title: Latimer County Resident Sentenced For Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alyssa Lyn Turner, age 35, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for Voluntary Manslaughter. On June 10, 2022, Turner pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter. According to investigators, on July 2, 2021, Turner and the victim got into a fight in Wilburton, Oklahoma. During the fight, Turner shot and killed the victim. The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, and the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Jodi W. Dishman, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Oklahoma City. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Cherokee County Resident Sentenced For Manslaughter In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that James Mounce, age 49, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for Manslaughter in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Grand River Dam Authority. On May 19, 2022, Mounce pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in Indian Country. According to court documents, on September 8, 2019, Mounce got into a fight with the victim. Mounce went to the home of a nearby acquaintance, obtained a shotgun, returned to the victim’s location, and shot and killed the victim. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee. Mounce will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States at sentencing.


title: Violent Street Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Gun Crimes

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

body_text: A Dallas man who committed an April 2022 drive-by-shooting was sentenced Monday, September 25, 2023 to 15 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Alexandro Mauricio Campos, 27, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced September 25, 2023 by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey. Campos is a violent felon, and a member of a violent street gang. According to court documents, on April 24, 2022 Mansfield Police Officers were dispatched to investigate reports of a drive-by shooting. Once on the scene, officers observed two vehicles riddled with bullets that was parked at the residence. The residence was also shot, and bullets penetrated a child’s bedroom, the laundry room, and the garage. Officers recovered numerous shell casings from the street. An AK-47 firearm was used to shoot the vehicles and the house. Campos’s ex-girlfriend and young child were in the house when it was shot, and Campos had sent his ex-girlfriend threatening text messages before the shooting. A neighbor’s home security camera captured the shooting. During the investigation, officers learned one of the vehicles hit in the April 24 th shooting (which belonged to Campos’s ex-girlfriend) had previously been shot by Mr. Campos. Officers observed bullet holes covered with black electrical tape and learned Mr. Campos was being investigated for the violent attack. On April 27, 2022, the U.S. Marshal’s North Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested Campos. During the arrest, officers located a large black AK-47 style pistol on the driver’s floorboard where Mr. Campos was seated and a large box of ammunition for the weapon. Ballistic testing confirmed that this firearm was used in the April 24th drive-by shooting. According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Campos has a 2018 felony conviction for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and received a 2-year prison sentence for the offense. Campos, in fact, has a long history of violent behavior directed at women. Campos was also sentenced for possessing another AK-47 style pistol in Mesquite, Texas, in June 2021. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshal’s North Texas Fugitive Task Force, the Mansfield Police Department, and the Mesquite Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case.


title: Little Eagle Man Sentenced for Habitual Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse by Force and Habitual Domestic Violence. The sentencing took place on September 19, 2023. Anthony Bobtail Bear, age 43, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Bobtail Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. A Superseding Information was filed, and the defendant changed his plea to guilty on June 26, 2023. The defendant was convicted of physically and sexually abusing the mother of his child at a home in Little Eagle. The victim sustained bruising to her head, suffered a loss of consciousness during the abuse, and ultimately required surgery to repair the injuries she sustained from the abuse. The defendant and victim were in a tumultuous on again/off again relationship. This is the defendant’s fifth conviction for assaulting the victim, and sixth conviction for domestic violence against his dating partners. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. Bobtail Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Sioux Falls Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Jaden Rae Lalley-Mestas, age 23, was indicted on September 12, 2023. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 15, 2023, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $10,000,000 fine, five years minimum of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The Indictment alleges that from an unknown date through September 12, 2023, Lalley-Mestas conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a controlled substance. The charge is merely an accusation and Lalley-Mestas is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges is prosecuting the case. Lalley-Mestas was detained in U.S. Marshals Service custody pending trial. A trial date has not been set.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and two counts of False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on September 1, 2023. Harold Salway, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Salway was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023. In June of 2022, at Rapid City, Salway, being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly possessed multiple firearms which were found after Salway came into contact with law enforcement. Salway also made false statements about his drug usage while purchasing firearms between January of 2021 and March of 2022. Between January of 2021 and March of 2022, Salway purchased at least 43 firearms, which he then traded for drugs or sold or provided to them to others who were prohibited from possessing them. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Salway was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Wagner Woman Found Guilty on Multiple Counts of Abuse

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Tina Sully, age 53, of Wagner, South Dakota, of seven counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Felony Child Abuse, and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact, following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on September 15, 2023. Sully was indicted on these charges by a federal grand jury in January of 2022. The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and possible maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $1,000 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Sully was a foster and adopted mother to several children. The jury convicted her of unlawfully assaulting and cruelly punishing three of them, including beating them with belts and hangers and withholding food from them for days, between the years of 1993 and 2021. Sully was also convicted of sexually abusing one of the children by grabbing the juvenile male’s genitals. This case was investigated by the FBI, Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement, and the Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert, who also serves as a prosecutor with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was released pending sentencing.


title: Maryland Man Facing Federal Charges For Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-19 Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Joseph Gillespie, age 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, with conspiracy to commit wire relating to the submission of fraudulent claims for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, enacted to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment of Gillespie was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the indictment, on August 13, 2019, Gillespie incorporated a business called JAG Investments LLC. The stated purpose of the LLC was to “purchase properties and rehab in Baltimore.” On or about August 14, 2019, he opened an account at Wells Fargo for JAG Investments where he was the sole signatory. The Defendant used JAG Investments for the purpose of applying for COVID-19 related benefits, such as a PPP loan. On or about October 17, 2020, Gillespie opened another account at First National Bank of Pennsylvania for JAG Investments where he was the sole signatory. In or about 2020, the Defendant and others worked to prepare materials in support of a fraudulent PPP loan application, including a false 2019 IRS Form 940 and a false February 2020 bank statement for the Wells Fargo Account. On or about March 11, 2021, the Defendant and others caused the submission of a false 2019 IRS Form 940 and a false February 2020 statement for the Wells Fargo Account to Cross River Bank. The false IRS Form 940 reflected that JAG Investments paid $276,209.72 in wages to all employees in 2019. In fact, in 2019 and 2020, JAG Investments did not pay such wages and submitted no tax filings for tax years 2019 and 2020. The false February 2020 bank statement for the Wells Fargo Account indicated that the account had an ending balance of $61,439.16. In fact, Wells Fargo Account had an ending balance of $541.63. 1. That same day, the Defendant searched on YouTube, among other things, “ppp loan audit” and “what can PPP loan be used for.” On or about March 15, 2021, as a result of the alleged misrepresentations, the PPP loan for JAG Investments closed and the Defendant received $138,104 in PPP funds. The Defendant paid a co-conspirator 38,000, reflecting approximately 27 percent of the PPP loan amount received by JAG Investments, in exchange for the co-conspirator’s role in submitting the JAG Investments PPP loan application. On or about March 17, 2021, after receiving the PPP loan for JAG Investments, the Defendant sought to establish payroll processing services through Heartland Payment Systems for the purpose of making payments to purported employees of JAG Investments. On or about March 17, 2021, the Defendant provided Heartland with a list of JAG Investment’s purported employees and the employees’ purported wages. Beginning on or about March 30, 2021 and continuing through August 6, 2021, the Defendant caused Heartland to process payroll for purported employees of JAG Investments. After receiving the purported payroll payments, on multiple occasions in or about 2021, a purported employee of JAG Investments provided a portion of the purported payroll payments—sometimes more than 50 percent of the amount of the payment—back to Gillespie. If convicted, the Defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked Baltimore County Police Department and SBA-OIG for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Riley who is prosecuting the cases. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md . # # #


title: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty To His Role In A Business Email Compromise Scheme

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland –Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, age 29, a Nigerian nation residing in South Africa, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, related to a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme with intended losses of the conspiracy of more than $6 million. Simon-Ebo arrived in the United States on April 12, 2023, after being extradited from Canada. The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service - Washington Field Office. According to his plea agreement, from February 2017 until at least July 2017, Simon-Ebo conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. Specifically, Simon-Ebo and his co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to email accounts associated with individuals and businesses targeted by the conspirators and sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from “spoofed” emails, which are emails with forged sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme, called “drop accounts.” Further, during the same time frame, Simon-Ebo and his co-conspirators conspired to commit money laundering by disbursing the fraudulently obtained funds in the drop accounts to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and the source of those assets. As detailed in the plea agreement, the intended loss for transactions in which Simon-Ebo was directly involved—which were some, but not all of the transactions involving Simon-Ebo and his co-conspirators—was approximately $6,988,249 and the actual loss resulting from these transactions was at least $1,072,306. Simon-Ebo had direct control over at least $45,925 of the funds obtained from victims. According to the plea agreement, Simon-Ebo will be required to pay a money judgment in the amount of $45,925 and pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $1,072,306. Simon-Ebo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and for the money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: United States, Mexico, and Canada Launch Joint Initiative to Detect Collusive Schemes Seeking to Exploit the 2026 FIFA World Cup

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today, alongside its partners from Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) and Canada’s Competition Bureau, the launch of a joint initiative to deter, detect and prosecute collusive schemes related to the provision of goods and services in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the three nations, with events scheduled to occur across 11 locations in the United States, three cities in Mexico, and two cities in Canada. Through this initiative, the enforcement agencies will collaborate on outreach to the public and business community about anti-competitive conduct, as well as on investigations, using intelligence sharing and existing international cooperation tools. “This historic event will bring billions of dollars in economic activity to cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will be vigilant in detecting anticompetitive conduct by any businesses and individuals that exploit the economic opportunities created by the games. We look forward to working with our international partners on this effort.” “As an authority, we have set out to make the benefits of competition tangible for the population,” said Chairwoman Andrea Marván of COFECE. “For Mexico, competition in soccer means passion and enjoyment. Just as in the World Cup, for competition to happen in the economic markets, a level playing field for all those interested in offering their goods and services should be guaranteed. Today we announce a historic collaboration to promote the inclusive benefits of economic and sports competition. In this regard, COFECE will be as vigilant as ever to guarantee that the economic benefits derived from this event are not affected by anti-competitive conducts that could harm both local and international fans. We will work alongside the U.S. and Canadian antitrust agencies to ensure that, no matter where, all markets are working in a competitive and efficient way during this historic event.” “Strong cooperation among law enforcers and partner organizations is key to ensuring that illegal conduct is investigated, and that appropriate action is taken,” said Commissioner Matthew Boswell of the Competition Bureau of Canada. “The Competition Bureau will do everything in its power to pursue those who seek to unjustly profit from the World Cup.” The World Cup is expected to generate benefits across a wide range of sectors in the economy, including the construction, entertainment and tourism industries in the following host sites: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Missouri, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Miami, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. Collaborating with our international partners will allow us to deter anti-competitive conduct impacting the games in our three nations. Anyone with information regarding market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging or other anticompetitive conduct should contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force at www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force or the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258. The Justice Department is committed to working closely with the public, the business community and our international partners to enforce the antitrust laws for the protection of the American people.


title: Three Individuals Plead Guilty to Straw Purchasing Conspiracy to Buy Illegal Guns

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three individuals pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in a straw purchasing conspiracy. According to court documents, from at least March 19, 2020, through May 5, 2021, Stanley Davis, 24, of Petersburg, Mantriel Reaves, 25, of Chandler, Arizona, and Jasiri Wynn, 23, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, conspired to make false statements to federal firearms licensees in Virginia and elsewhere in order to obtain illegal firearms. During the conspiracy, Davis acted as a straw purchaser of firearms in Virginia on behalf of Reaves and Wynn. Davis purchased at least eight firearms for Reaves and Wynn, who directed Davis as to which firearms to purchase. Several of these firearms were later recovered from individuals alleged to be involved in criminal activity. For example, one firearm was recovered from a juvenile in Baltimore, a second firearm was recovered from an individual in New Jersey who was prohibited from possessing firearms, and a third firearm was recovered by law enforcement during the execution of a search warrant in Frostburg, Maryland, as part of an armed robbery investigation. Davis and Reaves are scheduled to be sentenced on January 19, 2024. Wynn is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2024 They face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Lauren Halper are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-111.


title: Man and Woman Sentenced for Armed Robberies of Richmond Discount Stores

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man and woman were sentenced yesterday to a combined 24.5 years in prison for their role in two armed robberies. According to court documents, Michael Brown, 41, and Rashanda Booker, 38, as well as co-defendant Ricardo Horne, 41, robbed a Family Dollar, located at 7 East 16th Street, Richmond, Virginia,on April 17, 2022. They also robbed a Dollar General, located at 3903 Walmsley Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia, on April 28, 2022. On April 17, 2022, Horne and Brown forcefully grabbed a Family Dollar employee as he sought to empty trash prior to the store opening. Brown, holding a semiautomatic pistol that belonged to his sister, guided the employee to a safe inside the store and held him at gunpoint near the safe while emptying it. Horne stood watch and maintained control over a customer as well as another terrified Family Dollar employee. Altogether, they obtained approximately $10,000 from Family Dollar—money they used to buy high-end shoes at a boutique shoe store. Between the two robberies in this case, Horne and Brown directed Booker to purchase new pistol for the second robbery. She did so on April 22, 2022. Six days later, Horne and Brown committed another armed robbery of a Dollar General. Brown entered the store carrying the semiautomatic pistol purchased by Booker alongside Horne. After Horne grabbed control of one of the employees, the two men took her to find the Dollar General manager who could open the safe. Brown held the manager at gunpoint near the safe while Horne maintained control of the other employee. Notably, several customers, including a woman and her young son, were shopping in the store at the time of the robbery. A GPS tracker was installed inside some of the money taken from the Dollar General. Brown and Horne exited the store with the United States currency, entered Booker’s car, and then drove off. As Booker drove, Brown and Horne changed their clothing. Law enforcement began to follow the GPS tracker and discovered Booker, Brown, and Horne in Booker’s Blue Toyota sedan. Among the items recovered by law enforcement were the clothing worn during the armed robbery of the Dollar General by Brown and Horne, the Taurus, Model G3C, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol used during that robbery, and a Family Dollar bag. Brown was sentenced to 19.5 years in prison and Booker was sentenced to 5 years in prison for their roles. Horne was previously sentenced on April 13 to 12 years in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Jessica Wright prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-122.


title: Tennessee Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Stolen Sports Memorabilia Scheme

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Friendsville, Tenn., man, Thomas Z. Kasemeyer, 34, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for conspiring to transport stolen goods across state lines. Following his term of incarceration, he was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. According to his guilty plea agreement, in 2021 and early 2022, Kasemeyer, along with his co-defendant, Coy Lee Best, committed a series of burglaries in Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky, where they stole valuable sports cards and similar merchandise from various businesses. After these burglaries, Kasemeyer and Best admitted that they would then travel, often across state lines, to other sports cards stores, to sell what they had stolen. In addition to his prison sentence, Kasemeyer was also ordered to pay $198,775 in restitution, representing the value of the merchandise stolen during the conspiracy. For his role in the conspiracy, Coy Best was sentenced to 24 months in prison, in May 2023. Under federal law, Kasemeyer and Best must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. In addition to the $198,775 ordered for restitution, the Court also directed Kasemeyer to pay a money judgement in the amount of $30,000, reflecting his personal proceeds from the stolen merchandise. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Brian Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; Chief Paul Noel, Knoxville Police Department; Chief Celeste Murphy; Chattanooga Police Department; Chief Frank McCann, Cartersville Police Department; Sheriff Robert Bryan, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff David Charles, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Lexington Police Department, Knoxville Police Department, Chattanooga Police Department, Cartersville Police Department, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan. -END-


title: Former executive and three other former employees charged with defrauding Mohawk

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. – Four former employees of Mohawk Industries, Inc. (“Mohawk”), Jana Kanyadan (Mohawk’s former Global Chief Information Officer), Sivakumar Thiyagasamadram, Madhu Shivalingegowda, and Chintan Sandesara have been indicted for allegedly defrauding Mohawk. “These defendants allegedly took advantage of their positions to advance personal interests at Mohawk’s expense,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will prosecute those who abuse their positions of authority to steal from the employers who trust them.” “These defendants allegedly violated the trust placed in them by their employer,” said Sean Burke, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI works hard to make sure greed like this doesn’t pay off and those who commit fraud are held accountable.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Jana Kanyadan served as Mohawk’s Global Chief Information Officer. Sivakumar Thiyagasamadram, Madhu Shivalingegowda, and Chintan Sandesara were Mohawk employees with responsibility for Information Technology (“IT”). In 2019, Mohawk launched a large, multi-year IT project and outsourced work for the IT project to IT consulting firms. The indictment alleges that the defendants secretly organized and controlled a Georgia company, Meta Technology Platforms, LLC (“Meta Tech”), and used their positions at Mohawk to retain Meta Tech as a Mohawk vendor and divert Mohawk’s outsourced IT consulting work to Meta Tech. Between approximately May and October of 2022, Meta Tech submitted invoices to Mohawk totaling approximately $3,034,411. The invoices that Meta Tech submitted to Mohawk did not disclose the defendants’ relationship to Meta Tech. The invoices also allegedly charged Mohawk for services that had not been performed, for software that had not been provided, and at inflated hourly rates that Kanyadan approved on Mohawk’s behalf. Mohawk paid Meta Tech approximately $1,857,741.40 based on these fraudulent invoices. Jana Kanyadan, 53, of Marietta, Georgia, Sivakumar Thiyagasamadram, 54, of Cumming, Georgia, Madhu Shivalingegowda, 38, of Acworth, Georgia, and Chintan Sandesara, 39, of Marietta, Georgia, were indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2023, and had their initial appearances on September 21, 2023. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tal C. Chaiken is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Maryland Man Facing Federal Charges For Sexual Assault On A Cruise Ship

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jalen Thomas Kelley, age 21, of Abingdon, Maryland, for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault within the territorial jurisdiction. Kelley was arrested by the FBI Charlotte Field Office in Wingate, North Carolina, on September 20, 2023. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the indictment, between January 1, 2023 and January 2, 2023, the defendant engaged in a sexual act by force and assaulted Victim 1 without consent on board a cruise vessel Carnival Legend, which had a scheduled departure from and an arrival in Baltimore, Maryland. If convicted, Kelley faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. This investigation is ongoing. Individuals who may have any information regarding this investigation are encouraged to contact the following: FBI Baltimore: 410-265-8080. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked Wingate University Campus Safety and Wingate Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelyn Semales and Sean Delaney, who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, His Wife, And Three New Jersey Businessmen Charged With Bribery Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Robert Menendez Allegedly Agreed to Use His Official Position to Benefit Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, and the Government of Egypt in Exchange for Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars of Bribes to Menendez and His Wife Nadine Menendez, Which Included Gold Bars, Cash, and a Luxury Convertible Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that an Indictment was unsealed this morning charging U.S. Senator ROBERT MENENDEZ, his wife NADINE MENENDEZ, a/k/a “Nadine Arslanian,” and three New Jersey businessmen, WAEL HANA, a/k/a “Will Hana,” JOSE URIBE, and FRED DAIBES, with participating in a years-long bribery scheme. The Indictment alleges that MENENDEZ and his wife, NADINE MENENDEZ, accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes from HANA, URIBE, and DAIBES in exchange for MENENDEZ’s agreement to use his official position to protect and enrich them and to benefit the Government of Egypt. Among other things, MENENDEZ agreed and sought to pressure a senior official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in an effort to protect a business monopoly granted to HANA by Egypt, disrupt a criminal case undertaken by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office related to associates of URIBE, and disrupt a federal criminal prosecution brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey against DAIBES. MENENDEZ, NADINE MENENDEZ, HANA, URIBE, and DAIBES are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As the grand jury charged, between 2018 and 2022, Senator Menendez and his wife engaged in a corrupt relationship with Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes – three New Jersey businessmen who collectively paid hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including cash, gold, a Mercedes Benz, and other things of value – in exchange for Senator Menendez agreeing to use his power and influence to protect and enrich those businessmen and to benefit the Government of Egypt. My Office is firmly committed to rooting out corruption, without fear or favor, and without any regard to partisan politics. We will continue to do so.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “The FBI has made investigating public corruption a top priority since our founding — nothing has changed. The alleged conduct in this conspiracy damages the public’s faith in our system of government and brings undue scorn to the honest and dedicated public servants who carry out their duties on a daily basis. To those inclined to use the status of their public office for personal benefit, or those willing to provide bribes in an attempt to gain influence from a public official, the FBI will ensure that you face the consequences in the criminal justice system for your underhanded dealings.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] ROBERT MENENDEZ is the senior U.S. Senator from New Jersey and currently the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (“SFRC”). NADINE MENENDEZ began dating MENENDEZ in February 2018, they became engaged in October 2019, and they married in October 2020. Shortly after they began dating in 2018, NADINE MENENDEZ introduced MENENDEZ to her long-time friend WAEL HANA, who is originally from Egypt, lived in New Jersey, and maintained close connections with Egyptian officials. HANA was also business associates with FRED DAIBES, a New Jersey real estate developer and long-time donor to MENENDEZ, and JOSE URIBE, who worked in the New Jersey insurance and trucking business. Between 2018 and 2022, MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes from HANA, DAIBES, and URIBE. These bribes included gold, cash, a luxury convertible, payments toward NADINE MENENDEZ’s home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job for NADINE MENENDEZ, home furnishings, and other things of value. In June 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at the New Jersey home of MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ. During that search, the FBI found many of the fruits of this bribery scheme, including cash, gold, the luxury convertible, and home furnishings. Over $480,000 in cash — much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe — was discovered in the home, as well as over $70,000 in cash in NADINE MENENDEZ’s safe deposit box, which was also searched pursuant to a separate search warrant. Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and/or DNA of DAIBES or his driver. Other of the envelopes were found inside jackets bearing MENENDEZ’s name and hanging in his closet, as depicted below. During this same search, agents also found home furnishings provided by HANA and DAIBES, the luxury vehicle paid for by URIBE parked in the garage, as well as over one hundred thousand dollars’ worth of gold bars in the home, which were provided by either HANA or DAIBES. Two of the gold bars DAIBES provided are depicted in the photographs below. In exchange for these and other things of value, MENENDEZ agreed to use his power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect HANA, URIBE, and DAIBES’s interests and to benefit the Government of Egypt. Through this corrupt relationship, MENENDEZ agreed to take a series of official acts and breaches of his official duty. First, MENENDEZ took actions to benefit the Government of Egypt and HANA, including by improperly pressuring an official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) to seek to protect a business monopoly granted to HANA by Egypt. Second, MENENDEZ took actions seeking to disrupt a criminal investigation undertaken by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General (“NJAG”) related to URIBE and his associates. Third, MENENDEZ recommended that the President nominate a U.S. Attorney who MENENDEZ believed he could influence with respect to DAIBES and sought to disrupt a federal criminal prosecution undertaken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey (“USAO-DNJ”) of DAIBES. Promised Actions to Benefit Egypt and Pressure the USDA Shortly after she began dating MENENDEZ in 2018, NADINE MENENDEZ worked with HANA to introduce Egyptian intelligence and military officials to MENENDEZ. Those introductions helped establish a corrupt agreement in which HANA, with assistance from DAIBES and URIBE, provided bribes to MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ in exchange for MENENDEZ’s actions to benefit Egypt and HANA, among others. As part of the scheme, MENENDEZ provided sensitive, non-public U.S. government information to Egyptian officials and otherwise took steps to secretly aid the Government of Egypt. For example, in or about May 2018, MENENDEZ provided Egyptian officials with non-public information regarding the number and nationality of persons serving at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Although this information was not classified, it was deemed highly sensitive because it could pose significant operational security concerns if disclosed to a foreign government or made public. Without telling his professional staff or the State Department that he was doing so, on or about May 7, 2018, MENENDEZ texted that sensitive, non-public embassy information to his then-girlfriend NADINE MENENDEZ, who forwarded the message to HANA, who forwarded it to an Egyptian government official. Later that same month, MENENDEZ ghost-wrote a letter on behalf of Egypt to other U.S. Senators advocating for them to release a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt. MENENDEZ sent this ghost-written letter to NADINE MENENDEZ, who forwarded it to HANA, who sent it to Egyptian officials. At various times between 2018 and 2022, MENENDEZ also conveyed to Egyptian officials, through NADINE MENENDEZ, HANA, and/or DAIBES, that he would approve or remove holds on foreign military financing and sales of military equipment to Egypt in connection with his leadership role on the SFRC. For example, in or about July 2018, following meetings between MENENDEZ and Egyptian officials, which were arranged and attended by NADINE MENENDEZ and HANA, MENENDEZ texted NADINE MENENDEZ that she should tell HANA that MENENDEZ was going to sign off on a multimillion-dollar weapons sale to Egypt. NADINE MENENDEZ forwarded this text to HANA, who forwarded it to two Egyptian officials, one of whom replied with a “thumbs up” emoji. MENENDEZ made similar communications over the ensuing years. For example, in January 2022, MENENDEZ sent NADINE MENENDEZ a link to a news article reporting on two pending foreign military sales to Egypt totaling approximately $2.5 billion. NADINE MENENDEZ forwarded this link to HANA, writing, “Bob had to sign off on this.” In exchange for MENENDEZ’s agreement to take these and other actions, HANA promised NADINE MENENDEZ payments, including from IS EG Halal Certified, Inc. (“IS EG Halal”), a New Jersey company that HANA operated with financial support and backing from DAIBES. However, IS EG Halal had little to no revenue until the spring of 2019, when the Government of Egypt granted IS EG Halal a monopoly on the certification of U.S. food exports to Egypt as compliant with halal standards, despite the fact that neither HANA nor his company had experience with halal certification. The monopoly generated revenue for HANA, through which he paid NADINE MENENDEZ as promised. Because the monopoly resulted in increased costs for U.S. meat suppliers, in or about April and May 2019, the USDA contacted the Government of Egypt and sought reconsideration of its grant of monopoly rights to IS EG Halal. After being briefed on the USDA’s objections to IS EG Halal’s monopoly by HANA and NADINE MENENDEZ, on May 23, 2019, MENENDEZ called a high-level USDA official (“Official-1”) and insisted that the USDA stop opposing IS EG Halal’s status as sole halal certifier. When Official-1 attempted to explain why the monopoly was detrimental to U.S. interests, MENENDEZ reiterated his demand that the USDA stop interfering with IS EG Halal’s monopoly. Official-1 did not accede to MENENDEZ’s demand, but IS EG Halal nevertheless kept its monopoly. After financially benefitting from IS EG Halal’s monopoly, HANA, at times with the assistance of DAIBES and URIBE, provided payments and other things of value in furtherance of the scheme. For example, in or about July 2019, after the mortgage company for the residence of NADINE MENENDEZ initiated foreclosure proceedings, HANA caused IS EG Halal to pay approximately $23,000 to bring the mortgage current. HANA did so after a series of discussions with NADINE MENENDEZ, as well as URIBE and DAIBES, about various options for bringing the mortgage current. Later in 2019, HANA and DAIBES caused IS EG Halal to issue three $10,000 checks to NADINE MENENDEZ for a low-or-no-show job. As the scheme continued, including through the additional actions described below, MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ received additional bribes, including gold and cash. Promised Actions Seeking to Disrupt the NJAG Criminal Case Also in 2019, HANA and URIBE offered to help buy a new Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000 for MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ. In exchange, MENENDEZ agreed and sought to interfere in the NJAG’s criminal insurance fraud prosecution of an associate of URIBE and a related investigation involving an employee of URIBE. On multiple occasions in 2019, URIBE, HANA, and/or NADINE MENENDEZ briefed MENENDEZ regarding the NJAG’s insurance fraud prosecution and investigation. Following those briefings, and in exchange for the promise of the luxury convertible, MENENDEZ contacted a senior state prosecutor at the NJAG’s Office who supervised the prosecution and investigation (“Official-2”) at least twice. During those communications, MENENDEZ attempted to pressure Official-2 to resolve the prosecution more favorably to the defendant. Official-2 considered MENENDEZ’s actions inappropriate and did not agree to intervene. Nevertheless, the prosecution was ultimately resolved with a plea allowing for no jail time and the investigation never resulted in any charges against URIBE’s employee. In exchange for MENENDEZ’s actions, URIBE provided NADINE MENENDEZ with $15,000 cash for the down payment on the luxury convertible in April 2019. After the purchase was complete, NADINE MENENDEZ messaged MENENDEZ, “Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes.❤” and texted MENENDEZ the below photograph of the convertible: Thereafter, URIBE made monthly payments to Mercedes-Benz for the convertible between 2019 and June 2022. URIBE only stopped making those monthly payments after the FBI approached MENENDEZ, NADINE MENENDEZ, and URIBE in connection with this investigation. Promised Actions Seeking to Disrupt the USAO-DNJ Criminal Case In October 2018, the USAO-DNJ charged DAIBES with federal criminal charges for obtaining loans under false pretenses from a New Jersey-based bank he founded. Between December 2020 and 2022, MENENDEZ agreed to attempt to influence the pending federal prosecution of DAIBES in exchange for cash, furniture, and gold bars that DAIBES provided to MENENDEZ and NADINE MENDENDEZ. In furtherance of this aspect of the scheme, MENENDEZ recommended that the President nominate an individual (“Official-3”) as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey who MENENDEZ believed he could influence with respect to DAIBES’s case. MENENDEZ also had direct and indirect contact with both Official-3 and another high-ranking official at the USAO-DNJ (“Official-4”) in an attempt to influence the outcome of DAIBES’s case. Official-3 and Official-4 did not pass on to the USAO-DNJ prosecution team handling the DAIBES prosecution the fact that MENENDEZ had contacted them, and they did not treat the case any differently as a result of MENENDEZ’s actions. DAIBES’s case was ultimately resolved with a plea agreement that provided for a probationary sentence. In exchange for MENENDEZ’s participation in the bribery scheme, DAIBES provided MENENDEZ and NADINE MENENDEZ with multiple things of value, including the two one-kilogram gold bars pictured below. * * * ROBERT MENENDEZ, 69, of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. NADINE MENENDEZ, 56, of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. WAEL HANA, 40, formerly of Edgewater, New Jersey, and originally of Egypt, JOSE URIBE, 56, of Clifton, New Jersey, and FRED DAIBES, 66, of Edgewater, New Jersey, are all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams thanked the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for its invaluable assistance on the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli J. Mark, Paul Monteleoni, Lara Pomerantz, and Daniel C. Richenthal are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This investigation remains ongoing. If you have information regarding the charges or defendants in the Indictment, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI and reference this case. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 10 Years Related to January 2022 Shooting in Davenport

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, related to his involvement in a January 2022 shooting in Davenport. According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, Leonard Fisher, 32, fired six shots in the area of 13th Street and Washington Street, a residential area, during the early morning hours of January 29, 2022. Trial evidence showed that Fisher fired six rounds from a stolen firearm after an altercation inside of the Thunderguard Club. At the time of this offense, Fisher was on a furlough from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, from a prior prison sentence for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, related to a prior shots fired incident. A federal jury convicted Fisher in January 2023 . Timothy Angel, 39, of Clinton, was identified as another shooter in the January 2022 shooting incident. In January 2023, Angel was sentenced to eight years in federal prison . United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Virginia Medical Equipment Provider Ordered to Pay $12 M in Medicare Fraud Scheme as Civil Penalty

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – AZ Diabetic Supply, Inc. (AZD), a durable medical equipment (DME) provider located in Vienna, was ordered to pay $12 million for its submission of nearly 1,000 false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for reimbursement. AZD is owned and operated by Hisham Zaghal, a resident of Vienna. In its complaint filed in district court, the United States alleged that from January 2016 through December 2021, Medicare paid AZD over $600,000 in reimbursement claims for medical braces provided to Medicare-enrolled patients related to DME prescriptions that AZD illegally purchased from marketing companies. AZD, through Zaghal, paid a fee for each prescription that it purchased. AZD used the DME prescriptions and personal and medical data provided by the marketing companies to submit 923 fraudulent Medicare claims for reimbursement. The District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held AZD liable for its actions and entered a judgment against the company for damages and penalties under the False Claims Act for $12,036,554.48. Zaghal reached a separate settlement agreement with the United States for his alleged role in the scheme. As part of that agreement, Zaghal agreed to pay $10,000 and accept a three-year voluntary exclusion from federally funded healthcare programs. He also agreed to forgo $57,690.12 funds in escrow held by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) from the nationwide suspension of payments to AZD and Zaghal. The claims against Zaghal resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of lability. The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Anderson. A copy of this press release may be found on the website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae . Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for No. 1:22-cv-965.


title: Rock Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Rock Island, Illinois, man was sentenced on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, to 60 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base, and felon in possession of firearms. According to public court documents, Jaylyn Devell McGhee, 27, brought his son to the emergency room in Davenport after sustaining a gunshot wound outside McGhee’s residence in July 2021. Law enforcement responded to the residence and located heroin and fentanyl in the street where McGhee’s vehicle was parked during the shooting. Officers obtained a search warrant for McGhee’s residence after locating a blood trail to the residence. In the kitchen, law enforcement located distribution quantities of cocaine base and a substance containing heroin and fentanyl. In a bedroom closet, two loaded firearms were located. As a convicted felon, McGhee is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Following his term of imprisonment, McGhee was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Oneida County Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – James H. Swanson, age 57, of Rome, New York, appeared in federal court last week on charges of receipt and transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to a federal complaint, for years Swanson used electronic devices to access and download child pornography from the Internet that he then uploaded to a cloud storage account under his control. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Swanson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Following a hearing on September 21, United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter released Swanson on conditions of supervision pending trial. If convicted, Swanson faces a minimum term of 5 years in prison and a maximum term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Swanson would also be required to register as a sex offender. Anyone with information related to this case can report it by calling the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tipline at 1-866-347-2423. The case is being investigated by HSI, the New York State Police, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Sisters Facing Federal Charges For Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-19 Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program And Economic Injury Disaster Loans

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment of Dinara Sosa, age 35, of Reisterstown, Maryland, and Elza Lipartiya, age 27, of Landsdale, Pennsylvania, for wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to the submission of fraudulent claims for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, enacted to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment was returned on August 8, 2023, and unsealed yesterday upon Sosa and Lipartiya’s arrests. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Joe Aiosa of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development; Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. According to the indictment, sisters Dinara Sosa and Elza Lipartiya, submitted over 25 PPP loan applications, and over 15 EIDL applications on behalf of multiple businesses, and provided false information to multiple financial institutions and the SBA in order to obtain COVID-19 benefits. The information included the submission of fraudulent IRS forms, false representations regarding the applying entity’s average monthly payroll and false representations regarding the number of employees of the purported businesses. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the USAO, USAID-OIG, TIGTA, and IRS-CI. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the USAID-OIG, TIGTA, and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Aubin and Harry M. Gruber who are prosecuting the cases. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md . # # #


title: Man sentenced for $3.5 million, multi-year fuel credit tax fraud

body_text: ATLANTA - Joseph Oluwafemi Kolawole Akoshile has been sentenced for a $3.5 million tax fraud scheme relating to false tax returns claiming fuel tax credits. “Akoshile used multiple aliases to steal millions of dollars from American taxpayers by fraudulently using a tax credit designed to aid business owners,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “He laundered the money through multiple accounts he controlled in a failed effort to disguise his criminal scheme.” “In order to carry out his long running financial fraud, Akoshile and his associates stole the identities of numerous people,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS CI special agents remain committed to investigating those who commit financial crimes, including identity theft. Akoshile’s actions highlights the importance of protecting identifiable information.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will aggressively pursue those who endeavor to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by exploiting programs which were established to provide assistance to American business owners,” said Mark Morini, Special Agent in charge of TIGTA’s Southeast Field Office. “We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in this effort.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Joseph Oluwafemi Kolawole Akoshile committed a wide-ranging fraud that resulted in the issuance of more than 100 fraudulent treasury checks worth over $3.5 million. For more than five years, Akoshile and others submitted federal corporate tax returns, claiming fraudulent refunds for a web of corporations set up using stolen identities. The fraudulent tax returns claimed false fuel tax credits, resulting in large refunds. The fuel tax credit is intended to assist legitimate businesses in offsetting fuel taxes they pay for off-road vehicles. The defendant received the fraudulent refund checks and altered them to change the payee to a corporation created for the scheme. Akoshile then laundered these funds through other accounts, including multiple business accounts he controlled in one of his many aliases. Joseph Oluwafemi Kolawole Akoshile, 57, of Mansfield, Texas, was sentenced to four years, three months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,606,990.10. Akoshile was convicted on these charges on June 9, 2023, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Alana Black prosecuted the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Lehighton Business Owner Pleads Guilty To Submitting False Covid-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Application

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nora Barile, age 43, of Lehighton, PA, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2023, before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to wire fraud in connection with her submission of a false COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Barile pleaded guilty alleges that on dates in May 2020 and June 2022, on behalf of her business Helping Hands Cleaning Services and Home Improvement, Barile submitted to the United States Small Business Association (“SBA”) a false EIDL application (with amended and supplemental filings) containing material misrepresentations. In reliance on her certification that she would use the EIDL funds for business purposes, the SBA awarded Barile approximately $67,400.00 in COVID-19 relief funds over the two-year period. Barile acknowledged that she used these funds for purely personal expenses. Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement with the United States, Barile agreed to make full restitution to the SBA. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John. 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. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, 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: California Woman Sentenced To 18 Years’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tanya Stanger, age 33, of San Yisidro, California, was sentenced on September 21, 2023, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 18 years’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tanya Stanger and her husband, Bryce Stanger, age 34, also of San Yisidro, California, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County. Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of high-quality crystal methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl. Further investigation revealed that the defendants were transporting the drugs from California to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, for further distribution. Bryce Stanger is currently awaiting sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. 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. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office plans civil rights and social services expo

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The United States Attorney’s Office will partner with West Virginia Northern Community College to host a civil rights and social services expo next week. The event will take place on September 27 from 10:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the B&O building on Market Street in Wheeling. Several local agencies will participate, offering informational booths on topics to include fair housing, disability rights, and childcare. Paws 4 People, a non-profit service animal organization, will offer service dog demonstrations throughout the day. Other participating organizations include the Seeing Hand Association, the United Way, Harmony House, CASA, Salvation Army, Legal Aid, Disability Rights of WV, Wheeling Health Right, the WV Child Advocacy Network, the Wheeling Human Rights Commission, the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, the Child Care Resource Center, the Brooke Hancock Family Resource Network, and the Sexual Assault Help Center. The event is free and open to the public. This event is one of several outreach efforts within the Northern District of West Virginia. To learn more about the District’s civil rights work, or to report a civil rights violation, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/civil-rights-program .


title: Justice Department Marks 23rd Anniversary of Federal Religious Land Use Law by Announcing Community Outreach Program and Resources to Increase Awareness of Protections for Faith-Based Groups

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – To commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law that protects persons and religious institutions from discriminatory land use regulations, the Justice Department announced several efforts to increase awareness of RLUIPA’s protections. The department will host a series of outreach events and has released updated informational materials about RLUIPA to provide an overview of the law and the department’s enforcement efforts, as well as information about how to identify and report violations. “Over the last 23 years, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act has helped to combat religious discrimination by protecting the civil rights of faith communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In light of continued anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination, the Justice Department stands ready to use federal civil rights law to ensure that communities can use their property for worship and to freely engage in religious exercise. The anniversary of RLUIPA provides an opportunity to underscore our commitment to protecting religious rights and ensuring that people are able to freely use land to worship and practice their faith.” “RLUIPA provides important protections for religious groups throughout New Jersey,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Our office is committed to combatting religious discrimination and ensuring that religious groups are treated fairly and equally under local land use laws. We look forward to increasing awareness of RLUIPA and co-hosting this important event with Seton Hall Law School.” The department’s first RLUIPA outreach event will take place at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, New Jersey, on Oct. 30. The event will include remarks from officials with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, religious leaders in New Jersey whose organizations have benefited from RLUIPA’s protections and attorneys who have experience litigating RLUIPA cases. The department will host additional events across the country in the coming months, including in California and Michigan. For more information about these events, please see the department’s RLUIPA website . All events will be open to the public. RLUIPA was passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law on Sept. 22, 2000, and contains provisions covering religious land use and religious exercise by people who are incarcerated. Since RLUIPA’s passage, the department has opened over 150 formal investigations and filed 28 lawsuits and 34 friend of the court briefs related to RLUIPA’s land use provisions. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship . Individuals who believe they have been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php .


title: Nine Alleged Gun, Drug Traffickers Charged in Fort Worth

body_text: Nine men accused of selling drugs and guns in Fort Worth have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. The defendants were charged in three separate criminal complaints with a variety of offenses, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm. During September, search warrants were executed and eight of the nine defendants were arrested in Fort Worth by ATF Agents and Fort Worth Police Department Officers. Those charged include: Dewayne Thomas, aka “DJ”, charged with felon in possession of a firearm (Glock 10mm pistol) Anthony Williams, aka “Fresh,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) Marvis Jones, aka “Twin,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) Marquon McClain, aka “Flame,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) Antwon Crosby, aka “Twon,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) AJ Anderson Williams, Jr., charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (fentanyl) Regina McDowell, aka “Lil Reg,” charged with felon in possession of a firearm (Canik 9mm pistol) According to the complaints, a series of ATF confidential informants, often accompanied by undercover agents, made undercover gun and drug purchases from the defendants. Across more than a dozen transactions in June and July, confidential informants allegedly purchased more than 94 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 57 grams of methamphetamine, and nine firearms, including one privately made firearm, or “ghost gun.” Most of the transactions were completed in convenience store and fast food parking lots, motels, or smoke shops. On at least two occasions, defendants, who said they were suspicious of police vehicles in the area, met an informant in one location and then allegedly led him to another location to complete the purchase. Criminal complaints are merely allegations of wrongdoing, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face up to twenty years in federal prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting all three cases.


title: Carbon County Man Sentenced To 15 Years’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Roberto Magobet, age 45, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Magobet previously pleaded guilty on March 6, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. On August 31, 2021, state parole agents were attempting to conduct a residence inspection at Magobet’s residence in Jim Thorpe when they observed a package of methamphetamine on the front porch. A search of the residence revealed seven grams of fentanyl and 243 grams of pure methamphetamine, along with drug packaging materials. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Jim Thorpe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. This case is also 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: Sacramento Man Indicted for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Sept. 14, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Bruce Anthony Garcia, 41, of Sacramento, charging him with the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Aug. 2, 2017, and Sept. 1, 2019, Garcia attempted to sexually exploit a minor by producing visual depictions of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In June 2022, Garcia distributed child pornography, and in January 2023, Garcia was found in possession of child pornography. This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Garcia faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of up to 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor; a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 for distribution of child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of child pornography. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Federal Jury Finds Two Owensboro Men Guilty of Methamphetamine Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Owensboro, KY – Yesterday, a federal jury in Owensboro, Kentucky convicted two local men of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Cedric Swanagan , 37, and Courtland Reed , 32, were convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine between September 2021 and April 4, 2022, in Daviess County, Kentucky and elsewhere. The jury also convicted both Swanagan and Reed of possession with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine on February 22, 2022, in Daviess County and elsewhere. The evidence presented at trial included recorded phone calls between the defendants that were intercepted during a federal wiretap investigation and evidence involving approximately 876 grams of pure methamphetamine associated with the defendants. The jury further found that Swanagan had committed one serious drug felony and that Reed had committed one serious drug felony and one violent felony prior to committing the offenses in this case. These findings increased the mandatory minimum sentences for both defendants. Sentencing is scheduled for January 25, 2024, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Swanagan and Reed both remain in federal custody pending sentencing. Swanagan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. Reed faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The DEA and the Owensboro Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Indiana State Police, the Kentucky State Police, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, the McLean County Sheriff’s Office, and the Owensboro-Daviess County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal specialist Aaron Cooper. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. ###


title: Brockton Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon has been charged with unlawfully possessing a Glock pistol and 18 rounds of ammunition. Michael Whitfield, 42, of Brockton, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Whitfield was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon. According to the charging documents, on March 6, 2023, upon arrival at a motor vehicle accident scene in Brockton, law enforcement observed Whitfield in a vehicle with significant damage, its airbag deployed and a broken passenger door window. It is alleged that there was a strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and an empty tequila bottle was observed on the passenger seat floor. It is further alleged that a Glock 19X .9mm pistol loaded with 18 rounds was found on the driver’s side floorboard between Whitfield’s legs. Due to a prior felony conviction stemming from 2006, Whitfield is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, the Brockton Police Department and the Brockton Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to Host Forum in Newark to Increase Awareness of Civil Rights Protections for Religious Land Use

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will hold an outreach event in Newark to commemorate the 23 rd anniversary of the signing of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law that protects persons and religious institutions from discriminatory land use regulations. The RLUIPA outreach event will take place at Seton Hall Law School in Newark on Oct. 30, 2023, and will include remarks from U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Civil Rights Division officials, religious leaders in New Jersey whose organizations have benefited from RLUIPA’s protections, and attorneys who have experience litigating RLUIPA cases. For more information about this event and others the Civil Rights Division plans to hold around the country, please see the department’s RLUIPA’s website . All events will be open to the public. “RLUIPA provides important protections for religious groups throughout New Jersey. Our office is committed to combatting religious discrimination and ensuring that religious groups are treated fairly and equally under local land use laws. We look forward to increasing awareness of RLUIPA and co-hosting this important event at Seton Hall Law School.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “RLUIPA provides important protections for religious groups throughout New Jersey,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Our office is committed to combatting religious discrimination and ensuring that religious groups are treated fairly and equally under local land use laws. We look forward to increasing awareness of RLUIPA and co-hosting this important event at Seton Hall Law School.” “Over the last 23 years, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act has helped to combat religious discrimination by protecting the civil rights of faith communities across the country,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “In light of continued anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination, the Justice Department stands ready to use federal civil rights law to ensure that communities can use their property for worship and to freely engage in religious exercise. The anniversary of RLUIPA provides an opportunity to underscore our commitment to protecting religious rights and ensuring that people are able to freely use land to worship and practice their faith.” RLUIPA was passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law on September 22, 2000, and contains provisions covering religious land use and religious exercise by people who are incarcerated. Since RLUIPA’s passage, the Department has opened over 150 formal investigations and filed 28 lawsuits and 34 friend of the court briefs related to RLUIPA’s land use provisions, including several in the District of New Jersey. Since 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed 4 lawsuits and 2 friend of court brief’s related to RLUIPA’s land use provisions. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship . Individuals who believe they have been subjected to religious discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement/complaint or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Individuals may also contact the Civil Rights Division Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or submit a complaint through the complaint portal on the Place to Worship Initiative website.