title: Spokane Drug Dealer Involved in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Violent Spokane-Area Shooting Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Amy Katherin Riggs, 36, of Dayton, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson imposed a sentence of 132 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was investigating a drug trafficking organization with significant ties to the Eastern District of Washington. Investigators developed information that Riggs was a key facilitator for the organization as well as one of its biggest clients. The evidence showed Riggs was obtaining and distributing approximately $125,000 worth of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills into the community per month. Riggs would receive between one-half to one kilogram of heroin, up to 10,000 fentanyl pills, and one to two pounds of methamphetamine. When members of the organization were arrested by law enforcement, Riggs would attempt to determine if they were “rats,” meaning cooperating. She also would go to organization locations where search warrants were executed and collect the search warrant returns (documents required to be left by law enforcement) , itemizing the items seized. She also would take anything of value law enforcement might have inadvertently missed. For example, when a search warrant was executed at an organization stash house on Maxwell Avenue in Spokane on January 2022, , law enforcement located over three kilograms of fentanyl pills, a half pound of methamphetamine, a quarter pound of heroin, and several firearms. On the same date, a drug courier was arrested, as he came out of a stash house on the South Hill, with over two kilograms of methamphetamine, just shy of two kilograms of fentanyl pills, a large amount of U.S. Currency, and multiple firearms. Following the execution of these search warrants, Riggs reported to the leader of the organization in Mexico the items that were seized and checked the jail rosters to ensure the individuals were booked in jail – noting to the leader that if they were not, they knew the organization had a “rat” in its inner circle. In addition, Riggs became a self-styled enforcer for the organization, to earn favor with the leader of the organization, who resides in Mexico. For example, on February 6, 2022, a drug courier for the organization was delivering approximately fifteen-to twenty pounds of methamphetamine and approximately 50,000 fentanyl-laced pills to a man named Brady Baughman in the Spokane area. Baughman tried to pay the courier for the drugs with fake U.S. Currency. The courier would not accept the fake money, so Baughman robbed the drug courier and sped off in his vehicle. Another member of the drug organization, who was present at the robbery, had left her iPad in Baughman’s vehicle and was able to track the device’s location. The couriers then called the leader of the drug organization in Mexico and informed him of the robbery. The leader then asked Riggs to get the drugs back. Using the iPad’s location, which was relayed to her by the leader in Mexico, Riggs was able to track Baughman’s location. She also was able to text at least three other individuals to assist in locating Baughman, to include Daniel Skjold and her paramour Jody Wallette. In those text messages, Riggs sent details of Baughman’s identity, vehicle, and suspected location. A short time later, a 911 caller reported an SUV-type vehicle shooting at another vehicle near the intersection of Nettleton and Rowan in Spokane. Responding law enforcement located seven 9mm shell casings in the area. Around that same time, Riggs’s Range Rover SUV was captured on camera in the area of the shooting. Other surveillance video showed a vehicle consistent with the Riggs’s vehicle traveling in the area and captured what appeared to be images of the driver shooting a handgun out the window. Baughman was later apprehended by Spokane Police, and large kitty litter containers were recovered containing the methamphetamine and fentanyl pills stolen from the runner. Skjold was later arrested on multiple separate state charges stemming from a domestic-violence related drive-by-shooting case, which also involved unlawful possession of a firearm and witness tampering. Skjold later was sentenced to approximately 20 years in state prison for her role in the shooting. Wallette was later arrested on separate federal drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Later on in the investigation, in April of 2022, investigators located a new organization stash house on Nebraska Avenue in Spokane. On several occasions, Riggs was observed arriving and exiting the stash house. Investigators also observed Riggs meet with individuals identified as drug users and engaging in activities consistent with distributing drugs. On April 13, 2022, a search warrant was executed at the Nebraska Avenue stash house. Riggs was at the home at the time the warrant was executed. During the search, agents found a small of amount of methamphetamine, and ecstasy pills inside Riggs’s purse. In the living room, agents located a quarter pound of methamphetamine sitting on a coffee table. Agents also located two 9mm pistols hidden behind a false wall in the residence. A few days prior to the execution of the search warrant, a separte warrant was executed on Rigg’s Range Rover and $13,000 in U.S. Currency, and the cell phone used during the robbery were located, as well as a .22 caliber firearm that was located in a backpack with paperwork for Riggs as well as Wallette. An additional stash house was located in Spokane on Walnut Street in May 2022. Physical surveillance revealed a drug courier was utilizing a Lexus vehicle, registered to Riggs, to distribute drugs in the Spokane area. Law enforcement stopped the drug courier as they were leaving stash house, resulting in the recovery of more than two pounds of methamphetamine, six firearms, and around 3,000 fentanyl pills. During sentencing, Judge Peterson noted Riggs was engaged in “very egregious” conduct by moving massive amounts of drugs into the community – drugs that destroy families – and did so while armed, which increases the danger to all. Judge Peterson also noted Riggs’ text messages showed the clear enthusiastic involvement Riggs had for her continued participation in the organization. In pronouncing the eleven year sentence, Judge Peterson also stated her concern with Riggs’s stated intent to continue her relationship with Wallette, warning Riggs that she will be judged by the company she keeps, and her continued association with him would be “determinantal to [her] future.” “Ms. Riggs engaged in trafficking significant amounts of illegal narcotics in our community. She also had a reputation as someone who would use violence to accomplish the bidding of drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to stopping the flow of deadly narcotics into our neighborhoods. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute dangerous individuals involved with drug trafficking to make our communities safer and stronger.” “Ms. Riggs played a key role in a drug trafficking organization the dealt large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine to our community,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The DEA and our partners worked hard in this case to stop her and this sentence will protect our community from the deadly trifecta of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and firearms that Ms. Riggs brought to our area.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Spokane Police Department, and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.


title: Fort Leonard Wood Pharmacist Sentenced for Knife Attack

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A civilian pharmacist at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to murder his supervisor with a knife and stabbing him multiple times. Robert E. Sapp, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. On May 1, 2023, Sapp pleaded guilty to one count of assault with intent to commit murder. Sapp was working at a dispensing window at the Post Exchange Pharmacy at Fort Leonard Wood on Dec. 3, 2021, when he was approached by the supervisory pharmacist who suggested they have a conversation in another area of the pharmacy. Video footage depicts Sapp reaching into his front right pocket, pulling out a knife, and opening the blade. Sapp held the knife behind his back as he approached the supervisor in another area of the pharmacy. Sapp lunged toward the supervisor with the knife, knocked him to the ground, and continued stabbing at his face and head. Another pharmacy employee interrupted the attack. Sapp put the knife in his pocket and left the pharmacy. Military Police Service activated an installation shut down, and Sapp was detained while attempting to leave in his vehicle. An MP who arrested Sapp after extracting him from his vehicle found a knife, which had hair and blood on it, in his pocket. There was blood on Sapp’s clothing. The vehicle also had blood on the interior of the driver’s side door. The victim of the stabbing was transported to the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Medical personal reported he had multiple stab wounds, including at least two stab wounds to his head. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.


title: Former Cedar Rapids Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison in COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Scheme

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A former Cedar Rapids, Iowa, resident who helped other individuals procure more than 30 false and fraudulent COVID-19 pandemic loans, valued at more than $600,000, was sentenced on March 8, 2024, to six months in federal prison. Diamond Davies, age 24, from Maple Grove, Minnesota, received the prison term after a July 31, 2023 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted in late March 2020 that provided emergency financial assistance, including Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan funds, to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence at Davies’s plea and sentencing hearings showed that, over a two-month period in 2021, Davies helped to facilitate approximately 50 fraudulent PPP loan applications with a total value of approximately $1 million. Of these fraudulent PPP applications, over 30 were successful, and the government and its participating lenders in the PPP lost over $600,000. To obtain the fraud proceeds, false, fraudulent, and fictitious documents and statements, including fake tax documents, were submitted to various lending institutions in support of the PPP loans for the PPP applicants. Davies helped collect a fee (a portion of the fraudulent loan proceeds) from some of the PPP applicants. Davies was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Davies was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $651,582 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and one of its participating lenders. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Davies is being held in United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-9. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Chalmette Man Sentenced    for Cares Act Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JULIO A. GONZALEZ, JR.( GONZALEZ) , age 26, of Chalmette, La., was sentenced on March 6, 2024 by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk, to three months in jail, a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and payment of $23,433.85 in restitution after previously pleading guilty to making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers, maintain payroll and other business-related expenses. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the loan to be forgiven if the loan proceeds are spent on these expense items within a designated period of time and uses at least a certain percentage of the proceeds on payroll expenses. Specifically, GONZALEZ pled guilty to making false statements to an approved lender to fraudulently obtain a PPP loan. As a result, he received a PPP loan totaling approximately $20,832.00. GONZALEZ stated in his application that he was an independent contractor impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, he had no such business. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution.


title: Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Trafficking and Possession of a Machinegun and Agrees to Forfeit 194 Firearms, Machinegun Conversion Device, Ammunition, and Nearly $470,000 Cash

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, PHILLIP NILES MARTIN , 68, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to firearms trafficking conspiracy and to unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to an affidavit in a previously filed criminal complaint, Martin was the subject of two previous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigations for similar conduct. In 2013, Martin received a verbal warning for dealing firearms without a license and was advised that even with a license he could not deal firearms at an Oklahoma City swap meet. In 2020, he acknowledged receipt of an ATF cease-and-desist letter after a firearm that he had purchased was recovered at a crime scene in Mexico. The affidavit further provides that in June 2022, ATF received multiple tips that Martin was illegally dealing in firearms at an Oklahoma City swap meet. An investigation revealed that Martin was still dealing firearms without a license and sold firearms at significantly inflated rates – approximately double retail price – without completing the background checks required by law. Pursuant to a search warrant executed at Martin’s residence, agents seized 194 firearms, a significant quantity of ammunition, approximately $469,520 in cash, and a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch,” which when installed, converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Possession of these devices violates federal law. On February 16, 2024, Martin was charged by Information with conspiracy to illegally traffic firearms and with unlawful possession of a machinegun. Yesterday, Martin appeared before United States District Judge Jodi W. Dishman and pled guilty to both counts of the Information. In entering his plea, Martin specifically acknowledged he knowingly conspired with others to traffic firearms and that he illegally possessed a machinegun conversion device. Martin also agreed to forfeit all 194 firearms, the ammunition, approximately $469,520 in cash, and the machinegun conversion device. At sentencing, Martin faces up to 25 years in federal prison and fines totaling up to $500,000. The sentencing hearing will take place in approximately 90 days. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for more information.


title: Dunn County Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 12, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment alleging that Nicholas A. Viste (age: 26) of the City of Menomonie, Dunn County, Wisconsin, produced child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). According to the indictment, on August 6th and 7th of 2022, Viste employed, used, persuaded, and coerced a minor to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. If convicted, Viste faces a mandatory 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment as to each count charged in the indictment. This case was investigated by the City of Menomonie Police Department and the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble will prosecute 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700


title: Armed Felon Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison  for Possessing Multiple Firearms

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Mark Steven White, age 44 of Kennewick Washington, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 78 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 15, 2022, Officers with the Kennewick Police Department (KPD) responded to a hit and run incident. Office observed a white Toyota 4Runner on its side, along the road. Officers learned the driver of the 4Runner had driven onto the sidewalk, hit a pile of dirt, then rolled onto its side. The 4Runner was unoccupied. After responding to the scene, a KPD officer observed a black handgun laying on the floorboard of the driver seat of the 4Runner. Officers identified a set of shoe impressions in the dirt near the 4Runner. Witnesses reported a loud bang then saw a man, later identified as White, who was wearing a white t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes, climb out the window of the 4Runner. White then took off running north. KPD ultimately detained White just four blocks from the hit and run. Officers also matched the tread pattern from White’s shoes to the pattern in the footprints near the 4Runner. White was cited and released for Hit and Run by Kennewick Police, and the 4Runner was secured at KPD. Officers then applied for and were granted a search warrant for the 4Runner. Investigators later collected a black Ruger EC9s 9MM Semi-Automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number from inside of White’s vehicle. The handgun had an extended magazine that was loaded with several cartridges. The gun was placed into evidence at the Kennewick Police Department. By June 23, 2022, a Washington State Department of Corrections warrant had been issued for White’s arrest. U.S. Marshals located White driving a black Chevrolet Avalanche in West Richland. When White spotted the U.S. Marshals, he fled into an apartment where he was later taken into custody. On June 28, 2022, members of the FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force executed a federal search warrant for the Chevy Avalanche. Inside, investigators located a loaded Springfield .45 caliber pistol between the driver’s seat and center console. The serial numbers on the gun had been obliterated. Body armor and a ballistic helmet were also found inside the vehicle. White was in Washington State Supervision for a violent offense at the time of the new federal crimes. “Mr. White was a felon, who on two occasions, just a few weeks apart, fled a vehicle and refused to cooperate with law enforcement. On both occasions, Mr. White had a firearm he was not legally permitted to have. Armed felons present a real danger to our neighborhoods and communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I’m thankful to the dedicated efforts of KPD and FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force who focus their crime reduction strategies on holding repeat offenders accountable to make our communities safer and stronger.” “Our community is safer with Mr. White behind bars.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “He has a long history of violence and knowingly possessed a firearm despite being prohibited from doing so. This case demonstrates how strong partnerships among all levels of law enforcement are working to protect the citizens of Washington state.” This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force which includes additional officers and detectives from the Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Richland Police Department, Border Patrol and Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Van Marter and Rebecca Perez.


title: Idaho Falls Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 11,000 Fentanyl Pills

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BOISE – Patricia Gomez, 42, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. In imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford ordered that Gomez serve three years of supervised release after her term of incarceration. According to court records, Gomez conspired with four codefendants to distribute fentanyl. Three of the codefendants – Juan Villa, 34, Tyson Mitchell, 37, and Kevin Sermon, 34, were incarcerated for prior drug crimes during the conspiracy. Villa had been arrested after bringing 20,000 fentanyl pills into Idaho. Villa, Mitchell, and Sermon recruited Gomez and Summer Jones, 37, of Idaho Falls, to receive drugs from a California based source of supply and transport the drugs to Idaho for further distribution. Around May 29, 2023, Gomez traveled outside of Idaho to obtain a drug load in furtherance of the conspiracy. On May 30, 2023, Gomez returned to Idaho. Investigators stopped her vehicle and arrested her with 11,000 fentanyl pills. Villa, Mitchell, Sermon, and Jones have all pleaded guilty to federal drug crimes and are awaiting sentencing in April and May. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their work on these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Atwood and Francis Zebari prosecuted these cases. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. ###


title: Two Charlotte Businessmen Convicted At Trial Of Failing To Account For And Pay Over Trust Fund Taxes

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte jury has returned a guilty verdict against two Charlotte businessmen for failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) more than $150,000 in trust fund taxes over five quarters in 2016 and 2017. Richard Brasser, 57, and Gregroy Gentner, 52, both of Charlotte, were convicted of multiple counts of failing to account for and pay over the trust funds taxes. Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. “When employers willfully fail to collect, account for and deposit with the IRS employment taxes due, they are stealing from the United States Treasury. In addition, employers who willfully fail to comply with their tax obligations unlawfully gain an unfair advantage over their honest competitors,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Business owners such as Brasser and Gentner have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “The failure to pay over withheld taxes is a serious offense. IRS Criminal Investigation vigorously pursues anyone who engages in tax fraud schemes such as these.” According to evidence presented at trial, witness testimony, and other court documents, rFactr was a company with offices in Charlotte, that sold software and provided ongoing support for that software to companies that were leveraging their social networks as part of their sales platforms. Brasser was rFactr’s Chief Executive Officer and Gentner the Chief Operating Officer. Trial evidence established that from 2015 through 2017, Brasser and Gentner caused rFactr to collect more than $600,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of its employees, but did not account for the taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS. Moreover, the defendants did not pay over the withheld taxes to the IRS in a timely manner. According to trial evidence, Brasser and Gentner had a history of noncompliance with rFactr’s employment tax obligations. Specifically, between 2013 and 2017, Brasser and Gentner failed to comply with rFactr’s employment tax obligations by failing to timely file rFactr’s employment tax returns and failing to timely pay over to the IRS rFactr’s employment taxes. In total, between 2015 and 2017, Brasser and Gentner caused rFactr to owe more than $1.1 million in employment taxes. At sentencing, Brasser and Gentner each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of failing to account for and pay over the trust funds taxes. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Portland Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Murder Committed Amid Violent Robbery Spree

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison today for murdering a Milwaukie, Oregon man in his home amid a violent robbery spree that spanned several months and targeted at least six local businesses. Keandre Dshawn LaMarcus Brown, 27, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $29,991 in restitution to multiple victims. “Gun violence continues to be one of the greatest public safety threats in our community,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “Keandre Brown and his accomplices’ string of armed robberies across the Portland area placed many innocent community members at significant risk.” “Within months of completing a five-year prison sentence for attempted robbery, Keandre Brown went on a three-month crime spree, affecting over 20 victims, and brutally killing one. He used weapons, drugs, and fear to wreak havoc on our streets,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Today’s significant sentence removes this dangerous individual from our community and highlights the tenacity of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to identify and apprehend criminals like him who threaten public safety.” “I was among the first responders who arrived on the scene of Keandre Brown’s home invasion robbery after his victim called 911 screaming and begging for his life. After gunshots rang out on the line with our dispatchers, we saw firsthand the tragic result of this brutal murder,” said Luke Strait, Chief of the Milwaukie Police Department. “In the years that have followed, investigators from Milwaukie Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have worked tirelessly on what would become one of the most exhaustive investigations and prosecutions our region has seen in the last decade. Our criminal justice system has worked diligently and effectively to bring justice for this victim, his family, and the entire Milwaukie community.” According to court documents, in the summer of 2016, Brown teamed up with an accomplice, Keith Bryon Woody Jr., 31, also of Portland, to engage in a series of armed robberies targeting multiple businesses in and around Portland. On August 2, 2016, the pair entered and robbed Paulsen’s Pharmacy on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. Both brandished firearms during the robbery, threatened numerous employees and customers, including by pointing a gun at the pharmacy manager’s head, and made off with controlled substances, cash, and several personal property items including wallets, credit cards, and phones. Two weeks later, on August 13, 2016, Brown and Woody entered and robbed Fairley’s Pharmacy on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. The pair again brandished firearms, ordered employees and customers to the floor at gunpoint and zip-tied them, and proceeded to steal eight pill bottles that together contained approximately 1,600 Oxycodone pills. Brown’s spree continued on August 31, 2016, when he and two accomplices entered and robbed the Lighthouse Deli on SE César Chávez Boulevard in Portland. Brown and his accomplices brandished firearms, zip-tied an employee, and stole cash as well as several wallets, credit cards, and phones from nearby employees and customers. On September 5, 2016, after several days of planning, Brown, Woody, and multiple accomplices carried out a home invasion robbery targeting a Milwaukie man they believed possessed large quantities of cocaine and cash. The group forcibly entered the residence through a rear door and confronted the homeowner, who quickly retreated into a bathroom and called 911. Brown and Woody, each armed with semi-automatic firearms, positioned themselves outside the bathroom door where the homeowner had barricaded himself, while their accomplices searched the residence. Brown and Woody then fired their respective handguns multiple times at the bathroom door, penetrating the door and killing the homeowner. Following the home invasion robbery and murder, Brown, with the assistance of others, carried out two additional armed robberies on a single day. On October 18, 2016, Brown and an accomplice entered and robbed a Plaid Pantry convenience store on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland. The pair made off with cash, tobacco products, and various personal property items. Later the same day, Brown and an accomplice entered and robbed a Red Roof Inn on NE 82 nd Avenue in Portland. The pair zip-tied an employee and threatened her to turn over cash but left empty handed after finding an empty cash register. Investigators later connected Brown and Woody to an additional armed robbery of a pharmacy in Vancouver, Washington, on August 22, 2016, during which they threatened employees at gunpoint and made off with Oxycodone pills. On October 20, 2016, U.S. Marshals arrested Brown and Woody traveling together in a vehicle. Both possessed firearms at the time of their arrest. Soon after, Brown was transferred to Clark County, Washington to face trial on charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Brown was convicted on September 11, 2017, and later sentenced to 360 months in Washington State prison. On November 4, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a multi-count indictment charging Brown, Woody, and several other accomplices for conspiring with one another to interfere with commerce by threats or violence, possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm. Later, on July 11, 2023, in a separate criminal case, Brown was charged by criminal information with intentionally killing while engaged in drug trafficking. The same day, Brown pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring with others to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and intentionally killing while engaged in drug trafficking, resolving both of his federal cases. This case was investigated by the FBI and Milwaukie Police Department with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, Oregon State Police Crime Lab, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, and Vancouver Police Department. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart and Thomas H. Edmonds, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Sinaloa Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Jose Jesus Lopez-Verduzco, 54 years old, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Lopez-Verduzco was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Lopez-Verduzco was a leader in a drug organization receiving large drug shipments from the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico for distribution in Northeast Indiana. During the service of a search warrant at a house in Columbia City in August of 2018, agents seized approximately 14 kilograms of cocaine, about 200 pounds of marijuana, and 9 firearms. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which consists of the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Stacey R. Speith. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 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: Man Sentenced for Sending Bomb Threat to Arizona State Election Official

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. “Those using illegal threats of violence to intimidate election workers should know that the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable under the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The defendant in this case will spend the next three and a half years in federal prison for threatening an Arizona election official. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute such unlawful threats of violence.” According to court documents, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, James W. Clark, 40, of Falmouth, sent a message via the Arizona Secretary of State’s website through “Contact Elections,” addressing the election official by her first name and warning her that she needed to “resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.” Shortly after transmitting the message, Clark conducted online searches that included the full name of the election official in conjunction with the words “how to kill” and “address.” Additionally, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark conducted online searches involving the Boston Marathon bombing. “James W. Clark sent a bomb threat to an Arizona election official. As a result, law enforcement searched the office building where the official worked, as well as the official’s home and car, for an explosive device,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Public servants who ensure our free and fair elections must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target election officials with threats of violence.” In response to Clark ’s message, law enforcement conducted partial evacuations and bomb sweeps of the building in which the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office was located, including an evacuation of the floor of the Office of the Arizona Governor located in the same building. Law enforcement also conducted bomb sweeps of the election official’s personal residence and of the election official’s car. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona will continue to prosecute those who would threaten our public servants simply for performing the jobs they were hired to do,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “As we head into election season, we thank the state and county election community who make democracy possible.” “Election officials, their staffs, and volunteers are essential to our democracy and any threat to these public servants is completely unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “As part of our mission to defend the democratic process, this case demonstrates that the FBI remains prepared to respond to these threats in an urgent and timely fashion.” Clark pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of making a threatening interstate communication. The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Boston Field Office. Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Over two years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.


title: Convicted Felon Found Guilty at Trial of Robbing Truist Bank in Macon

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident was found guilty by a federal jury today of robbing the Truist Bank on Riverside Drive in Macon in 2023 while on federal supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm. Gabriel Bell, 29, of Macon, was found guilty of one count of bank robbery on March 12 following a two-day trial that began on Monday, March 11. Bell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Chief Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the case. A sentencing date will be scheduled by the Court. “Gabriel Bell terrorized Truist employees when he entered the bank and demanded money while threatening to shoot them,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “People should be safe to conduct their everyday business without fear or intimidation; sending Bell back to federal prison will further that goal.” “Bell’s prior prison time was apparently not enough for him because he returned to his robbing ways while he was still on supervised release for the last crime he committed,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon Office. “Thanks to the assistance of our partners with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, he’ll have up to 20 years in federal prison to think about what he’ll do the next time he is released from prison.” “We want to thank those tipsters who gave information identifying Gabriel Bell as the robber,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis. “Committed public involvement coupled with good investigative follow-up resulted in this repeat offender being held accountable for yet another unlawful deed.” According to court documents and evidence submitted at trial, Bell walked into the Truist Bank at 2998 Riverside Drive in Macon on Feb. 16, 2023, at approximately 3:17 p.m., wearing a blue surgical mask. There were no customers in the business at the time. Bell handed a demand note to a teller that stated: “PUT ALL BIG BILLS IN ENVELOPE (ROBBERY) Do anything stupid, and I’ll shoot you!” The teller put her hands up and told Bell she did not have money and passed the note to another teller. This second teller gave Bell cash, after which he fled. Tellers at the bank said Bell lifted his shirt and they saw something that was described as dark, silver, with a handle and that could have been a gun. In surveillance video, Bell is seen grabbing at his hip where tellers reported they saw the object. No weapon was recovered. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office released photographs taken from surveillance video to the public and received two tips identifying the suspect as Bell. The FBI processed the demand note for latent fingerprints and developed two latent prints that were determined to belong to Bell. The FBI also obtained location information from Bell’s cell phone and Google account which confirmed he was in the area near the bank at the time of the robbery. Bell was taken into custody on Feb. 20, 2023. Bell was previously convicted of armed robbery of the Huddle House in Jeffersonville, Georgia, in 2015. He was also convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina of convicted felon in illegal possession of a firearm in 2021 and was on federal supervised release for that offense at the time of the Truist Bank robbery. The case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Hong Kong Man Charged with Smuggling Protected Turtles

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A federal grand jury charged a Chinese man on Friday in a four-count indictment alleging he smuggled eastern box turtles, a protected wildlife species, from the United States to China for the global pet trade black market. Photo of box turtles, from the complaint in case U.S. v. Sai Keung Tin. Credit: USFWS. Sai Keung Tin, 53, aka “SK Tin,” “Ricky Tin” and “Ji Yearlong,” of Hong Kong, is charged with four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law. Tin was arrested Feb. 25 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City and made his initial appearance the following day in federal court in Brooklyn. His arraignment is expected in the coming weeks in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. According to the indictment returned Friday, Tin in June 2023 knowingly and illegally aided in the exportation of 40 eastern box turtles to be sent from the United States to Hong Kong. Wildlife inspectors at an international mail facility in Torrance, California, intercepted four packages addressed to “Ji Yearlong,” a name believed to be one of Tin’s aliases, and which were to be shipped to Tin’s home in Hong Kong, according to court documents. Tin allegedly falsely labeled the packages containing the protected turtles as containing almonds and chocolate cookies. Three of the packages contained between eight and 12 live eastern box turtles each – all bound in socks, according to court papers. The fourth package contained seven live eastern box turtles and one deceased eastern box turtle. A special agent also searched property records and learned that the name listed as the sender on each of the packages was fake. Photo of two eastern box turtles seized from a shipping container, from the complaint in case U.S. v. Sai Keung Tin. Credit: USFWS. The eastern box turtle ( Terrapene carolina carolina ) is a subspecies of the common box turtle and is native to forested regions of the eastern United States with some isolated populations in the Midwest. Turtles with colorful markings are especially prized in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. These animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction. The United States and China are parties to this agreement. An affidavit that was filed with a criminal complaint filed with this case on Feb. 26 says that Tin was associated with Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, a convicted felon and international turtle smuggler. Kang recruited turtle poachers and suppliers in the United States to ship turtles domestically to middlemen, who would then bundle the turtles into other packages and export them to Hong Kong. The turtles were bound in socks to protect their shells and so they could not move and alert authorities. Court papers allege that from June 2017 to December 2018, Kang caused at least 1,500 turtles – with a market value exceeding $2.25 million – to be shipped from the United States to Hong Kong. Middlemen shipped approximately 46 packages containing turtles from New York and New Jersey, which were routed through an international mail facility at JFK, to addresses in Hong Kong, including Tin’s. Kang pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge after his extradition from Malaysia in 2019, and later was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison. Since Kang’s sentencing, law enforcement has continued to intercept packages addressed to Tin and others, court papers state. If convicted, Tin faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each smuggling count. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada for the Central District of California and Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Lauren Steele of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominique Caamano for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Meeting with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin

body_text: On March 7, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland welcomed to the Justice Department Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin (PG Kostin), Ambassador Oksana Markarova of Ukraine to the United States, and Director Yurii Belousov of the Prosecutor General’s Department for Countering Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict. On March 6 and 7, PG Kostin and Director Belousov also met with numerous Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C. AG Garland expressed the Department’s continued support and commitment to working with Ukraine on all fronts and across numerous areas. He highlighted the Department’s work holding Russia accountable for war crimes, through the work of the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) as well as the Department’s participation in the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression in The Hague (ICPA). He also noted the Department’s ongoing work to seize illicit Russian assets for the benefit of the people of Ukraine, to prosecute those who facilitate the evasion of sanctions imposed on Russia, and to fight back against the export of sensitive technologies through Task Force KleptoCapture (TFKC) and the Disruptive Technology Strike Force (DTSF). During the meeting, AG Garland reiterated the Department’s commitment to working closely with Ukraine to secure their democratic future through the prosecution of high-level corruption and highlighted recent successes including the December war crimes indictment charging four Russia-affiliated military personnel and recent cases brought by TFKC and the DTSF. AG Garland and PG Kostin also discussed the impact of relationships developed across the Department including with the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the FBI’s Art Crime Team, and the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ). On March 6, PG Kostin met with Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen to discuss cooperation in identifying and prosecuting illicit actors and how to build upon the relationship between the Ukrainian government and the DTSF, including opportunities for engaging with partners in Europe and the United Kingdom on preventing the export of sensitive dual-use technologies to Russia and to other foreign adversaries for malign purposes. On March 7, PG Kostin also met with Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs Bruce C. Swartz, WarCat, TFKC, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), Resident Legal Advisor at U.S. Embassy Kyiv Jared Kimball, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, ATJ, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). In addition, PG Kostin met with victim witness support experts of the Office of Victims of Crime, Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The meetings were a follow-up to the meetings in September 2023 to discuss progress made and priorities moving forward including investigating and prosecuting war crimes of torture and sexual violence and providing support and resources to victims and witnesses of these horrific crimes. They discussed increased efforts to provide guidance, case-based mentoring, expertise, and capacity building to Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators on investigating war-related cyber-attacks to critical infrastructure and environmental crimes, as well as the theft and smuggling of cultural property and protecting cultural heritage. It also was an opportunity to demonstrate the United States’ unwavering support and confidence in the Prosecutor General’s Office’s critical work and understand the current challenges they are facing and how the Department can help. The Justice Department is proud to stand by our Ukrainian law enforcement partners in their courageous and crucial work and looks forward to continued collaboration and partnership.


title: March Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Fernando Gonzalez-Leyva. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gonzalez-Leyva, 53, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Oct. 2017, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-065 Wesley Dale Pedro, Jr. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate/Dating Partner in Indian Country; Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding (Misdemeanor). Pedro, 54, of Tulsa, and member of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, is charged with intentionally assaulting a victim with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in Sep. 2021. He allegedly assaulted a victim whom he had an intimate relationship with on Sep. 29, 2021. He is further charged with assaulting the same victim on Sep. 30, 2021. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Coweta Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-066 Jacob Dean Rowell. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Drug Manufacturing Equipment. Rowell, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He allegedly maintained a residence for the distribution of fentanyl. Rowell is further charged with possessing a machine to manufacture controlled substances. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-069 Tallo Dominic Williams. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Williams, 48, of Bristow, is charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from Aug. 2023 through the date of the Indictment. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-067


title: Wilkes-Barre Man Pleads Guilty To Fentanyl And Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dexter Yard, age 36, of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 8, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of distributing fentanyl and cocaine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Yard admitted that on August 17, 2021, he distributed fentanyl and cocaine to another individual in Luzerne County. The charge stems from an incident in which members of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police made a purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Yard, and then arrested him. A search of the vehicle Yard was driving resulted in the seizure of a fully loaded .38 caliber handgun, drug paraphernalia and the money police used to purchase the drugs from Yard. The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Under federal law, Yard faces a maximum sentence of twenty years, a term of supervised release and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: Ford Motor Company Agrees to Pay $365M to Settle Customs Civil Penalty Claims Relating to Misclassified and Under-Valued Vehicles

component: Civil Division

body_text: Ford Motor Company has agreed to pay the United States $365 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Tariff Act of 1930 by misclassifying and understating the value of hundreds of thousands of its Transit Connect vehicles, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves allegations that Ford devised a scheme to avoid higher duties by misclassifying cargo vans. Specifically, the government alleged that from April 2009 to March 2013, Ford imported Transit Connect cargo vans from Turkey into the United States and presented them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with sham rear seats and other temporary features to make the vans appear to be passenger vehicles. These temporary rear seats were never intended to be, and never were, used to carry passengers. Rather, the government alleged, Ford included these seats and features to avoid paying the 25% duty rate applicable to cargo vehicles. By classifying the vans as vehicles for the transport of passengers, Ford instead paid a duty rate of just 2.5%. Ford submitted entry papers to CBP declaring these vehicles as classifiable under tariff heading 8703 as “Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons.” After customs clearance, each of these Transit Connect vehicles was immediately stripped of its rear seats and returned to its original identity as a two-seat cargo van. The settlement also resolves allegations that, from April 2009 through August 2013, Ford avoided paying import duties by under-declaring to CBP the value of certain Transit Connect vehicles. “When companies misclassify imports to avoid paying what they owe, they will be held accountable,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today’s settlement is a victory for American taxpayers and for our efforts to combat trade fraud and ensure compliance with United States trade laws. Companies that attempt to evade customs duties with sham representations and workarounds will not be rewarded.” “Importers have an obligation to truthfully declare the nature of their products and pay the duties that are owed,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The government will not permit companies to evade duties by adding sham features to their products and then misclassifying them.” “This settlement, which is one of the largest customs penalty settlements in recent history, demonstrates that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will pursue even the largest companies to ensure that all importers follow the rules; our intent is to enforce the customs laws fairly, which means that non-compliance is not an option for anyone,” said Senior Official Performing Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller of CBP. “The partnership between CBP and the Justice Department provides a critical safeguard to protect the revenue of the United States.” To combat trade fraud, including avoidance of import duties, the Justice Department created a Trade Fraud Task Force. The Task Force partners with CBP and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with United States trade laws. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between CBP and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch’s International Field Office and National Courts Section. Attorneys Beverly Farrell and Justin Miller of the Civil Division’s International Trade Field Office and Claudia Burke, Joshua Kurland, Patricia McCarthy and Frank White of the Civil Division’s National Courts Section handled this matter. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation  Into Fatal Shooting

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against an officer from the United States Park Police for a fatal shooting that occurred on November 22, 2023, and fatally injured a 30-year-old District resident in the 1100 block of M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement and civilian accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, the autopsy report, and reports from MPD. According to the evidence, at about 2:30 p.m. an individual was observed in the 1100 block of 12th Street, N.W. by officers with the United States Park Police. The officers believed that the individual was engaged in drug trafficking. When the officers approached, the individual ran onto the 1100 block of M Street. One officer was able to catch up to the individual. The officer reached out to grab the individual and the two men briefly struggled. The individual retrieved a gun from his pocket and shot the officer. Simultaneously, the officer was able to draw his service weapon and fire. Both men were struck with gunfire. The individual ran several more feet and collapsed on the scene. Other officers initiated life-savings measures. However, the individual was declared dead at the scene. The officer was taken to the hospital and survived his wounds. After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Park Police officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights. Use-of-force investigations generally The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than 12 Years For  Fentanyl Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Efrain Rivera Matos (45, Tampa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl charges. Rivera Matos pleaded guilty on December 8, 2023. According to court documents, on July 27, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired to ship approximately 560 grams of pressed fentanyl pills to Tampa. On August 31, 2022, Rivera Matos conspired with others to distribute a parcel containing two kilograms of fentanyl powder that was concealed within an air fryer. Co-conspirators distributed fentanyl from a gas station car wash in Tampa, Florida. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Chinese man has been charged in a four-count indictment alleging he trafficked eastern box turtles, a protected wildlife species, from the United States to China for the global pet trade black market, the Justice Department announced today. Sai Keung Tin, 53, a.k.a. “SK Tin,” Ricky Tin,” and “Ji Yearlong,” of Hong Kong, was charged on Friday with four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law. Tin was arrested February 25 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City and made his initial appearance the following day in federal court in Brooklyn. His arraignment is expected in the coming weeks in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. According to the indictment returned Friday, Tin in June 2023 knowingly and illegally aided in the exportation of 40 eastern box turtles to be sent from the United States to Hong Kong. Wildlife inspectors at an international mail facility in Torrance intercepted four packages addressed to “Ji Yearlong,” a name believed to be one of Tin’s aliases, and which were to be shipped to Tin’s home in Hong Kong, according to court documents. Tin allegedly falsely labeled the packages containing the protected turtles as containing almonds and chocolate cookies. Three of the packages contained between eight and 12 live eastern box turtles each – all bound in socks, according to court papers. The fourth package contained seven live eastern box turtles and one deceased eastern box turtle. A special agent also searched property records and learned that the name listed as the sender on each of the packages was fake. The eastern box turtle ( Terrapene carolina carolina ) is a subspecies of the common box turtle and is native to forested regions of the eastern United States with some isolated populations in the Midwest. Turtles with colorful markings are especially prized in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, particularly in China and Hong Kong. These animals are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction. The United States and China are parties to this agreement. An affidavit that was filed with a criminal complaint filed with this case on February 26 says that Tin was associated with Kang Juntao, 27, of Hangzhou City, China, a convicted felon and international turtle smuggler. Kang recruited turtle poachers and suppliers in the United States to ship turtles domestically to middlemen, who would then bundle the turtles into other packages and export them to Hong Kong. The turtles were bound in socks to protect their shells and so they could not move and alert authorities. Court papers allege that from June 2017 to December 2018, Kang caused at least 1,500 turtles – with a market value exceeding $2.25 million – to be shipped from the United States to Hong Kong. Middlemen shipped approximately 46 packages containing turtles from New York and New Jersey, which were routed through an international mail facility at JFK, to addresses in Hong Kong, including Tin’s. Kang pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge after his extradition from Malaysia in 2019, and later was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison. Since Kang’s arrest, prosecution, and conviction, law enforcement has continued to intercept packages addressed to Tin and others, court papers state. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Tin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating this matter. Homeland Security Investigations and United States Customs and Border Protection are assisting in this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dominique Caamano of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors and Trial Attorney Lauren Steele, both of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.


title: Bradenton Man Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing  A Firearm

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dovontate James Wright (26, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wright faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on September 2, 2022, Wright was the front seat passenger of a silver Nissan Altima driving in the wrong direction on a one-way road in Sarasota, Florida. Sarasota Police Department officers stopped the vehicle and Wright fled on foot into a discount auto parts store. Inside the store, Wright ran behind the service counter, into the back of the store, where he tripped and fell into a product bin when he attempted to pull an object from his waistband. The object was a fully loaded Smith and Wesson model 40C .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber. In an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wright admitted to possessing the firearm and being a convicted felon. Wright had previously served three years in a Florida state prison for committing aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and grand theft of a motor vehicle. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. An analysis of the DNA recovered from the firearm matched Wright’s DNA. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth. 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: Georgia Woman Sentenced in Rhode Island for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Romance Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Georgia woman who played a key role in a romance scam conspiracy that defrauded seniors in several states, including Rhode Island, out of at least $5.8 million has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to nearly four years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Syretta Scherer, 42, of Snellville, GA, pleaded guilty on April 28, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on March 7, 2024, to 46 months of incarceration to be followed by two years of federal supervised release. The Court found that that Scherer laundered nearly $1.1 million of the nearly $3 million in stolen proceeds laundered by members of the conspiracy during the time she was part of the conspiracy, money that was stolen primarily from widows through internet-based romance scams. To carry out the schemes, members of the conspiracy contacted victims using app-based communication platforms, then cultivated relationships of trust and convincing their victims that money was needed for various purposes, among them supposed serious medical issues. The scammers directed their victims to send money via mail or wire transfer to various persons and addresses. The money would be deposited into various accounts controlled by Scherer and others before being redirected elsewhere. According to information presented to the court, in late 2017, in support of her fraudulent activity, Scherer created a sham company, Precise Carriers, that she used to open numerous bank accounts, at different banks, into which victim funds were deposited. Beginning in February 2018 and continuing into November 2019, Scherer used bank accounts in her name and in the name of the sham company to deposit and withdraw victim funds, often in a structured manner to avoid bank currency transaction requirements. On multiple dates, Scherer deposited victim funds at multiple bank branches on a single day so as to avoid questions about the amounts of the deposits and withdrawals. When some of the banks questioned her banking activity, and shut down an account into which victim funds had been deposited, Scherer opened another account. As part of the scheme, Scherer also recruited others, including her friends, to open bank accounts that she used to launder victim funds. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Denise M. Barton and John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in Atlanta. ###


title: Orangeburg Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Postal Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lemont Antwaun Darby, 37, of Orangeburg, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Evidence presented to the court showed that Lemont Darby was a drug dealer who regularly received packages of marijuana through the U.S. Mail from California and elsewhere. Mjaan Roland, 31, of Chapin, was a city carrier with the Columbia Main Post Office and Dutch Fork Station. Darby approached Roland in March 2022 and asked him to facilitate the delivery of these packages of marijuana. The address Darby used was on Roland’s route. Darby compensated Roland for some of the deliveries by paying him between $100 and $200. On other occasions, he gave him small amounts of drugs. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Darby to 46 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Codefendant Mjaan Roland previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston D. Holliday Jr. is prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Milford Man Sentenced To 262 Months In Prison For Sexual Exploitation Of Children

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luke Shager, age 37, of New Milford, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 7, 2024, to 262 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for sexual exploitation of children. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual, later identified as Shager, was transmitting multiple images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Shager’s New Milord residence and seized four cellular telephones. The devices contained over 1,200 images and videos of child pornography, including 2 self-produced videos depicting Shager engaging in sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc ." # # #


title: New Haven Man Charged with Possessing Loaded Gun While Released on Bond in another Federal Case

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging ANTRUM COSTON, 41, of New Haven, with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and with committing the offense while released on bond in another case. On September 18, 2023, Coston was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for pandemic relief fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses. Judge Underhill ordered Coston, who was released on bond, to surrender for service of his sentence on November 29, 2023. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on October 25, 2023, New Haven Police arrested Coston after they found him in possession of a loaded Taurus G3 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, and various controlled substances. It is alleged that Coston’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including two federal convictions for firearm offenses. The indictment was returned on March 6, 2023. Coston, who has been detained since his state arrest, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. If convicted, Coston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for possessing the firearm while on federal release. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Quincy, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 162 Months for Distributing Heroin Mixed with Fentanyl

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Illinois, man, Ralph Thompson, 38, was sentenced on March 7, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 150 months in prison for distributing heroin that also contained fentanyl. He received an additional 12 months for committing the new offense while he was on supervised release for a prior federal drug offense, for a total of 162 months. Thompson was indicted on November 15, 2022, and pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023. He has been detained by the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in November of 2022. This is Thompson’s third federal drug conviction. Thompson has state convictions for possession of a controlled substance and for being a felon in possession of a weapon. The evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that Thompson was selling heroin containing fentanyl in Moline, Rock Island and Quincy. In total, he was held accountable for 100 grams of heroin and 35 grams of fentanyl. The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, the Moline Police Department, the Rock Island Police Department, and the Quincy Police Department with assistance from the Adams County States Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Thompson 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: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearm

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kayla Brooke McCallister, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2023, McCallister purchased a Alex Pro Firearm (APF) model Guardian 5.56mm rifle at a South Charleston business. McCallister admitted that she falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473 that she was the buyer of the firearm when she knew she was purchasing it for someone else. McCallister further admitted that she bought nine additional firearms at the South Charleston business and another business in Dunbar between April 24, 2023, and May 30, 2023, and falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 during each purchase that she was the buyer when she was purchasing the firearms for someone else. McCallister is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin 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-38. ###


title: Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison for their Roles in the Distribution of Firearms, Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in Colorado

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Xavier Drew, age 29, of Englewood, Colorado, was sentenced on March 6, 2024, to 162 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Drew was also ordered to pay restitution to the Small Business Administration for a $14,862 fraudulent PPE Covid Loan he received. Co-defendant, Esvin Ivan Calles-Corrales, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on March 7, 2024, to 60 months imprisonment, and a subsequent three-year term of supervised release. Additional defendants in the case have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. According to court documents, Drew plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and to one count for trafficking firearms. The defendant also agreed to pay restitution to the Small Business Association for a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application. Calles-Corrales pled guilty to two counts, alleging the distribution of both methamphetamine and fentanyl in the District of Colorado and elsewhere. Starting in 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into a suspected criminal street gang involving Drew and his associates. The investigation revealed that Drew was engaged in the illegal sale firearms, including semi-automatic weapons, “ghost guns” (lacking serial numbers), firearms with obliterated serial numbers, a silencer and Glock “switches”, which are 3-D printed devices that allow a handgun to fire in a fully automatic manner. He and his associates, referred to as members of the “GUWOP gang”, were also selling fentanyl and methamphetamine. While investigating Drew’s sources of supply, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) discovered a parcel addressed to Drew that included an children’s music box with a vacuum-sealed bag containing a large quantity of methamphetamine and a latex glove containing a large quantity of fentanyl pills. Further investigation revealed that Calles-Corrales shipped the package from Arizona to Drew’s Aurora, Colorado address. It was determined that Calles-Corrales was shipping narcotics from Arizona to Colorado and facilitating the transfer of related proceeds to Mexico. During the investigation, agents seized large quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills. They also seized and forfeited numerous firearms, Glock “switches” and over $19,000 in U.S. currency. “The primary goal of the Office of the United States Attorney of Colorado is to keep our communities safe,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “When armed drug dealers are taken off the streets, we move one step closer to a safer Colorado. I continue to commend our law enforcement partners for their critical, dedicated work toward helping achieve this goal.” “Xavier Drew was a key figure in a vast criminal network which engaged in firearms and narcotics trafficking, extending far beyond our Colorado communities, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. Thanks to the hard work of our ATF special agents and our partners at the USPIS and DEA, their criminal enterprise has been dismantled as they now face justice within the confines of federal prison." “This investigation affirms the correlation between drug trafficking and firearms. The results of this investigation affirm that DEA and our partners will continue to pursue those individuals and their networks which are causing our communities harm,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky.” United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore presided over the sentencings on March 6 and 7, 2024. The ATF, USPIS, and the DEA investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brad Giles handled the prosecution. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information on the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Essex County Man Charged with Possession of Firearm and Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man has been arrested on drug and weapons charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. William Elliot, 42, of Newark, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court on March 7, 2024, and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 6, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to Elliot’s residence and executed lawful searches of his residence and two vehicles, recovering over 40 grams of fentanyl labeled “GMA” and “SRT,” over 300 grams of cocaine, ammunition, and a Ruger Model P94 .40 caliber firearm. The count of being a felon in possession of a weapon is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest; the count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine is punishable by a statutory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of $5 million, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greatest. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime in punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of live in prison, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charges carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller; and the Jersey City Police Department Intelligence Unit, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges. This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Linares of the Organized Crime/Gang Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. elliot.complaint.pdf