title: Superseding Indictment Charges Wisconsin Man with Sex and Labor Trafficking, Production of Child Pornography and Money Laundering

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin returned a superseding indictment charging a Wisconsin man with labor and sex trafficking, production of child pornography and money laundering. The superseding nine-count indictment charges Austin Koeckeritz, 29, with forced labor, sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of a minor, interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, producing child pornography and three counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that between August 2020 and August 2022, Koeckeritz used force to cause an adult to engage in forced labor and to engage in commercial sex acts. The indictment further alleges that he recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a minor, knowing she would be caused to engage in commercial sex acts; that he traveled in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the minor; and that he transported the minor from Minnesota to Wisconsin with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity which constituted second degree sexual assault of a child under Wisconsin law. The indictment also alleges that Koeckeritz used the minor to produce child pornography. The offenses involving the minor are alleged to have occurred between October 2021 to January 2022. Finally, the indictment charges Koeckeritz with three counts of laundering the proceeds of the alleged forced labor and sex trafficking. Koeckeritz was previously charged with one count of forced labor in an indictment returned by the grand jury on Jan. 12. He is being held in federal custody pending trial, which is scheduled for May 8 before U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. The forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, and the sex trafficking by force charge and the production of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of life. The charge of interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor carries a maximum penalty of 30 years, and the sex trafficking of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life. The maximum penalty for each money laundering charge is 20 years. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Milwaukee Field Office and the River Falls Police Department investigated the case. The Pierce County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Slava Kuperstein and Julie Pfluger of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. The FBI is asking anyone with information about Austin Koeckeritz to contact the FBI Milwaukee Field Office at (414) 276-4684. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .


title: Former Department of State Employee Sentenced for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Minors in the Philippines

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A former U.S. Department of State employee was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. According to court documents, Dean Edward Cheves, 63, served at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines from 2017 to 2021. From December 2020 to March 2021, Cheves used a messaging application installed on his cell phone to chat with a 15- to 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he paid to create and send to him sexually explicit images of the minor. Additionally, in February 2021, Cheves engaged in sex acts on two separate occasions with another 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he met online. Cheves used his government-issued cell phone to film the sex acts on at least one of those occasions. The child sex abuse material that Cheves produced was found on the phone after it was seized from Cheves’ embassy residence in the Philippines. Cheves knew the ages of both minors at the time he engaged in the conduct. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement. The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the DSS Regional Security Office, Homeland Security Investigations Attaché’s Office in the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Pomerantz Halper and Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Superseding Indictment Charges River Falls Man With Sex and Labor Trafficking, Production of Child Pornography & Money Laundering

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging a River Falls, Wisconsin man with labor and sex trafficking, production of child pornography, and money laundering. The superseding nine-count indictment charges Austin Koeckeritz, 29, with forced labor, sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking of a minor, interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, producing child pornography and three counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that between August 2020 and August 2022, Koeckeritz used force to cause an adult to engage in forced labor and that he used force to cause this person to engage in commercial sex acts. The indictment further alleges that he recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a minor, knowing she would be caused to engage in commercial sex acts, that he traveled in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the minor and that he transported the minor from Minnesota to Wisconsin with the intent that the minor engaged in sexual activity which constituted second degree sexual assault of a child under Wisconsin law. The indictment also alleges that Koeckeritz used the minor to produce child pornography. The offenses involving the minor are alleged to have occurred between October 2021 to January 2022. Finally, the indictment charges Koeckeritz with three counts of laundering the proceeds of the alleged forced labor and sex trafficking. Koeckeritz previously was charged with one count of forced labor in an indictment returned by the grand jury on January 12. He is being held in federal custody pending trial, which is scheduled for May 8 before U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. The forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, and the sex trafficking by force charge and the production of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of life. The charge of interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor carries a maximum penalty of 30 years, and the sex trafficking of a minor and transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life. The maximum penalty for each money laundering charge is 20 years. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Timothy M. O’Shea and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Milwaukee Field Office and the River Falls Police Department investigated the case. The Pierce County District Attorney’s Office provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Slava Kuperstein and Julie Pfluger of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. The FBI is asking anyone with information about Austin Koeckeritz to contact the FBI Milwaukee Field Office at (414) 276-4684. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .


title: Justice Department Commemorates the 60th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright

component: Office for Access to Justice

body_text: The Justice Department today commemorates the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright , the landmark Supreme Court decision which held that the assistance of counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial, and that the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments require states to appoint attorneys for defendants who cannot afford to retain counsel on their own. The Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) is leading this effort by elevating the right to counsel and the importance of public defenders throughout the month of March. “With its decision in Gideon , the Supreme Court transformed the American legal system by renewing the foundational promise of equal justice under law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “There is still so much more work to be done to make the promise of Gideon real. The Justice Department recognizes the urgency and seriousness of these challenges. And we are committed to doing all we can to support our colleagues who have devoted their careers to public defense.” “Twenty-five years ago today, former Attorney General Janet Reno, for whom I had the privilege of working, recognized that rigorous application of the Gideon decision secures the ‘fundamental fairness and accuracy of every criminal proceeding, ’ ” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Those words ring equally true today, as we strive to enhance access to counsel throughout the Bureau of Prisons and recognize the extraordinary contributions of hard-working public defenders and panel attorneys across this country.” “Defending those accused of crimes is not just a nice thing to do, it is a constitutional requirement,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “That constitutional requirement helps ensure fairness and legitimacy — and for that reason, every actor in the criminal justice system should be invested in the work of public defenders. The Department of Justice stands with and is taking concrete steps to support public defenders as we work to make real the promise the Gideon decision made 60 years ago.” Leading up to the anniversary on Saturday, March 18, ATJ, in partnership with Justice Department officials, launched a National Public Defense Day Tour focused on the appreciation and recognition of public defense. Through the Tour, the Department aimed to demonstrate commitment and responsiveness to concerns related to indigent defense in many communities. The National Public Defense Day Tour stops included: Miami – Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, joined by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and ATJ Director Rachel Rossi, launched the tour in Miami, where they met with federal and local public defenders and discussed barriers to access to counsel in detention facilities. The Deputy Attorney General announced a comprehensive, 100-day review to ensure consistent, timely access to counsel in Bureau of Prisons pretrial facilities. Tulsa, Oklahoma – Director Rossi met with the organization Still She Rises and local public defenders to discuss racial equity and holistic defense models of public defense. Muscogee (Creek) Nation – Director Rossi visited Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General Geri Wisner and tribal defenders to discuss unique issues in public defense in Tribal jurisdictions. Las Vegas – Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada joined Director Rossi at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada to discuss with law students the importance of public defense careers. Both announced a collaborative effort with ATJ and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development and Training program to visit with and learn about Ghana’s legal aid commission and the commission’s public defender division, and to consider the possibility of study exchange visits to the United States. Director Rossi also announced that ATJ will soon launch a series of visits with law schools across the country to promote public defense careers. Nashville, Tennessee – Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs joined Director Rossi to visit with members of the Public Defender Forensic Social Work Program and Nashville Public Defenders to discuss resource needs, and to announce the issuance of a joint dear colleague letter encouraging use of Byrne-JAG federal grant funding to resource public defense. Des Moines, Iowa – Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa joined Director Rossi where they met with the Iowa State Public Defender and contract attorneys to explore the needs of bar panel and contract defense attorneys, learn about issues faced by rural defenders, and discuss the assessment of fees for public defense services. “On this 60th anniversary of Gideon , the Department is elevating the perspectives and experiences of public defense professionals and impacted communities across the country,” said Director Rossi. “As the principal advisor to the Department on the Sixth Amendment, ATJ will fulfill its mission by continuing to center these voices.” To conclude the National Public Defense Day Tour, the Justice Department will hold a reception at the Department of Justice with over 100 attendees from various public defender offices, public defense organizations, judicial officers and court staff, government officials, and international partners. The reception, which can be viewed live , will feature remarks from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, ATJ Director Rachel Rossi, and the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Virginia Juval Scott.


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to Hold Annual Spring Enforcers Summit

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will cohost the second Spring Enforcers Summit on Monday, March 27. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and Chair Lina M. Khan of the FTC, as well as senior staff from both agencies, will gather with international enforcers and state attorneys general to discuss enforcement priorities and strategies for effective coordination. The summit will be held in a hybrid format, with international enforcers and state attorneys general participating in-person, and a livestream option for virtual participation in the day’s plenary interviews and panel discussions. “The global nature of our economy necessitates a vibrant and substantive exchange of ideas among antitrust and competition law enforcement authorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kanter. “We look forward to sharing our priorities with fellow enforcement officials and the public directly.” “At the second annual Enforcers Summit, we’ll identify top enforcement priorities and share progress on our agenda,” said FTC Chair Khan. “As we sharpen our tools to tackle today’s challenges, deepening cooperation with state and international enforcement partners is critical.” The Enforcers Summit, which will take place in person at the RFK Main Justice Building of the Department of Justice, will include interviews of high-ranking officials; publicly streamed plenary sessions discussing merger review and monopolization cases; and closed-door, in-person discussions to facilitate the sharing of feedback and ideas. The event will highlight global, federal, and state perspectives on merger review and monopolization, including remedies, rollup strategies, and other pre-commercial activities; procurement collusion; and unfair methods of competition. The Enforcers Summit agenda is currently available at https://www.justice.gov/atr/spring-2023-enforcers-summit , and instructions for livestreaming the program will be made available on our web page shortly before the event.


title: Good Samaritan Helps Apprehend Armed Man Brandishing Two Loaded Guns In Manhattan

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of JASON FLEMING after he brandished a loaded semiautomatic Hi-Point carbine rifle and a loaded Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver in broad daylight after a dispute in a bodega in Chelsea. FLEMING was arrested after a civilian, seeing FLEMING running down the street with a revolver in his hand as police were chasing him, stood in FLEMING’s way and pushed him into a nearby fence and then held onto him until police officers, who were still in pursuit, placed FLEMING under arrest. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant illegally brandished two loaded firearms in broad daylight on a Manhattan street, one of which was a carbine rifle, frightening numerous New Yorkers, including a child. Thanks to our law enforcement partners and the heroic efforts of a Good Samaritan, the defendant was apprehended before he could hurt anyone, and his weapons are now off the streets.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “HSI special agents are committed to public safety and do not hesitate to act when members of the community are threatened. I am proud of our agents’ hard work and efforts with the rapid apprehension of this criminal and the follow-on investigative support provided to the New York City Police Department. HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to our law enforcement partners in the cause of community safety.” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: "The firearms allegedly displayed by the defendant in this case have no place on the streets of New York City. The NYPD will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who uses these illegal weapons to threaten the people we serve, and we will employ every resource available to hold them fully accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, and everyone else who aided in this arrest." According to the allegations in the Complaint: [1] On or about March 16, 2023, JASON FLEMING entered a crowded bodega in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan after having a verbal dispute with a man. FLEMING then stood in the doorway of the bodega and flashed a handgun as a girl attempted to leave the bodega. The child then ran away from the store when she was able to pass by FLEMING onto the sidewalk. The surveillance video then shows FLEMING outside the bodega and pulling back his coat momentarily to reveal a rifle that had been swung over his shoulder. Police officers then approached FLEMING after a witness called 911, and FLEMING took off running down the sidewalk. While running, FLEMING brandished a semiautomatic carbine rifle in broad daylight while frightened civilians began running away from him, as seen in the below screenshots from surveillance videos: FLEMING then threw the rifle over a fence near where customers were dining at a restaurant’s outdoor dining shed. Law enforcement officers recovered the rifle and found that it was a loaded semiautomatic Hi-Point carbine rifle, a photograph of which is below: Meanwhile, after throwing the rifle, FLEMING brandished a revolver and continued running down the street, with police officers in foot pursuit. A nearby civilian, seeing FLEMING running down the street with a revolver in his hand, stood in FLEMING’s way and pushed him into a nearby fence and then held onto him until police officers, who were still in pursuit, placed FLEMING under arrest and handcuffed him. A screenshot of FLEMING, brandishing the revolver after the civilian made contact with him, is below, along with a photograph of the revolver: FLEMING was not permitted to possess firearms because of his two prior felony convictions for unlawful firearms possession. * * * JASON FLEMING, 39, of New York, New York, is charged with possession of firearms after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for its assistance in this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Herman is in charge of the prosecution. 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: Queens Man Sentenced To 121 Months In Prison For Laundering Millions Of Dollars Of Fraud And Hacking Schemes And Committing Bank Fraud

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DJONIBEK RAHMANKULOV was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for laundering millions of dollars in criminal proceeds obtained from computer hacking, healthcare fraud, and Small Business Administration loan fraud, as well as operating an international unlicensed money transmitting business. The defendant was convicted at trial on September 1, 2022, of money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Djonibek Rahmankulov laundered money for a living. He exploited the financial system to launder millions of dollars from multiple fraudulent schemes and repeatedly lied to banks to operate his illegal enterprise. Once caught — and even after he was convicted — the defendant continued to show that he believed he was above the law by threatening a witness and submitting false information to the Court. Today’s sentence reflects that this Office will find and prosecute those who seek to abuse the U.S. financial system to launder dirty money.” According to the superseding Indictment, evidence at trial, and statements made in Court: Between 2017 and September 2020, RAHMANKULOV operated a network of shell companies that were used to launder millions of dollars of criminal proceeds from multiple types of criminal activity. RAHMANKULOV worked with computer hackers who fraudulently gained control of the bank accounts of victims located throughout the United States and executed millions of dollars in fraudulent wire transfers into bank accounts opened by RAHMANKULOV and his co-conspirators. RAHMANKULOV received wire transfers into bank accounts he created and bank accounts he instructed others to create and laundered these proceeds through multiple additional bank accounts to prevent the victims and the banks from recovering the stolen funds. In addition, RAHMANKULOV worked with a network of pharmacies engaged in Medicare and Medicaid fraud. These pharmacies submitted millions of dollars of fraudulent billing for HIV medications that they did not dispense or obtained illegally, including by repurchasing medications from HIV patients who were Medicaid recipients. RAHMANKULOV created companies to receive these criminal proceeds from the pharmacies and laundered them through a variety of means, including by using them to fund an unlicensed money transmitting business that illegally moved money to and from multiple countries, including Iran. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, RAHMANKULOV filed fraudulent applications for COVID relief loans from the Small Business Administration for multiple companies he controlled. He laundered the proceeds of loans and grants through these companies. RAHMANKULOV also made a number of materially false statements to financial institutions in connection with his money laundering schemes, both when opening bank accounts and when executing financial transactions with those bank accounts. RAHMANKULOV sought to obstruct justice during the pendency of his case. In the months before trial, RAHMANKULOV instructed a witness to lie to law enforcement. When the witness later informed RAHMANKULOV that the witness would tell the truth to law enforcement, RAHMANKULOV threatened the witness, stating, among other things, that if he went to prison, “I will drag all of you with me, and once you are there, then I will have my revenge.” Nonetheless, the witness testified at trial. RAHMANKULOV continued seeking to obstruct justice after his conviction. In advance of his sentencing, he submitted multiple letters to the Court purporting to show support from members of the community, but two of these letters were in fact fraudulent and had not been written by the purported authors. * * * In addition to the prison term, RAHMANKULOV, 35, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. RAHMANKULOV was further ordered to pay a forfeiture of $5,413,278 and a $40,000 fine. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Money Laundering Investigation Squad. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel, Thane Rehn, and Samuel Raymond, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Nerlande Pierre, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Serial Rapist Sentenced for 2007 and 2010 Home Invasion Sexual Assaults of Women in Northwest D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: Defendant Was Convicted in Separate Trials WASHINGTON – Ronald P. Berton, Jr., 48, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to two life sentences for home invasion sexual assaults committed in 2007 and 2010. Berton was sentenced to life without the possibility of release plus 27 years for a June 2010 home invasion and sexual assault of an adult woman; and to life without the possibility of release for the October 2007 home invasion and sexual assault of another adult woman. Both victims were strangers to Berton. The sentences, which will run consecutively to each other, were announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In the case from 2010, Berton was found guilty, in February of 2023, of first-degree burglary, kidnapping, first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to commit first degree sexual abuse, and attempted first degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. In the 2007 case, Berton was found guilty, in March of 2020, of kidnapping and first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. “This sentence helps to ensure that a very dangerous sexual predator will not roam our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “This office truly appreciates the courage it took for each survivor to come forward and testify about their ordeal in a courtroom full of strangers, particularly after so many years had passed. Their strength has undoubtedly saved others from falling prey to this serial offender. The people in this office will do everything possible to get justice for victims of sexual assault.” “Every survivor deserves justice, and I’m pleased that, through the hard work of our officers, detectives, attorneys, and other law enforcement partners, our criminal justice system has delivered it to these two women,” said Chief Contee. “The Metropolitan Police Department is committed to closing every case, no matter how long it takes.” According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on June 12, 2010, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the victim was at home sleeping in her ground level apartment in Adams Morgan. Berton, who was a stranger to the victim, entered her home and proceeded into her bedroom where he stood over her. The victim woke up and the defendant restrained her and sexually assaulted her. The victim fought back, ultimately collecting the defendant’s DNA underneath the fingernails of both her hands. After the assault, Berton stole the victim’s phone and fled. The defendant used the victim’s stolen SIM card, which he placed into a different handset, to call an acquaintance five hours later. The victim ran to a firehouse immediately after the assault and reported the offenses. MPD responded promptly and a crime scene technician swabbed under her fingernails for possible DNA. The fingernail swabs were tested in 2010 and resulted in a partial DNA profile of the defendant under her left hand fingernails and a more complete profile under her right hand fingernails. Berton was developed as a suspect in this case in approximately 2017, when detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit identified him as the suspect in a 2007 home invasion sexual assault. In that case, Berton had entered the ground level Adams Morgan apartment of a 27 year-old woman who was sleeping. The defendant restrained and sexually assaulted her and then stole her phone and fled. The victim obtained an immediate Sexual Assault Examination and reported the offenses to police. Berton was later identified as the perpetrator of this offense by his DNA profile. He was convicted of the 2007 crimes in a March 2020 trial, in which the jury found him guilty of kidnapping and first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. Berton also has a 2014 rape conviction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Arlington County. In that case, in September 2010, Berton entered the ground level apartment of a woman who was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. After the assault, the defendant stole two cell phones and a laptop and fled. He was later identified as the perpetrator through DNA. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart Allen, Dan Lenerz, Nick Coleman, Bryan Han, Chrisellen Kolb, and Sharon Donovan; Lisa Kreeger-Norman, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Paralegal Specialists Cynthia Muhammad, Garcia Clarke, and Tiffany Jones; Lead Paralegal Specialist Michelle Wicker; and Victim/Witness Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Kern and Amy Zubrensky, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Former Memphis Attorney Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Former Memphis attorney, Leigh M. Chiles, 49, pled guilty in connection with a scheme to defraud an estate over which she was appointed to serve as executrix. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today. According to U.S. Attorney Ritz, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Chiles in July 2022. Based on the charges and information presented in court today, Chiles, currently of Little Rock, Arkansas, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Annie T. Christoff and entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. In September 2018, Chiles was appointed to serve as executrix over an estate opened in Shelby County Probate Court. In connection with her duties Chiles was responsible for collecting estate assets and distributing them to heirs and beneficiaries. In violation of her fiduciary duty, Chiles used approximately $124,000 in estate funds to write checks to herself and to pay her personal credit card between November 2018 and June 2019. A sentencing hearing is currently set before United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. on July 17, 2023, where Chiles faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III is prosecuting this case. ### For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.


title: Omaha Woman Sentenced for Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy and Straw Purchase of Firearms

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

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Rachel L. Stewart, 33, of Omaha, was sentenced on March 16, 2023, by the Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to a total of 30 months’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and to False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm (straw purchase). After her release from prison, Stewart will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Stewart also previously forfeited $6,310 cash, a gold Rolex watch, a diamond encrusted necklace, and a 2019 Audi Q8 vehicle, all of which were seized by law enforcement as proceeds of drug trafficking. During approximately May 2019 to October 2021, Stewart conspired with others to distribute at least 80 kilograms but less than 100 kilograms of marijuana. During August 2020 to March 2021, Stewart also purchased three handguns for a confederate but falsely stated the firearms were for her. Law enforcement later recovered all three firearms. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Omaha Police Department.


title: Alma Woman Sentenced to 30 Months for Possession of Stolen Firearms

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Erin Leigh Gehrig, 41, of Alma, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 30 months’ imprisonment following her conviction for possession of stolen firearms. After she completes her prison sentence, Gehrig will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gehrig pleaded guilty to the offense on October 13, 2022. A home in Bertrand, Nebraska, was burglarized on April 13, 2021. The victim of the burglary is related to Gehrig. Fourteen firearms were taken in the burglary. Gehrig later told police that another person approached her and said he wanted to steal firearms. Gehrig told that person about the residence in Bertrand, and allowed that person to use her minivan. That person later returned, and the 14 stolen firearms were in the back of the minivan. Gehrig arranged for the sale of the stolen firearms for $1,500 to two other persons. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home of the purchasers. Thirteen of the 14 stolen firearms were recovered when that home was searched. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Kearney Police Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Lincoln Man Enters Guilty Plea to Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs Resulting in Serious Bodily Injuries

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that George Lesley Weaver, Jr., 37, of Lincoln, Nebraska, entered a guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms, (11 pounds), or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, 400 grams, (approximately 14 ounces), or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and 50 kilograms, (110 pounds), or more of marijuana in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska between June and September of 2021. Co-defendant, Anna Idigima, 37, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty to the same charge on February 14, 2023. Beginning in about June of 2021, Idigima, at that time employed as a Nebraska State Patrol stored evidence room employee in Lincoln, began stealing drugs held as evidence in completed cases which were awaiting destruction orders. She provided these drugs to her boyfriend, Weaver, who then sold them in Lincoln. An audit of the State Patrol storage areas where Idigima had access showed the following approximate totals of drugs were missing: marijuana - 154 pounds; cocaine - 9 pounds; fentanyl - 6 pounds; heroin - 10 pounds; methamphetamine - 3 pounds; THC - 32 pounds; along with numerous THC vape cartridges and assorted prescription drugs. In August of 2021, investigators found drug-related conversations and a photo of several large bags of marijuana in Weaver’s SnapChat Account. One of the bags had a piece of red evidence tape on it which matched evidence tape used by the State Patrol. A Lincoln apartment rented by Weaver was also searched, resulting in the finding of residue containing cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Investigators were able to link overdoses suffered by three persons to cocaine and fentanyl stolen from the State Patrol by Idigima and sold to others by Weaver. All three victims required the administration of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan. Two required CPR, and all three were hospitalized. A physician specializing in emergency room medicine and toxicology found all three would have been at substantial risk of dying from the use of cocaine laced with fentanyl if they had not received the Narcan. The victims told investigators they bought what they believed to be cocaine just prior to their respective overdoses and provided the names of the persons they bought the drugs from. Those persons were arrested and told investigators they bought the drugs from Weaver. Information provided to law enforcement indicated Weaver sold large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs in the summer of 2021, and Idigima was directly involved in the sale of pills. Idigima is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, 2023, and Weaver is scheduled for sentencing on June 16, 2023. Both face mandatory minimum prison sentences of 20 years in prison with a maximum of life. There is no parole in the federal system. This matter was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Nebraska City Police Department, the Saline County Sheriff’s Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department.


title: Terry Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of a Minor

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Terry man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. James Mickel Holman II, 34, was sentenced on March 16, 2023 in U.S. District Court in Jackson. In addition to his 10 year term of imprisonment, Holman must register as a sex offender. In August of 2020, agents with the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office received information that a minor was being used in commercial sexual activities in the Jackson Metro area. On August 17, 2020, James Mickel Holman II was arrested at the Econo Lodge Motel in Jackson. Holman had previously transported the minor from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson with the intent of the minor performing sexual acts for money. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Jack Morrow, 54 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Morrow was sentenced to 135 months in prison to be followed by 8 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between April 20, 2022, and May 11, 2022, Morrow was communicating on social media with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female. During the course of the online communications, Morrow sent very graphic messages about the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her. After arrangements were made to meet for sex at a park in Allen County, Morrow was arrested when he arrived at the park. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Allen County Sheriff's Department and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery. ###


title: Fentanyl distributors sentenced to federal prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Geno Demons, Jr., and Raymond Dexter Hicks, have been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. “Demons and Hicks were involved in the distribution of large quantities of fentanyl, a drug that is steadily funneling poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “These sentences reflect the societal danger posed by this illicit drug and the seriousness with which the courts treat those who traffic it.” “These two defendants directly contributed to the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic by pushing the dangerous drug fentanyl,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division. “They’ve now been brought to justice and will face significant time behind bars.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2021, the DEA, using an undercover agent, met with Demons and Hicks, who were attempting to sell two kilograms of fentanyl. Special agents arrested the men following the meeting. The investigators recovered loaded pistols from both men during their arrests, as well as two kilograms of fentanyl in Hicks’ car. The investigation revealed that Demons was working for a Mexico-based source of supply and distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl with Hicks. Both men admitted to conducting multiple additional drug transactions as part of the charged conspiracy. Geno Demons, Jr., 38, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced on March 9, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen, to 12 years, seven months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Demons pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, on November 14, 2022. Raymond Dexter Hicks, 59, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., on January 17, 2023, to six years, six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hicks also pleaded guilty to the offense of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, on July 23, 2021. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cal Leipold prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Houston Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic 13-Year-Old Female into The New Orleans Area to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CHELSE GEE , age 19, from Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023 before United States District Sarah S. Vance to a one-count bill of information charging her with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1591(a). The charges stem from GEE’S role in recruiting and bringing a thirteen-year-old female from Houston to New Orleans in June 2021 for the purpose of her engaging in commercial sex acts. According to court documents, GEE met her co-conspirator, Randi Lewis (a/k/a “Teddy,” a/k/a “Teddy P.”), when she was about sixteen years old. Lewis recruited GEE to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction, and she complied. Lewis also instituted a series of rules GEE was to follow, including how to behave, what to wear, with whom she was allowed to interact ( i.e. , look at and speak to), as well as how much she was expected to earn from engaging in daily commercial sex acts. Lewis routinely tracked GEE’s location using a location sharing cellular phone application. Lewis also regularly engaged in sexual acts with GEE and used violence and threats of violence against her. Together, Lewis and GEE met the victim, who was thirteen years old, in the Houston, Texas area not later than June 21, 2021. GEE recruited the victim to perform commercial sex acts under Lewis’ s direction and introduced the victim to Lewis. Lewis and GEE gave the victim instruction and guidance on matters related to successful performance of commercial sex activities, including ways to behave, what to wear, how to identify and avoid law enforcement, and how to best solicit commercial sex customers. The victim agreed, and Lewis arranged for he, GEE , and the victim to travel to New Orleans on a Greyhound bus for the purpose of his co-conspirator and the victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Between June 22, 2021, and June 24, 2021, GEE and the victim performed multiple commercial sex acts in the New Orleans area. Lewis required the victim to turn over to Lewis most, if not all, of the money she earned from commercial sex acts . Acting at Lewis’s direction, GEE and the victim solicited commercial sex “dates” in several ways. First, they walked along streets soliciting customers. Additionally, Lewis created and caused to be created advertisements on an online classified ad service, commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money. Through this online ad service, Lewis received telephone calls, text messages, and messages via social media applications inquiring about, scheduling, and arranging prostitution dates with his co-conspirator and the victim. Lewis arranged for sexually explicit pictures of the victim to be used in the advertisements. GEE and Lewis also gave the victim illicit and mood-altering drugs, including marijuana, to numb her senses, control her behavior, and/or to encourage her to engage in commercial sex acts. Law enforcement authorities recovered the victim at a hotel in Terrytown, Louisiana, on June 24, 2021. Lewis pleaded guilty to his role in trafficking the victim in November 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2023. GEE faces a maximum of five (5) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. GEE may also be required to register as a sex offender and make restitution payments to the victim. GEE’s sentencing has also been scheduled for June 14, 2023, at 10:30 am before Judge Vance. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity and Monetary Penalty and Recovery Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Albuquerque man sentenced to ten years in prison for assault and firearms violations

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 today that Byron Rosetta was sentenced to ten years and one day in prison. Rosetta, 38, of Albuquerque, and an enrolled member of the Kewa Pueblo, pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022, to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on January 3, 2020, law enforcement began receiving reports of seemingly indiscriminate shooting incidents along Interstate 25 between Bernalillo, New Mexico, and the Kewa Pueblo. Eventually, law enforcement determined that a Kewa man, Byron Rosetta, was responsible for the shootings. Between January 3, 2020, and April 4, 2020, law enforcement determined that Rosetta shot from his vehicle and from the roadside at several drivers near I-25. Rosetta used various firearms, including a .38 caliber pistol. Several victims suffered injuries and damage to their windshields and other parts of their vehicles. On April 4, 2020, Rosetta fired a shotgun at a vehicle traveling south on I-25 through the Kewa Pueblo, and the driver of the vehicle was struck in the face by birdshot. Rosetta then shot an ambulance from Santo Domingo Pueblo that responded to a 911 call for the incident. Despite damage to the ambulance windshield, paramedics continued their service and transported the occupants of the first vehicle to the University of New Mexico Hospital. On April 5, 2020, Rosetta was driving on State Road 22 on the Kewa Pueblo in Sandoval County, New Mexico, when he shot a passing vehicle, narrowly missing the unsuspecting driver. The driver reported the incident to law enforcement, and agents were able to identify Rosetta’s vehicle in surveillance footage. On April 9, New Mexico State Police officers executed a search warrant on Rosetta’s residence. During the search, officers located a handgun, a shotgun, and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Rosetta will be subject to five years of supervised release. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-52


title: Alexandria Small Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $900,000 Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to filing a false individual income tax return for the 2016 tax year. According to court documents, Samer Najia was the owner and operator of Najia Systems, an information technology consultancy located in Alexandria. From 2012 to 2018, Najia knowingly filed false individual income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that fraudulently represented that he had paid $229,279 in individual income taxes, when in fact he still owed that money to the IRS. To conceal the fraud, Najia provided false wage and tax statements to his accountant that misrepresented the taxes that he had paid to the IRS. In addition to filing false individual tax returns, from 2012 through 2018, Najia willfully failed to satisfy his employment tax responsibilities. As the owner and operator of Najia Systems, Najia had an obligation to file employment tax returns. Despite knowing about this duty, Najia did not file employment tax returns for more than 24 quarters. Further, Najia was responsible for withholding and paying payroll taxes to the IRS. This consists of an employee portion comprised of Medicare, Social Security, and federal income taxes, and an employer portion comprised of Medicare and Social Security taxes. Despite collecting taxes from his employees, Najia did not timely pay either the employee or employer portions of the employment taxes to the IRS, resulting in a tax loss of $915,671. Najia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen McCarthy are prosecuting 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. 1:23-cr-45.


title: Health Care Staffing Executive Indicted For Fixing Wages Of Nurses

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment yesterday charging a health care staffing executive with conspiring to fix the wages of Las Vegas nurses, in violation of the Sherman Act. According to the one-count felony indictment, Eduardo Lopez, of Las Vegas, held executive positions at three different home health agencies. For each company, Lopez oversaw recruitment, hiring, retention and assignments of nurses and other health care staff. Lopez and other unnamed co-conspirators are charged with agreeing to suppress and eliminate competition for the services of nurses between March 2016 and May 2019. Specifically, Lopez and his co-conspirators are charged with participating in a series of meetings and communications to fix wages of nurses. “Wage fixing is a crime that deprives workers of hard-earned wages,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will be vigilant in protecting workers.” “We will continue to partner with the Antitrust Division and the FBI to protect the marketplace and the rights of workers to earn fair wages,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will investigate and prosecute those who engage in anticompetitive activities.” “The wage fixing alleged in this case harmed hardworking Americans and cheated them of fair opportunity and compensation,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to rooting out anti-competitive activity and corruption.” A violation of the Sherman Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum. Today’s announcement is the result of a federal investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the International Corruption Unit of the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. The charges in this case were brought in connection with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing commitment to prosecute anticompetitive conduct affecting American labor markets. Anyone with information on market allocation or price fixing by employers should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html . An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. ###


title: Houma Man Pleads Guilty To  Failure To Account for And Pay Taxes

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENE CLEMENT (“CLEMENT”) , age 76, of Houma, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on March 15, 2023 to failing to account for and pay federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202. According to court documents, CLEMENT conducted a business as a limited liability company under the name Vinyl Products, LLC. Between 2014 and 2018, CLEMENT failed to account for and pay taxes associated with Vinyl Products in the amount of approximately $750,368.68. In pleading guilty, CLEMENT faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years. Upon release from prison, CLEMENT also faces a term of supervised release up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of $10,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. He also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. The Honorable Ivan L. R. Lemelle set sentencing in this matter for June 21, 2023. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Over 900 Grams of Heroin and Fentanyl

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed over 900 grams of heroin and fentanyl and led law enforcement on a high-speed chase pled guilty in federal court on March 15, 2023. Donald Ray Owens, age 43, from Markham, Illinois, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Northern District of Iowa. In a plea agreement, Owens admitted to taking the Iowa State Patrol on a high-speed chase and, during the chase, someone threw a vacuum-sealed package out of the vehicle, which contained 975.7 grams of heroin and fentanyl. Officers also found over $17,000 in cash. Officers also recovered text messages related to possible drug transactions, photographs of controlled substances, and photographs of drug paraphernalia from Owens’s phone. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Owens remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Owens faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $8 million; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of at least eight years and up to life. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-00032-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Washington Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Identity Theft Scheme Spanning Idaho and Several Western States

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Ryan M. Tichy, 43, of Seattle, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, from at least May 2018 through November 2020, Tichy executed a scheme to defraud wherein he obtained the means of identification of many individuals and used that information to create false identification documents, open credit accounts, obtain loans, takeover existing credit accounts, and make purchases. The fraudulently-obtained means of identification included names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers. After he gathered that information, Tichy would often create a fake driver’s license using his picture but the victim’s name. Tichy travelled around Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and elsewhere to make fraudulent purchases. When law enforcement executed a search warrant on December 2, 2020, they discovered a mobile identity theft lab inside a trailer Tichy purchased using another person’s identity. The trailer contained materials, machines, computers, and printers for use in producing counterfeit identity cards and debit/credit cards. The trailer also contained foils, blank stock for driver’s licenses, an embosser, a card punch, printers, counterfeit driver’s licenses in various stages of completion, and counterfeit credit cards. Tichy has multiple prior convictions for identity theft-related crimes, including prior federal convictions for social security number fraud (Case No. 2:08-cr-00237-MJP) and possession of a document making implement, possession of counterfeit identification, and possession of stolen mail (Case No. 2:03-cr-00449-MJP). “As this case shows, identify theft is a problem that can quickly cross borders and affect many communities and victims,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am grateful for the dedicated law enforcement agents we work with who use sophisticated tools to track down these types of criminals and hold them accountable.” “Mr. Tichy is a prolific identity thief who victimized dozens of individuals and businesses after cutting off his ankle monitor while under federal supervised release following his time spent in prison for prior identify-theft related offenses,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “This sentence demonstrates our tireless commitment to hold those accountable for misusing Social Security numbers. I appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for supporting our investigation, and I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their efforts to see justice done in this case.” U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Boise Police Department, United States Marshals Service, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Edmonds Police Department, Island County Sheriff’s Office, Kirkland Police Department, Lynden Police Department, Marysville Police Department, Port of Portland Police Department, Redmond Police Department, Reno Police Department, Seattle Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, and the Union Gap Police Department, which led to the charges. ## #


title: Out-of-State Men Charged in Federal Court with Trafficking Methamphetamine in Posey County

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Jeremy Novak, 41, of Illinois and Cesar Herrera, 37, of California, have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with distribution of methamphetamine in Posey County following a months’ long investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies. According to court documents, in February of 2023, the Posey County Drug Task Force and Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an investigation into Jeremy Novak and Cesar Herrera’s methamphetamine trafficking activities. Herrera served as the supplier, obtaining the methamphetamine from California, which Novak then distributed in and around Posey County. On three separate occasions between February 27, 2023, and March 10, 2023, investigators observed Novak sell four pounds of crystal methamphetamine to another individual for a total of $19,000. The drug deals occurred in a parked vehicle at a Dollar General Store in Poseyville, Indiana. On March 10, 2023, members of the DEA, Posey County Drug Task Force, Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and Indiana State Police took Novak and Herrera into custody. During a search of the vehicle Novak used for dealing, officers found $11,100 and three vacuum sealed bags containing a total of over three pounds of methamphetamine. If convicted on all counts, both Novak and Herrera face up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The driver of the vehicle, Christina Alumbaugh, was also arrested and charged in Posey County Circuit Court with Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 Felony. Alumbaugh is being prosecuted by the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office and faces 10 to 30 years in state prison. Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, Tom Latham, Posey County Sheriff, Thomas E. Clowers, Prosecuting Attorney for the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office, Billy Bolin, Chief of Evansville Police Department, and Doug Carter, Indiana State Police Superintendent made the announcement. The investigation is being led by the DEA, Posey County Drug Task Force, Posey County Sheriff’s Office, the Evansville Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who is prosecuting this case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Financial Manager Sentenced to 21 Months Imprisonment for  Embezzling Over $200,000 From Employer

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – KATIE LAROCHE , age 54, a resident of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced on March 15, 2023 to 21 months in prison for wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, LAROCHE created, owned, and operated a business, Capital City Consulting Firm, that purported to provide financial management services. Victim 1 was a client of LAROCHE’s , and LAROCHE was responsible for performing bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial services for Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses. LAROCHE had signatory authority and access to Victim 1’s bank accounts. From about February 2015 through March 2021, LAROCHE engaged in a scheme to defraud Victim 1 and Victim 1’s businesses by withdrawing funds from Victim 1’s accounts under false pretenses and using the funds for her own benefit. Specifically, LAROCHE falsely represented that the funds were being used to pay federal income taxes. When Victim 1 asked LAROCHE about the status of Victim 1’s tax obligations, LAROCHE lied to Victim 1 to hide her scheme. LAROCHE also arranged for monthly payments to be automatically withdrawn from Victim 1’s account without Victim 1’s knowledge or consent to pay for an automobile insurance policy benefitting someone other than Victim 1. In total, LAROCHE embezzled $233,363.53 from Victim 1. Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced LAROCHE to 21 months in prison, a fine of $250,000, a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, (3) three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment. A restitution hearing will be held on a later date. “There is no tolerance in our community for criminals like Ms. LaRoche, who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her long-time client, betraying that client’s trust to benefit herself,” said Leslie Pichon, U.S. Secret Service New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Secret Service will do everything it can to hold individuals like Ms. LaRoche accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Securities Fraud Fugitive Arrested and Returned to the United States

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former North Carolina resident appeared in court after he was arrested and returned to the United States from Phuket, Thailand, for his role in a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Peter Coker Jr., 53, of Phuket, was charged in a 12-count indictment with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, and conspiracy to manipulate securities prices. Coker Jr., who was previously arrested in Phuket, Thailand, was returned to the United States today and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court on March 15, 2023. He was detained without bail. Peter Coker Sr. and James Patten were previously arrested on the indictment and those charges remain pending. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 through September 2022, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities. The defendants targeted two publicly traded companies – Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp. – which were both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit. In 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, almost immediately after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them. In October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Shortly thereafter, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. undertook a scheme to gain control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management. Once the defendants gained control of Hometown International and E-Waste’s shares, they arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares. The defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information in order to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction. These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by approximately 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by approximately 19,900 percent. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to manipulate securities prices both carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense whichever is greatest. In a separate civil action, the Securities and Exchange Commission previously filed a complaint in the District of New Jersey charging Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. based on the allegations underlying the market manipulation scheme. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, and Lauren Repole, Chief of the General Crimes Unit. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. coker.indictment.pdf


title: Man who supplied stolen firearms used in Billings casino robbery sentenced to 37 months in prison

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — A man who admitted to illegally possessing firearms after he supplied two stolen guns to two women, who robbed a Billings liquor store and later ditched them at an elementary school playground, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Darwin Dalton Sutherland, 29, a transient, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in March 2022, Sutherland participated in a residential burglary in which 12 firearms were stolen. Sutherland admitted he possessed all 12 stolen firearms and that he gave two of them to two women, Makayla Fetter and Taliah Ramirez, who then robbed a Billings casino at gunpoint. Sutherland was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony conviction for burglary in Cascade County. After the robbery, Fetter and Ramirez attempted to flee law enforcement, crashed their car on property at Ponderosa Elementary School and ditched the stolen firearms on the playground. Officers recovered one of the firearms, while the next day, a student found the second gun. Fetter was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, and Ramirez was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for convictions related to the armed robbery. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Woodland Hills Man Arrested in Federal Case Alleging He Extorted ‘Protection’ Money from Koreatown Businesses

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Authorities this morning arrested a Woodland Hills man on federal charges that allege he was extorting “protection” money from Koreatown businesses, sometimes using acts of violence against individuals who refused to pay. Daekun Cho, 38, was arrested by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers from the Los Angeles Police Department pursuant to a federal criminal complaint filed last week. The complaint charges Cho with interference with commerce by threats or violence. Cho is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The federal investigation in this case began about a year ago and found that Cho was demanding protection money from karaoke businesses in Koreatown, as well as from “doumi” – or hostesses – employed by patrons of the karaoke establishments. “To further his extortion scheme, Cho committed shootings, a carjacking, a kidnapping, and other acts of physical violence,” according to the complaint affidavit. “Cho made explicit threatening statements to the doumi drivers and karaoke bar owners to get them to pay a monthly fee.” The affidavit outlines physical attacks of four victims over the past year and discusses another victim who was threatened. The first victim discussed in the affidavit was a doumi driver, who, after refusing to pay the protection money after a price increase, was subject to a baseball bat beating, allegedly by Cho and another individual, on May 8, 2021. The victim suffered a broken arm and multiple lacerations, the affidavit states. In another incident on August 5, 2022, at a karaoke bar, Cho demanded that a doumi driver leave the location, and, as the driver and two doumis were driving away, they heard gunshots and one of the doumis suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, according to the affidavit, which notes this incident remains under investigation by the LAPD. The fifth victim, who reported he had been paying Cho for approximately four years, told investigators that he had decided to stop paying Cho before Cho allegedly assaulted him and stole approximately $1,000 from him on January 24. The affidavit details how that victim, working with law enforcement, made an extortionate $500 payment to Cho on February 16. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charge of interference with commerce by threats or violence carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. HSI and the LAPD are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jena MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Co-Conspirator of Tucson Amtrak Shooter Pleads Guilty

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Devonte Okeith Mathis, 24, of Mesquite, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Sentencing is scheduled for May 24, 2023, before United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez. On October 4, 2021, Mathis and his co-conspirator were traveling together aboard an Amtrak train in Tucson, Arizona, when his co-conspirator shot and killed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Michael Garbo aboard the train. His co-conspirator also shot and injured a second DEA Special Agent and a DEA Task Force Officer. The co-conspirator died on the scene. Mathis admitted, in pleading guilty, that he knew that his co-conspirator possessed two handguns. He also admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable that his co-conspirator would possess the firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking conspiracy, and that he would carry and use the two handguns during and in relation to their drug trafficking conspiracy. “Yesterday was an important step in securing justice on behalf of a federal law enforcement agent,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We await the sentencing in this matter. In the meantime, we celebrate Michael Garbo’s life of service, we mourn with his family and his colleagues at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we remember his end of watch on October 4, 2021.” A conviction for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana carries a maximum penalty of a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, to run consecutive to all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-2714-TUC-RM-MSA RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-035_Mathis # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news


title: Union County Man Admits Role in Scheme to Steal Mail, Commit Credit Card Fraud, and Defraud United States

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in a scheme to receive stolen credit cards and pandemic relief debit cards sent through the mail, commit bank fraud, and defraud the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Justin Brooks, 23, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi on March 15, 2023, to three counts of an indictment charging him with: one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, and to defraud the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury; one count of receiving stolen mail; and one count of bank fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From July 2019 to Oct. 6, 2020, Books and his conspirators obtained credit cards stolen from the U.S. mail from a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, fraudulently activated those credit cards, and then used those credit cards to make and attempt to make purchases without the cardholders’ authorization. The victims have incurred approximately $70,000 in losses from fraudulent purchases made using their stolen credit cards. Brooks also schemed to fraudulently use over $13,000 of funds pre-loaded onto Economic Impact Payment (EIP) cards issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and sent in the U.S. mail pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), that were also stolen from the mail. The CARES Act authorized EIP payments structured as one-time refundable tax credits to certain eligible taxpayers of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, and up to $500 for each qualifying child. The goal of this part of their fraud was for the conspirators to unlawfully obtain the government funds pre-loaded onto these cards. The conspiracy and possession of mail theft charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. The bank fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2023. Brooks originally was charged with Jarid Brooks, 29, Kyle Williams, 37, and Kyjuan Hutchins, 23, also of Vauxhall, in October 2020. Jarid Brooks’ case is pending before Judge Cecchi, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Williams has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and was sentenced. Hutchins has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and is awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the Caldwell Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Boonton Police Department, and the Millburn Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the Criminal Division in Newark. brooks.indictment.pdf


title: Convicted Child Molester Is Found Guilty Of Naturalization Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte convicted Gregory Maxwell Palmer, 48, a naturalized citizen of Jamaica, of naturalization fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney presided over the two-day trial which ended yesterday evening. Sean Ervin, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division (ICE-ERO) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. “Palmer used lies and deceit to cheat his way into an American citizenship,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s guilty verdict holds Palmer accountable for his actions and sends a warning message to those who attempt to compromise the integrity of our naturalization process and violate our country’s immigration laws: You will not go unpunished.” “Palmer’s attempts to exploit our nation’s immigration system have been discovered and now he faces the consequences of his actions,” said Director Ervin. “ERO and its law enforcement partners will continue to target those who seek to violate the sanctity of the U.S. immigration system.” According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, in 2008, while Palmer was residing in Gastonia, N.C., he sexually abused a minor. Palmer later obtained his U.S. citizenship fraudulently by providing materially false information on his citizenship application. Trial evidence established that, during the naturalization process, Palmer lied about his criminal history, and failed to admit that prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child. According to trial evidence, on May 5, 2011, Palmer submitted an application for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). Palmer lied on the application form by responding “No” to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Palmer signed the form under penalty of perjury, and certified that his answers were true and correct. On October 5, 2011, Palmer appeared at the CIS office in Charlotte for a naturalization interview. During the interview, Palmer swore under oath that his responses on the naturalization application were true and that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. On October 20, 2011, Palmer participated in a naturalization ceremony at the CIS office in Charlotte and was granted U.S. citizenship. According to court records, on June 6, 2013, in the Gaston County Superior Court, Palmer pleaded guilty to attempted statutory rape and was ordered to serve between 157 and 198 months in prison. Palmer admitted to having committed the crime on June 17, 2008, by taking advantage of a position of trust with a minor victim. Palmer was not arrested for the crime until after he became a naturalized citizen. Court documents show that while Palmer was going through the naturalization process, immigration officials were not aware of his criminal actions. Palmer is currently serving a state prison sentence. The maximum penalty for unlawful procurement of citizenship is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked ICE-ERO for their investigation of the case and credited Operation False Haven , which led to Palmer’s conviction. False Haven is an ongoing ERO initiative purpose-built to identify individuals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Smith and Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Man admits sexually abusing minor boy on Crow Indian Reservation

body_text: BILLINGS — A man admitted today that he sexually abused a boy in Lodge Grass, on the Crow Indian Reservation in 2021, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nathaniel Bartell Plainbull, 34, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with sexual abuse of a minor. Plainbull faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Plainbull’s release was continued pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in June 2021, Plainbull and others were drinking and socializing at various locations on the Crow Indian Reservation. Eventually, the group returned to a home in Lodge Grass where some continued to drink. One of the individuals, a woman, tried to open a bedroom door but found it locked and went to sleep in the living room. The woman tried the bedroom door later, opened it and saw Plainbull, naked, on the bed with the victim, identified as John Doe, who was under the age of 16 at the time. The woman ultimately reported to law enforcement in March 2022 what she had seen in June 2021 while being interviewed on another matter. FBI agents interviewed John Doe, who described sexual abuse by Plainbull. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI. XXX


title: Owner of Boston Pizzeria Chain Arrested on Forced Labor Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza was arrested this morning on forced labor charges for allegedly employing a victim who lacked immigration status and forcing him to work for years while threatening him with deportation and subjecting him to repeated verbal and physical abuse. Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 47, of Westwood, was charged with one count of forced labor. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, Papantoniadis was detained pending a detention hearing set for March 20, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. “Forced labor is a form of human trafficking. It is not a wage dispute. If someone is being compelled to work through the use of force, threats of force, or coercion, that is a federal crime. We allege that Mr. Papantoniadis compelled and threatened victims to work against their will using fear, violence and the threat of deportation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The allegations in this case are horrific. Nobody has the right to violently kick, slap, punch or choke anyone, and certainly not an employer to an employee. This case illustrates the manipulative, violent and abusive tactics some employers utilize for their own greed and financial gain. Labor trafficking is real and happening every day in Massachusetts and beyond. We are working hard to expose this disturbing crime and to hold those that abuse and traffic people accountable. We ask anyone with information about this or other alleged trafficking violations to contact our office.” “Stavros Papantoniadis is alleged to have underpaid, threatened, and physically assaulted his employees, creating a climate of fear,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating labor trafficking and bringing to justice those who use force, fraud, or coercion to force people to work.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. According to court documents, Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias which has locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell and Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery) and Wareham, Mass. Over the course of several years, Papantoniadis allegedly targeted victims who lacked immigration status, employed them at depressed wages and demanded that they work, in most cases, six to seven days per week, at times for far more than eight hours per day and often without breaks or overtime compensation. Papantoniadis also allegedly withheld wages. It is further alleged that Papantoniadis routinely threatened to have employees deported from the United States and used violence and threats to scare victims and ensure that they complied with his excessive workplace demands. According to the charging documents, Victim 1 worked at Stash’s Pizza from 2001 to 2015. During his time there, it is alleged that Papantoniadis repeatedly made derogatory comments about Victim 1’s religion and violently attacked Victim 1 several times. On one occasion when Victim 1 missed a day of work, Papantoniadis allegedly responded by pushing him to the floor and calling him a “f*cking Muslim.” Another time, it is alleged that Papantoniadis kicked Victim 1 in the genital, causing Victim 1 to suffer severe pain. When Victim 1 sought medical treatment, Papantoniadis threatened to kill Victim 1 or report him to immigration authorities if he did not return to work. On another occasions, Papantoniadis allegedly slapped and choked Victim 1 and broke Victim 1’s teeth, causing Victim 1 to have teeth removed and causing him to wear dentures. According to court documents, as a result of the threats and violence, Victim 1 feared Papantoniadis and kept working for him at Stash’s Pizza. Other former Stash’s Pizza employees disclosed additional information about Papantoniadis’ threats and violence. It is alleged that when one victim planned to quit, Papantoniadis told him that he was not going to leave and subsequently attacked the victim, forcing him to run to safety in the parking lot. When another victim intended to quit, Papantoniadis allegedly made a false police report, falsely stating that the victim had hit his car and left the scene of the accident after leaving Stash’s Pizza’s Norwood location. As a result, the victim was pulled over and cited by police. The charge of forced labor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 5 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Members of the public who believe they be a victim of this case or have any relevant information related to this case please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of Rollins’ Civil Rights & Human Trafficking 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.