title: El Departamento de Justicia celebra acuerdos con diez empleadores por publicar anuncios discriminatorios de trabajo en una plataforma de reclutamiento en una universidad

body_text: El Departamento ha conseguido más de $1.6 millones por concepto de sanciones civiles durante el último año WASHINGTON – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a otros diez acuerdos con compañías que usaron una plataforma de reclutamiento de una universidad para publicar anuncios de trabajo que, de manera ilícita, excluyeron a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. Estos acuerdos son una adición a los acuerdos recientes del Departamento con otras 20 compañías que resuelven acusaciones similares, 16 de los que se remontan a junio del 2022 y otros cuatro a septiembre del 2022 , lo que lleva a una sanción civil total para los 30 empleadores de más de $1.6 millones. «EL Departamento de Justicia ya ha hecho a 30 compañías rendir cuentas tras usar una plataforma universitaria de reclutamiento para publicar anuncios de trabajo discriminatorios que excluyeron a estudiantes no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. de oportunidades laborales», afirmó la Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke, de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Estos acuerdos deben dejar claro nuestro compromiso a hacer cumplir las leyes de derechos civiles, con el fin de garantizar que todo postulante tenga la igualdad de oportunidades para competir para trabajos». La intervención del Departamento en estos asuntos comenzó después de que un estudiante de Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), que para aquel entonces era residente permanente legal, presentó una denuncia de discriminación ante la División de Derechos Civiles. El estudiante alegó que el anuncio de un banco en una plataforma de reclutamiento laboral de Gerogia Tech restringió la oportunidad para prácticas laborales que había publicado solamente a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. La investigación del Departamento halló toda una serie de anuncios discriminatorios en la plataforma de reclutamiento laboral de Georgia Tech, así como en otras plataformas operadas por universidades por todo Estados Unidos. El Departamento encontró que cada uno de los diez empleadores con los que ha llegado a un acuerdo publicaron al menos un anuncio de trabajo que excluyó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en una plataforma de reclutamiento laboral operada por Georgia Tech. El Departamento determinó que los anuncios desalentaban a estudiantes cualificados de solicitar un trabajo debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, y en muchos casos las restricciones relacionadas con el estatus de ciudadanía también impedían que los estudiantes solicitaran un puesto e incluso obstaculizaron la posibilidad de reunirse con reclutadores de la empresa. Al igual que los 20 que les precedieron, estos nuevos acuerdos requieren que cada compañía pague una sanción civil. El monto total de la sanción de cada empleador se basa en el número de anuncios discriminatorios que publicó. Empleador Monto de la sanción 1. Asurion LLC $13,395 2. Black & Veatch Corporation $8,930 3. Deluxe Corporation $183,065 4. Freese & Nichols Inc. $4,465 5. Grey Orange Inc. $13,395 6. Honeywell International Inc. $191,995 7. Procter & Gamble $8,930 8. Georgia Tech Research Institute $31,255 9. Stryker Employment Company LLC $4,465 10. Wiley Bros. $4,465 TOTAL $ 464,360 Además de pagar las sanciones civiles, el personal de reclutamiento de los empleadores deberá participar en una capacitación sobre la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) y abstenerse de incluir designaciones específicas de estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía en sus anuncios de trabajos en las universidades a menos que tales restricciones sean requeridas por ley. Por lo general, la INA prohíbe que los empleadores y reclutadores restrinjan puestos de trabajo con base en la ciudadanía o el estatus migratorio a menos que así lo requiera una ley, un reglamento, una orden ejecutiva o un contrato gubernamental. Los ciudadanos estadounidenses, nacionales de los EE. UU., refugiados, asilados y residentes permanentes legales están protegidos bajo la INA de discriminación por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía en los procesos de contratación, despido y reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas ; y represalias e intimidación . Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. El sitio web de la IER tiene información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía en la contratación y el reclutamiento . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español . Inscríbase para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER por correo electrónico. Attachment(s) : Download Asurion Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Black & Veatch Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Deluxe Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Freese & Nichols Settlement Agreement.pdf Download GTRI Settlement Agreement.pdf Download GreyOrange Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Honeywell Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Procter & Gamble Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Stryker Settlement Agreement.pdf Download Wiley Bros. Settlement Agreement.pdf


title: South Carolina Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Columbia, South Carolina, return preparer and regional manager of multiple tax preparation business locations pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns. According to court documents and statements made in court, Georgina Gonzalez, formerly of Miami, Florida, worked as a tax return preparer since at least 2013. For the 2016 and 2017 tax filing seasons, Gonzalez temporarily relocated from Florida to South Carolina to prepare tax returns and manage multiple locations of a tax preparation business located in Columbia, South Carolina. At these offices, Gonzalez conspired with others to inflate client refunds by preparing returns that falsely claimed, among other things, business losses, household help income, and American Opportunity and education tax credits. Gonzalez and her co-conspirators charged clients up to $999 for preparing each return. In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $420,000. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Ashley Stein, Francesca Bartolomey, and Jessica Kraft of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday of the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.


title: Village Home Care, CEO, and Two Doctors Pay $490,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for Paying and Receiving Kickbacks

component: Civil Division

body_text: Village Home Care LLC (VHC), located in Ocala, Florida, has agreed to pay $225,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying kickbacks to two physicians in the form of sham medical director or sublease agreements in exchange for patient referrals. Joy Rodak (Rodak), VHC’s CEO and majority owner, has agreed separately to pay $105,000. Both settlements are based on financial ability to pay. In addition, the United States has reached agreements with Dr. Vishnu Reddy and Dr. Kuchakulla Reddy to pay $100,000 and $61,943.44, respectively, to resolve allegations that each accepted kickbacks from VHC in exchange for patient referrals. On Jan. 15, 2021, the United States filed complaints in intervention in two whistleblower lawsuits brought under the FCA against VHC and Rodak alleging that they knowingly billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred to VHC by Dr. Vishnu Reddy from Nov. 15, 2012, through Nov. 14, 2014, while paying Dr. V. Reddy under sham medical director agreements. Although Dr. V. Reddy performed no services, VHC paid him $50,000 to induce him to refer patients to VHC. The United States further alleged that VHC and Rodak knowingly billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred to VHC by Dr. Kuchakulla Reddy from Dec. 1, 2012, through March 5, 2014, while paying Dr. K. Reddy, through his medical practice, under sham sublease agreements. Although VHC did not use the space, VHC paid Dr. K. Reddy $30,971.72 to induce him to refer patients to VHC. “Paying doctors to refer patients for services paid for by federal health care programs can distort medical decision-making and result in medically unnecessary care,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The settlements in this matter demonstrate our commitment to protecting the integrity of these programs and the taxpayer dollars that support them.” “Medicare funds should be used to provide care for our seniors, not to induce physicians to refer business,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This office will take action against individuals who make unlawful payment to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.” The civil settlements include the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Kasey Jacobs, James Hanes, Katherine Brooks, Karen Swain, and Barbara Mellot-Yezman, all former employees of VHC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Jacobs, et al. v. Village Home Care, LLC, et al. , No. 5:21-cv-00073-CEM-PRL (M.D. Fla.), and U.S. ex rel. Brooks, et al. v. Village Home Care, LLC, et al. , No. 5:21-cv-00072-CEM-PRL (M.D. Fla.). The relators’ share of the settlements has not yet been determined. The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni and Trial Attorney Breanna Peterson of the Civil Division's Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Keefe for the Middle District of Florida. The investigation and resolutions in this matter illustrate 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). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced To 12 Years in Prison for Receiving Military-Type Training From Hezbollah, Marriage Fraud and Making False Statements

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: The Justice Department today announced that Alexei Saab, aka Ali Hassan Saab, aka Alex Saab, aka Rachid, 46, was sentenced to 12 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for receiving military-type training from Hezbollah, marriage fraud, and making false statements. According to court documents, Saab was convicted by a jury in May 2022 after a two-week trial. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Paul G. Gardephe, who also presided over the trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social and terrorist components. Hezbollah was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and its mission includes establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state in Lebanon. Since Hezbollah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including U.S. citizens and military personnel. In 1997, the U.S. Department of State designated Hezbollah a Foreign Terrorist Organization, pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it remains so designated today. In 2001, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, the U.S. Department of Treasury designated Hezbollah a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity. In 2010, State Department officials described Hezbollah as the most technically capable terrorist group in the world and a continued security threat to the United States. The Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), which is also known as the External Security Organization and “910,” is a component of Hezbollah responsible for the planning and coordination of intelligence, counterintelligence, and terrorist activities on behalf of Hezbollah outside of Lebanon. In July 2012, an IJO operative detonated explosives on a bus transporting Israeli tourists in the vicinity of an airport in Burgas, Bulgaria. The detonation killed six people and injured 32 others. Law enforcement authorities have disrupted several other IJO attack-planning operations around the world, including the arrest of an IJO operative surveilling Israeli targets in Cyprus in 2012, the seizure of bomb-making precursor chemicals in Thailand in 2012, and a seizure of similar chemicals in May 2015 in connection with the arrest of another IJO operative. In June 2017, two IJO operatives were arrested in the U.S and charged with terrorism-related offenses in the Southern District of New York. In May 2019, a jury convicted one of those two IJO operatives on all counts, and in December 2019, he was sentenced principally to 40 years in prison. Saab joined Hezbollah in 1996. Saab’s first Hezbollah operations occurred in Lebanon, where he was tasked with observing and reporting on the movements of Israeli and Southern Lebanese Army soldiers in Yaroun, Lebanon. Among other things, Saab reported on patrol schedules and formations, procedures at security checkpoints, and the vehicles used by soldiers. Saab also, alongside his brother, planted an improvised explosive device that detonated and hit Israeli soldiers, seriously injuring at least one. In approximately 1999, Saab attended his first Hezbollah training. The training was focused on the use of firearms, and Saab handled and fired an AK-47, an M16 rifle, and a pistol, and threw grenades. In 2000, Saab transitioned to membership in Hezbollah’s unit responsible for external operations, the IJO, and he then received extensive training in IJO tradecraft, weapons, and military tactics, including how to construct and detonate bombs and other explosive devices and how to best use these devices in attacks. Specifically, Saab received detailed instruction in, among other things, triggering mechanisms, explosive substances, detonators, and the assembly of circuits. In pre-arrest interviews with the FBI, Saab was able to diagram multiple improvised explosive devices that would have been viable if constructed as diagrammed. In 2000, Saab entered the United States. While living in the United States, Saab remained an IJO operative, continued to receive military training in Lebanon, and conducted numerous operations for the IJO. For example, Saab surveilled dozens of locations in New York City — including the United Nations headquarters, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and local airports, tunnels, and bridges — and provided detailed information on these locations, including photographs, to the IJO. In particular, Saab focused on the structural weaknesses of locations he surveilled in order to determine how a future attack could cause the most destruction. Saab’s reporting to the IJO included the materials used to construct a particular target, how close in proximity one could get to a target, and site weaknesses or “soft spots” that the IJO could exploit if it attacked a target in the future. Saab conducted similar intelligence gathering in a variety of large American cities, including Boston and Washington, D.C., Saab admitted that his surveillance was designed to best position the IJO to attack the U.S. in the future. Saab also was tasked by Hezbollah with opening a front company that he could use to obtain fertilizer in the United States for use as an explosives precursor. In addition to his attack-planning activities in the United States, Saab conducted operations abroad. For example, in or about 2003, Saab attempted to murder a man he later understood to be a suspected Israeli spy. Saab pointed a firearm at the individual at close range and pulled the trigger twice, but the firearm did not fire. Saab also conducted surveillance in Istanbul, Turkey, and elsewhere. Finally, in or about 2012, Saab entered into a fraudulent marriage in exchange for $20,000. The purpose of the marriage was for Saab’s purported wife to apply for her citizenship. Saab later falsely affirmed, under penalty of perjury, and in connection with his purported wife’s efforts to obtain status in the U.S., that the marriage was not for any immigration-related purposes. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York, and Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division made the announcement. The FBI and its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Jason A. Richman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Jessica Fender and Alexandra Hughes of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: Grand Island Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Firearm Charges

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Christopher Lee Perez, 36, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 22, 2023, in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 13 years’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. After he completes his prison sentence, Perez will also serve 5 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On December 1, 2021, law enforcement served a search warrant on Perez’s truck in Grand Island. Inside the truck, they found a backpack with a gun cleaning kit, a bag of 79 grams of methamphetamine, ammunition, and baggies. Under the driver’s seat, officers found a Taurus Millennium G2 pistol with a magazine containing rounds of ammunition. The pistol was readily available to protect Perez and the methamphetamine. Officers also found a digital scale on the rear floorboard. This case was investigated by the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s Office Allocated Additional Prosecutors

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska has been allocated three additional federal prosecutors and two additional support staff by the United States Department of Justice. One of these full-time Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) and support staff will be dedicated to addressing public safety needs to combat violent crime in the state. “For decades, the United States Attorney’s Office in Nebraska has been a strong federal partner in promoting public safety across the state, including the prosecution of violent crime and government fraud,” Russell said. “With this significant investment of additional resources from the Department of Justice, we will be able to continue to effectively coordinate with state, local and tribal law enforcement to ensure that Nebraska is a safe place to work and live.” In addition to the “violent crime” prosecutor, the office will hire an additional AUSA charged with spearheading the office’s eLitigation program, enhancing the process of identifying, assessing, producing and presentation of discoverable information for all manner of criminal prosecutions and civil matters. A term AUSA will be charged with prosecuting COVID fraud, false statements, and money laundering related to the CARES Act passed by Congress in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and unemployment insurance (UI) programs committed during the pandemic. Finally, the Office has also been allocated two support staff positions to assist in Indian country prosecutions and e-litigation support. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska currently has 30 AUSAs working in its Criminal and Civil Divisions out of Omaha and Lincoln. The office is currently in the process of onboarding two criminal AUSAs to fill existing vacancies. When the additional prosecutors are in place, a process expected to take several months, the office will have a total of 34 AUSAs representing the United States serving the citizens of Nebraska.


title: Kennewick Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Drug Trafficking in the Tri Cities:

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – On May 22, 2023, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Jose Oliva, 37, to over 12 years in federal prison after his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Oliva also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from federal custody. According to information disclosed in court documents and during court proceedings, the DEA Tri-Cities Resident Office in collaboration with Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force identified Oliva as a supplier and part of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Tri-Cities, WA area. Oliva was brokering pound-level quantities of methamphetamine for the organization, which were routinely distributed in the Eastern District of Washington. In July of 2022, Oliva had agreed to meet a confidential source to deliver a pound of methamphetamine, as well as fentanyl-laced pills. After confirming Oliva’s presence at the arranged meeting location, agents moved in to make the arrest. Oliva immediately fled on foot while in possession of a loaded firearm and distribution quantities of fentanyl-laced pills, which he attempted to discard while in flight from law enforcement. Oliva did not escape and was placed under arrest thereafter. Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated “Removing dangerous narcotics from our community is critical to protecting our families and building stronger and safer neighborhoods. I am grateful for the joint efforts of state, local, and federal law enforcement to identify Mr. Oliva’s drug trafficking activities and to prevent him from further distributing this poison in our community. I also commend Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter for her leadership of federal drug prosecutions in the Tri-Cities that benefit the public safety of Eastern Washington.” “We are grateful for working with all of our partners in this investigation, our efforts removed an individual from our communities who distributed deadly narcotics and possessed a dangerous firearm,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will continue in any way we can to keep our communities safe and healthy.” This case was investigated by the DEA Tri-Cities Resident Office, the Tri-City METRO Drug Task Force, United States Border Patrol, Richland Police Department, Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, West Richland Police Department, and the Benton County Sherriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. 4:22-CR-06036-MKD


title: Florida Keys Lobster Company and President Sentenced in Federal Court for Exporting Falsely-Labeled Products

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Aifa Seafood, Inc., (Aifa), a Florida company operating in Florida City, and company president Jiu Fa Chen, 57, of Parkland, were sentenced today after pleading guilty earlier this year to exporting falsely-labeled spiny lobster from Florida to China. From May through August 2019, Aifa purchased seafood products for export to China. To meet the high demand for spiny lobster, Aifa imported lobster from Haiti for reexport to China. Aifa reexported approximately 5,900 pounds of lobster and falsely labeled the product in shipping documents as “Live Florida Spiny Lobsters, Product of U.S.A.” U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno imposed the following sentences. AIFA must pay a fine of $250,000, with $150,000 payable immediately and the balance by the end of this year. AIFA also must serve five years of probation, establish and implement a compliance plan, retain a compliance officer to be approved by the Court, and submit to a complete audit of its books and records by a court-approved third-party auditor. Chen must immediately pay a $100,000 fine and serve five years of probation, subject to the same terms as AIFA. Both fines are payable to the NOAA Lacey Act Fund. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Manny Antonaras of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Southeast Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and the Statewide Investigations Section of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, announced the sentences. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, HSI Key Largo, and FWC Division of Law Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald prosecuted the case. If you have any information regarding wildlife crimes, you may contact the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline: (800) 853-1964 and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453. Locally, environmental crimes, including wildlife violations and environmental justice matters may be reported to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 305-961-9001 or USFLS.Environmental@usdoj.gov . 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 22-cr-20479. ###


title: Owners of Freight Forwarding Company Sentenced to Prison for Exporting Stolen Outboard Engines to Mexico

body_text: MIAMI – Today, two Miami residents, Carlos Orlando Ledesma, 57, and Nadia Esperanza Ledesma, 46, were sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to export nearly 600 stolen outboard engines to Mexico through a Miami-based freight forwarding company. Carlos Ledesma was sentenced to 36 months in prison and Nadia Ledesma was sentenced to 18 months in prison. On May 19, co-defendants Roberto Marrero-Cisneros, 66, from Miami, and Osmani Valdivia Perez, 56, from Lehigh Acres, were each sentenced to 60 months incarceration for their roles in the conspiracy. The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. Judge Scola also ordered the defendants to forfeit the proceeds they each received from the scheme, and to pay $420,668.47 in restitution to the identifiable victims. Nadia Ledesma is the President of Netcycle Trading Corp., a freight forwarding company in Miami, and Carlos Ledesma is the warehouse manager. From 2015 to 2018, Carlos and Nadia Ledesma received almost 600 stolen outboard engines for export to Mexico. The replacement cost of the stolen engines was over $11 million. Dozens of individuals delivered the stolen engines to Netcycle. The engines had visible damage from the thefts, and cables and lines had been cut rather than properly detached. The individuals delivered the stolen engines in non-commercial vehicles without bills of sale or any other documentation for the engines. Marrero-Cisneros created false serial number stickers to place on most of the stolen outboard engines. Nadia and Carlos Ledesma, and their co-conspirators, created false bills of sale and submitted false export information to the United States. Many of the stolen engines were directed to Tomas Vale Valdivia, a co-conspirator who was then in Mexico. Later, on January 28, 2020, Vale Valdivia was sentenced to 57 months for alien smuggling, in a separate case before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Vale Valdivia is the nephew of defendant Osmani Valdivia Perez. Valdivia Perez made many cash payments to co-conspirators in this case, on behalf of Vale Valdivia. The cash payments included payments to Netcycle for the fees for exporting the stolen outboard engines, payments to Marrero-Cisneros for the false serial numbers, and payments to the individuals who stole the outboard engines. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Zinnia P. James, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, announced the sentences. HSI Miami and CGIS investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove 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 22-cr-20269. ###


title: Prisoner Caught Hiding Homemade Knives Pleads Guilty

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. – An Athens resident with a lengthy and violent criminal history entered guilty pleas in two separate cases recently, admitting he hid homemade knives while in prison on a federal firearms charge. Michael Anthony Randall, 32, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Case No. 3:22-cr-00023 and one count of possession of contraband while in jail in Case No. 3:22-cr-28 on May 16. Randall faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for illegally possessing a firearm and five years in prison and a $250,000 for possessing contraband. Randall was on supervised release at the time of the offense for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Case No. 3:18-cr30. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9. There is no parole in the federal system. “In fairly quick succession—including shortly before a federal hearing for his second offense for illegally possessing a firearm—Michael Randall was caught with a weapon, putting himself and others in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case illustrates the unceasing effort put forth by law enforcement to keep inmates and the community as a safe as possible from repeat and dangerous offenders.” “Michael Randall is the definition of a repeat offender,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep dangerous criminals like Randall off Georgia streets.” “These incidents illustrate the importance of our professional partnerships. The Butts County staff did an excellent job in supervising this inmate and identifying his illegal acts. USMS investigators presented a case to the U.S. Attorney which yielded a successful prosecution. We work hard to ensure the safety of those that we are charged with safeguarding,” said U.S. Marshal Stephen D. Lynn. “We have a duty to ensure the inmates’ rights are protected and they are in a safe environment,” said Butts County Sheriff Gary Long. “We are thankful for our strong working relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service to help us hold accountable those inmates who put the safety of others at risk.” According to court documents, Randall was indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Oct. 11, 2022, in the Middle District of Georgia, after he was arrested for illegally possessing a .380 pistol in Athens, on Jan. 12, 2021. Randall has multiple prior state felony convictions in North Carolina and Georgia, including assault with serious bodily injury and drug convictions. Randall was also previously convicted in the Middle District of Georgia for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. On Nov. 8, 2022, while in custody awaiting his initial appearance in federal court, Butts County Jail officers found a shank—a handmade knife—hidden on Randall’s person. Officers found another shank on Randall on Nov. 10, prior to his federal court appearance. On Dec. 16, Randall was found with another shank inside the Butts County Jail. The case was investigated by FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Butts County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Johnstown Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison and 4 Years of Supervised Release for Conspiring to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Darren Alston, age 31, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, from on or about April 2019, to on or about July 2021, Alston did conspire to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Mr. Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Alston. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Tishomingo Resident Sentenced For Murder In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cory Dean Boykin, age 35, of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 262 months in prison for Murder in Indian Country, Second Degree. The charges arose from investigations by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Department, the Tishomingo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On November 21, 2020, Boykin beat and choked a female victim at a residence in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Upon arrival at the crime scene, law enforcement discovered the victim unconscious. Emergency medical responders transported the victim to a local hospital where she died the following day. Boykin was later arrested and admitted to assaulting and strangling the victim. On March 9, 2021, Boykin pleaded guilty to Murder in Indian Country, Second Degree. “A senseless and brutal act of violence claimed the life of a vibrant young woman, and while the sentence imposed today represents justice under the law, the harm can never be undone,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “I am grateful for the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors in this case to ensure the defendant will remain safely away from the public for many years to come.” “The defendant’s callous and egregious acts warranted the lengthy prison term recommended by the United States and imposed by the Court,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Although the sentence will never fully bring justice to the family, hopefully they can begin the healing process knowing the defendant is being held accountable for his crimes.” The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Johnston County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Boykin will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Poe represented the United States.


title: Maryland Resident Sentenced For Possession With Intent To Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jose Sanchez, of Maryland, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The charges arose from investigations by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations. On May 2, 2022, Sanchez pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. On November 18, 2019, a Sequoyah County deputy stopped Sanchez for speeding on Interstate 40. During the traffic stop, the deputy discovered a vacuum-sealed bag concealed under a rear speaker. The bag contained 9,648 counterfeit oxycodone pills which later tested positive for fentanyl. The fake pills contained over a kilogram of fentanyl. “The defendant was transporting thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl," said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, and a single dose of only two milligrams is potentially lethal. I commend the work of our law enforcement partners in discovering and seizing these counterfeit pills. Combatting the trafficking of illegal narcotics, especially fentanyl, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma continues to be a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Sanchez will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.


title: Career Offender Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced an Athens man on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. U.S. District Court Judge Liles Burke sentenced Eric Cordelle Bass , 35, of Athens, to 322 months in prison. Bass pleaded guilty in February 2023 to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Bass is a Career Offender based on prior felony convictions. The sentence reflects his status as a Career Offender. “This sentence sends a message that armed drug dealers will face stiff consequences in the Northern District of Alabama,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I am grateful to the FBI and Limestone County Sheriff’s Office whose efforts ensured that this career offender was brought to justice.” According to the plea agreement, the Limestone County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at Bass’ residence on October 28, 2021. In Bass’ bedroom, investigators found approximately one pound of methamphetamine and two firearms. In addition, on March 16, 2022, Bass was found to be in possession of a bag containing methamphetamine and a firearm. Bass attempted to bribe the officers after the methamphetamine was discovered. The FBI investigated the case along with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.


title: San Pedro Woman Sentenced to Prison for Orchestrating Scheme that Defrauded Union’s Health Plan by Providing Sexual Services

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Pedro woman was sentenced today to more than two years in prison for her role in a $2.1 health care fraud scheme that submitted bills to a labor union’s health insurance plan for physical therapy, when in fact the patients received sexual services that she arranged. Sara Victoria, 46, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $551,810 in restitution. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Blumenfeld described Victoria as the “mastermind” of a “sophisticated” and “unique” fraudulent scheme. Victoria pleaded guilty in December to federal charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. According to her plea agreement, from January 2017 to April 2021, Victoria owned and operated businesses in San Pedro and Wilmington that offered patients chiropractic services and acupuncture treatments, in addition to sexual services. Victoria knew that dock workers and others involved in the shipping industry in Long Beach had health insurance under the International Longshore and Warehouse Union – Pacific Maritime Association (ILWU-PMA) benefit plan. This plan generally covered all chiropractic services with no deductible and without requiring plan members to contribute any copay amount or out-of-pocket services. Victoria hired women to provide sexual services to dock workers at her companies and recruited them through referrals and from strip clubs in the Long Beach area. In exchange for obtaining sexual services for themselves and their friends, ILWU-PMA plan members authorized Victoria to submit false claims for reimbursement for services such as chiropractic treatments and physical therapy – services not actually rendered – using their names or the names of their family members. Victoria also agreed to pay ILWU-PMA plan members cash kickbacks in exchange for authorization to submit false claims for reimbursement for services not actually rendered. Victoria also admitted to using someone else’s identity without the person’s consent during the commission of the health care fraud scheme. In total, Victoria submitted approximately $2,110,920 in claims to the ILWU-PMA plan, and the plan paid approximately $551,810. The FBI and the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Representative Fred Plump Charged with Conspiracy and Obstruction of Justice Charges and Agrees to Resign from the Alabama House of Representatives

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative Fred L Plump, Jr. has been charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice and has agreed to resign from the Alabama House of Representatives, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James Dorsey. A charging document filed today in United States District Court charges Fred L. Plump, Jr ., 76, of Fairfield, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. According to the charging document, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one percent sales tax and a one percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and for certain other purposes set forth in the Act. The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included to support public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund. The charging instrument identifies certain relevant parties. Legislator #1 was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Defendant Plump served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner-city youth in Jefferson County. Individual #1 was Legislator #1’s assistant. Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Legislator #1 was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Legislator #1 directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Individual #1. The charging instrument alleges that from in or about March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Plump conspired with others to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Legislator #1 recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Individual #1. Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Individual #1 for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. The charging document alleges further that Plump, after being interviewed by agents and served with a grand jury subpoena, corruptly attempted to obstruct the investigation by sending Individual #1 a text stating “Red Alert” and meeting with Individual #1 to warn her about the investigation. According to the plea agreement, also filed today, Plump agreed to plead guilty to the charges, pay restitution of at least $200,000 to the Fund, and resign from office immediately upon entering his guilty plea. The Court will set a date for Plump to enter his guilty plea. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case. An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Campbellsville Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on May 10, 2023, charging a Campbellsville, Kentucky, man with methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Mitch Bailey of the Campbellsville Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, on November 13, 2022, Nicholas Zunker, 35, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Zunker also possessed an SCCY CPX-1, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, and an SCCY CPX-2, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On September 13, 2010, in San Joaquin Superior Court in California, he was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and battery on spouse/cohabitant/parent of child. Zunker made his initial appearance last week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF and the Campbellsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Yurchisin, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green branch office, is prosecuting 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. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Morganfield Felon for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Owensboro, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on May 10, 2023, charging a Morganfield, Kentucky, felon with illegal possession of a firearm and methamphetamine trafficking. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Jason Thomas of the Union County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to the indictment, on August 19, 2022, James W. Harris Jr., 56, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Harris also possessed a Helwan Brigadier, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol. Harris was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On August 6, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Harris was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute, within 1000 feet of public housing, 500 grams to 2 kilograms of powder cocaine, and he was convicted of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and knowingly possessing a firearm. Harris made his initial appearance last week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Union County Sheriff’s office with assistance from the FBI Owensboro Resident Agency, the Kentucky State Police, the Daviess County/Owensboro Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force, and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Man Convicted Of Torture And Exporting Weapons Parts And Related Services To Iraq

component: Criminal - Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section

body_text: HARRISBURG – A federal jury convicted a Pennsylvania man on May 19 for numerous crimes, including the torture of an Estonian citizen in 2015 in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, in connection with the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Kurdistan. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ross Roggio, 54, of Stroudsburg, arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, tase, choke, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period. The victim was employed at a weapons factory that Roggio was developing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that was intended to manufacture M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols. In connection with the weapons factory project, which included Roggio providing training to foreign persons in the operation, assembly, and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle, Roggio also illegally exported firearm parts that were controlled for export by the Departments of State and Commerce. “Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty.” “Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that Roggio’s brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers could not avoid justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to address these acts that occurred in Iraq.” “Today’s milestone conviction is the result of the extraordinary courage of the victim, who came forward after the defendant inflicted unspeakable pain on him for more than a month,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Torture is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates, and together with our partners at the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, we will relentlessly pursue justice.” “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is firmly dedicated to pursuing those who commit human rights violations, like Roggio, to ensure perpetrators face justice for their atrocities,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of ICE. “Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly with government partners so these horrendous acts do not go without consequence.” “The illegal export of firearms parts and tools from the United States often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities, such as the charge of torture on which the jury voted to convict the defendant,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “I commend our law enforcement colleagues for their dedication to bringing justice in this case.” Roggio was convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Roggio is the second defendant to be convicted of torture since the federal torture statute went into effect in 1994. The FBI and HSI investigated the torture and were joined in investigating the export control violations related to the firearms manufacturing equipment by the Department of Commerce’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement. Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Police also provided valuable assistance. Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the ICE online tip form. ###


title: Court-Ordered Consent Decree Allows for Sale and Redevelopment of Port Jefferson Superfund Site

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that the United States District Court has approved a consent decree that ends litigation against Lawrence Aviation Industries, Inc. (LAI) and its former CEO and owner for violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund statute. The resolution will allow for the redevelopment of the Port Jefferson Station, New York property where LAI operated. The Superfund statute protects human health and the environment, while safeguarding taxpayer dollars, by holding parties that contributed to contamination responsible for cleaning it up. Since 1980, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund program has managed the cleanup of the nation’s high-priority hazardous sites and has responded to environmental emergencies, oil spills, and natural disasters. The LAI Superfund Site includes an area approximately 125 acres in size located off Sheep Pasture Road in Port Jefferson in Suffolk County, New York. Pursuant to the terms of the Consent Decree, which was approved by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack, the six parcels comprising the Site will be enhanced in value and sold for redevelopment by a company established by the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation. The Consent Decree provides that the possible future uses of the property will include a regionally significant infrastructure project and an industrial park. “This settlement will enable a previously contaminated property to be put to uses that will benefit Port Jefferson and the greater Suffolk County community,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace. “In the process, the EPA will recover at least some of the enormous costs expended in remediating the LAI Superfund Site and protecting our environment from hazardous substances.” Mr. Peace expressed his gratitude to the EPA for its partnership in litigating and resolving the Government’s claims. “This settlement that will not only recover some of the costs of cleaning up the LAI Superfund site but also pave the way for its redevelopment and revitalization," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "This is a win-win situation for the environment and the community of Port Jefferson Station, which will benefit from new infrastructure and economic opportunities long into the future.” LAI conducted titanium sheet metal manufacturing operations at the Site, mostly for the aeronautics industry, from 1959 to approximately 2004. The EPA determined that LAI’s operations resulted in releases of a number of hazardous substances and contaminants into the environment, including trichloroethene (TCE), acid wastes, oils, sludge, metals, and other plant wastes. As a result, the Site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List and the EPA has since conducted a number of response actions at the Site. These actions have included construction of treatment systems designed to capture, treat, and prevent further migration of TCE, a known carcinogen, in groundwater beneath the Site. It is the EPA’s intention to treat the groundwater to the point that the water can again be used as part of the drinking water supply. In addition, the EPA has remediated soil at the Site by removing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), another known carcinogen, removed asbestos from buildings at the Site, and installed soil vapor mitigation systems in several nearby locations which are inspected annually. In order to recover EPA’s response costs, the United States filed suit against LAI and its owner and CEO, Gerald Cohen, asserting five claims for relief pursuant to CERCLA. See United States v. Lawrence Aviation Industries, Inc , No. CV-06-04818 (JMA). After trial on the merits, the Court ruled in favor of the Government by Order dated March 19, 2019, finding LAI and Cohen liable to the EPA for $48,116,024.31 in costs and $750,000 each in penalties. The Court also found that the EPA had valid liens on the LAI property. Following the trial, the only remaining question was the relative priority of claims of interest filed against the property by other federal agencies, New York State, Suffolk County, and several private parties as well as the EPA. The Consent Decree resolves this remaining issue by allocating recoveries from the sale of the property among the EPA and other claimants. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Richard K. Hayes, with the assistance of EPA Region 2 attorneys James Doyle, Leilani Davis and Andrea Leshak.


title: Norfolk Man and Woman Convicted for Series of Armed Robberies

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a man and woman last Friday night for their roles in a series of armed commercial robberies. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between October 1, 2021, and November 15, 2021, Norfolk residents, Brandon D. Chavis, 36, and Melissa E. Beasley, 43, robbed 7-Elevens, Subway Sandwich Shops, and gas stations armed with a firearm. The jury received evidence related to 12 robberies or attempted robberies committed by Chavis and Beasley throughout the cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Yorktown, and Portsmouth. Beasley drove Chavis in her gray Volvo SUV to each robbery. Chavis wore a black hoodie, black mask, black gloves, dark jeans, brown work boots, and sometimes an orange reflective vest. Chavis entered the stores, brandished a firearm at the clerks, and fled to Beasley waiting in the getaway car. On one occasion, Beasley cashed one of the stolen lottery tickets just 33 minutes after Chavis robbed it from a Speedway. On November 15, 2021, during an interaction with Chavis and Beasley, Norfolk Police recovered the firearm Chavis used in the robberies and seized Beasley’s gray Volvo SUV. Chavis and Beasley will be sentenced on September 27. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; Orin Gallop, Interim Chief of Hampton Police; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes accepted the verdict. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle and Assistant United States Attorney Joe Depadilla are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-83.


title: Slidell Man Indicted for Violations  of the Federal Gun Control Act

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – RODERICK WILLIAMS , age 27, of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged on May 19, 2023 in a three-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, WILLIAMS possessed firearms on three separate occasions. WILLIAMS was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous felony convictions. If convicted as to Count 1, WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted as to Counts 2 and 3, WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment as to each count. Each count also requires payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: United States Attorney’s Office Seeks to Forfeit Homes  Connected to Murder of Police Officer

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: Big Stone Gap, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia has filed a civil complaint to forfeit a pair of Big Stone Gap homes connected to the November 2021 murder of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler. In a complaint for forfeiture unsealed last week in U.S. District Court, the United States Attorney’s Office brought a civil action against both 2505 Orr Street and 2512 Orr Street in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, asking the court to forfeit the properties to the custody of the United States on the grounds that they were used to commit or facilitate criminal activities. Upon filing of the action, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the following statement: "On November 13, 2021, Officer Michael Chandler was responding to provide a welfare check on one of these homes at approximately 4:00 AM, where he was shot and killed. Our criminal investigation into Officer Chandler’s death resulted in federal charges against Michael White for the murder, as well as federal narcotics charges against White and 18 co-conspirators. Our investigation also revealed that these two homes were hubs for a narcotics conspiracy that funneled narcotics to Southwest Virginia, and the owners knew about it and allowed it to proceed. In just the 15-month period prior to White’s death, there were approximately 78 calls for service for local police to respond to these two homes, including 911 calls. The United States Attorney’s will continue to use all the federal laws and tools at our disposal to protect our communities and our citizens." This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Norton Police Department, the Kingsport Tennessee Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the East Tennessee Drug Task Force, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Virginia State Police, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Norton Police Department, and the Big Stone Gap Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the criminal case. Assistant United States Attorney Krista Consiglio Frith is handling the civil forfeiture litigation.


title: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Steal  USDA-Mortgaged Houses

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Natchez, Miss. – A Jayess woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal houses from the United States Department of Agriculture, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General. According to court documents, Ella Martin, 69, conspired with others to identify and steal USDA-mortgaged properties. The targeted properties were mortgaged through the Brookhaven office of USDA Rural Development, an agency which helps rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing, especially low and very-low income individuals. As an employee of that office, Martin had access to a list of abandoned, foreclosed, nearly-foreclosed, or similarly distressed USDA-mortgaged properties and would create fraudulent warranty deeds designed to convey ownership of those properties to co-conspirators and others. The fraudulent deeds included forged signatures from former homeowners, including at least one deceased individual. The fraudulent deeds were then filed in Chancery Courts around Mississippi with the intent to deprive the actual owners of the use and benefit of the properties and to deprive the United States Government of the actual value of the properties. Martin pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which criminalizes conspiracies against the laws of the United States. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendants Barry Martin and Fiesta Kagler entered guilty pleas last year and are scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2023. The USDA OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.


title: Nurse Who Stole Painkillers, Replacing Them With Saline and Putting Surgical Patients at Risk, Sentenced to Four Years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A former Fuquay-Varina nurse was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for tampering with painkillers intended for surgery patients. On March 9, 2022, Melissa Elizabeth Chacona pled guilty to the charges. “Surgical patients trust healthcare providers to give them the medicines they need. Ms. Chacona abused her position of trust to steal powerful prescription pain medications intended for surgical patients and replace them with saline,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “In delivering today’s sentence the judge noted that these patients were in the most vulnerable position. My office will continue to pursue healthcare providers whose crimes jeopardize public safety.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Chacona, 45, worked as a nurse at a Raleigh-area surgical practice. In early 2019, she began extracting the medication from vials of fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replacing it with saline. She did this for several months, compromising at least seventy-eight vials, including those intended for surgical patients. Testing revealed that compromised vials contained less than 15% of the actual medication and that the tampering had rendered multiple vials unsterile. Chacona has also been convicted at the state level for diverting medication earlier in her nursing career. Her plea agreement requires permanent surrender of her nursing license. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Raleigh Police Department, and North Carolina Board of Nursing investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Partain Brown and Dennis Duffy prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-488-D. ###


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty  to Drug and Weapons Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on May 17, 2023, KENDALL THEARD , age 26, resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to one count of a four-count indictment for drug violations. Count 1 charges THEARD with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. THEARD’s sentencing is set for September 6, 2023. In Count 1 of the indictment, THEARD is charged with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D). THEARD faces a maximum sentence of 5 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a period of at least 2 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Additionally, in Count 1, THEARD is charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). THEARD faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, a period of at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Dominican National Admits Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Dominican National, who has resided in both Rhode Island and New Jersey, today admitted to a federal court judge in Providence that he participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy that trafficked cocaine into Rhode Island via the U.S. Postal Service, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Patri Hiciano Felix, 25, admitted that, as a member of a criminal drug conspiracy, he worked with others to have parcels of cocaine shipped via U.S. Priority Mail from Puerto Rico to addresses in Rhode Island. Hiciano also admitted that he coordinated with co-conspirators for the retrieval of the parcels of cocaine, including a parcel that contained 1,070 grams of cocaine that was sent to a residence in Johnston and was scheduled for delivery in March 2022. Appearing in U.S. District Court, Hiciano pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2023. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Jefferson Parish Man for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that a federal grand jury indicted TIMOTHY BLAYLOCK , age 51, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act. According to court documents, TIMOTHY BLAYLOCK , is charged in Count 1 with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of Count 1, BLAYLOCK faces a minimum of 5 years up to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and St. James Parish Sherriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and J. Benjamin Myers.


title: Registered Sex Offender Arrested for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Harwich man has been arrested on child pornography offenses. Jonathan Fleischmann, 35, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Fleischmann was arrested on May 16, 2023 and remains federal custody following a detention hearing today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessey. According to the charging documents, Fleischmann’s co-workers reported to law enforcement that, between March 17 and March 18, 2023, Fleischmann’s cellphone was allegedly observed downloading suspected child pornography media files while his phone was left open and charging on a counter at their workplace. During a subsequent search of Fleischmann’s cellphone allegedly identified approximately 255 image files and 55 video files that contained suspected child pornography. Fleischmann is currently facing separate state charges in Barnstable Superior Court for allegedly invading a Yarmouth home and forcibly taking a 16-year-old female at gunpoint into her house as she arrived home from school in 2020. Fleishmann is a Level 3 sex offender due to prior convictions in Barnstable District Court of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in 2006 and Open and Gross Lewdness in 2017. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.


title: U.S. Law Enforcement Disrupts Networks Used to Transfer Fraud Proceeds, Taking Over 4,000 Actions in Fifth Campaign

component: Civil Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other federal law enforcement agencies announced today the completion of a three-month campaign that disrupted networks used by foreign fraudsters to obtain fraud proceeds. Multiple law enforcement actions addressed conduct by individuals sometimes referred to as “money mules,” who have been providing critical services to fraudsters by receiving money from fraud victims and forwarding the fraud proceeds to the perpetrators (many of whom are based overseas). Some individuals knew they were facilitating fraud. Others first interacted with fraudsters as victims and may have been unaware that their activity furthered criminal activity. Over approximately the last three months, law enforcement took over 4,000 actions against individuals responsible for facilitating a range of fraud schemes. These schemes included those that targeted consumers, such as lottery fraud and romance scams, as well as those that targeted businesses or pandemic funds. The thousands of actions taken by law enforcement—which ranged from criminal prosecutions, to civil actions, to warning letters—were designed to punish those who knowingly assisted fraudsters and to advise those who may have been unknowingly helping fraudsters that their conduct furthered crime. These actions are intended to deter overseas fraudsters from relying on U.S.-based individuals to facilitate schemes, and thereby reduce the harm caused by foreign fraud operations. This year’s effort marked the fifth U.S. law enforcement campaign disrupting these money transmitting networks. Since the first campaign, during which approximately 400 actions were taken by law enforcement, agencies have collectively taken over 12,000 actions. Investigations have shown that disrupting money transmitting networks has impeded fraudsters’ abilities to receive funds, thereby reducing fraud victimization. These campaigns are part of a global effort to tackle money transmitting networks linked to illegal activity. “Law enforcement is committed to reducing fraud using every tool at our disposal. Our efforts to disrupt networks used to transfer fraud proceeds, to educate the public about elder fraud, and to prosecute those involved in these schemes have stymied fraudsters,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This initiative demonstrates what can be achieved through focused efforts and vigorous enforcement.” “The money mule campaign was an effort to educate the public, disrupt criminal enterprises, and provide feedback to financial institutions who go to great lengths to implement anti-money laundering programs,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI values the partnership of DOJ Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other federal agencies who work together to disrupt criminal enterprises conducting fraud and money laundering schemes.” “Anyone can be approached to be a money mule, but criminals often target students, those looking for work, and those on dating websites,” said Eric Shen, Inspector in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Group. “When those individuals use the U.S. Mail to send or receive funds from fraudsters, Postal Inspectors are quick to step in and put a stop to money mule activities.” This year’s effort was coordinated by the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which were joined by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. Participating agencies collectively served over 4,000 letters warning individuals that their activities are facilitating fraud. These letters outlined the potential consequences for continuing to transmit illegally acquired funds. Participating agencies also filed twelve civil or administrative actions. Additionally, more than 25 individuals were criminally charged for knowingly receiving and forwarding victim funds or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District Massachusetts charged a defendant for using his accounting and “virtual CFO” business as a front to launder the proceeds of internet fraud schemes. As part of the alleged conspiracy, the defendant created dozens of shell companies and used those shell companies to open business bank accounts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, through which the defendant laundered the criminal proceeds for his clients in exchange for fees. In total, since 2019, the defendant is alleged to have opened approximately 80 bank accounts (purportedly on behalf of 65 different companies), laundering approximately $35 million. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina charged an individual for facilitating an international, multi-million-dollar tech support fraud. The indictment alleged that the defendant agreed to obtain payment-processing services in his name to process victim payments and laundered the proceeds domestically and internationally to bank accounts located in India, receiving three percent of the revenue in return. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the District of Nebraska charged individuals who, despite warnings from law enforcement, continued facilitating fraud. In the Central District of California, an individual was charged for her role in receiving funds from fraud victims, including victims of business email compromises. According to the charges, the defendant opened 11 bank accounts at seven separate financial institutions in furtherance of the scheme. In the District of Nebraska, two individuals were charged for facilitating a lottery fraud scheme, including by receiving cashier’s checks in the mail. Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. As in past years, participating agencies are working to raise awareness about how fraudsters recruit and use individuals to assist their fraud operations. Federal agencies conducted outreach to the public and industry, and also expanded partnerships with local, state, and foreign law enforcement agencies. The Commodities Futures Trading Commission released a public awareness message about how fraudsters use and recruit people to facilitate romance fraud and “wrong number” text message scams, where fraudsters strike up conversations touting their wealth and success in trading crypto assets, over-the-counter foreign currency, or gold contracts to try and convince consumers to “invest” in crypto assets. The agencies involved in this effort urge consumers to be on the lookout for signs someone is trying to recruit them to receive and transmit fraud proceeds. Do not agree to receive money or checks mailed to you or sent to your bank account for someone you have met over the phone or online. Do not open a bank or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction. Fraudsters will lie to persuade you to help them. They may falsely tell you that they are helping you get a lottery prize, initiate a purported romantic relationship and then tell you that they need money, or pretend to offer you a job, an opportunity to invest in a business venture, or the chance to help in a charitable effort. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch/money-mule-initiative . Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Information about the Department of Justice’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force is available at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.


title: Hacker Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Stealing Customer Credit Card Numbers

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Chirag Patel, 38, most recently of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced on May 8, 2023, by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $87,522.25 in restitution. Patel pleaded guilty to Computer Fraud. On numerous occasions between August 2017 and July 2020, Patel hacked into the Phoenix-based computers of an international hospitality company. Patel fraudulently transferred and redeemed customer reward points from the company’s customer loyalty program. He also stole credit card numbers and other personally identifying information (PII) from customers and loyalty program members, which were stored in the company’s computers. Patel took screenshots of customers’ and members’ information, which included credit card numbers and other PII, and saved the screenshots to a Google Drive he controlled. In total, between August 2017 and July 2020, Patel stole and possessed more than 1,200 credit card numbers. Patel used some of the stolen credit card numbers to make unauthorized purchases and also tried to sell some of the stolen credit card numbers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, National Security Section, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00699-PHX-GMS RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-073_Patel # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Mexican National Found at Massive Merced County Marijuana Cultivation Operation Sentenced for Firearm Charge

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Roberto Carlos Leon-Garcia (Leon), 49, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for being in possession of a firearm while being in the United States without lawful status, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2018, Leon was encountered during the execution of a federal search warrant related to a marijuana grow in Dos Palos. Leon indicated he resided on the property, which was leased by someone else. Inside his residence, agents found a New England Westinghouse rifle, along with three 7.62 mm caliber rounds that Leon was not authorized to possess because he did not have lawful status in the United States. Leon had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on three occasions. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Chowchilla Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.