title: Boston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine. Joshua Westbrook, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In April 2023, Westbrook pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Westbrook was a methamphetamine dealer who sold large quantities of methamphetamine to others. In November 2021, in Dorchester, Westbrook distributed over 360 grams of pure methamphetamine to a cooperating witness. During the controlled purchase, Westbrook was observed carrying multiple knives, including a machete style knife. Later that month, a package destined for Westbrook was seized which contained over 440 grams of pure methamphetamine. An additional 500 grams of pure methamphetamine, a machete and a billy club were also seized from Westbrook over the course of the investigation. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Service; Plymouth County and Norfolk County Sheriff’s Offices; Massachusetts State Police; and the Portland (Maine), Watertown, Waltham, Concord, Reading, Peabody and Hudson Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Owner of Telemedicine Companies Charged with $110 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of Expansion Media (Expansion) and Hybrid Management Group (Hybrid) has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a $110 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces. Steven Richardson, 40, of Parkland, Fla., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging documents, between March 2016 and January 2023, Richardson, through his companies Expansion and Hybrid, entered into business relationships with telemarketing companies that generated leads by targeting Medicare beneficiaries. The telemarketers then allegedly paid Expansion and Hybrid on a per-order basis to generate orders for DME for these beneficiaries. To arrange for these orders to be signed, Richardson allegedly worked with medical staffing companies – including one in Massachusetts – to find doctors and nurses who were willing to review and sign prepopulated orders, typically without any contact with the beneficiaries. It is alleged that the records falsely portrayed the medical providers as having performed a legitimate examination of the beneficiary. Richardson then allegedly provided the signed orders to the telemarketing companies which sold the orders to DME suppliers. Richardson allegedly knew that these DME suppliers would use the signed orders to submit claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary, based on false documentation and tainted by kickbacks. The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, supervised release for up to three years and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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; Robert Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigation Service, North East Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Graber and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Alexandra Brazier and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Montgomery, Alabama Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing a Firearm in Pike County

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – On February 14, 2024, a federal jury convicted 30-year-old Deion Larry Jamar Mangum, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. According to court records and evidence presented during Mangum’s trial, on November 7, 2022, law enforcement officers in Brundidge, Alabama, responded to a residence after receiving reports of a domestic disturbance involving a firearm. Deputies arrived at the scene and spoke with the potential victim, then located Mangum nearby. He was putting air in a tire on his vehicle. During questioning, Mangum stated that he could not find his cell phone. Investigators dialed Mangum’s number to help locate the device. After a brief search of the property, deputies located Magnum’s ringing cell phone, along with a loaded AK-47 style pistol, at the edge of the wood line a short distance from the scene. At trial, two witnesses testified that, before the officers found the firearm next to Mangum’s phone, they saw the weapon in Mangum’s possession. Mangum has previous felony convictions and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Following this conviction, Mangum faces a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison with no parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for Mangum in the coming months. At that hearing, a federal district court judge will determine Mangum’s sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pike County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.


title: Man Who Stole 70 Firearms Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

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

body_text: Midland man who committed a burglary of College Avenue Jewelry and Pawn in Snyder, Texas sentenced to the statutory maximum 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Bradley Lynn Bishop, 46, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2023 and pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in September 2023. Mr. Bishop was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix who made the statement at the hearing, “We have to bolt down everything in this courtroom or you would steal it.” “We are proud to have worked with ATF on this case and will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring defendants who steal from Federal Firearms Licensees to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Simonton. “Solving burglaries and robberies of our Federal Firearm Licensee partners is at the top of ATF’s national priorities.” “Mr. Bishop thought that he could act under the cover of darkness, in a company vehicle, and make a quick buck selling stolen guns. He was wrong. He was wrong again when he tried to run from officers. Snyder and the surrounding communities are safer with Mr. Bishop off the streets,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. According to court documents, on June 26, 2023, law enforcement responded to College Avenue Jewelry and Pawn in response to a burglary where 70 firearms were stolen from the business the previous day. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the building appeared to have been breached by a hole cut in the wall. Once in the building the suspect unlocked and unlatched the rear door. The alarm sensors on the top of the rear exit door were also disabled and wires removed. A nearby business had a camera that faced the rear of the Pawn shop and revealed a white Dodge pickup pulling into the back of the shop. The truck was observed coming and going from the business three separate times, an individual could be seen walking to and from the truck with a bag in their hand. Law enforcement searched a local license plate reader system for a vehicle matching the Dodge truck and a match was found. The license plate was confirmed to be a company truck for Trend Services. The company was contacted and they advised that the vehicle had GPS tracking and had been located near College Avenue Jewelry and Pawn on the night of the burglary. Trend Services also confirmed that Mr. Bishop was the driver assigned to that vehicle. The day after the burglary, law enforcement went to the residence of Mr. Bishop. The Doge pickup was parked behind the house, as agents approached the pickup they observed the driver’s side door open and a pair of feet on the ground next to the door. Mr. Bishop fled the scene on foot and was taken into custody after a foot chase. A search of the truck revealed six of the firearms and an electrical meter stolen from the Pawn shop. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, with assistance from the Snyder Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.


title: Yellville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison  For Online Sexual Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: Fayetteville – Isaac James Melder, age 42, of Yellville was sentenced on February 13, 2024, to 360 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of communicating with a minor through the internet to entice the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, in May of 2022, a fourteen-year-old female was reported missing after failing to get on the afternoon school bus. An extensive search involving multiple law enforcement agencies began, during which officers discovered that Melder and the victim had communicated via the internet using an Xbox. The messages revealed the two had planned to run away and live in a cave in the Marion County wilderness. The investigation further revealed that Melder had groomed both the victim and her family by providing groceries, money, alcohol, and marijuana and referred to the victim as his wife. On June 22, 2022, an informant led law enforcement to the cave where Melder and the victim had lived since their May disappearance. Melder was immediately taken into state custody. Melder was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District in April of 2023 and entered a plea of guilty in July 2023. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Mountain Home Police Department, Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Flippin Police Department, Arkansas Department of Correction, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Harrison Police Department, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas State Parks, the 14 th Judicial District Drug Task Force, investigated or assisted in the search in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case for the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov


title: Jefferson County man guilty of violent crime spree targeting Southeast Texas businesses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Brandon Tyrone Mayberry, 21, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on Feb. 15, 2024. According to court documents, in April and May of 2023, Mayberry and Daniel James Leatherwood robbed several businesses in and around Beaumont at gunpoint. The robberies included two Game X Change stores, a Shell gas station, an Express Mart convenience store, and a Cindie’s lingerie store. Mayberry was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 1, 2023. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the armed robbery charge and an additional seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of that crime. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department, Nederland Police Department, and Liberty Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. ###


title: Readout of Civil Rights Division’s Quarterly LGBTQI+ Community Stakeholder Meeting

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the division’s LGBTQI+ working group convened a quarterly meeting yesterday with LGBTQI+ community stakeholders. Department leadership, including representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence Against Women heard from attending organizations on an array of topics. Those topics included hate crimes targeting the LGBTQI+ community, threats of violence against LGBTQI+ organizations and healthcare providers serving LGBTQI+ patients; discriminatory legislation targeting the LGBTQI+ community; protections for LGBTQI+ parents in the foster care and adoption process; and discrimination faced by both intersex individuals and individuals living with HIV. Representatives from other federal government agencies were also in attendance, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Homeland Security, Defense and Veterans Affairs. This week’s meeting reinforces the Justice Department’s commitment to taking an all-of-department approach to protecting LGBTQI+ rights, including by engaging with organizations and stakeholders on issues affecting the LGBTQI+ community. The department’s recent work on LGBTQI+ rights issues includes a statement of interest challenging North Carolina’s bans on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors and an amicus brief in support of transgender individuals who are seeking medical treatment for gender dysphoria that is excluded from Medicaid coverage by a Florida administrative rule and state statute. The department has also prosecuted hate crimes based on LGBTQI+ status or affiliation with the LGBTQI+ community , addressed discrimination based on transgender status in employer-provided health insurance coverage, affirmed that correctional institutions cannot deny medically appropriate care for people with gender dysphoria, took action to combat the criminalization of HIV status, and continued to educate the public about threats facing the LGBTQI+ community, including by hosting another virtual, nationwide community meeting outlining practical steps for protecting LGBTQI+ communities from hate-motivated attacks and threats of violence. These and other efforts can be found on the Civil Rights Division’s LGBTQI+ working group’s website . Assistant Attorney General Clarke and the division's LGBTQI+ working group meet with LGBTQI+ community stakeholders.


title: U.S. Citizen Charged With Providing Material Support To ISIS And Receiving Military-Type Training At ISIS Fighter Camp

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging HARAFA HUSSEIN ABDI with providing and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), and receiving and conspiring to receive military-type training from ISIS. ABDI, a U.S. citizen, was recently taken into custody overseas and was transported to the United States yesterday, February 15, 2024. ABDI will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo in Manhattan federal court later today. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Harafa Hussein Abdi, a citizen of this country, traveled from Minnesota to join a group of ISIS fighters in Somalia. While training with ISIS fighters in Somalia, Abdi allegedly carried an AK-47, threatened to attack civilians in New York City, and encouraged others to carry out such attacks. Our law enforcement partners have relentlessly pursued this investigation to ensure the disruption of Abdi’s alleged plans to wage terror on our shores and bring Abdi to an American court to face justice. No matter how long it takes, this Office is steadfast in its commitment to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute terrorist threats against Americans.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “As stated in the complaint, Mr. Abdi left his country to join ISIS, trained as a fighter, and actively aided the group’s propaganda efforts to spread its vile ideology. There is no higher priority for the National Security Division than to protect Americans from terrorist organizations, and we will work tirelessly to find and hold accountable those who would join these groups to do our people harm wherever they may be.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Harafa Hussein Abdi allegedly moved overseas to join ISIS, aided in their propaganda efforts, and openly threatened violence against New York City. Abdi was arrested before his plans came to fruition. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is determined to bring to justice anyone willing to carry out evil in order to protect the American people.” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “As alleged, this arrest is the result of New York law enforcement’s ongoing commitment to hold accountable anyone who voices solidarity with terrorist organizations and, motivated by ideology, desires to harm Americans. I commend everyone from the NYPD, the FBI, and the dozens of other agencies on New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for always relying heavily on the strength of our partnerships here and around the world.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] ABDI is a U.S. citizen who moved from Minnesota to Somalia in 2015. Once there, ABDI joined a group of ISIS fighters at an ISIS training camp in the Puntland region of Somalia. During his time with the ISIS group, ABDI regularly carried an AK-47 assault rifle and received training on how to use it. In addition, ABDI worked in the ISIS group’s “media” wing, where he filmed footage for distribution by a pro-ISIS media outlet. In social media communications during his time at the ISIS camp, ABDI described how he had left the United States and joined the “Islamic state.” ABDI also stated that he had made “hijra,” an Arabic term used by ISIS supporters to refer to traveling overseas to join ISIS and engage in jihad. ABDI also sent a photograph of himself carrying an AK-47 assault rifle, as depicted below: In or about January 2017, ABDI sent an audio clip of rap lyrics in which ABDI expressed his support for ISIS and described multiple acts of violence, including shooting and bombing individuals in New York City. Specifically, ABDI stated, “hollow tips put a hole in your Catholic vest, and chop his head off let it rest on his Catholic chest.” ABDI further stated, “We going to carry on jihad”; “Fly through America on our way to shoot New York up. They trying to shut this thing. We ain’t going. We going to come blow New York up.” ABDI sent the audio clip to at least 20 other social media users and included messages with the audio clip, such as “Fighting back the kuffar who’s at war with Muslims if [that] is not islam then I don’t know wats Islam.” ABDI left the ISIS camp in 2017 after his relationship with the ISIS group’s leadership deteriorated. After being jailed by the ISIS group, ABDI escaped and traveled to East Africa, where he was arrested by law enforcement authorities. In subsequent Mirandized interviews with FBI personnel, ABDI admitted that he had joined the ISIS training camp in the Puntland region, which was affiliated with a known leader of ISIS fighters in Somalia. ABDI also identified himself in an ISIS propaganda video that he helped to film at the ISIS training camp in which ABDI carried an AK-47 assault rifle, promoted ISIS, and urged others to join ISIS and fight on its behalf. In the video, ABDI stated, “We thank almighty God for making us His soldiers and chose us to be among the Khilafa troops,” and “So do not stay behind, brother, and get on this caravan. . . Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith fight in the cause of Evil.” ABDI also admitted that he was trained on and regularly carried an AK-47 assault rifle while at the ISIS camp and practiced shooting the AK-47 in the Somali wilderness outside the camp. * * * ABDI, 41, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with (i) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (ii) providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and (iv) receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine, or both. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies. Mr. Williams also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, the FBI’s International Operations Division, and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas S. Bradley is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Two Individuals Convicted for $11M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Atlanta convicted a Georgia man and woman yesterday for their roles in an over $11 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. Teldrin Foster, 42, of Decatur, was convicted of bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, and money laundering in connection with 14 loan applications. Carla Jackson, 55, of Tucker, was convicted of two counts of money laundering in connection with laundering the proceeds of a PPP loan. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between April and August 2020, Foster and co-conspirators submitted, or assisted in the submission of, PPP loan applications on behalf of 14 businesses seeking loans of approximately $800,000 for each company. In the loan applications, the co-conspirators certified that each applicant business was in operation on Feb. 15, 2020, and had employees for whom it paid salaries and payroll taxes or that it paid independent contractors; that the funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or to make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments; and that the information provided in the application and in all supporting documents was true and accurate in all material respects. The co-conspirators reported that each business had approximately 60 employees and approximately $300,000 in average monthly payroll expenses. To support these payroll figures, each business’s loan application was accompanied by an IRS Form 941, which employers use to report payroll taxes. In reality, each Form 941 was fraudulent. After the PPP loan proceeds were deposited into the businesses’ accounts, Jackson and others laundered certain of the funds through a series of transactions that were devised to disguise the origins of the funds and how the funds were spent. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud and money laundering charges and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each of the bank fraud and false statement to a federally insured bank charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Eastern Region made the announcement. The FBI, IRS-CI, and SBA-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorney Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tal Chaiken and Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus .


title: Indian River County drug dealer sentenced to federal prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Feb. 15, an Indian River County man was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for drug trafficking. The sentence comes after he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl. On April 19, 2023, Juan Carlos Sanchez Echevarria, 34, of Indian River County, Florida, sold 55 grams of fentanyl in Fellsmere, Florida. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division and Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. DEA Miami Field Division and IRCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. For more information visit https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html# and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-14035. ###


title: Bread Springs Man Charged with Assault and Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Arthur Chee Pat appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Pat, 68, of Bread Springs, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the criminal complaint, on January 22, 2024, John Doe and three other men were gathered in front of Doe’s residence in Bread Springs. Pat, who lived nearby, heard the four men yelling and went to see the nature of the commotion. Pat returned to his residence to retrieve a firearm and then drove to the location of the yelling. When Pat arrived, he told his son (who was one of the men gathered in Doe’s front yard) to get in Pat’s truck. Pat then brandished a firearm and fired three gunshots in the direction of one man and two more in John Doe’s direction, striking Doe once in the knee. Pat then drove away with his son. John Doe was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center and was subsequently transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Pat was detained by law enforcement at his residence soon after the incident. Officers located the handgun in the back of Pat’s vehicle. A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the current charges, Pat faces up to life in prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint # # # 24-72


title: Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Ian Channing Lasiloo pleaded guilty in federal court to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Lasiloo, 31, of Zuni, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Tribe, voluntarily surrendered and will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been set. A federal grand jury indicted Lasiloo on March 21, 2023. In his plea agreement, Laslioo admitted that he drove to of the residence of John Doe and asked Doe “where my 40 was.” John Doe replied that he didn’t owe Lasiloo anything. While still in the driver’s seat of the car, and approximately five feet away from John Doe, Lasiloo pointed a .22 caliber revolver at John Doe’s face and then pointed the weapon downwards. Lasiloo then fired the weapon one time, shooting John Doe in the heel. At sentencing, Lasiloo faces a minimum of seven years and up to life in prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-73


title: U.S. Citizen Charged with Providing Material Support to Isis And Receiving Military-Type Training at Isis Fighter Camp

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: A complaint was unsealed today charging Harafa Hussein Abdi, 41, of Minneapolis, with providing and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and receiving and conspiring to receive military-type training from ISIS. Abdi, a U.S. citizen, was recently taken into custody overseas and was transported to the United States yesterday. Abdi will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo in Manhattan federal court later today. “As stated in the complaint, Mr. Abdi left his country to join ISIS, trained as a fighter and actively aided the group’s propaganda efforts to spread its vile ideology,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “There is no higher priority for the National Security Division than to protect Americans from terrorist organizations and we will work tirelessly to find and hold accountable those who would join these groups to do our people harm wherever they may be.” “As alleged, Harafa Hussein Abdi, a citizen of this country, traveled from Minnesota to join a group of ISIS fighters in Somalia,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “While training with ISIS fighters in Somalia, Abdi allegedly carried an AK-47, threatened to attack civilians in New York City, and encouraged others to carry out such attacks. Our law enforcement partners have relentlessly pursued this investigation to ensure the disruption of Abdi’s alleged plans to wage terror on our shores and bring Abdi to an American court to face justice. No matter how long it takes, this office is steadfast in its commitment to investigate, disrupt and prosecute terrorist threats against Americans.” “Abdi allegedly trained in an ISIS camp, encouraged others to fight on behalf of ISIS, and sent social media messages about committing violent acts in New York City,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI works tirelessly to protect the American people against acts of terrorism and will hold accountable all those who break our laws and endanger our citizens. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners both here and overseas to uncover and disrupt terrorist activity.” As alleged in the complaint, Abdi, moved from Minnesota to Somalia in 2015. Once there, he joined a group of ISIS fighters at an ISIS training camp in the Puntland region of Somalia. During his time with the group, Abdi regularly carried an AK-47 assault rifle and received training on how to use it. In addition, Abdi worked in the ISIS group’s “media” wing, where he filmed footage for distribution by a pro-ISIS media outlet. In social media communications during his time at the ISIS camp, Abdi described how he had left the United States and joined the “Islamic state.” Abdi also stated that he had made “hijra,” an Arabic term used by ISIS supporters to refer to traveling overseas to join ISIS and engage in jihad. Abdi also sent a photograph of himself carrying an AK-47 assault rifle, as depicted below: In or about January 2017, Abdi sent an audio clip of rap lyrics in which he expressed support for ISIS and described multiple acts of violence, including shooting and bombing individuals in New York City. Specifically, Abdi stated, “hollow tips put a hole in your Catholic vest, and chop his head off let it rest on his Catholic chest.” Abdi further stated, “We going to carry on jihad”; “Fly through America on our way to shoot New York up. They trying to shut this thing. We ain’t going. We going to come blow New York up.” Abdi sent the audio clip to at least 20 other social media users and included messages with the audio clip, such as “Fighting back the kuffar who’s at war with Muslims if [that] is not islam then I don’t know wats Islam.” Abdi left the ISIS camp in 2017 after his relationship with the ISIS group’s leadership deteriorated. After being jailed by the group, Abdi escaped and traveled to East Africa, where he was arrested by law enforcement authorities. In subsequent Mirandized interviews with FBI personnel, Abdi admitted that he had joined the training camp, which was affiliated with a known ISIS leader in Somalia. Abdi also identified himself in an ISIS propaganda video that he helped to film at the training camp in which Abdi carried an AK-47 assault rifle, promoted ISIS and urged others to join and fight on its behalf. In the video, Abdi said, “We thank almighty God for making us His soldiers and chose us to be among the Khilafa troops,” and “So do not stay behind, brother, and get on this caravan…. Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith fight in the cause of Evil.” Abdi also admitted that he was trained on and regularly carried an AK-47 assault rifle and practiced shooting the AK-47 in the Somali wilderness outside the camp. Abdi is charged with (i) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (ii) providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to receive military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and (iv) receiving military-type training from a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine or both. The FBI’s New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Justice’s Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, the FBI’s International Operations Division and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas S. Bradley for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Detroit Man Sentenced for $650,000 Real Estate Loan Fraud

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Detroit man was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for fraudulently conspiring to obtain over $650,000 in advance fees from borrowers seeking real estate loans. According to court documents, Roscoe Copeland, 49, was the founder and CEO of Alexis Realty Solutions LLC (ARS), which purported to be an alternative funding source for prospective borrowers seeking loans for real estate purchases. ARS catered to customers who had poor credit ratings or were otherwise unable to qualify for a loan from retail banks or other traditional funding sources. ARS offered unrealistically competitive interest rates to their customers, including as low as 1% for a traditional 30-year fixed mortgage. Copeland and his co-defendant, Dawnn Long, ARS’s chief operating officer, claimed that ARS was a private lender with no “middleman,” and that the company had access to specialized bond funding at discounted rates. As part of the fraudulent scheme, prospective borrowers paid ARS an upfront fee, typically 3% of the loan amount, to purportedly secure a bond necessary to obtain the loan. Copeland and Long also recruited individuals known as “consultants,” many of whom were real estate brokers or agents, to find prospective borrowers and direct them to ARS. Consultants were told that ARS would pay them a percentage of ARS’s proceeds after the loans were funded. During the conspiracy, which lasted from approximately January 2017 to January 2018, Copeland and Long knowingly made repeated false statements to both prospective borrowers and consultants. These misrepresentations included that: (1) the advance fees paid by customers would be held in escrow; (2) the customers’ advance fees would be repaid in full if their loans did not fund within a set period; and (3) ARS was a private lender with no middleman. In fact, not a single customer of ARS received a loan. Twenty-six prospective borrowers sent Copeland and Long over $650,000 in advance fees, the vast majority of which Copeland and Long spent on lavish personal expenses. Many of the victims suffered substantial financial hardship, including filing for bankruptcy, periods of homelessness, or delaying retirement, as a result of Copeland’s fraud scheme. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Hood and Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case. 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. 3:22-cr-152.


title: Two New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN TYLER, III , age 25, and ANTHONY ROMAN , age 25, residents of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to federal drug and weapons charges. TYLER pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). ROMAN pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and conspiracy to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B-D), and 846. TYLER and ROMAN also each pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). ROMAN additionally pleaded guilty to possessing a vehicle stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659. According to court documents, on January 29, 2023, law enforcement observed ROMAN driving an Infinity QX80 that was stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) subsequently executed search warrants at two of ROMAN’s residences and recovered tapentadol, marijuana, and ten firearms. ROMAN purchased two of the firearms and possessed them in furtherance of drug trafficking. The FBI executed a search warrant at TYLER’s residence and recovered fentanyl, a fentanyl precursor, cocaine, and loaded firearms. TYLER possessed the fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute those substances and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. For his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, TYLER faces a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. For his convictions for possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute tapentadol, ROMAN faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release on each count. For their convictions for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, TYLER and ROMAN each face a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Finally, for his conviction for possessing a vehicle stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility, ROMAN faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count of conviction, TYLER and ROMAN must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. 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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Two Maryland Men Charged with Stealing Over 50 Firearms from Virginia Firearms Store

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging two Maryland residents with the burglary of a federal firearms licensee (FFL), conspiracy to steal firearms from FFLs, and interstate transportation of stolen firearms and stolen vehicles. According to allegations in the indictment, Cedric Minger, 21, and Victor Jones, 22, stole more than 50 firearms—including pistols, rifles, short-barreled rifles, and silencers—from Dominion Defense, an FFL in Springfield, Virginia, on April 29, 2023. According to the indictment, Minger, Jones, and two co-conspirators traveled from Washington, D.C. to Dominion Defense in a stolen Acura ILX. After breaking the business’s exterior glass door, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly struggled to gain entry through the interior door, with Minger at one point resorting to shooting at the door with a firearm. Ultimately, Minger allegedly shimmied his way through an opening at the top of the interior door. Once inside, Minger allegedly grabbed more than 50 firearms, passing them along to his co-conspirators, including Jones, who then loaded them into the stolen Acura, which they used to flee back to Washington, D.C. According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy to steal firearms from FFLs, Minger and Jones attempted to burglarize Engage Armament in Rockville, Maryland, on April 30, 2023, and Minger and at least two co-conspirators attempted to burglarize Top Gun Firearms in Fallston, Maryland, on May 10, 2023. The indictment also charges Minger and Jones with multiple counts relating to the possession and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, including the above-mentioned Acura and a Nissan Sentra used to travel to and from the attempted burglary of Top Gun Firearms. If convicted, Minger and Jones face a maximum of five years in prison for the conspiracy to steal firearms from FFLs, and up to 10 years in prison for each additional count charged in the indictment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve T. Descano, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County; Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Significant assistance on this investigation was provided by the City of Fairfax Police Department, Metropolitan Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Prince George’s County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and Prince William County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Cristina C. Stam are 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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. 1:24-cr-39. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Former Public University Administrator Sentenced To 20 Months For Diverting $1.5 Million In Student Tuition Payments

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Sandra (Sandi) Eileen Le was sentenced today to 20 months in prison, and ordered to pay at least $1,536,089.64 in restitution for wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, Senior U.S. District Judge. Le, 55 of San Francisco, was indicted on August 26, 2021, and pleaded guilty on November 9, 2023, to three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. According to the plea agreement, Le admitted she was the Academic Program Officer for the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing’s Post-Master’s and Special Studies Certificate Programs. She abused her position by directing students in those programs to have their tuition checks made out to her, or to a merchandiser she purchased from, or to leave the checks’ payee line blank so she could then make out the checks to herself or her associates. She then deposited the checks into her personal bank accounts, including joint bank accounts that she shared with associates, and used the funds to pay for luxury items from that merchandiser. She also used the funds for gambling, home improvement, and other personal expenses. Le disguised and concealed her misconduct by generating false records of payments and student enrollment for her supervisors at the university. The investigation into her conduct revealed that Le diverted almost 300 such checks from November 2013 through March 2019, totaling $1,536,089.64. According documents filed by the government in connection with sentencing, the investigation began in May 2019, when Le took a leave of absence while facing increased scrutiny from UCSF’s Audit and Advisory Services Unit, given the school’s inability to reconcile tuition revenues with enrollment in the programs Le administered. The government’s filings describe how, while Le was on leave, a program student provided Le’s replacement a tuition check written out to Le-- the student explained that the payment was per Le’s instructions. Thereafter, investigators conducted interviews of dozens of program students and completed a forensic examination of Le’s bank accounts. This and additional other investigation revealed the extent of Le’s fraud, and corresponding harm to the UCSF School of Nursing community. Judge Orrick ordered Le to surrender on or before May 10, 2024, to begin serving her 20 month prison term, and found that restitution was at least $1,536,089.64, with the exact amount to be ordered after a further hearing. In addition to the prison term, Judge Orrick also ordered Le to serve a three-year period of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Kassabian is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the UCSF Police Department.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EDMOND TRUEBLOOD , age 37, of New Orleans, plead guilty on February 15, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, TRUEBLOOD was previously convicted of felony offenses in Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. He is now charged with possessing a firearm on May 22, 2023. On May 22, 2023, TRUEBLOOD possessed a stolen Glock Model 48, 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol in a bag he carried around his person in New Orleans. The maximum penalties for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon are fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Orleans Parish Woman Charged With Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHAVONDA CHAMBERS , age 43, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on February 8, 2024, with wire fraud. According to documents filed in federal court, SHAVONDA CHAMBERS administered payroll for a local business and was discovered submitting false payroll vouchers as part of a scheme to steal money from her employer. The maximum penalty for the offense is twenty years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of one hundred dollars. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Feb. 15 was: Lawrence Michael Demarais, 46, a transient, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Demarais faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Demarais was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-07. Jessie Ambrose Deaguero, 41, of Billings, on charges of theft from federal firearms licensee and possession of stolen firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Deaguero faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Deaguero was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-12. Isaac Michael Price, 19, of Billings, on charges of theft from federal firearms licensee and possession of stolen firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Price faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Price was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-19. Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Feb. 14 was: William Robert Smith, 71, of Great Falls, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Smith faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Smith was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-03. Appearing on Feb.13 was: Alvin Aubrey Roe, 47, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and prohibited person in possession of ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Roe faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Roe was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Great Falls Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-104. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: Former Delaware Specialty Pharmacy Chief Marketing Officer Agrees to Six-Year Exclusion from Federal Healthcare Programs for Allegations of Kickback and False Claims Act Violations

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that Carla Sparkler, former Chief Marketing Officer of BioTek reMEDys Inc. (BioTek), located in New Castle, Delaware, has agreed to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to patients and physicians and waiving co-pays to protect BioTek’s revenue stream. Sparkler agreed to a six-year federal healthcare exclusion, which will prohibit her from participating in any federally funded health care program, such as Medicare. When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a copayment, coinsurance or a deductible (“copays”). Congress included copay requirements in the Medicare program in part to serve as a check on health care costs. The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the offering, paying, soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, of any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to refer or arrange for the referral of items or services payable by any federal health care program. This prohibition extends to companies that routinely waive the copays of Medicare patients without determination of financial need. The Anti-Kickback Statute also extends to the payment of remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals. In its Complaint in Intervention, the United States alleged that, from at least August 2015 through May 2020, Sparkler served as the Chief Marketing Officer of Biotek. BioTek, a specialty pharmacy that offers drugs and infusion services, routinely waived the copayments of Medicare and TRICARE patients to induce those patients to purchase its drugs and services. Many of the specialty drugs offered by BioTek were expensive and required patients to pay large copays. The government alleged that BioTek sought to avoid deterring patients from purchasing its drugs and services by engaging in a scheme, orchestrated, and implemented by Sparkler, to routinely waive these large copays, without regard for whether the patients were experiencing financial hardship. Today’s settlement also resolves allegations that under Sparkler’s leadership, BioTek provided remuneration in the form of gifts, dinners, and free administrative and clinical support services to physicians – in particular Dr. David Tabby, who operated a neurology practice in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania – to induce those physicians to refer patients to BioTek. The government also alleged that Dr. Tabby knowingly solicited and accepted this remuneration in exchange for referring numerous patients to BioTek. Dr. Tabby has separately paid $480,000 to settle these allegations, based on his ability to pay. Biotek and its chief executive officer, Chaitanya Gadde, previously agreed collectively to pay $20 million based on their ability to pay to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to patients and physicians to protect Biotek’s revenue stream. “Ms. Sparkler allegedly orchestrated a scheme to provide improper physician inducements and to cover up kickbacks for patient referrals by waiving co-pays,” said Romero, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA). “The six-year exclusion from participation in federal health care programs reflects my office’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for improper and corrupt business practices. BioTek’s alleged scheme, orchestrated and implemented by Sparkler to routinely waive these copays – without regard for whether the patients were experiencing financial hardship – ensured a steady revenue stream for BioTek and undermined patient care to citizens of this District. EDPA will continue to invest itself in the pursuit of health care providers, including individuals, who violate the law for personal gain.” “This settlement resolves allegations that Ms. Sparkler orchestrated Biotek’s scheme to provide kickbacks, including the improper waiver of co-pays, to encourage doctors to use its services,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware. “Those who, for personal gain, flout the rules established by federal healthcare programs raise the costs for everyone and do a disservice to their patients. They forfeit their right to participate in those programs.” “Kickbacks impose hidden costs on the health care system and compromise medical decision-making,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs by, in part, holding individuals who unlawfully bill the programs accountable for their actions.” “The settlement agreement announced today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate healthcare fraud and protect TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their dependents,” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. “When health care companies pay physicians and submit false claims for improper referrals, they undermine the integrity of TRICARE and place an unnecessary financial burden on the program.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by former BioTek employees Shantae M. Wyatt and Latoya Sparrow. Under those provisions, a private party, known as a relator, may file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Wyatt et al. v. BioTek reMEDys, Inc. , No. 19-6069 (EDPA). The relators in this case were represented by David A. Bocian and Asher S. Alavi of Kessler, Topaz, Meltzer & Check in Radnor, PA. The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, and Fraud Section, the HHS-OIG, the Office of Inspector General for the Office of Personnel Management, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. This case illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 matter was handled by U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charlene Keller Fullmer and Judith Amorosa, and Auditor George Niedzwicki for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dylan Steinberg for the District of Delaware. The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Fake concert promoter and former rapper plead guilty to $1.35 million fraud scheme involving bogus music concerts

body_text: MIAMI – Two men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft for their involvement in a bogus music concert fraud scheme. Terronce Morris, 41, of Missouri City, Texas, pleaded guilty on Feb. 13 to conspiring with Blake Kelly, 36, of Los Angeles, California, in a fraud scheme involving bogus music concerts with famous artists, including J.B., B.E., and P.M. Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy, on Jan. 9. Morris and Kelly also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for forging the signature and using the identity of music artist J.B. on false and fraudulent concert contracts. According to the factual proffer and other court documents, between December 2019 and March 2020, Morris and Kelly fraudulently obtained approximately $1,350,000 from victim J.R. Morris and Kelly persuaded the victim to give them the money for the purportedly production of a music festival, featuring J.B., P.M., B.E., and other music recording artists. Morris and Kelly created several false and fraudulent concert performance contracts forging the signatures of the music recording artists. Morris also created false and fraudulent email accounts that he used to pose as if the music recording artists themselves had sent the signed contracts to Kelly and himself. Additionally, during a video call with the victim, Morris and Kelly had an accomplice pose as J.B. to trick the victim into believing that J.B. had agreed to perform at the concert series. Relying on Morris’s and Kelly’s false and fraudulent statements, the victim sent three wire transfers to Morris. The victim also mailed Morris a $200,000 check made payable to J.B., that Morris then deposited into his own personal account. Morris and Kelly used the fraudulently obtained money to enrich themselves and finance a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their accomplices, which included traveling, purchasing luxury goods, paying for luxurious services, and dining at high-priced restaurants. Morris’s sentencing is scheduled for May 2, at 1:30 p.m. Kelly’s sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 1:00 p.m. Morris and Kelly face up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, as well an additional two years in prison for the identity theft charge. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roger Cruz and Joan Silverstein are prosecuting it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-60118. ###


title: Defendant Who Posed as a Lawyer Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud Related to a Debt Elimination Scheme

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Willie Lamont Hicks, a/k/a “Will Woodward” and “CW,” age 52, of Kansas City, Missouri, yesterday to 22 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud related to a debt elimination and wealth management fraud scheme. Judge Chuang also ordered Hicks to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $1,649,897.33 and pay restitution of $3,281,109.38. A federal jury convicted Hicks and co-defendant Mary Ann Mendoza, a/k/a “Mary Ann Manuel,” “Trinity,” “M3,” and “Emily James,” age 51, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, of those charges on October 4, 2023. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Edwin S. Bonano of the Southeastern Region - Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Javan Wilson of the U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department. According to the evidence presented at the seven-day trial, from August 2011 to at least September 2017, Hicks and Mendoza, who represented themselves as partners and as husband and wife, held in-person trainings purporting to educate victim-debtors on how to discharge consumer debt, including mortgage debt, credit card debt, and automobile financing debt. Hicks and Mendoza also marketed wealth management services to victims, including purporting to set up a family office and to fund business opportunities. As detailed in trial testimony, during the debt elimination classes, Hicks, who claimed to be an attorney, and Mendoza told victims that on the back of their social security cards and birth certificates, there was a number that unlocked access to a special bank account with funds owed to the victims by the U.S. government. The defendants also told the victim-debtors that they could create or use “trusts” to fulfill the wealth management or debt elimination services, or to obtain return on investment. The evidence proved that Hicks, Mendoza, and their associates offered to facilitate the discharge of the debt held by the victims or perform other purported services for a fee, such as a percentage of the victim-debtors’ outstanding debt. The defendants accepted payment in the form of cash, wire transfers, personal and cashier’s checks, and the use of the victim-debtors’ credit. Victim-debtors also paid the defendants through the liquidation of their retirement savings, the leasing of apartments, and the purchase of vehicles and office equipment and supplies. In 2017, Hicks and Mendoza caused one victim to transfer almost $100,000 from the victim’s bank account to the accounts of fraudulent corporate entities controlled by the defendants. Trial testimony showed that victim-debtors were induced into providing the defendants with over one million dollars in cash and other forms of payment during the period of the conspiracy. According to the evidence also presented at trial, Hicks and Mendoza used the victims’ personal identifying information without the victims’ knowledge or permission and provided the victims with fraudulent documents, including Internal Revenue Service forms, memorandums of agreement, intake forms, and other materials that the defendants claimed were necessary for discharging debt. The evidence showed that Hicks, Mendoza, and their associates mailed the fraudulent paperwork to the victim-debtors’ creditors, lenders, and the Internal Revenue Service purporting to effectuate the discharge of the victim’s debts. As a result of Hicks’ and Mendoza’s scheme, victims suffered substantial financial harm, including foreclosure and eviction, homelessness, depletion of their retirement savings, significant downgrading of their credit scores, bankruptcy, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and penalties owed to the IRS as a result of the fraudulent paperwork mailings. Mendoza faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Judge Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Mendoza on February 23, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of the Treasury - Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked the United States Marshals, the Hinesville, Georgia Police Department, the Gwinnett County, Georgia Police Department, the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Offices of Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Georgia, Eastern District of Texas, New Jersey, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao, who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Robbery Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JERMAINE BETHEL, 27, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to a federal robbery offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2023, Bethel and three associates drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they intended to carry out a robbery at an apartment where they believed they would find drugs and drug proceeds. Bethel, wearing gloves and a surgical mask, and two associates, one of whom carried a crowbar, entered the apartment building. Bethel’s third associate stayed in the vehicle to serve as a getaway driver. After failing to enter the apartment, Bethel and his associates returned to the vehicle, where they were encountered by a law enforcement. Officers searched the vehicle and its occupants and seized two handguns and the crowbar. A search of Bethel’s person revealed 45 small bags containing crack cocaine. Bethel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven. Bethel has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2023. This investigation is being conducted by FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen Peck.


title: Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Threats Charge and Admits to Telephoning Bomb Threats to Five Schools in Los Angeles

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Oklahoma man who grew up in Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for telephoning bomb threats to five Los Angeles schools, including two elementary schools, and threatened to shoot the children as they exited one of the elementary schools. Marcus Jamal Sanchez, 45, a.k.a. “Marcus James Buchanan,” of Blackwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of making a threat through interstate commerce to damage and destroy buildings by fire and explosives. Sanchez, who was arrested in June 2022, has been free on bond since July 2022. “Sanchez put children, teachers, and staff at risk through his reckless and irresponsible actions,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Schools should be safe havens for our kids, and my office will use the force of federal law – when necessary – to prosecute individuals who threaten the educational safety of our young people.” “The depraved act of making death threats to vulnerable schoolchildren is incomprehensible to most and will not be tolerated by the FBI, nor the American people,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “When threats such as these are reported, they must always be treated as credible and so they continue to drain valuable resources from law enforcement at the expense of the taxpayers who fund them.” “The Los Angeles School Police Department’s commitment to the safety of our school communities is our top priority,” said Lieutenant Nina Buranasombati, LASPD spokesperson. “We are pleased with the significant step toward justice for the affected school communities. We sincerely appreciate the dedication and collaboration of all parties involved in the judicial process.” According to his plea agreement, during a period of less than two hours on the morning of February 28, 2022, Sanchez called in bomb threats to two elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school in Los Angeles. In a call to one of the elementary schools, Sanchez threatened to shoot the children as they exited the building. On April 27 and 28, Sanchez made additional bomb threats to two of the Los Angeles schools he previously threatened, threatening to shoot and kill children at other schools. On the afternoon of April 27, Sanchez called an elementary school and said to a school employee, “There is a bomb at your school, and we will shoot the kids when they get out of the school. That is what you get for not accepting me in ’86,” according to his plea agreement. After receiving the threat, the school staff notified police and placed the school on lockdown. Police searched the campus for explosives or unusual items but found none. On April 28, Sanchez called the same school again and said there was a pipe bomb placed at the school’s address. After receiving the bomb threat, the school staff notified police and placed the school on lockdown. Police searched the campus for explosives or unusual items but found none. That same day, Sanchez called a different elementary school and said, “Stop playing games; you know who this is. I am going to shoot the school. I know the kids are there.” Afterwards, the school was placed on lockdown, but – as with all the incidents – no explosives or unusual items were found. United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a June 7 sentencing hearing in this case, at which time Sanchez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The FBI and the Los Angeles School Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United State Attorney Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Jury Convicts Final Defendant In Benton Harbor Gun-And-Drug Investigation

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Last of 17 Defendants Convicted in Broad Federal Investigation Focused on Machine Gun Conversion Devices GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that a jury convicted Earl Austin IV, 22, of Benton Harbor, of two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, five counts of distribution of methamphetamine, three counts of possession and transfer of a machinegun, four counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. “The national gun violence epidemic has harmed countless lives, especially kids and people of color,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “Families in Benton Harbor deserve the right to carry out their lives without the shattering fear of shots fired and the horror it so often brings. We’ll never prosecute our way out of this crisis, which demands an all-hands response, but my office will continue to hold accountable the few who drive it.” “Machine gun conversions continue to pose a threat to community safety, and criminals who seek to use violence for gain will face the appropriate consequences,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “I would like to thank our local, state, and federal partners who worked closely to disrupt this criminal enterprise that threatened Michigan residents. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners in removing dangerous criminals and weapons from our communities to achieve the goal of a safer Michigan.” On December 15, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan announced charges against 11 defendants , including Austin. The charges covered a range of federal crimes, including the sale of “switches,” small devices that turn semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns. The U.S. Attorney’s Office later charged six additional defendants as part of the same investigation. All have now been convicted. The court has sentenced thirteen of them: Defendant Sentence Jayvon Anthony 84 months Demarcus Greely 38 months Nicholas Hallo 46 months Demitrius Seuell 33 months Omarion Branch 38 months Eric Williams 24 months Torez Burnett 70 months Quincy Bowman 60 months Timothy Thomas 24 months Mark Curtis 180 months Jordan Allen 96 months Calvin Hill 46 months Joe Griffin 70 months The Court has scheduled sentencing for Armando Villanueva on March 7, 2024; Rhonda Acklin on April 25, 2024; and Evorion Anderson on May 30, 2024. The Court has not yet announced a sentencing date for Austin. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Castle and Jacob Metoxen. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Berrien County Sherriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Michigan State Police, Benton Charter Township Police Department, Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department, Grand Rapids Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Michigan Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. # # #


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Paducah Man for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, returned an indictment on February 12, 2024, charging a Paducah man with distributing methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis of the DEA St. Louis Field Division, Director Brendan F. Kelly of the Illinois State Police, and Chief Brian Laird of the Paducah Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Cameron D. Shumpert, 31, was charged with distributing methamphetamine in McCracken County, Kentucky on December 11, 2023, December 14, 2023, January 4, 2024, and January 18, 2024. On February 15, 2024, Shumpert made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Shumpert faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The defendant remains in federal custody pending further hearings. 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 DEA Carbondale, Illinois Post of Duty Office, the Illinois State Police, and the Paducah Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: *CORRECTED* Former Economy Inn Managers Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, MS – Two former managers for the Economy Inn in Bay St. Louis were sentenced on February 14, 2024, for their involvement in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Pernell Robert Galloway, 54, was sentenced to 131 months in prison and Cassie Louise McKenzie, 42, was sentenced to 115 months in prison. According to court documents, in 2023, agents began investigating drug activity at the Economy Inn located on US Hwy 90 in Bay St. Louis. Agents received information that Pernell Robert Galloway and Cassie Louise McKenzie were managers at the hotel but also selling drugs from the hotel. Law enforcement began doing controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the duo. On or about June 8, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the Economy Inn where Galloway and McKenzie were located. During the search, agents located an additional 14 grams of what field tested positive for methamphetamine in two separate bags. Agents also located a firearm, digital scales, and additional unused distribution baggies. Galloway and McKenzie were indicted by a federal grand jury and they subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Arnett of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case. *An earlier press release dated February 14, 2024, mistakenly stated the substance at issue was a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The press release should have only referenced methamphetamine.


title: DeKalb, Ill. Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children

body_text: ROCKFORD — A DeKalb, Ill. man was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children. MARQUESE CANNON was 22 years old in 2022 when he began communicating online with a 12-year-old girl. The conversations began on Snapchat and continued through text messaging and phone calls. During these communications, Cannon enticed the victim into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos of herself. Cannon instructed the girl on what type of sexually explicit conduct should be portrayed in the photos and videos. In addition to those videos and photos, Cannon also possessed on his phone a collection of hundreds of images of other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Cannon pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the prison term and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Judge Johnston also ordered Cannon to pay $34,000 in restitution to six victims. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr. Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The DeKalb, Ill. Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org/ or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Las Cruces Man of Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that on Feb. 13, 2024, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Jesus Coronado, 42, of Las Cruces. The jury convicted Coronado of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Margaret I. Strickland presided. A federal grand jury returned a superseding indicted against Coronado on June 21, 2023. According to publicly available court documents, on Dec. 11, 2021, a woman was leaving a smoke shop when her former boyfriend, Coronado, pulled up next to her vehicle and brandished a firearm while making a jabbing gesture with it in her direction. Both vehicles then fled the parking lot. Officers from the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) obtained an arrest warrant for Coronado and located his vehicle at a residence in Las Cruces, but the residents told officers Coronado was not there. Officers conducted sporadic surveillance of the residence for the next several days until they observed a male matching Coronado’s description in the driveway on Dec. 13, 2021. The officer commanded the male to stop, but he appeared to flee into the residence instead. Officers set up a perimeter around the residence and called for the residents to exit. Two women and another male obeyed the commands and the male told officers that Coronado had not entered the residence but had actually gone around the back. An officer holding the perimeter in the neighbor’s backyard climbed onto the fence separating the properties and observed a firearm on the roof of the residence. Sometime later, a neighbor called LCPD to report that a male matching Coronado’s description was hiding behind a wall across the street. At that time, officers located Coronado hiding behind a small cinderblock wall on a nearby property and arrested him. Subsequent DNA testing on the firearm matched Coronado’s DNA. As a previously convicted felon, Coronado knew that he could not possess a firearm and ammunition. Coronado will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been set. At sentencing, Coronado faces 10 years in prison. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher McNair and Richard Williams are prosecuting the case. # # # 24-74


title: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty for Intending to Traffic Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. John Barber, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. The defendant was indicted on September 6, 2022, but pleaded guilty to a superseding information that included an additional drug charge. On February 23, 2022, a New Hampshire State Trooper stopped a car in Concord on Interstate 93, in which the defendant was a passenger. After the driver gave consent to search the car, law enforcement found numerous plastic baggies, a digital scale and a locked zipper pouch in the vicinity of the defendant. The pouch was later searched pursuant to a warrant and contained roughly 45 grams of methamphetamine and 130 grams of fentanyl. The defendant was carrying $3000 in cash, and he admitted that he intended to distribute the pouch of drugs to someone else. Later, on August 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of the defendant’s camper in Manchester and found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine in a plastic bag containing other smaller baggies. The defendant admitted the methamphetamine was his. The method of packaging and quantity of methamphetamine is indicative of distribution. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Daviess County Felon for Firearms Offenses

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on February 14, 2024, charging a Daviess County felon with false statements made in acquisition of a firearm, receipt of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement. According to the indictment, on January 3, 2024, Ronald Joseph Philpot, 53, made false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. Specifically, Philpot stated he was not under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not a convicted felon, when in fact as he knew he was a convicted felon currently under indictment for another felony offense. On January 9, 2024, Philpot then received, and was in possession of, a Taurus 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. Philpot was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On May 1, 2018, in Ohio Circuit Court, Philpot was convicted of possession of a controlled substance, first offense, (methamphetamine). On April 28, 2015, in Ohio Circuit Court, Philpot was convicted of flagrant nonsupport. On April 14, 2008, in Ohio Circuit Court, Philpot was convicted flagrant nonsupport. On May 16, 1990, in Ohio Circuit Court, Philpot was convicted of burglary in the third degree. Philpot was previously arrested on a criminal complaint and will make his initial court appearance on the indictment before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky later. He remains in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Philpot faces a maximum sentence of 30 years 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. The case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, 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. ###