to 141 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for bank robbery and firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, and Chief Trent Conrad of the Gastonia Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on August 19, 2021, Lawrence robbed at gunpoint the Truist bank branch located at 3070 Union Road in Gastonia. Court records show that Lawrence entered the bank wearing a hat, wig, and glasses, approached a teller, pointed his loaded firearm at the teller and demanded money. After the teller complied, Lawrence turned to a second teller, pointed his firearm at her and demanded more money. The teller handed her cash over to Lawrence and the defendant fled the scene. Officers with the Gastonia Police Department tracked Lawrence at a nearby field. When the officers approached Lawrence, the defendant threw his firearm at the direction of one of the officers before he was arrested. At the time of the arrest, officers recovered from Lawrence’s fanny pack the shirt, hat, wig and glasses Lawrence wore during the robbery, as well as a loaded pistol and the money the defendant stole from the bank. On February 24, 2022, Lawrence pleaded guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during, and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The FBI and the Gastonia Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville 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. In 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: Property company owner sentenced to prison for rental assistance fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A Tipp City man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison for defrauding a local non-profit organization. He was also ordered to pay $94,942 in restitution. Antoine Draines, 43, defrauded Miami Valley Community Action Partnership (MVCAP) of rental assistance funds. MVCAP received federal funding as part of the CARES Act. According to court documents, Draines controlled and operated Freedom for Living Property Management, LLC in Tipp City. The company owned and served as landlord of numerous rental properties in Dayton. According to Draines, he was, at one point, the second-largest individual owner of Section 8 housing units in Greater Dayton. From at least June 2020 until December 2020, Draines lied to MVCAP so that he could improperly collect emergency rental assistance money for certain Freedom for Living properties. Draines knowingly sent false landlord statement forms concealing the critical fact that certain tenants were already having a substantial portion of their rent paid through federally funded housing vouchers. Draines pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March 2023. In addition, Draines fraudulently applied for and received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, resulting in Draines wrongfully collecting approximately $30,000. “Through a cynical, opportunistic fraud scheme, Draines, sought to steal more than $150,000 from MVCAP by seeking emergency assistance that was not actually needed, or not actually used, to cover the rental obligations of existing tenants,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “The specific circumstances of Draines’ COVID-related fraud only make it worse. Draines targeted programs intended to aid those struggling to make ends meet in the face of the pandemic, converting a global health crisis into a chance at a quick buck.” "Mr. Draines used his position during an unprecedented national pandemic to steal critical taxpayer money intended to help families," said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with Federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.” “Antoine Draines defrauded the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) by filing false unemployment insurance (UI) claims. Draines stole benefits intended to assist those who became unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and ODJFS to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Joining Parker in announcing the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose were Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter and Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Ferndale Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Childre

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Ferndale man who trafficked and had sex with children in metro-Detroit motels while on bond from a federal drug case in North Dakota was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division. Toriano Davis, 34, pled guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor in February 2023. Davis was sentenced today by United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. Law enforcement first began investigating Davis while attempting to locate two minor females who had run away from the Lansing area in late 2020. A relative of one of the minors contacted law enforcement with information and expressed fears that the minors were being trafficked in the Detroit area. Law enforcement recovered the minors from a motel room in Southfield, Michigan, in December 2020. After subsequent investigation, law enforcement located Davis in a motel in Roseville, Michigan. In the room with Davis was a nude 15-year-old girl. Additional investigation uncovered that Davis had trafficked at least two minor victims, had rented motel rooms for them to engage in commercial sex, and had assisted them with advertising online for commercial sex dates. Davis also took proceeds from the minors’ commercial sex dates for his own use, including to purchase drugs and to rent expensive cars. Davis also had sex with the minors and had recorded himself having sex with one of the minors on a cellular phone. “The sexual abuse and trafficking of children is a scourge on our community that leaves an indelible mark on victims,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “The video recording of that abuse only perpetuates the abuse. This defendant committed these heinous acts while on bond in a federal drug case. The lengthy sentence imposed today will protect the public from this defendant and help keep our community safe for children.” “This defendant callously sold minors to other men for his own financial benefit,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Combating sex trafficking and violence in our communities is of the highest priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners across Southeast Michigan.” This case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Division, SEMTEC (Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes), the Detroit Police Department and State of Michigan Children’s Protective Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan Sweeney Bean and Eaton Brown.


title: Former Detroit Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Returns

body_text: DETROIT - A former Detroit tax return preparer has pleaded guilty to committing tax fraud over a four-year span, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Ann Reid, 68, pleaded guilty to preparing and filing tax returns which Reid knew contained false misrepresentations about small businesses for a series of years. In each instance, the false information caused the IRS to provide miscalculated and sizably larger tax refunds. United States Attorney Ison stated, “Tax cheaters don’t just cheat the system, they cheat us all. When those tax cheats are fraudulent tax preparers, like Ann Reid, who cheat on scores of tax returns year after year, the impact of their cheating is multiplied, and the damage they cause is many times worse. Convictions like today’s are a key step toward holding such tax cheats accountable.” “Today, Ms. Reid admitted to owning a tax preparation business that blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false and fraudulent tax returns,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “Dishonest return preparers use a variety of methods to cheat the government, including falsifying information on tax returns to generate larger refunds for their clients. IRS – Criminal Investigation will continue to ensure that all tax practitioners, tax preparers and others who practice in the tax profession adhere to professional standards and follow the law.” According to the plea agreement, between January 2016 and April 2019, Reid prepared and filed hundreds of tax returns with false information on behalf of taxpayers. The tax returns falsely represented that the taxpayers operated small businesses and included deductions for false expenses and inflated charitable contributions. Reid now faces possible sentences of up to 3-years’ imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, and 1 year of supervised release on each of the five counts to which she has pleaded guilty. Sentencing is set for October 17, 2023 before United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carl D. Gilmer-Hill. The investigation is being conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation.


title: U.S. Attorney Thompson Announces Human Trafficking Training Initiative for Educators and Social Workers

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson joined with West Virginia education and human services leaders and federal law enforcement partners today to announce new training tools to help better identify and report human trafficking and rescue child victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office partnered with the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice to develop training videos specifically for teachers and child protective services workers. The training focuses on the risk factors and vulnerabilities of human trafficking, identifies red flags for human trafficking, and provides ways to respond to suspected human trafficking. “One thing has really stood out to me when I’ve talked to the victims in the cases we’ve prosecuted: they all say, ‘I wish somebody had realized this sooner,’” Thompson said. “That person who realizes something sooner could be a teacher, it could be a CPS worker, it could be a Little League coach. It could be someone in the community who recognizes it and makes the report.” Thompson cited grim national statistics that have helped prompt this approach. More than 80 percent of trafficking victims under the age of 10 are trafficked by a family member. More than half of minor victims of human trafficking attend school while being trafficked. Two-thirds of human trafficking victims have been involved in the juvenile justice or foster care system. “The overall goal is to call attention to human trafficking and share ways we can address it in West Virginia,” Thompson said. “This training will help these professionals as well as anyone in the community recognize human trafficking and know what to do when they recognize it. Some of this, they already know. Some of this is common sense. But if we can save one child from this, if we can get one victim out, it’s worth it and I hope we do a lot more than that.” Thompson thanked the additional partners supporting this training initiative, who include the West Virginia Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the West Virginia Fusion Center. The videos are available through the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice and its Handle With Care program ( http://www.handlewithcarewv.org ). Training video for schools: https://vimeo.com/845303381 Training video for CPS: https://vimeo.com/845301913 A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Michigan Insurance Salesman Sentenced to Prison for Tax and Bankruptcy Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Michigan man was sentenced to 36 months in prison today following his conviction in February of filing false tax returns, making false statements to a bankruptcy court and making false statements to the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Donald Stanley LaVigne, formerly of Lake Orion, Michigan, did not report insurance commissions and other income on tax returns he filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for 2013 through 2019. In letters he sent to the IRS, LaVigne also falsely claimed that these commissions were not income to him. When LaVigne filed for bankruptcy in 2018, he did not disclose the IRS as a creditor on the schedules attached to his bankruptcy petition even though he knew he owed the IRS five years’ worth of taxes. On one document he filed in the bankruptcy case, LaVigne also understated his income for 2016 and 2017. After he was notified that he was the target of a federal investigation, LaVigne sent a letter to the Tax Division in which he falsely claimed that his bankruptcy attorney had reviewed his 2017 income tax return and advised him that it was “correct and complete.” In fact, his bankruptcy attorney testified at trial that he had never advised LaVigne that his 2017 income tax return was accurate. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson also ordered LaVigne to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $80,732.11. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Catriona M. Coppler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Statutory Max for Illegally Possessing Guns in Project Safe Neighborhoods Case

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

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Phenix City, Alabama, man with an extensive criminal history was sentenced to serve ten years in prison—the statutory maximum prison sentence allowed under federal law—for illegally possessing two pistols he tossed into the backyard of a home while attempting to escape arrest. Raymond Richmond, 37, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land today after he pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 19. There is no parole in the federal system. “Repeat criminal offenders are facing federal prosecution when they are caught with guns in Columbus,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “It’s going to take many different approaches to effectively reduce violent crime; holding violent repeat offenders accountable for illegally possessing firearms is just one part of the overall strategy. We are thankful for the continued collaboration between law enforcement and community partners working to make Columbus safer.” “Taking illegal guns off the streets is critical in keeping communities safe. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of crimes,” said GBI Director Mike Register. “This case is another reminder that ATF remains on the frontline of preventing violent crimes along with our law enforcement partners,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “We will not allow residents to suffer criminal behavior which threatens the safety of innocent civilians and law enforcement officers.” “The message must be resoundingly clear for convicted felons in possession of firearms in Muscogee County: We will not accept this behavior at any level,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “They must know that we will pursue them and seek to fully prosecute their crimes. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office stands committed to staying the course to fight for safer neighborhoods.” According to court documents, on Dec. 15, 2020, a deputy with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), was in routine patrol in Columbus and observed a car without a brake light and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle continued at a low rate of speed for several blocks but failed to stop. Near the intersection of 17th Street and Preston Drive—a residential section of the city—the vehicle slowed down and Richmond exited the front passenger seat with a black book bag and took off running. A brief foot chase ensued, during which Richmond tossed his book bag in the backyard of a residence. Richmond was apprehended in the yard and the bookbag was located next to him in the shrubs. Inside, deputies found a .40 caliber Glock pistol with 26 rounds of ammunition, a .380 Kel-Tec pistol with five rounds of ammunition, along with crack, cocaine, pills and marijuana. At the time of this incident, Richmond was wanted on several outstanding warrants. He has several prior felony convictions in Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court, including obstruction of a law enforcement officer, interference with government property and theft by taking. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was investigated by the Muscogee Co. Sheriff’s Office, GBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case for the government.


title: Hialeah Man Sentenced for Committing Armed Bank Robbery

body_text: MIAMI – Today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Ariel Valero, a 45-year-old Hialeah man, to over 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. On December 26, 2019, Valero entered a Wells Fargo bank, located in Miramar, Broward County, Florida, covered head-to-toe in a black jumpsuit and ski mask. Upon entering the bank, Valero brandished a black firearm, jumped onto the teller counter, threatened the tellers, and stole $30,959.99 in cash. Surveillance footage captured Valero leaving the scene of the robbery on a bicycle, pedaling for a couple of blocks, and then dumping the bicycle in the nearby plaza. A forensic examination of the bicycle seat revealed the presence of Valero’s DNA. The jury convicted Valero of the armed bank robbery. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence. FBI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the Miramar Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Catherine Koontz and Ajay Alexander prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-60020. ###


title: Former central Ohio man pleads guilty to fraud in applications for $1.1 million in COVID relief loans

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio -- James P. Dawson, 40, of Orlando, Florida pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making a false statement within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States related to five coronavirus relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans and four Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). According to court documents, beginning in April 2020 and continuing until October 2020, Dawson, while living in central Ohio, submitted five fraudulent applications to obtain PPP loans, two of which were approved and funded. He also submitted four fraudulent applications to obtain EIDLs. None of the EIDLs were funded, but he received three EIDL Advances. Dawson’s applications collectively sought over $1.1 million in fraudulent loans and the lenders disbursed over $200,000 as a result of his fraudulent loan applications. The fraudulent PPP applications made several materially false representations regarding the operations of the businesses, including monthly payroll expenses and number of employees. The PPP applications also falsely represented that the businesses were in operation on February 15, 2020. For example, Stadium Bar LLC was a business that ultimately opened as a sports bar. Despite Dawson's certification that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, the certificate of occupancy for the bar's location was not signed until March 20, 2020, the bar did not have a liquor license until May 26, 2020, and Dawson admitted in a law enforcement interview that it did not open until June 20, 2020. Created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Paycheck Protection Program authorized qualifying small businesses to receive forgivable loans to help pay payroll costs, rent utilities, interest on mortgages, and other permissible expenses. The size of the PPP loan a particular business could receive was based in part on its average monthly payroll costs. PPP loans were entirely forgivable if the funds were used for specified expenses. In order to obtain a PPP loan, a business was required to submit a loan application to an approved lender. The loan application was required to be signed by an authorized representative of the business and to contain certain information, such as average monthly payroll expenses and number of employees. Applicants were also required to provide supporting documentation, such as federal tax returns and other financial documentation. Any PPP loans that were funded by lenders were fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The CARES Act also expanded the EIDL Program, which authorized qualifying small businesses to receive loans to help pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The SBA also offered an EIDL Advance that was designed to provide emergency economic relief to businesses that were experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The EIDL Advance was considered a grant and was not required to be repaid. The maximum advance amount was $10,000. Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000. Making a false statement within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States carries a maximum penalty of 5 years of imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $250,000. Dawson will be sentenced on a date to be determined after the court completes a pre-sentence investigation. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Brady Ipock, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Central Regional Office, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States. # # #


title: Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Manitowoc, Wisconsin man has pleaded guilty to producing a video depicting his sexual abuse of a minor in Minnesota, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on or about June 7, 2019, Jason Lee, 28, used and coerced a prepubescent minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Lee pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank to one count of attempted production and production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Saint Paul Police Department, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.


title: Poplar Bluff Felon Caught with Two Guns Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon from Poplar Bluff, Missouri who was caught with two guns to 40 months in prison. Judge Limbaugh ordered the prison sentence for Tina Marie Litvinchyk, 31, to run consecutive to a 10-year prison sentence she is serving for two drug charges in Butler County Circuit Court. Litvinchyk pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. She admitted that on June 8, 2022, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force officers found two .380-caliber pistols in a locked safe, as well as two bags of marijuana and a digital scale. One of the pistols had been stolen less than three weeks earlier in Carter County, Missouri. Litvinchyk has three prior felony drug convictions and is barred from possession of a firearm. She was on parole at the time of her arrest. The case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Butler County Sheriff’s Department and the Poplar Bluff Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.


title: Martinsburg man admits to falsifying passport to flee the United States

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg, West Virginia, man has admitted to illegally obtaining a passport to travel overseas, violating a court order. Bobby Allen Stark, age 52, pled guilty today to a charge of making a false statement in application for a passport. Stark was on bond from a charge pending in Colorado and was ordered to surrender his passport. Four days following the surrender of his passport, he applied for a new one, claiming his passport was lost. Stark then used his new passport to flee to Guyana, where he was later apprehended by authorities. Stark is facing up to 10 years in prison. He will be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The U.S. Marshals Service and the Guyana Federal Police assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal  Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LEONEL GONZALEZ , age 40, a resident of Houston, Texas, pled guilty on July 12, 2023 to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of a a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on five occasions between May 25, 2020, and July 2, 2020, GONZALEZ distributed kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to a methamphetamine dealer who then redistributed the drugs in the Eastern District of Louisiana. For the conspiracy count, GONZALEZ faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Man Who Robbed Armored Car in St. Louis County Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who stole a bag of cash at gunpoint from workers servicing an ATM in St. Louis County, Missouri to 121 months in prison. Mark Anthony Diggs, now 21, robbed two employees of ATM Solutions on May 31, 2022 as they were servicing an ATM machine at a Vantage Credit Union. Diggs emerged from the back seat of a white Kia Optima, armed with a fully-automatic Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm and demanded that an employee throw him a bag of cash. The robbery was captured on video. Diggs, 21, pleaded guilty in April to one robbery charge and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Diggs’ driver, Gregreonia Hampton, pleaded guilty in May to one count of aiding and abetting a robbery. She is scheduled to be sentenced August 23. The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.


title: Cincinnati man pleads guilty to illegally accessing email, social media accounts of hundreds of women to obtain sexually explicit photos

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to accessing the email and social media accounts of hundreds of women to search for sexually explicit photos of them. Dwayne Curry, 34, admitted he identified women through the internet, television and in person and then intentionally sought to access their email and Snapchat accounts. Curry used cryptocurrency to purchase passwords through various dark websites that sell stolen user account information. The defendant then accessed the women’s Snapchat accounts to view and save their private photos. In total, Curry unlawfully accessed at least 48 women’s Snapchat accounts and more than 300 email accounts. Some of the identified victims included a woman he met in person in Cincinnati, and two women he saw on television. The women resided in Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Curry was charged by bill of information in May 2023. Unauthorized access of a computer is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by FBI Knoxville and Cincinnati, the Knoxville (TN) Cyber Task Force and the University of Tennessee Police Department. # # #


title: Businessman Sentenced for $3.5M Foreign Conduit Contribution Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A businessman with dual citizenship in Lebanon and the United States was sentenced today to an additional year and eight months in prison for his role in funneling at least $3.5 million in unlawful contributions from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to unwitting political committees in the United States. According to court documents, George A. Nader, 64, served as an advisor to senior UAE government officials during the relevant period. Nader conspired with co-defendant Ahmad “Andy” Khawaja to transfer $4.9 million to facilitate unlawful contributions to unwitting political committees in order to gain access to and influence with a then-candidate for President of the United States and others in connection with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Nader’s company in the UAE transferred the funds to Khawaja’s company in the United States under the guise of a legitimate business transaction. Specifically, Nader and Khawaja entered into a false licensing agreement on behalf of their respective companies to disguise the multimillion-dollar transfer of funds as a legitimate commercial transaction involving the transfer of software from Khawaja’s company to Nader’s company. Nader and Khawaja further concealed the scheme by surreptitiously communicating through an encrypted messaging system with coded language about the transfer of funds and their hosting of and attendance at fundraising and campaign-related events. Nader used the same encrypted messaging system to inform UAE government officials about his political activities in the United States. For example, on or about June 7, 2016, Nader reported to a senior UAE government official via encrypted messaging system that he “Had a terrific meeting with my Big Sister H[.] You will be most delighted!”; on or about June 29, 2016, Nader reported to the same UAE official: “Meeting with Big Lady went extremely well.”; and on or about July 27, 2016, Nader followed up with the same official: “I am catching up with key figures in both camps and have been developing a steady, consistent and constructive relationship with both camps!” In total, Nader and Khawaja used at least $3.5 million of the UAE funds to make unlawful contributions to unsuspecting political committees in the United States, causing the political committees to submit materially false statements and reports to the Federal Election Commission unwittingly. Following the 2016 election, Khawaja, through his company, made a $1 million contribution to the unwitting inaugural committee of the U.S. President-Elect. In connection with this contribution, Khawaja obtained tickets to the U.S. Presidential inauguration in January 2017, and Khawaja used the tickets to attend the inauguration with Nader as his guest. In December 2019, Khawaja was indicted for his role in the scheme. Nader is currently serving a five-year prison term on unrelated charges in the Eastern District of Virginia and will begin serving the sentence he received today at the conclusion of the five-year term. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) prosecuted the case. Michelle K. Parikh, Tanya D. Senanayake, Michael J. Romano, and James C. Mann were previously assigned to the case as PIN Trial Attorneys and made substantial contributions. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bridgeport Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KINSTON CUTHBERTSON, 31, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a fentanyl trafficking offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2022, a court-authorized search of Cuthbertson’s residence on Waldorf Avenue in Bridgeport revealed approximately 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl; approximately 380 grams of cocaine; a quantity of crack cocaine; items used to process and package narcotics, including a kilogram press; a money counter; and $10,702 in cash. Cuthbertson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on October 6. Cuthbertson has been detained since his arrest on May 27, 2022. This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force Southwest and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force, and the Bridgeport Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins.


title: Former Contractor for Michigan Unemployment Insurance  Agency Was Sentenced Today In COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

body_text: DETROIT - Semaje Reffigee, a former employee of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (MUIA), was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment today arising from her participation in a $313,000 pandemic-related unemployment insurance fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. Reffigee, 26, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud arising out of her participation in a wide-ranging fraud scheme designed to provide Reffigee and her co-conspirators with pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits to which they were not entitled. United States Attorney Ison stated, “Corrupt public servants compromise the ability of the government to function effectively and undermine confidence in all public programs. Semaje Reffigee – an employee of the state – stole money from a program intended to help our most vulnerable citizens during an unprecedented national crisis. This prosecution reflects the seriousness with which my office takes corruption and fraud in the public sector, and we hope that today’s sentence deters other government employees from lining their pockets at the expense of the public.” “Former Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency contract employee Semaje Reffigee violated the public trust afforded to her for personal gain. She abused her position by using her access to sensitive employment information and state data systems to approve fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims submitted by her co-conspirators. Today’s sentencing affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to pursuing UI fraud, particularly when an insider threat is involved,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “It’s shocking and discouraging when someone hired by the UIA uses the cover of a global economic crisis to scheme with others to steal taxpayer money for their own gratification,” said Julia Dale, Director of the Michigan UIA. “Michigan’s unemployment program is an important lifeline for workers who lose their jobs and despicable actions by bad actors such as Semaje Reffigee damage the trust workers have in the system. Reffigee is one of nearly 50 criminals so far who have been convicted of unemployment insurance fraud, and she won’t be the last. We won’t tolerate such shameful behavior and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters, both within and outside of the UIA, and strengthen the program’s integrity.” “Semaje Reffigee blatantly stole taxpayer money meant to help individuals meet day to day living needs during unprecedented adverse circumstances,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “The outcome today is due to the dedicated efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners.” According to court documents, Reffigee began working as an Unemployment Insurance Examiner (UIE) with the MUIA in October 2020, and as such, had electronic access to the MUIA claims database. Reffigee used her credentials to access and approve specific UI claims submitted to the agency. Court documents indicate that between October 2020 and June 2021, Reffigee conspired with others to obtain benefits through the submission of false UI claims. Reffigee’s co-conspirators electronically submitted fraudulent claims to MUIA. Reffigee then abused her position as a UIE to (1) re-activate claims that had previously been flagged for fraud, and (2) go outside her assigned workflow to approve fraudulent claims in the first instance. In total, Reffigee re-activated or approved over 35 fraudulent claims valued at more than $300,000. In exchange, Reffigee received kickback payments from her co-conspirators. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Particka and Sarah Youngblood. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General and the IRS, with substantial assistance from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.


title: Ashland Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – An Ashland, Mo., man has been charged in federal court with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Scott Alan Barker, 31, was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., on July 17, 2023. Barker remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday, July 20. Copies of the complaint and supporting affidavit are attached. The charge contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Derry Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution and Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Derry, Pennsylvania was sentenced in federal court to a total term of 240 months’ imprisonment (20 years) on his conviction for four counts of production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor; one count of distribution and attempted distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor; and one count of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Michael Wilson, age 44. Judge Ranjan also ordered a period of 15 years’ supervised release following Wilson’s incarceration sentence and ordered that Wilson pay restitution totaling $6,000. Judge Ranjan further ordered Wilson to pay a $600 criminal monetary penalty pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. According to information presented to the court, on multiple occasions during 2019 through May 15, 2021, Wilson surreptitiously recorded five different minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a video recording device that he was able to access from his cellular telephone. Further, the court was advised that from September, 2019 to October, 2019, Wilson communicated with another individual through online chat applications about the sexual abuse of minors and distributed to this other individual some of the images that he had secretly recorded of one minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wilson also possessed several other images of child sexual abuse material, including one image of a prepubescent minor. Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations – Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Derry Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Wilson. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Justice Department Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Laboratory Companies and Their Owner

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department has filed a complaint against Patrick Britton-Harr and multiple laboratory companies owned by him alleging False Claims Act violations for submitting claims to Medicare for laboratory tests that were not ordered by health care providers, not medically necessary, and sometimes never performed. According to the complaint, Britton-Harr owned and operated Provista Health LLC as well as multiple other corporate entities that allegedly sought to profit from the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic by offering COVID-19 tests to nursing homes as a way to bill Medicare for a wide array of medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests. The complaint alleges that these RPP tests were not medically necessary because the beneficiaries had no symptoms of a respiratory illness and because the tests were for uncommon respiratory pathogens. The complaint also alleges that Britton-Harr and Provista Health submitted claims for RPP tests that were never ordered by physicians. Multiple physicians denied ever ordering the thousands of RPP tests for which Britton-Harr and Provista Health allegedly submitted claims to Medicare listing one of these physicians as the ordering provider. The complaint further alleges that Britton-Harr and Provista Health submitted claims to Medicare for RPP tests that were never performed, including over 300 claims that stated that the nasal swab test sample was supposedly collected from the beneficiary on a date after the beneficiary had died. As alleged in the complaint, Britton-Harr wholly owned and operated Provista Health, AMS Onsite Inc., Britton-Harr Enterprises Inc., Coastal Laboratories Inc. and Coastal Management Group Inc., and these companies – together with Britton-Harr – conspired to carry out these schemes. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable individuals and entities who exploited the COVID-19 pandemic for their own illicit purposes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to protect our federal health care programs, their beneficiaries, and taxpayers from fraud and abuse.” “The complaint alleges that these individuals and their companies took advantage of a national health crisis to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Our office has and will continue to bring to justice those who used the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud individuals or the government.” “Providers who saw the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity for illegal profit undermine the goals and integrity of critical public health measures,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to defraud these crucial public health measures and steal money from federal health care programs.” “Patrick Britton-Harr and his co-conspirators took advantage of vulnerable adults during the public health emergency,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who try to exploit the American people and swindle funds for their own profit.” The United States’ pursuit of this lawsuit illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477). This matter is being handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Investigative support is being provided by HHS-OIG and the FBI. The allegations in the complaint were identified by a government investigation that arose from a proactive analysis of Medicare claims data. The Civil Division's Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Jonathan Hoerner and Vincent Vaccarella and Assistant U.S. Attorney/Deputy Civil Chief Tarra DeShields for the District of Maryland are handling this case. The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Complaint


title: Final Aryan Circle Gang Member Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy

body_text: A Missouri man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) charges stemming from his membership in the Aryan Circle (AC), a white supremacy prison gang. According to court documents, Timothy Long, aka Timmy, of Mountain Grove, was a member of the AC, a violent, race-based, and prison-based gang with hundreds of members operating inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout the country. The AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through threats, intimidation, and acts of violence including murder, kidnapping, and narcotics trafficking. Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question. “This is the final sentencing in a multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency effort to dismantle the Aryan Circle, which terrorized local communities and perpetuated a cycle of gang violence in federal prisons for far too long,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case represents the Justice Department’s continued dedication to working with our partners across the country to pursue and eradicate criminal enterprises like the AC.” In 2018, as part of his membership in the AC, Long stabbed two separate victims while all were housed at U.S. Penitentiary (USP) Lee, a federal prison in Lee County, Virginia. Long stabbed each victim at the direction of AC leadership as retaliation for an attack on a higher-ranking member of the AC by a rival white supremacist gang. “Violent gangs like the Aryan Circle present a growing threat to our communities in the Eastern District of Texas and the type of violence associated with these organizations is alarming,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “The Eastern District of Texas will continue to investigate and prosecute those who do harm to others. And we’ll specifically target the leaders of these violent gangs.” In 2022, two of Long’s co-defendants, AC leaders William Glenn Chunn and Jesse Blankenship, were both sentenced to life in prison for RICO conspiracy and related racketeering charges. The case was investigated by the following agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct One Constable’s Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith (AR) Police Department; Arkansas Department of Corrections; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Smith County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; McCurtain County (OK) Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Liberty County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Harris County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Mercer County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) District Attorney’s Office; and the Sebastian County (AR) District Attorney’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). Trial Attorney Rebecca Dunnan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp for the Eastern District of Texas prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Theft of a Firearm from Main Street Pawn in Lincoln Leads to 2+ Year Prison Sentence for Bangor Man

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced in federal court today for theft of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jonathan Birtz , 40, to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, in July 2021, Birtz stole a .380 caliber pistol from Main Street Pawn in Lincoln. Security footage showed Birtz reaching over the counter to take the pistol and then concealing it in a folded blanket he was carrying. The Lincoln Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. ###


title: Former Delmont Resident Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Delmont, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 63 months on his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Joshua K. Minehart, 47, formerly of Delmont, Pa. According to information presented to the court, Minehart had knowingly possessed 40 videos of child pornography, some which involved children who had not attained the age of 12. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Vasquez-Schmitt and DeMarr W. Moulton prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Minehart. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Mercer County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Heroin Trafficking, Unlawful Possession of Firearms, and Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Heroin Trafficking

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 300 months in prison for heroin trafficking and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Timothy Wimbush, aka “Young Money,” 33, was convicted in October 2021 of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, distribution of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of his heroin distribution, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon following a three-week trial before former Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson. Following Judge Wolfson’s retirement, the case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in the case and the evidence at trial: In 2018, defendant Wimbush and others participated in a large drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in various areas of Trenton, which sought to profit from the distribution of heroin. On Sept. 6, 2018, law enforcement officers stopped Wimbush’s green 2002 Volkswagen Passat after observing Wimbush’s co-defendant, Taquan Williams, a previously convicted felon, enter the vehicle carrying a yellow plastic bag believed to contain contraband. The Passat was driven by and registered to Wimbush, who also was a previously convicted felon. During a subsequent search of Wimbush’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered from a secret trap compartment installed under the rear passenger’s seat 57 bricks of heroin, four semiautomatic firearms – including a .223 caliber assault rifle linked to a shooting in Trenton four days earlier – hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and the yellow plastic bag that Williams had carried into the vehicle moments earlier. Law enforcement discovered in the yellow bag two boxes of .45 caliber ammunition and three .45 caliber firearm magazines, which matched one of the semiautomatic firearms also found in the trap compartment. One of the firearms concealed in Wimbush’s secret trap compartment was used in connection with a violent and reckless shooting in the City of Trenton. On Sept. 2, 2018, four of Wimbush’s associates, including one of his co-defendants, one of his relatives, and one of co-defendant Williams’s relatives, were shot in a drive-by shooting in the area of Stuyvesant and Bryn Mawr Avenues in Trenton. Evidence also showed that a likely retaliatory shooting in the area of Lee and West State Street occurred shortly thereafter the same day. Ballistics analysis of a shell casing recovered from the site of the Lee and West State Street shooting conclusively linked the .223 caliber assault rifle Wimbush possessed in the trap compartment of his vehicle on September 6 with the Lee and West State Street shooting on September 2. Telephone communications intercepted during the court-authorized wiretap between Wimbush’s conspirators linked Wimbush and his associates to back-and-forth shootings on and after September 2 and to heroin trafficking activity in the City of Trenton. Law enforcement identified the heroin in the trap compartment of Wimbush’s vehicle as having been supplied by Wimbush’s conspirators, including Jakir Taylor and Tacques Hall. Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and firearms charges and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson earlier this year. Hall pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson in 2019. Wimbush’s codefendant Taquan Williams was convicted at trial of possessing firearms or ammunition as a convicted felon and was sentenced by Judge Wolfson in 2022. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Denney in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Steve Wilson; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jonathan Bucchere; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief Albert Rhodes; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department, under the direction of chief John Fine; and detectives of the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo Onofri; officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler; and members of the New Jersey State Board of Parole for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .