title: Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for A Day of Learning

body_text: BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) The BLAST Program Brings Law Enforcement and Communities Together TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, and Leon High School will present a BLAST event at Leon High School on Thursday, November 7. The BLAST event offers students an opportunity to meet and ask questions of prosecutors and law enforcement officers. The program is based on the belief that young people and law enforcement officers can benefit from spending time together discussing challenges and perspectives on law enforcement to reach a better understanding of each other. This productive interaction enhances relationships and replaces doubt with familiarity and trust. During the three-hour program, law enforcement officers share the challenges in responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the actions officers and civilians can take to de-escalate situations. Agencies participating in the program include the ATF, DEA, FBI, United States Marshals Service, and the Tallahassee Police Department. Members of the media are welcome to attend and photograph/video most segments of the BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Police and Community) program. Event: BLAST (Building Lasting Relationships Between Law Enforcement and Community) Location: Leon High School 550 East Tennessee Street Tallahassee, FL 32308 Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024 Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST Media: Please RSVP to chris.canova@usdoj.gov if you plan to attend. The BLAST program schedule includes the following discussion sessions, during which students have a chance to participate in role-play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified) • Federal Crimes Scenario: Students evaluate video scenarios and learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted. • Domestic Response / K-9 Demonstration: Students participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. The discussion includes the challenges officers face, the rights of witnesses and suspects, and the benefits of providing information to law enforcement. Officers explain the role and capabilities of police K9s. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted. • Traffic Stop Simulation: Students and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. The discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media, and videography and photography are permitted. • Use of Force : Facilitators and students discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends. • The Way Forward - Returning from Prison: A formerly incarcerated individual shares his journey from prison to a productive citizen. The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.


title: Bellair Man Indicted For Covid Loan Fraud Using Deceased Former Business Partner’s Identity

component: Fiscalía Federal - Florida, Distrito Sur

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Stephen L. Gurba (68, Belleair) with wire fraud, making a false statement to a financial institution, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Gurba faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of wire fraud (2 counts), 30 years in prison on the false statement count, and a 2-year mandatory term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts). The indictment also notifies Gurba that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $1.2 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. According to court documents, between March and June 2020, Gurba submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and supporting documentation on behalf of Big Red Express Trucking, LLC and Zenith Express, LLC. To obtain approval and funding for the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans, Gurba fraudulently assumed the identity of his former business partner who passed away in 2019, listed his former business partner’s name, signature, and other means of identification on the EIDL loan applications certifying under criminal penalty that the applications were true and correct. Gurba also used his deceased business partner’s name and forged his signature on the EIDL loan authorization agreements and loan notes he submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA). During post-loan related communications with the SBA, Gurba continued to impersonate his deceased business partner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Gurba induced the SBA to approve and fund the Big Red and Zenith EIDL loans. Additionally, Gurba applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf a Big Red from an SBA authorized financial institution. Gurba certified and signed under criminal penalty that all the PPP loan proceeds would be spent on payroll, mortgages, rent, or other SBA authorized expenses. In reality, Gurba used the majority of the PPP proceeds to enrich himself, family members, payoff unrelated business debts, and other impermissible expenses. As a result of Gurba’s false statement, the financial institution approved and funded a $955,448.75 PPP loan to Big Red. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Association – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form .


title: Sarasota Man Sentenced To Nine Years For Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition As A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced John Lewis (34, Sarasota) to nine years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Lewis to forfeit a HS Produkt (a/k/a “IM Metal”) 9mm model XDS pistol and assorted ammunition, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Lewis entered a guilty plea on August 6, 2024. According to court documents, at approximately 2 a.m. on November 30, 2023, a deputy with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office observed an SUV being driven by Lewis run a red light while traveling more than 100 mph. Despite running over stop sticks deployed by law enforcement, Lewis continued driving recklessly at a high rate of speed. Lewis then lost control of the SUV while going over the south bridge near the Isle of Venice and crashed, coming to a stop in the middle of the bridge. Lewis then fled from the SUV and jumped off the bridge, losing a sandal in the process. Lewis landed on the Venetian Waterway Trail instead of in the Venetian Waterway and continued to flee from law enforcement despite sustaining injuries from the impact. A matching sandal and a black semi-automatic firearm containing four rounds of live ammunition were located on the Venetian Waterway Trail and Lewis was located nearby in a shed. Forensic testing further corroborated Lewis’s possession of the firearm. Lewis has previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a juvenile delinquent, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, grand theft of a firearm, possession of cocaine, interference with child custody, and fleeing or attempting to elude. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Venice Police Department, and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke M. Padgett. 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: Detroit Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shakur Jones, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Jones was the supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine base, and fentanyl for a drug trafficking conspiracy in Monongalia County, West Virginia. The investigation uncovered over a kilogram of methamphetamine in a residence in Morgantown. A photograph of 10 pounds of prepackaged methamphetamine was found on Jones’s phone. Three other defendants, Nolan Eickleberry, 27, of Morgantown; John Thomas 46, of Morgantown; and Dorian Myles, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, have each admitted to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Eickleberry was sentenced in August 2024 to 87 months in prison. Thomas and Myles are awaiting sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute Tapentadol, Marijuana and Drug Trafficking Related Firearm Possession

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KENDRICK WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”) , age 20, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on October 22, 2024 to possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and, possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D); and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). According to court documents, WILLIAMS advertised the sale of tapentadol and marijuana on social media. Law enforcement officers executed two search warrants at WILLIAMS ’s residence and recovered over 800 tapentadol pills, one pound of marijuana, two Glock Model handguns with extended magazines, and over $9,000 in cash. As to each of his drug trafficking convictions, WILLIAMS faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each individual count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Sentenced to 40 Years on  Child Exploitation, Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia, was sentenced recently to 40 years in federal prison on a series of federal charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography. Davey Jonathan Sisk, 30, of Culpeper, Virginia, pled guilty in June to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography. According to court documents, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual, Anna Layher, to create videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and then send to him. These videos and photos involved victims as young as three years old. Anna Layher, who was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia for her role in sexually exploiting these victims, also received a 40-year sentence in September 2024. In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a 12-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying over $450 through Cash App to the 12-year-old minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan prosecuted the case. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fraudulent Tax Preparer Sentenced to Ten Years on Federal Charges

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke woman who prepared and filed false tax returns for others, committed wire fraud, distributed fentanyl, and illegally sold firearms, was sentenced last week to 120 months in federal prison. Alisha Warrick, 40, pled guilty in November 2023 to filing a false and fictitious claim against the United States, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents, beginning in 2015 and continuing at least through 2019, Warrick prepared and filed tax returns for other individuals, and she deliberately included false and fraudulent information in the tax returns. As part of this scheme, Warrick would "boost" the tax returns she filed on behalf of other individuals by including false employment and wage information or false information about the named filer's dependents, or both. Warrick knew the information was false when she submitted the tax returns. Warrick also filed tax returns for certain individuals without their knowledge, and used those individuals' names and personal identifying information to file the tax returns. While on bond pending trial, Warrick arranged with a confidential informant to sell the informant heroin (which later testing showed to contain fentanyl), and two firearms, one of which was connected to a prior fatal shooting in the Roanoke area. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanagh and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement today. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.


title: New England Doctor Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New England doctor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. This is the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the Justice Department’s New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. “The defendant, a medical doctor based in New England, prescribed drugs to vulnerable patients in exchange for cash, knowing the patients were diverting the drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases brought by the New England Strike Force, including today’s conviction, demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to holding accountable medical professionals who endanger local communities by putting profits above their patients’ wellbeing.” “When we announced the creation of the New England Strike Force, we said we would be focusing on medical professionals who put profits over their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Khan is an example of that — a bad apple in a profession that takes an oath to uphold ethical standards and treat patients as you would want to be treated. Putting profits over patients is a severe violation of that oath, and, in this case, a violation of federal criminal law. Today’s guilty plea is another step in holding Khan liable for his illegal conduct.” According to court documents, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 48, of Grantham, New Hampshire, conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics in New England that purportedly provided clinical treatment services for persons suffering from substance use disorder. Khan and a co-conspirator prescribed controlled substances to NEMCA patients despite knowing that their patients were diverting the prescriptions. Khan admitted that he and others required cash for purported office visits to received controlled substance prescriptions and falsified medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices. During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a Justice Department press release announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force, a law enforcement partnership whose purpose is to identify and prosecute health care fraud and other criminal schemes impacting the New England region. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that [references in the release to] ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that “there is a new task force…[for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds irresponsib[ly], etc.” Khan warned his staff that “[i]t is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.” Khan then ordered his staff “NOT to engage or discuss anything [with the New England Strike Force] about NEMCA, what we do, what we offer, fees, etc.” “Rather than providing responsible addiction treatment to his patients, Khan ran his medical practice with the corruption and recklessness of a common drug dealer,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “His actions put patients and the community at risk. Today’s guilty plea is the result of a coordinated effort with our law enforcement partners as we continue our fight against addiction and the opioid epidemic.” “Khan and his co-conspirator exploited vulnerable patients and cashed in on the very dependencies he was entrusted to treat,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Today’s plea proves he is no better than a street level drug dealer motivated by pure greed as opposed to the oath he took to ‘first, do no harm’ to his patients. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and bring to justice any practitioner looking to line their pockets in complete disregard for patient welfare and viability of our healthcare framework.” “Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical practitioners,” said Acting Diversion Program Manager George J. Lutz Jr. of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New England Field Division. “Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be fully investigated by the DEA. Today’s guilty plea reinforces the value of the coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners working alongside prosecutors to hold corrupt and reckless practitioners accountable for their actions.” “So many Vermonters have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, which is why we must hold bad actors accountable, particularly physicians who use their prescribing power and their positions of authority to profit from their patients’ pain and suffering,” said Vermont Attorney General Charity R. Clark on behalf of the office’s Medicaid Fraud & Residential Abuse Unit. “I am proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice in this effort.” Khan and a co-conspirator required patients — many of whom were economically disadvantaged — to pay $250 cash in exchange for drug prescriptions, despite many of these patients’ having health care benefit coverage. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan would lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription. Khan then used funds that he earned from these patients to, among other things, purchase an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank. Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator discussed their concern that, because pharmacies were no longer willing to fill the prescriptions, NEMCA might lose “dishonest” patients who were “selling their meds.” Khan said that their “honest patients” were “the smaller part of [NEMCA’s] clientele” and advised a co-conspirator that “it’s the diverters [of the drugs that] we need to try to figure out a way to retain.” A co-conspirator emailed Khan, suggesting that they give $100 “scholarships” to patients who owed them money. Khan responded he was “[s]tuck on ‘who’ should get them. S[******] patients owe me so much that $100 won’t even put a dent on their account and they probably won’t appreciate it. Maybe the borderline ones who are just over the $250 threshold? They would probably get on their knees in gratitude.” Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date. Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As a condition of Khan’s release, he is prohibited from writing prescriptions for controlled substances. The HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . The Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from HHS-OIG under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $409,870 for federal fiscal year 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont. Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.


title: Unprovoked Killing of a Young Man in Northeast Results in a Guilty Plea

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Grayton, 42, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court, in connection with a July 2024 homicide of Danzell Hall in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Grayton pleaded guilty on November 1, 2024, before D.C. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan to one count of second-degree murder while armed. Judge Raffinan set a sentencing date of April 25, 2025. Although this charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Grayton faces a sentence range of between 14 and 26 years under the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines. Grayton was arrested on August 20, 2024, and has been detained ever since. According to court documents, at approximately 2:52 am, on Friday, July 12, 2024, members of MPD’s Fifth District responded to the 1500 Block of Benning Road, Northeast, where they located Mr. Danzell Hall, unconscious and unresponsive on the sidewalk, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and after finding no signs consistent with life, Mr. Hall was pronounced dead at 2:54 am. The decedent remained on the scene until being transported to the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The cause of death was later determined to be a gunshot wound to the back and the manner of death ruled as a homicide. During the investigation MPD personnel reviewed CCTV video from the surrounding areas and identified the defendant as the perpetrator. MPD sought and received an arrest warrant for Grayton and on August 20, 2024, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) located and arrested him. This case was investigated by MPD’s Homicide Division and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nebiyu Feleke.


title: Romanian Nationals Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – COSTEL ALIMAN (“ALIMAN”) and SABINA MUNTEANU (“MUNTEANU”) , citizens of Romania, were indicted on November 1, 2024, for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, ALIMAN reentered the United States illegally after being previously deported on January 9, 2019, and MUNTEANU reentered the United States illegally after being previously deported on October 4, 2017. If convicted, ALIMAN and MUNTEANU face up to 2 years imprisonment, up to 1 year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Repeat Sex Offender Found Guilty of Possession of Child Pornography by a Federal Jury

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a repeat sex offender for the possession of child sexual abuse material. Daniel David Egli, 50, of South Jordan, Utah, was indicted for possession of child pornography by a federal grand jury in June 2022. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Egli’s was first convicted of possession of child sexual abuse material in 2004 and then again in 2010. In addition, he has had several violations of the conditions of his supervised release. Most recently, in the spring of 2021, while Egli was serving another term of federal supervision, he again violated his conditions of release. During a routine check by his probation officer, law enforcement found Egli possessed an unauthorized laptop and smart phone. These unauthorized devices were seized, along with other unauthorized electronic devices. Subsequently, in May 2021 a warrant was issued for Egli’s arrest, and he was taken into custody. A search of his residence at that time revealed additional unauthorized electronic devices. Further investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Intermountain West Regional Computer Forensic Lab of the electronic evidence demonstrated that Egli had accessed, viewed, and possessed nearly 500 images of child sexual abuse material, which led to the June 2022 federal charge. Egli’s sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. The United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Rapid City Woman Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Facilitating Live Broadcast of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on October 31, 2024. Krystal Kay Bulin, 30, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $3,000 in restitution to her victim. Bulin will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. A federal grand jury indicted Bulin in November of 2023 for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a Parent or Guardian and Aiding and Abetting Distribution of Child Pornography. She pleaded guilty on August 2, 2024. The investigation began when a concerned citizen alerted law enforcement after observing a 16-year-old minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct while broadcasting on the online streaming platform “BuzzCast.” The South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force determined the minor lived in Rapid City, and that the defendant was facilitating the livestream in order to make money for a speeding ticket she received. The defendant, the victim’s temporary guardian, repeatedly typed messages to viewers and moderated the chat room in which viewers were watching and commenting on the minor’s exploitation in real time. One of the viewers sent the defendant $100 via CashApp as payment for the child pornography he watched of the victim. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Rapid City Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Bulin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Minnesota and South Dakota Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Throughout the Sioux Falls Area

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Worthington, Minnesota, man and a Brandon, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Keophothone Rounoubon, age 31, was sentenced on April 16, 2024, to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Tremaine Vang Sihavong, age 35, was sentenced on October 28, 2024, to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Rounoubon and Sihavong were indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. Rounoubon pleaded guilty on January 26, 2024, and Sihavong pleaded guilty on August 16, 2024. Starting in approximately 2020 and ending in approximately 2023, these two defendants agreed together and with others to sell methamphetamine throughout the Sioux Falls area. The conspiracy involved tens of pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Rounoubon and Sihavong were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving their sentences.


title: Blackhawk Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for More Than 26 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Blackhawk, South Dakota, man, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Darin Wherley, age 38, was sentenced on November 1, 2024, to 26 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Wherley was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2024. Wherley’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in western South Dakota. During this conspiracy Wherley would supply thousands of dollars to Mark Bond to purchase large amounts of methamphetamine from his Colorado sources, Richard Glover and Teresa Goodroad. Once the drugs were in South Dakota, it would be distributed by various individuals. Between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of this criminal enterprise. “Darin Wherley was involved in a drug conspiracy that brought nearly 100 pounds of methamphetamine into western South Dakota, including into the Pine Ridge Reservation,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His 26-year sentence and the sentences handed down to his co-conspirators reflect not only the seriousness of the crimes committed, but also the persistence of the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force to locate, investigate, and hold accountable those who peddle illicit substances in our South Dakota communities.” Glover, Goodroad, Bond, and others part of this conspiracy were sentenced earlier this summer. Glover and Goodroad both received sentences of 17 years and six months in prison and Bond received a sentence of 26 years and eight months in prison. This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case. Wherley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.


component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – A New England doctor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. This is the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the Justice Department’s New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. “The defendant, a medical doctor based in New England, prescribed drugs to vulnerable patients in exchange for cash, knowing the patients were diverting the drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases brought by the New England Strike Force, including today’s conviction, demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to holding accountable medical professionals who endanger local communities by putting profits above their patients’ wellbeing.” “When we announced the creation of the New England Strike Force, we said we would be focusing on medical professionals who put profits over their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Khan is an example of that — a bad apple in a profession that takes an oath to uphold ethical standards and treat patients as you would want to be treated. Putting profits over patients is a severe violation of that oath, and, in this case, a violation of federal criminal law. Today’s guilty plea is another step in holding Khan liable for his illegal conduct.” According to court documents, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 48, of Grantham, New Hampshire, conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics in New England that purportedly provided clinical treatment services for persons suffering from substance use disorder. Khan and a co-conspirator prescribed controlled substances to NEMCA patients despite knowing that their patients were diverting the prescriptions. Khan admitted that he and others required cash for purported office visits to received controlled substance prescriptions and falsified medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices. During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a Justice Department press release announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force, a law enforcement partnership whose purpose is to identify and prosecute health care fraud and other criminal schemes impacting the New England region. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that [references in the release to] ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that “there is a new task force…[for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds irresponsib[ly], etc.” Khan warned his staff that “[i]t is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.” Khan then ordered his staff “NOT to engage or discuss anything [with the New England Strike Force] about NEMCA, what we do, what we offer, fees, etc.” “Rather than providing responsible addiction treatment to his patients, Khan ran his medical practice with the corruption and recklessness of a common drug dealer,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “His actions put patients and the community at risk. Today’s guilty plea is the result of a coordinated effort with our law enforcement partners as we continue our fight against addiction and the opioid epidemic.” “Khan and his co-conspirator exploited vulnerable patients and cashed in on the very dependencies he was entrusted to treat,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Today’s plea proves he is no better than a street level drug dealer motivated by pure greed as opposed to the oath he took to ‘first, do no harm’ to his patients. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and bring to justice any practitioner looking to line their pockets in complete disregard for patient welfare and viability of our healthcare framework.” “Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical practitioners,” said Acting Diversion Program Manager George J. Lutz Jr. of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New England Field Division. “Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be fully investigated by the DEA. Today’s guilty plea reinforces the value of the coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners working alongside prosecutors to hold corrupt and reckless practitioners accountable for their actions.” “So many Vermonters have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, which is why we must hold bad actors accountable, particularly physicians who use their prescribing power and their positions of authority to profit from their patients’ pain and suffering,” said Vermont Attorney General Charity R. Clark on behalf of the office’s Medicaid Fraud & Residential Abuse Unit. “I am proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice in this effort.” Khan and a co-conspirator required patients — many of whom were economically disadvantaged — to pay $250 cash in exchange for drug prescriptions, despite many of these patients’ having health care benefit coverage. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan would lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription. Khan then used funds that he earned from these patients to, among other things, purchase an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank. Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator discussed their concern that, because pharmacies were no longer willing to fill the prescriptions, NEMCA might lose “dishonest” patients who were “selling their meds.” Khan said that their “honest patients” were “the smaller part of [NEMCA’s] clientele” and advised a co-conspirator that “it’s the diverters [of the drugs that] we need to try to figure out a way to retain.” A co-conspirator emailed Khan, suggesting that they give $100 “scholarships” to patients who owed them money. Khan responded he was “[s]tuck on ‘who’ should get them. S[******] patients owe me so much that $100 won’t even put a dent on their account and they probably won’t appreciate it. Maybe the borderline ones who are just over the $250 threshold? They would probably get on their knees in gratitude.” Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date. Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As a condition of Khan’s release, he is prohibited from writing prescriptions for controlled substances. The HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit investigated the case. The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . The Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from HHS-OIG under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $409,870 for federal fiscal year 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont. Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.


title: Florida Man Indicted for Posting Threats on the Internet

body_text: An indictment was unsealed charging Nathaniel James Holmes, 51, of Jacksonville, Florida, with four counts of transmitting interstate threats to injury other persons. If convicted on all counts, Holmes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, on four dates in October, Holmes transmitted threats to injure others, including threats to kill three particular victims, the children of one victim, and Jewish and African American individuals generally. A federal grand jury charged Holmes in a sealed indictment on Oct. 24. He was arrested on Nov. 1, made his initial appearance in court, and ordered detained pending a competency evaluation. The FBI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Michael J. Coolican for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the Justice Department's National Security Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Indictment


title: Colorado Residents Accused of Destroying Historical Site at National Park Face Federal Charges

body_text: MOAB, Utah – Two Colorado residents were charged by misdemeanor information today, alleging they trespassed, disrupted, and stole from the historic Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park, located in the District of Utah. According to court documents, on March 23, 2024, Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado, entered a fenced-off area of Canyonlands National Park where they then handled and stole numerous historic artifacts preserved in the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp. This historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area, which McKnight and Spencer disregarded. McKnight and Spencer are charged with theft of government property, less than one thousand dollars; possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources; and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource. McKnight and Spencer's initial appearance for the misdemeanor information will be scheduled for a later date at the United States District Court in Moab. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the National Park Service (NPS). Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. An information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Telehealth Company Cerebral Agrees to Pay Over $3.6 Million in Connection with Business Practices that Encouraged the Unauthorized Distribution of Controlled Substances

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Anne Millgram, Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced today that the online mental healthcare company Cerebral, Inc. (Cerebral) has entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (the Office), and has agreed to pay more than $3.6 million for engaging in practices that encouraged the unauthorized distribution of controlled substances from 2019 to 2022. An additional fine against Cerebral has been deferred in light of the company’s current financial condition. Under the terms of the NPA, Cerebral agreed to forfeit $3,652,000 to the United States. The NPA requires Cerebral to continue to cooperate with and provide information to the United States for at least the 30-month term of the agreement. The NPA also requires Cerebral to pay a fine of $2,922,000, which the Office has determined that Cerebral does not currently have the ability to pay; as a result, it will be deferred for the term of the NPA, and waived at the expiration of the NPA if Cerebral is in compliance with the NPA and unless the Office determines that Cerebral’s financial performance has changed such that payment of all or a portion of the fine would be warranted. In the event that Cerebral violates the NPA, the Office may prosecute Cerebral for any of the conduct that gave rise to the NPA and any newly discovered criminal activity. “People seeking care for their mental health conditions should receive high-quality care that is not motivated or driven by greed,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Cerebral sought to increase its bottom line by increasing the prescription of drugs, including controlled substances that can be highly addictive and dangerous. Since my Office’s investigation came to Cerebral’s attention, the company has cooperated fully and taken significant steps to remediate the institutional failures that allowed this situation to occur in the first place. This resolution ensures that Cerebral will be financially accountable for its unacceptable conduct and serves as a reminder to the healthcare industry that my Office is committed to ensuring patient safety and protecting the public from business practices like those of Cerebral.” “Today’s settlement holds Cerebral responsible for their failure to protect patients from the harms caused by the unnecessary or overprescribing of potentially-addictive ADHD medications,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Cerebral’s exploitation of telemedicine flexibilities deceived patients who were legitimately seeking medical care, putting them at risk in exchange for profit. DEA remains committed to telemedicine accessibility that supports the health of all patients while also ensuring that telemedicine companies and practitioners prioritize patient health and safety above all else.” Cerebral’s Operations Cerebral is an online mental health company that operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer business. Since October 2019, Cerebral has promoted or sold subscription services offering online health care treatment, including mental health treatment and medication management services, through its online platforms, to hundreds of thousands of patients struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Cerebral generated revenue by offering tiered monthly subscription plans to its patients. Certain of Cerebral’s subscription plans offered patients the ability to obtain medication from Cerebral’s treatment providers. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was one of the mental health conditions Cerebral offered treatment for. Cerebral first launched its ADHD line of service in or around February 2021 and began offering ADHD treatment services to the public across the United States, rolling services out on a state-by-state basis. Cerebral’s ADHD services were perceived to be a profitable line of business with the potential to increase patient retention at the company. Beginning in October 2020, Cerebral expanded its medication offerings to include controlled substances. In addition, beginning in February 2021, Cerebral permitted its treatment providers to prescribe stimulant medication, such as Adderall, to its patients. Prescription stimulants, such as Adderall, are Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act. Cerebral’s Prescription Practices Between February 2021 and October 2022, Cerebral instituted internal measures to increase the prescriptions of medications with the goal of boosting patient retention and, by extension, Cerebral’s revenue. Cerebral monitored the rates at which its providers prescribed medications, including controlled substances, primarily through two metrics which measured: (1) the number of drug prescriptions issued to patients who enrolled in a medication management subscription plan after their first 30-minute telehealth visit (the Initial Visit Rx Rate); and (2) the number of stimulant prescriptions prescribed to patients diagnosed with ADHD who had no comorbidities (the ADHD Stimulant Rx Metric). Cerebral did not consult with any members of its clinical advisory board—which included multiple experts in the fields of psychology and psychiatry—prior to implementing targeted campaigns to improve both metrics. Between May 2021 and May 2022, Cerebral sought to increase the Initial Visit Rx Rate to 95%. Cerebral recognized inherent problems with the Initial Visit Rx Rate, including the fact that the metric did not take into account whether patients were diagnosed with conditions where drug prescriptions were clinically appropriate, and that the 95% target goal was not based on any established data or benchmark in medical or scientific literature. Cerebral also recognized that there were a variety of legitimate reasons why its treatment providers would not prescribe drugs to patients immediately after the patient’s first visit, and that the Initial Visit Rx Rate could perversely incentivize its treatment providers into prescribing medication that was not necessary. Nonetheless, the company reviewed treatment providers’ performance using the Initial Visit Rx Rate and engaged in coordinated efforts to increase the Initial Visit Rx Rate, including by implementing a bonus structure that awarded bonuses to supervisory individuals if they increased the Initial Visit Rx metric among their supervisees; and conducting regular reviews of providers’ individual Initial Visit Rx Rate. Despite the Company’s efforts to increase its performance on the Initial Visit Rx metric, it did not improve after December 2021. Cerebral ceased using the Initial Visit metric in or about May 2022, after Cerebral’s former Chief Executive Officer was terminated. Beginning in at least October 2021, Cerebral also took initiatives to measure the percentage of controlled substances prescriptions issued to patients who had been diagnosed with ADHD without comorbidities. Cerebral subsequently developed an internal plan to increase the ADHD Stimulant Rx Metric to 100% or “near 100%” and regularly audited its providers’ ADHD prescription practices. Cerebral also considered disciplinary measures, such as issuing “flags” and “strikes,” for individuals who the company considered to be underperformers for this metric. Cerebral instituted these measures despite the fact that certain of its treatment providers had expressed concerns to Cerebral’s management about drug diversion risks with ADHD patients. Cerebral ceased all use of the ADHD Stimulant Rx Metric by October 2022. In addition to the above tactics, Cerebral also provided financial payments that incentivized its providers to issue stimulant medication for ADHD patients. Specifically, prior to May 2022, Cerebral paid its providers an additional $10 to conduct required pre-prescription checks of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP)/Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) databases. Cerebral did not compensate its providers for conducting PDMP/PMP checks for patients with any other medical diagnoses or patient needs. Cerebral’s Diversion Risks According to Cerebral’s admissions, Cerebral also did not maintain effective controls against drug diversion, even when risks of drug diversion were elevated to or acknowledged by its management. For example, Cerebral had thousands of duplicate patient accounts (i.e., multiple accounts that belonged to the same individual) that were not fully addressed internally until at least early 2022. As a result of the failure to timely identify and remove duplicate accounts, at least one patient was able to obtain stimulant prescriptions from multiple providers at Cerebral, even after having been previously flagged as having misused stimulants. As another example, prior to 2022, Cerebral also permitted drug-seeking patients who were not prescribed controlled substances in the first instance to seek reassignment to different providers. The Non-Prosecution Agreement Cerebral has agreed to forfeit $3,652,000 to the United States, which represent the amount of proceeds that could be reasonably attributed to the monthly increase in ADHD revenue generated by patients who were diagnosed with ADHD and subsequently prescribed stimulant prescriptions. Cerebral has also agreed to pay a fine of $2,922,000, which the Office has determined that Cerebral does not currently have the ability to pay; as detailed above, it will be deferred for the term of the NPA. The Office reached this resolution with Cerebral after carefully weighing all of the factors relevant to the appropriate corporate resolution. The NPA recognizes that, although Cerebral’s serious misconduct was reported to the Office before Cerebral self-disclosed it, Cerebral voluntarily took a number of substantial remedial measures beginning in May 2022 to mitigate and correct the effects of the practices described above, including terminating its former Chief Executive Officer, stopping all use of the prescription metrics described above, and improving its compliance measures. In October 2022, Cerebral voluntarily stopped prescribing controlled substances to all of its patients, and has agreed not to prescribe controlled substances in the future. Cerebral also has no prior criminal history in the United States. Furthermore, Cerebral has cooperated extensively with the Office in its investigation, including through detailed disclosures, and has agreed to continue to cooperate fully with the Office. The agreement announced today is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, Buffalo Diversion Group, Tactical Diversion Squad. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section and Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Genny Ngai, Gillian Kassner and Miranda Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of the Office’s former Paralegal Specialists Sophia Cronin, Riley Martinez and Jordi Martinez. The Defendant : CEREBRAL, INC. Claymont, Delaware cerebral_agreement.pdf


title: Turkish National Arrested for Allegedly Conspiring to Violate Venezuela-Related Sanctions

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Taskin Torlak, 37, of Turkey, was arrested in Miami, on Nov. 2 for allegedly conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions as part of a scheme to transport oil from Venezuela for the benefit of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), Venezuela’s state-owned oil and natural gas company. “As alleged, the defendant conspired to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on PdVSA, deploying deception to smuggle black-market oil from Venezuela,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those involved in criminal efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime.” “This defendant allegedly conspired to illegally sell Venezuelan oil, using deceit and trickery to hide the fact that this oil originated from Venezuela,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PdVSA, was sanctioned by the U.S. government to prevent the current regime from further depleting the nation’s resources while it unlawfully remains in power. We remain dedicated to prosecuting violations of these sanctions until the government of Venezuela takes the necessary steps for these sanctions to be lifted.” “These sanctions violations put people at risk at every step - from allegedly tampering with location devices on vessels to supplying to money to areas that will continue to engage in activity that threatens the U.S,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect the American people and the integrity of our economic and trade laws.” Torlak was arrested as he attempted to depart the United States to return to Turkey. He is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). According to the complaint, Torlak conspired with others to cause U.S. financial institutions to process transactions connected to the transport of Venezuelan oil for the benefit of PdVSA, which the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in January 2019. According to the complaint, beginning at least in or around November 2020, Torlak and others devised and implemented a complex scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions related to petroleum products from Venezuela and Iran. The scheme included obfuscating the identities of tankers moving the oil by re-naming and re-flagging vessels, covering vessel names with paint or blankets, and turning off the electronics that track vessels’ locations for the safety of ships and their crews. Torlak and his co-conspirators allegedly received tens of millions of dollars from PdVSA in payment for transporting Venezuelan oil, and hid the ultimate beneficiaries of the related transactions from U.S. financial institutions, who then unwittingly processed payments in furtherance of the scheme. The complaint further alleges that Torlak and his co-conspirators explicitly discussed the need to hide their conduct from the U.S. Government and its agencies, including OFAC, as well as commercial maritime entities. Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Sean Heiden and Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Sentenced in Dark Web Identity Theft and Retail Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Two New York men were sentenced for fraud they committed against major retailers while living in Raleigh. Kavon Kerrick Robinson, 25, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, and Christopher Anthony Hilaire, 27, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for their respective roles in the crime. Both men were also ordered to pay $32,736.74, in restitution. In July 2024, Robinson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and Hilaire pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. “Retail return frauds, including double-dipping schemes like this one, cost retailers billions of dollars in losses every year,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “These schemes drive prices higher for the rest of us and harm everyday consumers whose credit card information is stolen to facilitate the scheme. We are proud to partner with the NC Retail Merchants Association to raise awareness of these scams and bring them to a stop.” “Schemes such as retail return fraud are just one example of organized retail crime in North Carolina. North Carolina’s retailers are appreciative of U.S. Attorney Easley’s commitment to fighting organized retail crime in Eastern North Carolina and his willingness to take an aggressive stance against well-organized professional theft networks that prey on North Carolina businesses,” said Andy Ellen, president and general counsel of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association. “Organized retail crime is not only a crime against property, but a crime against people, often tied to other serious crimes such as opioids, identity theft, and human trafficking. It is very important that offenders be prosecuted to the fullest extent of North Carolina’s law for the good of the economy and the safety of our communities.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Robinson and Hilaire lived together in Raleigh from April 2022 until November 2022. During this time, Robinson would purchase stolen credit card information from the dark web using cryptocurrency. Robinson, Hilaire, and others would use that stolen information to make online purchases from a variety of major retailers (including Lowe’s Home Improvement, Home Depot, Michaels, and Walmart), restaurants, and gas stations. For items purchased from major retailers, Robinson would focus on certain items he knew he could resell. For example, Robinson purchased a large number of Google Nest thermostats from Lowe’s Home Improvement because he had a buyer for those items. Sometimes, Robinson would travel to New York to sell the items. In other instances, he would return the items to obtain a cash refund. In addition to assisting Robinson and obtaining goods for his own use, Hilaire would provide instructions to others regarding how to execute similar schemes. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe prosecuted the cases. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:23-CR-22 and 5:24-CR-46.


title: Altoona Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting and Possessing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal sex offense laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Kevin Myers, 48, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Three of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on November 1, 2024. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around December 2020 to in and around December 2021, Myers transported and possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The images were produced using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Myers. This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Orlando, Florida Man Convicted of Wire Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on Friday, November 1, 2024, Nasir Hussain, also known as “Sonu”, 31, of Orlando, Florida was convicted in U.S. District Court in Rutland of wire fraud conspiracy after a four-day jury trial. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante ordered that Hussain remain in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Hussain has been held without bail since his arrest in July 2023. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Hussain recruited a number of people to open bank accounts using false information. Those bank accounts were used to funnel proceeds from defrauded victims who lived in Vermont, California, and elsewhere in the United States. Under the fraud scheme, the victim would receive calls, emails or both – purportedly from well-known retail establishments about charges to the victim’s account. The victim was asked to call a certain number and eventually download software to enable the caller to view the screen of the victim’s computer to “refund” the charge if the victim desired. In reality, however, that software enabled the caller to access the victim’s computer remotely – not just view the screen. The caller then pretended to cancel the requested service at the victim’s request and provide the requested refund. The caller made it look like they had provided too large of a refund, often by moving around money from the victim’s own accounts. When the victim went to return what they thought was the over-refund, they were actually giving away their own money. The callers told their victims to send their money to the bank accounts that Hussain and his conspirators had opened. From there, Hussain and his conspirators funneled the victims’ funds to various individuals in India. Based on the jury’s verdict, Hussain faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. In a separate case still pending, Hussain faces charges of knowingly making false statements in connection with his application for permanent residence status. Hussain faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on that charge. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. “Fraud schemes like the one perpetrated by Hussain are complex and tend to prey on vulnerable victims,” said United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “These fraud schemes are also far too common and require vigilance by community members and law enforcement alike. This case demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners hold perpetrators of cybercrime accountable. Moving forward, we will continue to investigate and prosecute these fraud schemes and also provide education to the community on how to avoid becoming a victim.” “Mr. Hussain is a scam artist involved in a sophisticated criminal network that targeted innocent victims and robbed them of their hard-earned money,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albany Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to identify and disrupt any individual or criminal organization looking to use technology to scam our citizens.” United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest also commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance during trial. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia P. Cowles and Colin Owyang represented the government. Kevin Henry, Esq. of Primmer, Piper, Eggleston & Cramer, PC represented Hussain.


title: Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Violation Related to Vehicular Crash Involving a Motorcyclist

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Officer was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, related to a vehicular crash involving a motorist in Washington, D.C. Thomas Smith, 47, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18, 2023, to deprivation of rights under color of law. “This defendant recklessly pursued two motorcyclists, struck one of them with his car, left the victim unconscious on the asphalt, fled the scene and then switched out his cruiser and filed no report in an attempt to cover up his violent misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Endangering community members in this manner and disregarding the law violates the victims’ civil rights and erodes trust by those the police are sworn to protect and serve. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute officials who engage in abuses of their authority, including federal law enforcement officers.” “Thomas Smith abused his position of trust by engaging in a dangerous pursuit that could have been deadly – and made matters worse by obstructing the investigation into the collision he caused,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Most police officers uphold the oath they took upon becoming officers, but when police officers break that oath and violate the public trust they must be held accountable.” "Smith's actions violated his oath to protect and serve our communities and uphold the Constitution," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates the FBI's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power and deny the public their civil liberties." According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway. As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Smith did not notify anyone of the collision, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records related to the incident and lied to his superior officers about being involved in the crash. The FBI and USCP investigated the case, with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case.


title: Virginia Company and Two Senior Executives Charged with Illegally Exporting Millions of Dollars of U.S. Technology to Russia

body_text: Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. “As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.” “This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.” “We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.” “Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.” According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), allegedly a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia. As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly, Virginia. The defendants then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine. In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets. In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled dual-use items. If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The BIS and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh. The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Justice and Commerce Departments designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Thibodaux Man Guilty of Social Security Theft

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NATHANIEL HOPKINS, JR. (“ HOPKINS ”), age 48, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Jay Zainey to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. According to court documents, HOPKINS’s wife was authorized to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Title II – Retirement Survivor Insurance Benefits from 2003 until her death in April, 2014. From April, 2014 to January, 2024, HOPKINS illegally received benefits designated for his wife totaling approximately $144,176.43, after failing to notify SSA of his wife’s death. Sentencing will occur on January 29, 2025. At sentencing, HOPKINS faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Essex County Man Indicted for Gunpoint Pharmacy Robbery

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was arraigned today on charges related to his role in a December 2023 gunpoint robbery of a pharmacy in Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nariq Petes, 26, of Newark, was charged on Oct. 11, 2024, in a three-count indictment with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was arraigned today before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, entered a plea of not guilty and was detained, According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 30, 2023, Petes and a conspirator drove together to a pharmacy and entered the pharmacy wearing black masks. Once inside the pharmacy, Petes brandished a handgun and demanded prescription drugs. Petes and his conspirator took at least six bottles of prescription medication. The conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery counts each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The sentence on this charge must be consecutive to any other sentence imposed. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and members of the Livingston Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Gary Marshuetz, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty To Aggravated  Identity Theft

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antonino Resendiz Badillo (39, Mexico) today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Badillo faces a penalty of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS check the submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee. From at least 2022 through May 2024, Badillo used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of Misuse of a Social Security Number and False Claim of United States Citizenship for Employment Purposes. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation–Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor–Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.


body_text: WASHINGTON – Taskin Torlak, 37, of Turkey, was arrested in Miami, Florida, on November 2, 2024, for allegedly conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions as part of a scheme to transport oil from Venezuela for the benefit of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (“PdVSA”), Venezuela’s state-owned oil and natural gas company. The arrest and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Torlak was arrested as he attempted to depart the United States to return to Turkey. He is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). According to the complaint, Torlak conspired with others to cause U.S. financial institutions to process transactions connected to the transport of Venezuelan oil for the benefit of PdVSA, which the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated as a Specially Designated National (“SDN”) in January 2019. “This defendant allegedly conspired to illegally sell Venezuelan oil, using deceit and trickery to hide the fact that this oil originated from Venezuela,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PdVSA, was sanctioned by the U.S. government to prevent the current regime from further depleting the nation’s resources, while it unlawfully remains in power. We remain dedicated to prosecuting violations of these sanctions until the government of Venezuela takes the necessary steps for these sanctions to be lifted.” “As alleged, the defendant conspired to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on PdVSA, deploying deception to smuggle black-market oil from Venezuela,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those involved in criminal efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime.” “These sanctions violations put people at risk at every step - from allegedly tampering with location devices on vessels to supplying to money to areas that will continue to engage in activity that threatens the U.S. ,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “HSI will continue to work tirelessly to protect the American people and the integrity of our economic and trade laws.” According to the complaint, beginning at least in or around November 2020, Torlak and others devised and implemented a complex scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions related to petroleum products from Venezuela and Iran. The scheme included obfuscating the identities of tankers moving the oil by re-naming and re-flagging vessels, covering vessel names with paint or blankets, and turning off the electronics that track vessels’ locations for the safety of ships and their crews. Torlak and his co-conspirators allegedly received tens of millions of dollars from PdVSA in payment for transporting Venezuelan oil and hid the ultimate beneficiaries of the related transactions from U.S. financial institutions, who then unwittingly processed payments in furtherance of the scheme. The complaint further alleges that Torlak and his co-conspirators explicitly discussed the need to hide their conduct from the U.S. Government and its agencies, including OFAC, as well as commercial maritime entities. This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigation’s Washington D.C. Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeghan Mikorski from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Sean Heiden and Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terric Zaire Williams, 25, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston apartment where Williams was staying. Officers seized three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine from a dining room trash can and a living room closet during the search. Williams admitted to possessing the seized methamphetamine and intending to distribute it. Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-67. ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Saginaw Man Of Assaulting And Strangling Woman On The Isabella Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY – A Saginaw man was convicted by a federal jury in Detroit on Friday for a 2018 assault and strangulation of his then girlfriend on the Isabella Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office. Michael Lee Johnson, 45, was found guilty of several counts arising out of the assault and strangulation of the victim in this case, including unlawful imprisonment, assault of a dating partner by strangulation, assault of a dating partner by suffocation, domestic violence, and numerous instances of witness tampering. The evidence at trial established that in October and November of 2018, Johnson held the victim against her will, threatened to kill her, and assaulted her numerous times by strangulation, suffocation, and other means, sometimes in front of her children. The evidence also established that after the police arrested Johnson for these crimes, he attempted to improperly influence or prevent the victim from reporting the incident to the police and testifying in court. According to testimony at trial, Johnson contacted the victim over 100 times following his arrest. The crimes occurred on the Isabella Indian Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, the primary land base of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. “Johnson’s conduct against this victim was egregious enough in and of itself, but was compounded by the fact that he committed these violent acts in front of innocent children,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will continue to hold accountable those who persist in perpetrating epidemic levels of violence on America Indian women.” Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Lin Parker. The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz and Assistant United States Attorney Tim Turkelson.