title: Iowa Air National Guardsman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Guardsman for the Iowa Air Guard’s 185 th Refueling Wing who possessed over 1,400 images of child sexual abuse material was sentenced today, September 11, 2023, to three years in federal prison. Kevin Swanson, age 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after he plead guilty in federal court on May 4, 2023, to Possession of Child Pornography. Evidence at today’s hearing established that between August 2020, and August 2021, he used an Internet-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) network to knowingly share and receive visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including depictions involving prepubescent minors who had not reached the age of 12. Swanson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Swanson was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and a total of $10,000 in fines. Swanson must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system. Swanson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4080. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: South Dakota Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Acquire Controlled Substances

body_text: Kenneth Hurd, 32, from Harrisburg, South Dakota, pled guilty in federal court on September 5, 2023, to Conspiracy to Acquire Controlled Substances by Fraud. At the plea hearing, Hurd admitted that he knowingly conspired with co-defendant, Douglas Kelley, to obtain and acquire fentanyl by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge. They used Douglas Kelley’s position as a nurse at MercyOne Hospital in Sioux City to obtain fentanyl and other controlled substances for personal use. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hurd remains free on bond pending sentencing. Hurd faces, not more than 4 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and up to 1 year of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig Hamit and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Inspections & Appeals, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Sioux City Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-4022. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pontotoc County Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault And Explosives Offenses

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Craig Hollars, age 44, of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to five charges relating to a prolonged assault that ended at the Chickasaw Nation Treasury Building in September of 2022. The Indictment filed on June 14, 2023, charged Hollars with one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, one count of Assault of a Dating Partner in Indian Country, one count of Attempt to Damage and Destroy by Explosive, one count of Making of a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act, and one count of Carry Explosive During the Commission of a Felony. The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the plea hearing, Hollars admitted that on September 6, 2022, he strangled the victim, threatened her with a homemade bomb, chased her as she fled to the Chickasaw Nation Treasury Building, struck her in the back of the head, dragged her from the building as she sought shelter, then attempted to light the bomb in order to injure her and cause damage to the Treasury Building. The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Hollars will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Cherokee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cairl Glenn Hayes, Jr., age 48, of Hulbert, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. During the plea hearing, Hayes, Jr. admitted to having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and to possessing a firearm and ammunition despite knowing he was prohibited from doing so. The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Hayes, Jr. will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lorenz represented the United States.


title: California Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Victor Alfonso Leon-Pacheco, age 33, of Bakersfield, California, of Conspiracy to Distribute (fentanyl), Conspiracy to Distribute (methamphetamine), and Use of a Communications Facility to Facilitate a Drug Trafficking Crime, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on September 7, 2023. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier presided over the trial. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Leon-Pacheco was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. Since 2016, Leon-Pacheco was in custody in Oklahoma. He obtained a contraband cell phone and used the phone to operate a drug trafficking organization across the United States. Leon-Pacheco arranged for family and friends in California to send packages of drugs to various places, including western South Dakota, through the US Postal Service. Those people also received money wire transfers and cash on behalf of the defendant. The methamphetamine and fentanyl were then further distributed by people in the area. Law enforcement was able to introduce an undercover agent, who communicated with the defendant by an encrypted application over the course of several months. The defendant sent approximately 6,000 fentanyl pills and 10 pounds of methamphetamine to law enforcement. During a search of his cell by Oklahoma officials, the contraband phone was located. A co-conspirator, Eduardo Acosta, has already pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months custody. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 90 Months for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Alberto Mejia, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 90 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Mejia will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Mejia to pay restitution in the amount of $6,000. On May 17, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mejia’s Omaha residence in relation to an ongoing assault investigation. The search warrant allowed for the seizure of digital devices from the residence and searching of the digital devices for evidence related to child pornography. During execution of the search warrant, several digital devices were seized from the residence, including Mejia’s cell phone. On Mejia’s cell phone, law enforcement located numerous videos and images of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department.


title: Salt Lake City Man Indicted for Carjacking After Allegedly Attacking a Woman with a Child in the Vehicle

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Salt Lake City man after he allegedly attempted to violently take a woman’s vehicle with her daughter in the backseat. According to court documents, Zachery Cover, 32, of Salt Lake City, attempted to steal a black BMW in the area of 1000 West 200 North in Salt Lake City on August 30, 2023. According to the allegations in the complaint, dispatch received a 911 call at 9:14 a.m. from the victim who stated she had been driving with her 7-year-old daughter when she stopped due to a tire problem. The victim left the vehicle running with the driver’s door open while she checked the tire pressure. A man, later identified as Cover, jumped in the vehicle, and shut the door. In an attempt to stop Cover from leaving with her daughter, who was in the backseat, the victim reached through the open driver’s door window and pleaded with Cover not to take the car because her daughter was inside. Cover told the victim to take her daughter and get out. The victim pulled Cover from the vehicle and a physical altercation ensued. The victim was struck several times by Cover. At one point, Cover displayed a firearm and pointed it at the victim and her child. A second struggle occurred, and the victim knocked the gun away, broke free, drove off and called 911. A responding officer took Cover into custody. The recovered firearm was a facsimile .22 caliber Walther style BB gun. Cover is charged with carjacking. Cover had his initial court appearance on the indictment, September 7, 2023 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. A two day trial is scheduled for November 13, 2023. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by a Salt Lake City Police Officer with the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Thompson Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Thompson, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Pauley admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary. In pleading guilty to a felony Information, Pauley admitted that he purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen. Pauley also admitted to selling many of the stolen remains to others, at least one of whom also knew they had been stolen. Previously, other individuals were also indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. The indictments allege that from 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allegedly allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state. Maclean and Taylor allegedly sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also allegedly purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott allegedly sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, allegedly including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments. The individuals charged along with Pauley as a result of the investigation are pending trial: Cedric Lodge, age 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire; Katrina Maclean, age 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, age 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; Denise Lodge, age 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire; and Mathew Lampi, age 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott has been indicted in federal court in the District of Arkansas for her role in the conspiracy and for defrauding the mortuary that employed her. The United States Attorney’s Office has and will continue to attempt to identify and contact as many of the victims and victims’ families affected by this case as possible. If anyone believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct described above, please contact our Victim and Witness Unit at USAPAM.Victim.Information@usdoj.gov or (717) 614-4249. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 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. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Four New Hampshire Men Charged in Connection with the Stalking of Two Journalists

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Four New Hampshire men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for their roles in a conspiracy to harass and intimidate two journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The alleged harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism – on five separate occasions – of the victims’ homes and the home of one of the victims’ parents with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint. The following defendants were indicted for conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and/or the use of a facility of interstate commerce: Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, N.H.; Tucker Cockerline, 32, of Salem, N.H.; Michael Waselchuck, 35, of Seabrook, N.H.; and Keenan Saniatan, 36, of Nashua, N.H. Labarge was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon. Cockerline, Saniatan and Waselchuck were previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on June 16, 2023 and remain in custody. According to the indictment, after a year-long investigation, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article in March 2022 detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge – who is alleged to be a close personal associate of Subject 1 – Saniatan, Cockerline and Waselchuck allegedly agreed to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members. Among other things, the indictment alleges that: On or about April 22, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H., using a brick and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of the home; On or about April 22, 2022, Saniatan allegedly agreed to vandalize Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H., and Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home; and he allegedly threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home; On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge allegedly solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., and Victim 1’s home in Melrose, Mass., using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, allegedly recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and Thereafter, on the evening of May 20, 2022, Cockerline allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck allegedly threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house. Each charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. 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 Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For Drug Distribution Resulting In Death

body_text: SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that United States Judge Malachy E. Mannion sentenced Robert Jackson, age 45, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, to life imprisonment for the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jackson was found guilty of multiple federal crimes on February 8, 2022, following a six-day jury trial before Judge Mannion. Jackson was specifically found guilty for his sale of fentanyl on July 25, 2020, which resulted in the death of a 58-year-old Monroe County man. Jackson was also found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. During the trial, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented the testimony of Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney, a Forensic Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Coyer, a Forensic Toxicologist, who opined that fentanyl caused the death of the Monroe County man. Additional testimony was provided by officers and detectives from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, and the FBI – Scranton Office who testified that Jackson sold fentanyl to the victim in the evening of July 25, 2020, resulting in his death on July 28, 2020. The life sentence imposed by Judge Mannion was mandated pursuant to federal law for defendants found guilty of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, after having previously been convicted of a felony drug offense. Jackson’s criminal history involved multiple felony drug offenses, which also rendered him a career offender under federal law. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Robert O’Hara 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 and other opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin and opioid 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. # # #


title: Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil. According to court documents, on April 19, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States. The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes. The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil. The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund . Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced To 96 Months In Prison For Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Naim Taylor, age 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months of imprisonment on charges related to fentanyl trafficking. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Taylor was the manager of a drug trafficking organization that brought fentanyl from Philadelphia to Williamsport and other areas in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Taylor previously entered a guilty plea in which he admitted to being responsible for trafficking at least 74 grams of fentanyl, the equivalent of nearly 3,000 individual doses. Taylor’s sentence was enhanced because of his possession of a firearm in connection with these activities. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur 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 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: Justice Department Secures Settlement Protecting Employment Rights of Servicemembers

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has resolved a complaint filed against the City of Chicago on behalf of U.S. Army Reservist Derrick Strong. The department’s lawsuit alleged that the city violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) when it failed to offer Strong the opportunity to take an examination upon his return from military service that would have made him eligible for a promotion. After the lawsuit was filed, Strong was given the promotional exam, which he passed, and promoted to the rank of Fire Engineer. The settlement will award him retroactive seniority and back pay. “Federal law safeguards the civilian employment rights of our nation’s servicemembers and requires that they have the promotional opportunities they would have earned had their employment not been interrupted by military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers must ensure that servicemembers have a fair opportunity to seek promotion, including by offering make-up examinations missed due to military service, and this settlement will ensure that this continues to happen.” Strong began his employment in August 2009 as a Firefighter/EMT. He served on active duty from September 2016 through June 2017. Immediately upon returning from his deployment, Strong made multiple requests to take the Fire Engineer promotional examination that he missed while on active duty. Although the city did not begin making Fire Engineer promotions until almost a year after Strong returned, the city denied him the opportunity to take the exam. Initially, the city asserted that because it offered Strong an opportunity to take the Fire Engineer promotional examination at his military post while on active duty, his failure to take the promotional exam was of his own doing. In April 2022, shortly after Strong’s successful performance on the make-up Fire Engineer examination that was ultimately given to him, the city promoted him to the rank of Fire Engineer. The city also changed its policy to allow servicemembers to take make-up promotional examinations upon their return from military service. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the city also agreed to retroactively adjust Strong’s Fire Engineer appointment date to June 2018, the date that he would have been promoted had the city properly administered the examination upon his return from military service and to pay Strong for his lost wages in the amount of $52,000. The Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter to the Justice Department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Trial Attorneys Alicia D. Johnson, Vendarryl Jenkins and Catherine Sellers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section (ELS) litigated this case. ELS continues to work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/laws-we-enforce and www.justice.gov/servicemembers , as well as on the DOL’s website at www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/userra .


title: Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty To Crystal Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Yerigardy Tejeda-Zoquier, age 23, of West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tejeda-Zoquier admitted to possessing between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of highly pure crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Luzerne County and Carbon County areas in 2021. Investigators purchased crystal methamphetamine from Tejeda-Zoquier on multiple occasions between January and March 2021 in both Luzerne and Carbon Counties, and then seized additional crystal methamphetamine from two vehicles utilized by Tejeda-Zoquier. The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Under federal law, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, up to a maximum sentence of life in prison, 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: Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty To Identity Theft, Passport And Food Stamp Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nilda Medina-Veguilla (38, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to making false statements in an application for a United States passport, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government property. Medina faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment. Medina-Veguilla has also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. According to the plea agreement, Medina-Veguilla is a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico. In 2005, she was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation. In 2008, a warrant was issued for her arrest. That same year, Medina-Veguilla left Puerto Rico and moved to the continental United States. There, she assumed the identity of “N.T.D.,” an individual she knew from Puerto Rico. Medina-Veguilla was married and divorced, arrested, employed, and taxed, all in the victim’s name. In February 2021, Medina-Veguilla applied for a U.S. passport using N.T.D.’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and birth certificate. She also applied for and received “SNAP” benefits in N.T.D.’s name. The Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP” – formerly known as “food stamps”) is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that was authorized by congress to provide federal benefits to help low-income families buy food. In total, Medina-Veguilla fraudulently obtained more than $43,000 in SNAP benefits. Medina-Veguilla’s fraudulent activity was exposed when Consular Affairs discovered the real N.T.D. had been issued a U.S. passport several years before Medina-Veguilla’s application. This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Melvin Roshad Simuel, 36, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 7 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. Evidence presented to the court showed that in 2018, Simuel was arrested on three separate occasions for possession of firearms and distribution quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana. Two of the guns had been reported stolen, and Simuel was on probation for a state firearm conviction at the time of the 2018 incidents. Federal law prohibits Simuel from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior state court burglary and firearms convictions. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Simuel to 90 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD), the Columbia Police Department (CPD), and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. ###


title: YouTuber And Auto Key Card Manufacturer Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Transferring Unregistered Machinegun Conversion Devices

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (43, Orange Park) to five years and eight months in federal prison and Matthew Raymond Hoover (39, Wisconsin) to five years in federal prison for conspiring to transfer and transferring unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Ervin additionally was sentenced for structuring cash withdrawals from his bank account consisting of proceeds of the sale of the devices. The court also ordered Ervin to forfeit $68,000, representing the amount of funds involved in the structuring offense. Ervin and Hoover were found guilty by a federal jury on April 21, 2023. According to court documents, in January 2021, Ervin’s bank contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report that employees believed that Ervin was trafficking in machinegun conversion devices. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ervin was running an online business selling machinegun conversion devices, known as lightning links, etched into metal cards, which he referred to as Auto Key Cards. Ervin described the Auto Key Card as a “pen holder,” a “novelty,” and a “political sculpture.” In February 2021, federal agents from ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) surveilled Ervin and observed him dropping off dozens of packages at an Orange Park post office, each of which was determined to contain unregistered machinegun conversion devices. A lightning link can be dropped into an otherwise legal AR-15 type firearm and convert it into a fully automatic machinegun. ATF examined the Auto Key Cards, and a firearms enforcement officer was able to remove the pieces of a lightning link from an Auto Key Card using a common Dremel rotary tool in about 40 minutes. When the firearms enforcement officer placed the two pieces of the lightning link into an AR-15 type firearm, it converted the semi-automatic firearm to be fully automatic – that is, a machinegun. Hoover operated a YouTube channel called CRS Firearms on which he advertised Auto Key Cards. Hoover stated that his viewers could cut a lightning link out of the Auto Key Card, “drop it in your receiver, scratch your full auto itch, throw it away when you’re done” and “no one’s the wiser.” Hoover’s videos advertising the Auto Key Card led to a substantial increase in Ervin’s sales. Ervin sold more than 2,000 Auto Key Cards in only a few months. Multiple purchasers of the Auto Key Card testified at trial that they had learned about it from Hoover’s videos and purchased the Auto Key Card intending to use it to convert their AR-15 type weapons into machineguns. Ervin compensated Hoover for his advertisements by sending cash through the mail and, on one occasion, a Louis Vuitton purse. In March 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ervin’s home and recovered Auto Key Cards containing etchings for more than 1,500 lightning links. In total, the evidence showed that the conspiracy involved at least 6,600 individual lightning links. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and David B. Mesrobian. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran. “Investigating this case required dedication and tenacity on behalf of ATF’s Jacksonville Field Office and our partner agencies on this matter—the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard, whose agency led the investigation. “Our work was necessary to prove the true nature of the Auto Key Cards being sold by Ervin and Hoover and disrupt their audacious scheme to circumvent federal firearms laws.” 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. Anyone in possession of an Auto Key Card should contact his or her nearest ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS and make arrangements to surrender the device to ATF so that it can be destroyed.


title: Two Brothers Plead Guilty to $7.6M COVID-19 Relief Fraud

body_text: Two brothers pleaded guilty yesterday to their participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $7.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, New York, and Sutukh El, aka Curtis Jordan, aka Hugo Hurt, aka Hugo Hermes Hurtington, 41, of Buffalo, New York, conspired to submit eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies they owned or controlled. The defendants submitted three of the applications to Evolve Bank & Trust and five to Lendio, a financial technology company based in Utah. The applications contained false statements about the 2019 payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. To corroborate the applications, Jordan and El submitted IRS forms, which they had never filed with the IRS, as well as fraudulent payroll registers that purported to identify the names, personal information, and salary of the employees identified on the PPP applications. The money was then deposited into an account controlled by El, which the brothers used for their own investments, personal expenses, and home improvements. Jordan and El pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Jordan also pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York; Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of the Inspector General (FRB-CFPB OIG), Eastern Region; Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Northeast Region; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region made the announcement. The FDIC OIG, FRB-CFPB OIG, FHFA-OIG, FBI, and SBA-OIG are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Grace Carducci for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Two Men Sentenced for $7.6 Million COVID Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man and a Bealeton man were sentenced today to a combined 6 years in prison for engaging in a joint scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Administration of over $7 million in COVID relief funds. According to court documents, from approximately April 2020 to March 2021, Bennie Earl Magee, 55, falsified payroll records, created fake IRS business tax returns, and submitted to lenders and the SBA falsified revenue reports of multiple companies to obtain over $7 million in PPP and EIDL loans for himself and others. Michael Gilcher, 46, obtained $1.4 million of the total, but wrote checks back to Magee’s company, Bull Run Capital, totaling approximately $620,000. Magee also involved another individual in the scheme and proposed the fraud to yet others. Magee used over $5 million of the PPP fraud proceeds to invest in crypto currency, to purchase vehicles, and to pay other personal and business expenses. “PPP and EIDL loans were created to assist those financially effected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Magee and Mr. Glicher not only lied to the IRS and stole millions of taxpayer funds, but frivolously spent it on items such as vehicles and cryptocurrency,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “EDVA will continue to work with the SIGPR and other law enforcement partners to prosecute those who take advantage of all of us.” Magee was sentenced to 5 years and Gilcher was sentenced to 1 year in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. “This prosecution and investigation resulted in the sentencing of two individuals responsible for defrauding the taxpayers of millions of dollars by abusing federal programs designed to bring relief to struggling small businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic,” said Brian Miller, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. “SIGPR is glad to have played a significant role teaming with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office to hold these individuals accountable.” "At a time when many small businesses were trying to keep their doors open and support their employees, these fraudsters chose to lie and steal from small business relief programs to line their own pockets," said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, Chair of the PRAC. "Today's sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Inspector General community and federal prosecutors to bring to justice those who brazenly stole money from taxpayers. We appreciate the partnership with the investigating agents, the FBI, and U.S. Attorney Aber to protect COVID-19 relief funds for the public." “Today’s sentencings are an example of the continued commitment of the FBI to identify and hold to account those who engaged in COVID relief fraud,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. “Magee and Glicher engaged in a joint scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Administration of over $7 million in COVID relief funds. Even years after COVID relief funds were distributed, the FBI and our partners continue to investigate these schemes which defrauded the government and stole from taxpayers.” Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR); and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. This case was investigated by a SIGPR agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 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. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 16 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Kathleen Robeson 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 Nos. 1:23-cr-86 and 1:23-cr-91.


title: Walnut Grove Man Pleads Guilty in Drug Trafficking Case

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Walnut Grove man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Roger Devonta Stokes, 40, pled guilty on September 7, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Jackson. According to court documents, tribal and federal investigators conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Stokes in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. In June of 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Stokes in a two-count indictment involving the possession and distribution of methamphetamine on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Stokes entered a plea of guilty to count two of the indictment, which charged possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. As stated in Court, Stokes admitted his role in the offense. Stokes will be sentenced on December 12, 2023, and faces a penalty of not less than five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.


title: Individual Indicted and Arrested for Child Exploitation and Drug Trafficking Charges; Another Charged with Making False Statements

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF), along with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) arrested Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández, 26, from San Sebastián, PR, and Melanie Cruz Clivilles, 31, from Aguadilla, PR, for charges related to the death of 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C. According to court documents, Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández attempted to induce, entice, and coerce a minor, that is, a 13-year-old female G.L.C.C., to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. Pérez Hernández is also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine to a minor. Melanie Cruz Clivilles, mother of G.L.C.C., is charged with lying to a federal law enforcement agent. The allegations are that Cruz Clivilles made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation by falsely stating to a Task Force Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations that she first met Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández at the hospital on August 4, 2023, where he arrived with defendant’s deceased daughter G.L.C.C. The statement and representation was false because, as she then and there knew, because she had met Pérez Hernández at the latest in July of 2023, and had been with him during a meeting on August 3, 2023. If convicted, Pérez Hernández faces a statutory minimum sentence of between15 and 30 years in prison for production of child pornography; and up to 40 years in prison for the drug trafficking charges. Defendant Cruz Clivilles is facing up to five years in prison for making false statements. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. The investigation continues. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians ; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Prison for Two Separate Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Dion Rashaan Foxworth, age 42, of Washington, D.C., to 51 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for wire fraud related to an investment fraud scheme and bank fraud related to a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan. Judge Chuang also ordered Foxworth to pay restitution of $882,908.66. The sentence 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 his plea agreement, from November 2016 through at least August 2020, Foxworth solicited and received at least $863,901 from investors to invest in foreign currency exchange (“FOREX”). Foxworth admitted that instead of investing the funds in FOREX, as represented to investors, Foxworth converted the funds to his personal use, including credit card expenses, travel expenses, and rent. Foxworth caused losses to at least 25 investors totaling at least $832,408.66. In addition, Foxworth admitting that he fraudulently obtained a PPP loan, which was part of the assistance authorized to assist small businesses with job retention and other expensed during the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 19, 2021, Foxworth applied for a PPP loan for his company, inflating the company’s average monthly payroll and providing a false 2019 Form 1040 Schedule C showing profits and losses for the business. In fact, Foxworth did not file a tax return for the company in 2019. As a result of his false statements, Foxworth obtained a PPP loan of $50,000. Instead of using the funds for permissible expenses, such as payroll costs and operational expenses, Foxworth used the PPP funds for daily living and travel expenses while he was abroad in South. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Michael Morgan, Jr., and Coreen Mao, who prosecuted 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: Suspended Indianapolis Police Sergeant Sentenced for Using Excessive Force During Arrest

body_text: A suspended Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, with six months of home detention and 18 months of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force. According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2021, Eric Huxley, 44, was on patrol in downtown Indianapolis when another officer requested his assistance in confronting a disorderly person on Monument Circle. After officers placed the victim, identified as J.V., under arrest for disorderly conduct, Huxley assisted other officers with conducting an inventory of J.V.’s property. When officers began to remove J.V.’s belt, he became confrontational with the officers. The primary arresting officer used a department-approved takedown maneuver to bring J.V., who had already been handcuffed, to the ground. The arresting officer held J.V. down with one hand while a second officer restrained his legs. This reasonable and appropriate use of force effectively overcame J.V.’s resistance and rendered him physically unable to move. Despite knowing that J.V. had been effectively restrained and posed no further danger to officers or the public, Huxley then intentionally raised his right foot and drove it down onto J.V.’s head and face. “This sentence holds a former police officer accountable for abusing his authority when he violently assaulted a homeless man who posed no threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws.” “In addition to the trauma inflicted on victims, police officers who break the law and use excessive force damage the community’s trust in the law enforcement profession,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Officers put themselves at risk every day doing a difficult and sometimes dangerous job to uphold the law and protect their communities. Those who instead commit crimes must be identified and prosecuted. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that the FBI, Justice Department and our U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to seeking accountability for those who violate people’s civil rights under the color of law.” “Every day, law enforcement officers in this country face dangerous situations which require the application of reasonable force to protect themselves and others. Unfortunately, some officers fail to adhere to the applicable standards of law and policy, inflicting harm instead of preventing it,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all citizens and I commend the work of the Special Agents and prosecutors who helped ensure the defendant was held accountable for his illegal conduct.” The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Eastern Shore Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Steal More Than $1.8 Million from a Salisbury Business

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Stephen Franklin, age 54, of Salisbury, Maryland, yesterday to 66 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with the theft of more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance Connection. Judge Chasanow also ordered that Franklin pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties stipulate is $1,850,488.94. The sentence 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. Franklin was the chief operating officer of Accurate Optical, a chain of optometric shops on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and with the owners of Accurate Optical he also purchased East Coast Optometric, a chain of South Carolina optical shops. Franklin and co-defendant Duane G. Larmore met through the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and became friendly. As detailed in their plea agreements, Larmore was an employee at Shore Appliance Connection (“Shore Appliance”), located in Salisbury, Maryland, whose duties included maintaining the books and records for the company. The company was owned and operated by Owner #1 and Owner #2. From mid-September 2016 through about March 2020, Franklin conspired with others, including Larmore, to steal more than $1.8 million from Shore Appliance. Specifically, Franklin and Larmore stole over $1 million from Shore Appliance to use for their own purposes, including to make investments and to pay business expenses for Franklin’s businesses, without the knowledge and consent of the owners of Shore Appliance. For example, Franklin convinced Larmore to invest $100,000 in an oil deal that promised quick and substantial returns. Those funds were ultimately returned to Shore Appliance because the name on the bank account did not match the named beneficiary on the wire transfer form completed by Franklin. Prior to the funds being returned and at Franklin’s urging, Larmore transferred another $100,000 to a purported attorney for the oil deal. Franklin also convinced Larmore to invest in other deals, including: in 2016, a $95,000 initial investment with a finance company in London, U.K., followed by another $300,000, plus funds for expenses and travel abroad; in 2018, an investment through W.S. of $35,000 and an investment through Gateway Capital of $50,000; and in 2019 - 2020, investments and expenses through I.P. and E. P.-S. to recover assets purportedly in the custody of U.S. Customs, part of the Department of Homeland Security. No investment paid any return to the schemers. To conceal how much money had been removed from Shore Appliance and to obtain cash to invest, Franklin suggested that Larmore enter into factoring contracts. Franklin had experience with borrowing operating funds for his optical companies from factors and provided Larmore with the names and contact information for factoring companies. Factoring is a means by which businesses can obtain cash quickly by leveraging accounts receivable. With Franklin’s encouragement, Larmore applied for a factoring contract for Shore Appliance without the knowledge or approval of the owners, corporate directors, or officers of Shore Appliance. As detailed in the plea agreement, the factoring contracts provided cash deposits to Shore Appliance’s bank accounts but encumbered the accounts receivable of Shore Appliance and required payments and interest of more than $725,000. To obtain contracts with factoring companies for Shore Appliance and to conceal the fact that the Shore Appliance owners were not aware of and had not approved the factoring contracts, the signatures of the owners were forged, and the fraudulent signatures were witnessed or notarized by Franklin. Further, Larmore and a female employee of Franklin’s posed as the owners in telephone conversations with representatives of the factoring companies to confirm their approval of the factoring contracts. In addition, to conceal Larmore’s embezzlements and the factoring agreements, Larmore caused Shore Appliance to draw on Shore Appliance’s lines of credit with two separate financial institutions to obtain another $200,000 in cash. As of March 2020, Shore Appliance still owed $208,394.92 in principal and interest on these lines of credit. Finally, when Franklin’s business began having financial difficulties, at Franklin’s request, Larmore provided funds to Franklin to pay rent and employee salaries for the businesses, to rent a storage facility and to hire trucks to move equipment and office furniture when Accurate Optical was evicted from its Salisbury, Maryland office in July 2019. All the while, Franklin continued to suggest that Larmore put money into other investment schemes, which Larmore did. In all, Larmore paid $739,295.28 of Shore Appliance’s funds, without the officers and owners’ knowledge or consent, to invest in fraudulent schemes that never paid any money back. Of that amount, $395,000 was moved through bank accounts controlled by Franklin. Franklin caused an additional loss of $171,548.67 by having Larmore transfer funds to Franklin or to Franklin’s companies. As a result of the conspiracy and efforts to conceal the losses, Shore Appliance lost an additional $731,250.07 in fees and other payments to factors and to factoring brokers. Shore appliance also paid interest of $208,395 from Larmore drawing on its bank lines of credit. For all of Franklin’s and Larmore’s conduct, actual cash losses to Shore Appliance totaled $1,850,488.94 and intended losses totaled $2,137,674.74. Duane G. Larmore, age 48, of Salisbury, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Evelyn Lombardo Cusson, who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . For more information about resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Suspended Indianapolis Police Sergeant Sentenced to 1 Year in Federal Prison for Using Excessive Force During Arrest

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Suspended Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant, Eric Huxley, 44, has been sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in federal prison after pleading guilty to violating the civil rights of an arrestee by using excessive force. According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2021, Huxley, was on patrol in downtown Indianapolis when another officer requested his assistance in confronting a disorderly person on Monument Circle. After officers placed the victim, identified as J.V., under arrest for disorderly conduct, Huxley assisted other officers with conducting an inventory of J.V.’s property. When officers began to remove J.V.’s belt, he became confrontational with the officers. The primary arresting officer used a department-approved takedown maneuver to bring J.V., who had already been handcuffed, to the ground. The arresting officer held J.V. down with one hand while a second officer restrained his legs. This reasonable and appropriate use of force effectively overcame J.V.’s resistance and rendered him physically unable to move. Despite knowing that J.V. had been effectively restrained and posed no further danger to officers or the public, Huxley then intentionally raised his right foot and drove it down onto J.V.’s head and face. “This sentence holds a former police officer accountable for abusing his authority when he violently assaulted a homeless man who posed no threat,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officials who violate federal civil rights laws.” “In addition to the trauma inflicted on victims, police officers who break the law and use excessive force damage the community’s trust in the law enforcement profession,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Officers put themselves at risk every day doing a difficult and sometimes dangerous job to uphold the law and protect their communities. Those who instead commit crimes must be identified and prosecuted. This sentence demonstrates that the FBI, Department of Justice, and our U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to seeking accountability for those who violate people’s civil rights under the color of law.” “Every day, law enforcement officers in this country face dangerous situations which require the application of reasonable force to protect themselves and others. Unfortunately, some officers fail to adhere to the applicable standards of law and policy, inflicting harm instead of preventing it,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all citizens, and I commend the work of the Special Agents and prosecutors who helped ensure the defendant was held accountable for his illegal conduct.” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson ordered that Huxley be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following his release from federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Justice Department Awards $58.8 Million in Grants to Provide Legal Services and Improve Court Responses to Domestic and Sexual Violence

component: Office of the Associate Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced today $58,860,034 in Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grants to provide legal services and to improve effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. OVW awarded the funds under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program, Justice for Families (JFF) Program, Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative. The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders and address issues such as child custody, immigration, housing and employment, that are essential for survivor safety. Moreover, there is a significant overlap between domestic violence and family law, particularly in cases involving children; survivors often need legal counsel to navigate complex issues like child custody, visitation and child support. The legal system is inherently complicated, and for survivors who are simultaneously managing the emotional and physical toll of abuse, navigating it can be overwhelming. Despite this acute demand, many communities still lack adequate resources, underscoring the urgency for more comprehensive legal support to ensure both justice and safety for survivors. “Access to legal assistance is a lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Survivors must be able to access services and support that provide a pathway to safety and justice. The Justice Department funding announced today will expand access to legal representation and make it easier for thousands of survivors to navigate the justice system every year.” "The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system's approach to supporting families affected by violence," stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. "These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don't merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety." Specifically, OVW awarded a total of $39,638,367 to 55 grantees under the LAV Program, which addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. ELSI, which operates under the LAV Program, awarded $3,199,306 through eight grants to support the development of new legal services programs. In addition, OVW’s JFF Program awarded $15,272,361 to 25 projects that aim to improve the capacity of communities and courts in responding to families impacted by violence. Moreover, $750,000 was awarded under the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative to recognize well-established specialized courts and enable them to guide newly-established specialized courts and court-based programs that wish to significantly improve their responses to domestic violence cases and ensure victim safety and offender accountability. * * * Created in 1995, OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw . justice_for_families_program_awards.pdf legal_assistance_for_victims_grant_program_awards.pdf legal_assistance_for_victims_grant_program_expanding_legal_services_initiative_awards.pdf domestic_violence_mentor_court_technical_assistance_initiative_awards.pdf


title: Baltimore School Police Officer Facing Federal Charges for Overtime Fraud and Tax Violations

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Lawrence E. Smith, age 49, of Perry Hall, Maryland, for federal wire fraud related to allegations that he fraudulently obtained more than $215,000 in overtime pay and for attempting to avoid paying federal income taxes and filing a false tax return. The indictment was returned on September 7, 2023, and unsealed today upon Smith’s arrest. The defendant is expected to have an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson at 2:15 today. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office. Smith began working as a Baltimore City School Police Officer in 2005 and in 2016 was promoted to detective and put in charge of the School Police Overtime Unit. In this role, Smith managed the Overtime Unit and was responsible for the coordination and scheduling of School Police Officer overtime, including his own. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith was authorized to receive overtime pay to provide security for COVID testing sites and food sites set up at various Baltimore City Public School System schools and at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks community centers, as well as the COVID-19 hospital and homeless shelter. According to the indictment, from January 2019 through August 2022, Smith fraudulently received overtime pay for hours for which he had not worked. The indictment alleges that Smith used his position as the Detective in charge of the Overtime Unit for School Police to assign himself to overtime shifts. Smith allegedly falsely claimed that he was working overtime as a School Police Officer for overtime shifts that required his physical presence when he was at home, running personal errands, at other locations socializing, coaching football, and out of state on vacation. The indictment seeks a money judgment of $215,352, alleged to be the proceeds of the fraud scheme. In addition, the indictment alleges that Smith submitted Forms W-4 to his employer falsely claiming that he was exempt from federal income tax withholding when in fact, he was not entitled to claim exempt status. Further, Smith allegedly failed to file individual income tax returns for 2017, 2019, and 2020, and to report his wages and other income to the IRS. Finally, the indictment alleges that Smith filed a false individual tax return for tax year 2018. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud; a maximum of five years in federal prison for each count of attempting to evade taxes; and a maximum of three years in federal prison for filing a false tax return. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Office of Inspector General for Education, the Office of Inspector General for the City of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Goo and Matthew Phelps, 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: Former Woonsocket Couple Admit to Directing Conspiracy That  Shipped Dozens of Kilos of Cocaine Into Rhode Island

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE , RI – A former Woonsocket couple admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island that they directed a conspiracy that, according to charging documents, was responsible for shipping dozens of packages containing kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. Postal Service from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. As reflected in court documents, Efrain Colon-Garcia, 32, and his wife, Yaniris Colon-Senquiz, 46, led a conspiracy that was responsible for more than five dozen packages that were shipped into Rhode Island, each containing a kilogram or more of cocaine. Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence on Thursday, the couple, who most recently resided in Kissimmee, FL, admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, they directed others to receive shipments of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico, and that they themselves received multiple shipments. Colon-Garcia admitted to that court that he received at least nine packages at his residence and business addresses; Colon-Senquiz admitted to receiving at least four packages personally addressed to her. The defendants admitted to knowing that each package contained kilogram-quantities of cocaine. Colon-Garcia and Colon-Senquiz each pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and a charge of unlawful use of a communication facility (U.S. Mail). They are scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2024. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Stacey A. Erickson. The matter was investigated by U.S. Postal Service Inspectors and members of the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. ###


title: NuDay Charity Pleads Guilty in Connection with the Illegal Export of Goods to Syria

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A New Hampshire charity pleaded guilty today in federal court to export offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. NuDay, a/k/a NuDay Syria, pleaded guilty to three counts of Failure to File Export Information. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 28, 2023. NuDay was founded by Nadia Alawa as a non-profit charity in 2013 and is headquartered in Windham, New Hampshire. Alawa served as NuDay’s President. Between 2018 and 2021, NuDay made over 100 shipments to Syria, a country that was subject to sanctions and export restrictions. NuDay had the items shipped to Mersin, Turkey, where another company would transship them into Syria. U.S. Department of Commerce regulations require exporters, such as NuDay, to report true and accurate information about the items being exported, including the shipment’s description, end user, and monetary value. However, NuDay falsely reported that the end destination of the shipments was Turkey and not Syria, and artificially deflated the value of the goods to be below the $2,500 reporting threshold. For example, on May 5th, 2019, NuDay falsely reported that their shipment was intended for Turkey and that the value of the container was less than $2,500. NuDay now admits that this container was actually intended for Syria and claims its true value was $8.3 million. For an organizational defendant, the charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years of probation and a fine of $10,000 per count. 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. As a condition of the plea, Nadia Alawa and her family members will have no further involvement with NuDay. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations division, and Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Five-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for  Armed Meth Trafficking

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

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Columbus resident with a violent criminal history was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him on charges related to armed methamphetamine trafficking. Karzarta Piett, 42, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Sept. 5. Piett was convicted on Feb. 14 of possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day trial. Piett is not eligible for parole. “Karzarta Piett is an armed repeat offender with a violent criminal past whose willful violation of the law has resulted in a significant federal prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Federal, state and local law enforcement are on the ground in Columbus and across the Middle District of Georgia working to remove the most dangerous individuals from the streets and help us hold them accountable for their crimes.” “This meth dealer brazenly continued his drug trafficking activities despite being a five-time convicted felon,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “His conviction removes yet another dangerous criminal from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to follow the same perilous path that DEA and its law enforcement partners are relentless in their pursuit.” “This case exemplifies our commitment to prevent drugs and criminal activity from poisoning our communities,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “It also sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue and prosecute members of these drug enterprises.” "This sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate violent criminals and drug traffickers in our community,” said Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis. “The collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as exemplified in this case, demonstrates our commitment to reducing violent crime and keeping our neighborhoods safe. We thank the dedicated officers and agents who worked tirelessly to bring this individual to justice.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Piett was pulled over by Columbus Police Department (CPD) officers for multiple traffic violations on Jan. 7, 2021. Piett was driving with a suspended license. Officers requested a K-9 unit after they noticed drug residue in the car, and a drug detection canine alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the defendant’s vehicle based on probable cause recovered two ounces of methamphetamine, a loaded pistol, a digital scale, plastic bags and approximately $1500 cash in the center console, plus more than $2,000 cash in Piett’s pocket. A check of the defendant’s criminal background revealed a lengthy criminal history spanning 20 years, with five prior felony convictions including two separate convictions for aggravated assault and convictions for kidnapping, false imprisonment, robbery, terroristic threats and multiple drug distribution charges. Following Piett’s sentencing, he will be transferred to the Middle District of Alabama, where he is currently under indictment for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was investigated by DEA, ATF and the Columbus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted this case for the Government.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces $600,000 In Federal Funding Awarded To Mecklenburg County

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that $600,000 in federal grants has been allocated to Mecklenburg County by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), to expand access to legal services and enhance processes impacting the safety of victims and their families. “I am pleased to announce that the Western District of North Carolina has been awarded funding from the Office on Violence Against Women,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Federal grants are a vital resource for organizations with programs that support the Justice Department’s mission to improve access to legal services and enhance the safety of victims, survivors, and their families.” The OVW grant was allocated under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program , authorized in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. The grant was awarded by the JFF Program to Mecklenburg County Community Support Services, to fund a project related to supervised visitation and safe custody exchange services, provide legal representation and legal assistance services for victims of domestic violence, and expand legal services, including language access, to underserved communities and communities with limited English proficiency. “The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant, in conjunction with the Justice for Families Program and the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative, serve as a powerful multi-pronged strategy to transform the justice system’s approach to supporting families affected by violence,” stated OVW Director Rosemarie Hidalgo. “These grants enhance court-related programs, trauma-informed training, and resources, while also providing victims with specialized legal support. This includes assistance with securing protective orders and navigating complex family law matters. Collectively, these grants advance a more comprehensive approach, aimed at ensuring that survivors and their families don’t merely navigate our legal system, but genuinely find a path to justice and safety.” Created in 1995, OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw .


title: Nebraska Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert A. Lange has sentenced a Hastings, Nebraska, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 5, 2023. Joaquin Cervantes, 39, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, follow by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Cervantes was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2023. The conviction stems from Cervantes, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly being in possession of a Remington semi-automatic rifle in Rapid City, South Dakota, in March of 2023. 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 Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case. Cervantes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.