title: Gang Members Convicted of Murder, Federal Racketeering, and Firearms Charges

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Macon, Georgia, convicted three members of the Gangster Disciples – a national gang with a long history of lawlessness and violence – on Aug. 17 in connection with the murder of three people, as well as various other offenses including drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearm charges. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Philmon Deshawn Chambers, aka Dolla Phil, 34, of Atlanta, who was a Chief Enforcer for the State of Georgia; Andrea Paige Browner, aka Light Brite, aka Drea, aka Shawty, 28, of Athens, Georgia; and Lesley Chappell Green, aka Grip, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, were responsible for three gang-related murders triggered by the murder of a Gangster Disciple member. After that murder, other Gangster Disciples allegedly sought to identify and retaliate against those responsible for the victim’s death. Chambers followed Rodriguez Apollo Rucker to his Athens residence where he shot and killed Rucker, who was a relative of a suspect of the first murder. “These defendants placed the Gangster Disciples’ rule of revenge above the rule of law. Their days of violence in the name of the Gangster Disciples are now over,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As this case demonstrates, outstanding cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement is vital to dismantling violent criminal enterprises and keeping our communities safe. The Justice Department will not waiver in its commitment to protecting victims of violent crime.” After learning that police suspected Chambers of Rucker’s murder, Chambers and Browner fled from Georgia to Texas. To cover up this crime and protect the gang, Chambers ordered that fellow gang members he suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, Derrick Ruff and Joshua Jackson, be killed. Green, along with Shabazz Larry Guidry, aka Lil L, aka L, aka Lil Bro, aka Lil Larry, 28, of Decatur, Georgia, and Robert Maurice Carlisle, aka Different, 34, of Lithonia, Georgia, shot and killed Ruff and Jackson and left their bodies in a storage unit in Lawrenceville, Georgia, where they were discovered four months later. “Philmon Chambers, Andrea Browner and Lesley Green were Gangster Disciples who engaged in a pattern of violent criminal activity for years, to include three heinous murders; now, justice has been served,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “Violent gangs, intimidation and murder have no place in our lawful society, and I commend the federal, state and local partners who worked so closely to solve this case of exceptional complexity.” “Chambers, Browner, and Green are responsible for gang-related acts of murder, retaliation, and other destructive crimes,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Forces are the front line of our efforts protecting communities across the country from violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples. I commend the members of the Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force led by the FBI Athens Resident Agency, as well as our partners in Athens and Gwinnett Counties, for ensuring these violent criminals are taken off the streets of Georgia.” The jury convicted Chambers, Browner, and Green of racketeer influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy. The jury also convicted Chambers and Browner of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder and federal firearm offenses related to murder. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Chamber and Browner face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison. Green faces a statutory penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Carlisle and Guidry previously pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy. The FBI Atlanta Field Office, Athens Resident Agency Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ken Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. These cases are being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Jury Convicts Binghamton Felon and Escapee of Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: UTICA, NEW YORK – On Friday evening, a jury voted to convict Charles Harrison, age 34, of Binghamton, New York, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, following a 4-day trial in Utica, New York. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York David L. McNulty made the announcement. The trial evidence demonstrated that, following his 2012 conviction in the Northern District of New York for Conspiracy to Possess and Distribute controlled substances, Harrison was serving the final portion of his term of imprisonment at a halfway house in Connecticut. Harrison absconded from the halfway house, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest for Escaping the Custody of the Attorney General. On March 29, 2022, the United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force found Harrison hiding under a mattress in an apartment in Binghamton, New York. The Marshals also located a loaded gun in the bedroom next to where Harrison was hiding. Forensic and testimonial evidence presented at trial linked Harrison to the gun that was in the apartment, and the jury voted to convict him of possessing the gun as a prohibited person (previously convicted felon). At sentencing scheduled for December 20, 2023, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd, Harrison faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. This case is being investigated by the United States Marshalls Service with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), New York State Police, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and the Binghamton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica N. Carbone and Thomas R. Sutcliffe.


title: Rensselaer Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery and Firearms Charges for Two Capital Region Armed Bank Robberies

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ulysses Jessie Walls, a/k/a “Guwala,” age 29, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to armed bank robbery, firearms and conspiracy charges in connection with two February 2019 armed bank robberies. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Alfred Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Steven A. Nigrelli, Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police (NYSP); Chief Eric Hawkins of the Albany Police Department (APD); and Chief David Keevern of the North Greenbush Police Department. Walls admitted that he committed two armed robberies with Christopher Cohn a/k/a “Wolf.” On February 6, 2019, Walls and Cohn pulled up to an Albany Trustco Bank branch, where Cohn declared he was about to “go do this,” meaning that he planned to rob the bank. Walls and Cohn then entered the bank wearing ski masks. In the bank, Walls displayed a gun, and both men threatened to kill the bank’s employees, who surrendered approximately $150,000 to the pair. Walls also admitted that on the morning of February 26, 2019, he and Cohn entered an M&T Bank branch in North Greenbush, each wearing a ski mask and brandishing a gun. During the robbery, Cohn fired multiple shots, including one that grazed a bank employee. According to court documents, law enforcement tracked Cohn, Walls, and their getaway driver to an Albany motel using a GPS device placed in the stolen money by a member of the bank’s staff. Cohn was apprehended by officers with more than $10,000 in cash and wearing red sneakers matching those captured by the bank’s surveillance cameras during the robbery. Walls was arrested in the motel’s lobby, where officers found him with several bags containing approximately $3,800 in cash along with ski masks and other clothing matching that worn by the robbers. Walls will be sentenced on December 27, 2023 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Under the terms of Walls’s plea agreement, the parties have jointly recommended to Judge D’Agostino that Walls receive a prison term of 204 months (17 years) and a 5-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release. Under the plea agreement, Walls will also be required to pay restitution to his victims, including both banks, and to forfeit the money he stole in the robberies. After pleading guilty to firearms, armed bank robbery and conspiracy charges, Cohn was sentenced to 241 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. This case was investigated by the FBI, the NYSP, the Town of North Greenbush Police Department, and APD, with the assistance of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted the case.


title: Ringleader of Capital Region Cocaine Conspiracy Receives 10 Years in Prison

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jan Lopez-Colon, age 29, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role as the leader of a Capital Region cocaine distribution conspiracy. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. On December 29, 2022, Lopez-Colon pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Lopez-Colon admitted that between June 2021 and December 2021, he and three others worked together to receive over 5 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico and distribute it in the Capital Region. The cocaine was shipped via U.S. mail in 1-kilogram bricks to addresses in Albany and Rensselaer counties; runners then obtained the packages and handed them over to Lopez-Colon for processing and distribution. Judge Sharpe also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release, which will begin when Lopez-Colon is released from prison. Lopez-Colon’s three codefendants have also pled guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. They are: Jesus Baez, age 34, of Troy, who was sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment on July 11, 2023; Ilvin Batista-Figueroa, age 31, of Albany, who is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28, 2023; and Sam Calderon, age 20, of Troy, who is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2023. This case was investigated by the USPIS and its Capital Region Task Force, led by the USPIS and including the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schenectady Police Department, as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Gang Members Charged With 2022 Bronx Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that GIBRAN GUERRERO, a/k/a “Cojito,” and YORVIN GOMEZ, a/k/a “Julbie,” were charged with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and firearms offenses related to their membership in a street gang known as the “Trinitarios” that operated in or around the Bronx and other locations. GUERRERO and GOMEZ are also charged with participating in a robbery on December 15, 2022. During the robbery, one of the victims, Johnny Gaston, was shot and killed. The other victim was shot but survived. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. GUERRERO and GOMEZ were in state custody and were transferred into federal custody today. They were presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Gibran Guerrero and Yorvin Gomez are alleged to have terrorized the Bronx in connection with their membership in the Trinitarios gang. Their alleged violent conduct included engaging in gunpoint robberies of multiple victims, with one robbery resulting in the tragic death of Johnny Gaston. Today’s indictment furthers this Office’s work to chip away at the gang violence that threatens public safety in our community.” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Every crime carried out by Trinitarios gang members in New York City is met with tenacious work by the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to ensure justice – and this case is no different. Behind the charges unsealed today against these two defendants is a proactive, aggressive investigation to ensure the strongest possible prosecution. I want to thank our NYPD detectives and all of our partners, including the agents of the HSI New York Field Office and the prosecutors of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, for their steadfast collaboration in bringing this important case.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: "Guerrero and Gomez, through their affiliations to the notorious ‘Trinitarios’ street gang, stand accused of perpetrating a multitude of criminal acts, including robberies, narcotics trafficking, and extreme violence, exemplified by a fatal shooting during a December 2022 robbery. This collaborative effort between HSI, the NYPD, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York sends a strong message of our commitment to protecting our communities from gang-related crime." According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least in or about 2021 up to and including 2023, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, GIBRAN GUERRERO and YORVIN GOMEZ were members of the Trinitarios gang. In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the Trinitarios engaged in, among other things, robberies, frauds, narcotics trafficking, and other acts of violence, including murder. On December 15, 2022, GUERRERO, GOMEZ, and other Trinitarios members lured two victims to a location in the Bronx and robbed them. During the robbery, one of the victims, Johnny Gaston, was shot and killed. The other victim was shot but survived. In addition, on or about July 30, 2022, and September 26, 2022, GUERRERO and other Trinitarios members participated in gunpoint robberies of several victims located in the Bronx. * * * GIBRAN GUERRERO, 20, and YORVIN GOMEZ, 26, both of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison or death; one count of causing death through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison or death; and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. GUERRERO is also charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of carrying and brandishing firearms in connection with a crime of violence, which each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews and Rushmi Bhaskaran are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Guerrero and Gomez Indictment


title: Etna Man Found Guilty of Using Deceased Brother’s Identity for Decades

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR Maine: An Etna man was found guilty on Friday, August 18 of one count of identity theft, two counts of passport fraud, two counts of Social Security fraud and one count of mail fraud following a two-day trial before Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. in U.S. District Court in Bangor. According to court records, beginning in the mid-1960s, Napoleon Gonzalez , 86, took on the identity of his brother, Guillermo Gonzalez, who had died as an infant in 1939. Over the years, Gonzalez obtained multiple passports bearing his brother’s name, most recently in October 2017, a passport he used to travel to Canada in July 2018. In 1981, Gonzalez applied for a Social Security number in his deceased brother’s name and filed applications for Social Security retirement benefits in his own name in 1999 and in his brother’s name in 2001. Gonzalez collected retirement benefits under both identities until March 2020, when investigators requested the suspension of benefits being paid to Guillermo Gonzalez pending investigation. Gonzalez mailed a letter to the Social Security Administration, signing the name Guillermo Gonzalez and the Social Security number assigned to that identity, asking for an explanation for the suspension. In the letter, he requested a prompt reply, claiming that due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, he was locked in his apartment, unable to drive and dependent on neighbors to obtain food and other items. Gonzalez also obtained Maine state identification cards under both his own identity and his brother’s. In recorded statements, Gonzalez claimed that he took on his deceased brother’s identity at the direction of the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations and that he was legally allowed to use both identities. Gonzalez faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud charges, up to 10 years on the passport fraud charges, up to 15 years on the identity theft charge, and up to 20 years on the mail fraud charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release on all charges. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles Division of Enforcement, Anti-Theft and Regulations investigated this case. ###


title: Leader of Gun Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Detroit resident was sentenced to 7 years and 10 months in prison for his role in a firearm trafficking ring, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division. Antonio Jackson, age 24, received the sentence from the Honorable Mark A. Goldsmith, United States District Judge, in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Goldsmith also ordered that the defendant serve 3 years on supervised release after his release from federal custody. At his guilty plea, Jackson admitted that he, along with two co-defendants, was a leader of a scheme in which the group used stolen credit card information to buy firearms online, which were then shipped to local firearm retailers for pickup. They enlisted several straw purchasers to pick up firearms. To get the firearms, the straw purchasers were directed to lie on the required ATF paperwork. In total, Jackson admitted that the group illegally obtained at least 55 firearms through the scheme. Several of the firearms have been recovered by law enforcement, including some recovered from convicted felons. Five of the straw purchasers involved in the trafficking ring have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows: Garcia Moses, age 26 of Detroit: 54 months’ prison Emmanuel Stevens, age 23 of Detroit: 46 months’ prison Donte Turner, age 27 of Mt. Clemens: 30 months’ prison Eshon Rose, age 24 of Redford Charter Township: 18 months’ prison “My office is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of convicted felons and will aggressively prosecute not just the leaders of these gun trafficking organizations, but also the straw purchasers that make these schemes possible. Lying when buying a gun for someone else is a serious crime that deserves just punishments like these.” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Accountability matters. Jackson and his able-bodied band of co-conspirators represent the worst of the worst in our community. They are nothing more than common-day thugs who put personal greed before the safety of our community. In my experience,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir, “these folks represent the most deserving candidates for Federal prosecution. In the end, they’ll have a lot of time to reflect on their wrongdoing.” One of the other leaders, Mike Chahoua, 25 of Detroit, pleaded guilty and faces sentencing on September 26, 2023. James Jackson, age 25 of Detroit, one of the straw purchasers, has also pleaded guilty and faces sentencing on September 28, 2023. Charges remain pending against Chauncey Williams, 23, of Detroit, the third leader of the group, and Bishop Allen, age 26, of Detroit, another straw purchaser. They are set for jury trial at a later date. An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Ramamurthy and Andrew R. Picek.


title: Two Havre residents admit trafficking fentanyl, meth on  Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — Two Havre residents accused of distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine to the Fort Belknap and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations admitted today to a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Brittany Alice Bradley, 25, and Daniel First Raised, 32, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants face a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years of imprisonment, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for both defendants for Dec. 18. The defendants were detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, FBI agents learned that First Raised was distributing a significant amount of fentanyl on the Fort Belknap and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservations and that Bradley distributed fentanyl and meth with First Raised. Law enforcement learned that the defendants likely received their drugs from a source in Yakima, Washington. Law enforcement conducted a series of controlled purchases of fentanyl and meth from Bradley and First Raised from August 2022 to September 2022. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Tri Agency Task Force conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Former Fresno IRS Employee Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Selling Morphine and Contributing to Co-worker’s Death

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Margarita Aispuro-Camacho, 46, of Fresno, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for illegally selling morphine and contributing to the death of her co-worker at the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court records, in May 2020, the police found the victim dead in an apartment in Clovis. A toxicology report confirmed the victim died from an overdose of morphine and other prescription drugs. Importantly, the victim did not have a prescription for the morphine. Agents obtained text messages between the victim and Aispuro-Camacho that showed the victim bought various prescription drugs from Aispuro-Camacho over an extended period and that the victim bought morphine from her the day before the victim died. Shortly after the victim’s death, Aispuro-Camacho was fired from the IRS for other reasons. Aispuro-Camacho ultimately confessed to the crime when confronted by agents. Aispuro-Camacho explained that she had been prescribed the morphine and that she sold it to make a few thousand dollars in extra spending money. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and Homeland Security Investigations. TIGTA is a federal agency that provides independent oversight of the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.


title: San Francisco Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Vacaville Gun Store Burglary

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Adrian Oscar Duran, 27, of San Francisco, was sentenced today to six years in prison for burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on June 1, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports of suspicious activity at Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff, a two-story gun and outdoor recreation store in Vacaville. Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff is a federally licensed firearms dealer. When officers responded, four vehicles fled the scene. After a high-speed chase on Interstate 80 during which vehicles reached over 100 miles per hour, one vehicle, a rented minivan, was stopped, and Duran and four others were arrested after a foot pursuit. In total, the gun store reported that more than 70 firearms had been stolen. Inside the minivan were bolt cutters, a power saw, and 13 handguns with price tags from Guns, Fishing and Other Stuff still attached. The four co- defendants pleaded guilty and three await sentencing: Donte Marcel Anderson, 34, of Pittsburg, California; Desteny Estrella Leilani Salazar, 25, of San Francisco; and Tracy Whitfield, 34, of Pittsburg. Donley Thompson, 31, of Pinole, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Thompson is in custody after violating the conditions of his supervised release. This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Antioch Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Zuni Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Brian Wallace was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Wallace, 44, of Zuni, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter on May 3, 2023. According to court records, Wallace instigated a fight with his uncle, Edmond Shelendewa, sometime between July 5, 2022, and August 9, 2022. The fight escalated and Wallace took up a maul, or a wood splitter, and hit Shelendewa in the chest, killing him. Wallace claimed that he was mad because Shelendewa kept telling Wallace that he was his real father. Wallace buried Shelendewa in a shallow grave in the backyard of a friend’s house. In October of 2022, Wallace informed law enforcement of what had happened and where Shelendewa’s body was located. The body was recovered, and the Office of Medical Investigator determined that John Doe had died from blunt force trauma to his chest. Upon his release from prison, Wallace will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-190


title: Amesbury Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Amesbury man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to child pornography charges. Thomas Cross, 30, pleaded guilty on Aug. 18, 2023 to one count each of distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023. Cross was charged by complaint in November 2018 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2018. Cross’ charges stem from the November 2018 search of his home that resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices which contained files depicting child pornography and chats between Cross and a person subsequently identified as Desiree Daigle, in which they exchanged various child pornography files. Some of the images depicted an infant known to Daigle, taken in Daigle’s home. In the chat, the two discussed plans for Cross to meet the child in person so that he and Daigle could sexually abuse the child together. Both Cross and Daigle admitted to exchanging child pornography with each other. Daigle was arrested and charged separately with the sexual exploitation of children. In October 2022, she was sentenced to 17 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Cross was detained following his arrest in November 2018. He subsequently appealed the order of pretrial detention to the District Court, who released Cross in July 2019 on conditions which, among other things, prohibited him from accessing the internet, possessing pornographic material and possessing internet-accessible devices. However, in June 2020, Cross was re-arrested after a CyberTip identified he was using social media to exchange child pornography and he was found to be in possession of multiple cell phones and an internet-connected gaming console – in violation of his conditions of release. Cross has remained in federal custody since. The charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. All the charges provide for a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Amesbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Texas Man Who Earned Millions Working Overseas Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Texas man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2013 to 2018, Peter Joseph Tignini worked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, earning approximately $4,783,031 in income that he deposited into foreign bank accounts. From2013 through 2017, Tignini filed tax returns falsely reporting that his income was only approximately $100,000 each year, an amount near or below the Foreign Earned Income (FEI) exclusion, which allows a U.S. citizen who lives and works in a foreign country for the majority of a year to exclude a portion of their income earned outside the United States from their taxable income. Tignini did not file a return for 2018. As a result, Tignini caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,169,348. After IRS Special Agents interviewed Tignini, he used an internet application to alter his employment contract and payroll documents to make them appear as if Tignini’s former employer was responsible for submitting his tax returns and paying the corresponding taxes due. Tignini then caused his attorneys to provide the fraudulent documents he had created to the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the IRS. After investigators asked a witness about the internet application Tignini used to create the phony documents, Tignini attempted to delete the documents from his account. Tignini faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement. IRS-CI is investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goldman for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.


title: Missouri Man Sentenced for Unemployment Insurance, Home Depot Frauds

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man from Ste. Genevieve County to 34 months in prison for defrauding both Home Depot and Missouri’s unemployment insurance program. Arthur Grass, 36, was also ordered to repay $207,000. Grass filed false unemployment claims for about 10 people beginning in May of 2020, claiming that the employees had been laid off from his construction company, AJE Construction. Grass cashed out the unemployment benefits, which had been placed on debit cards, and kicked some money back to the purported “workers” who had voluntarily provided him their personal information to use in the scheme. In all, the fraud reaped $142,423, including money from supplemental COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits. Grass also admitted defrauding Home Depot on multiple occasions by filling a cart with boxes of vinyl flooring and showing employees a fraudulent receipt claiming that he’d paid for the flooring online. Grass then sold the flooring on Facebook. Charging documents say he stole about 468 boxes of flooring that way from Home Depot stores in St. Louis and St. Louis County from Jan. 5, 2023 through Feb. 6, 2023. “Arthur Grass conspired to defraud the Missouri Division of Employment Security (MODES) by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims which caused MODES to pay more than $140,000 in benefits,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who seek to exploit these benefit programs.” Grass was arrested on March 31, 2022 by St. Charles County police investigating catalytic converter thefts. His Jeep was in a storage lot with Grass inside. Police later found a stolen Glock 9mm pistol in a toolbox in the Jeep. Grass is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm. Grass pleaded guilty in May to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to steal money from the United States (unemployment benefits) and one count of wire fraud. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Charles County Police Department, the Missouri Department of Labor, the Arnold Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and Home Depot Retail Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.


title: New Bedford Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Government Identification Documents

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of International Guatemala Musical and Fashion Accessories in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to producing and selling fraudulent government identification documents. Tomas Xirum, 48, pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2023 to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024. Xirum was initially charged by criminal complaint in August 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022. On three separate occasions – May 10, 2021, June 23, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022 – Xirum sold fraudulent Permanent Resident Cards (commonly referred to as “green cards”) and Social Security cards to undercover federal agents from his store. The charges of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and unlawful production of document or authentication feature each provide for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Florida man admits wire fraud in India-based computer hacking scheme that stole $150,000 from Montana woman

body_text: MISSOULA — A Florida man accused in an India-based computer hacking scheme that stole $150,000 from an elderly Montana woman admitted to a fraud crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Eddly Joseph, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Joseph faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Dec. 20 before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Joseph was released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that a large enterprise originating from India was involved in stealing money from the elderly in the United States. In February, various fraudsters stole $150,000 from a 73-year-old woman, identified as Jane Doe, in Kalispell. Joseph and co-defendant, Sukhdev Vaid, of India, fraudulently made it appear as if victims had a virus on their computers and that their bank accounts were accessible to hackers. To “safekeep” the victims’ money, Joseph and others directed the victims to withdraw cash so the hackers could not access and steal the victims’ money. Joseph and others would then meet the victims, take their cash, thereby stealing it. The government further alleged that Jane Doe received a pop-up on her computer explaining she was “hacked” and to call a number for customer support. When Jane Doe complied and called, the fraudsters directed Jane Doe to remove cash from her bank accounts for safe keeping at the “Fed.” Jane Doe complied and gave the fraudsters $150,000. In March, Jane Doe told the fraudsters she still had $50,000 in cash, which was a ruse set up by the FBI. Joseph traveled to Montana, along with Vaid, to steal the money from Jane Doe and were arrested when they arrived. The investigation determined that the fraudsters used a remote access connection device to hack Jane Doe’s computer in January. Vaid has pleaded not guilty to charges and is pending trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Boston Man Charged with Robbing Three Businesses

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man has been charged for allegedly robbing three Boston businesses. Akeem Lahens, 33, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of affecting commerce by armed robbery. Lahens is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, a series of commercial armed robberies occurred in Boston in late April and early May 2023: the armed robbery of Boost Mobile in Jamaica Plain on April 26, 2023; the armed robbery of Cricket Wireless in Jamaica Plain on April 27, 2023; and the armed robbery of Dunkin Donuts in Dorchester on May 4, 2023. Law enforcement believed that the robberies were connected and the perpetrator was likely the same person, as the suspect’s appearance in surveillance footage and witnesses descriptions was the same. Additionally, in each of the robberies, the suspect allegedly brandished two large knives, made a verbal demand for money, forcibly took money from the store and forced or attempted to force the victims into a rear room or bathroom of the store. On May 5, 2023 Lahens was arrested on state charges related to the armed robberies. It is alleged that during a search of Lahens’ residence in Dorchester on May 6, 2023 two knives and sandals allegedly worn by the robber in the April 26, 2023 robbery were recovered. According to court records, at the time of the armed robberies, Lahens was on federal supervised release after pleading guilty on April 26, 2021 in the Southern District of New York to five counts of robbery. Lahens was sentenced to 30 months of in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The charge of affecting commerce by armed robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Michael A. Davis, Vice President Campus Safety and Chief of Police at Northeastern University made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Addiction Treatment Providers

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and his staff met with addiction treatment providers on July 25 at the Main Public Library to discuss violent crime. Jennifer Weiss-Burke, Director of Healing Addiction in Our Community and Serenity Mesa Recovery Center and Jeffrey Holland, LCSW and Executive Director of the Endorphin Power Company presented statements. This was the third listening session held with community members this summer. United States Attorney Uballez opened the session by explaining that the Attorney General directed United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on addressing violent crime through intervention and outreach efforts. Participants described how young people have unrestricted access to guns. Providers described how every one of their clients had been victims of or impacted by violence. Jeffrey Holland stated, “[Clients] have preexisting traumatic incidents that have happened and then later struggle with addiction.” Participants agreed that Albuquerque Community Services (ACS) needed more support and resources so that they could expand their scope of work. Speaking to the challenges facing local organizations that work with clients that struggle with addiction, Jennifer Weiss-Burke identified the prevalence of sex trafficking victimization among their clients. The majority of the clients that treatment providers encounter are struggling with Fentanyl use. Currently, there is no detox center for adolescents, so they often have to detox in the hospital. Jeffrey Holland said he’d like the Metropolitan Detention Center to allow faith-based programs such as 12-step programs allowed in jail again. He also mentioned that “once offenders are in jail they turn off Medicaid. When they are released, they do not have Medicaid and have to wait to get back on it to receive Suboxone or other medications they need immediately.” This causes issues for the clients that they serve. When asked what issues the treatment providers see that cause the divide between law enforcement and the community, both Serenity Mesa Recovery Center and Endorphin Power Company agreed that their clients would feel more comfortable if officers came in and talked with them without weapons or bulletproof vests, and civilian clothing would be ideal. Jennifer Weiss-Burke requested that the Albuquerque Police Department send officers to come and have an open dialogue with her clients. USA Uballez convened this listening session as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. USA Uballez previously met with representatives from organizations that serve Albuquerque’s International District and community providers who serve the unhoused population. These sessions were an opportunity for the USA and his staff to recognize the vital role that these leaders, providers and advocates play in our community. PSN is an evidence-based program proven 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. In New Mexico, the United States Attorney’s Office pursues a community violence intervention approach. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based intervention, prevention, and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented. # # # 23-191


title: First Grade Teacher Charged with Solicitation of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A man who taught first grade at New Baden Elementary School and coached girls’ sports teams for Wesclin Community Unit School District 3 is facing a federal charge accusing him of soliciting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jonathan C. Villmer, Jr., 25, of New Baden, Illinois, was charged via criminal complaint and is scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois. “Adults who prey on children and their vulnerabilities are menaces to society,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Individuals who work in schools and also exploit minors emulate another level of outwardly dangerous behavior.” The case was initiated by an otherwise unrelated investigation by the Carmi Police Department regarding the distribution of CSAM. That investigation led to an account soliciting CSAM on Snapchat that law enforcement connected to Villmer. According to court documents, after obtaining a search warrant for Villmer’s Snapchat account, police discovered explicit conversations with a 13-year-old minor. Villmer asked the minor for the “sexiest images,” discussed having sex and taking the minor’s virginity, and requested photographs of her genitals. Sexually explicit conversations and requests for images with other purported minors were also identified within Villmer’s Snapchat account. Based upon IP address records associated with the Snapchat account, law enforcement connected the account to Villmer. On Aug. 18, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Villmer’s New Baden residence and seized two cell phones and other electronic devices. Villmer was arrested on scene. An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. If convicted, Villmer could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment. His first court appearance is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2023, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation with support from the New Baden and Carmi Police Departments, and the Jefferson County and Clinton County Sheriffs’ Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns is prosecuting the case. Anyone who believes they have information related to this case may contact Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer Bobby Wallace at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office by calling 618-244-8004. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.


title: Two Plaquemines Parish Men Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSHUA MACKEY , age 37, and DARON WILLIAMS , age 48, residents of Port Sulphur, Louisiana, were sentenced on August 17, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. MACKEY was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. MACKEY previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). WILLIAMS was sentenced to time served, which was approximately 20 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. WILLIAMS previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). According to court documents, a DEA wiretap investigation revealed that MACKEY and WILLIAMS were involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy with several other co-conspirators between June 8, 2020, and June 5, 2021. As part of the conspiracy, MACKEY regularly distributed quantities of crack and cocaine and WILLIAMS frequently distributed quantities of methamphetamine. Additionally, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at MACKEY’s residence that resulted in the seizure of a Francolin International Arms Company Model Citadel Boss-25, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, as well as quantities of cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Lawrence Rudolph Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Murdering His Wife in Zambia

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER –The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lawrence Rudolph, 68, formerly of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Rudolph will also serve a concurrent sentence of 20 years for defrauding multiple life insurance companies, pay $4,877,744.93 in restitution, a fine of $2,000,000, and a $200 special assessment. He was also ordered to forfeit assets obtained as a result of his crime. After a trial last summer, a jury convicted Rudolph of foreign murder and a mail fraud scheme that was perpetrated in Colorado and elsewhere. Evidence presented at trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Lawrence Rudolph murdered his wife Bianca while the two were on a hunting trip in Zambia on October 11, 2016. Rudolph shot his wife through the heart with a 12-gauge shotgun that was enclosed in a soft-shell case on the last day of a scheduled hunt, scheming to make the murder look like an accident. Upon his return to the United States, Rudolph filed fraudulent claims on nine separate life insurance policies issued by seven different companies to obtain $4,877,744.93. “This result shows that no matter how much money, prestige, or power you have, you will be held accountable for your crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “The fact that justice arrived today is no accident. It was part of a dedicated effort by public servants committed to the cause of justice. We are grateful to the attorneys, staff, and investigators who made today’s result possible.” “The defendant in this case thought he could murder his wife overseas and get away with it. He was wrong and will now be held accountable for his actions thanks to the relentless pursuit of justice by the dedicated men and women of the FBI, DOJ, and the family of Bianca Rudolph, who never lost faith in the judicial system,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. United States Senior District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing. Rudolph’s co-defendant, Lori Milliron, was previously sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for her role as an accessory to the murder, for obstructing the investigation into Rudolph’s crime, and for committing perjury before a grand jury. The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI Denver Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Fields, Garreth Winstead, and Bishop Grewell. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Bohn. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance. Case Number: 22-cr-00012-WJM-1


title: Guilty On All Counts, Jury Convicts Fort Duchesne Man for 2018 Murder

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – On August 18, 2023, a federal jury convicted a Utah man of murder in the second degree and other related charges. After a five-day trial, Brandon Redfoot was found guilty on all five counts charged in the indictment. Charges include murder in the second degree while within Indian Country, assault with a dangerous weapon while within Indian Country, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and two counts of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Brandon Redfoot, 28, of Fort Duchesne, Utah, shot and killed another man, on June 7, 2018. According to testimony at trial, Redfoot was in a physical altercation with the victim outside a store in Randlett, Utah. After the fight, and after the two men parted ways in separate vehicles, Redfoot told the driver of the vehicle he was in to turn around and drive back in the direction the victim had traveled. After the driver refused, Redfoot pulled out a firearm, later identified as a KelTec Sub-2000 9mm folding rifle, and threatened the driver to turn around by firing the gun inside the vehicle. The driver complied, and ultimately arrived outside a residence where Redfoot spotted the victim. Redfoot fired at least twenty-nine shots in the direction of the victim and others, ultimately hitting the victim in the back of the head and killing him. Redfoot faces a maximum statutory sentence of imprisonment of up to life. FBI Sentencing is scheduled for October 27, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 3.4 before U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Vernal Resident Agency and investigators from the Ute Tribe. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Thorpe and Sam Pead of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah presented the case at trial. FBI This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Leader of International Steroids Distribution Scheme Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 21, 2023 SAN DIEGO – James Charles Rivera of New York was sentenced in federal court today to 96 months in prison for leading a scheme to distribute steroids around the world and launder the substantial proceeds through cash and cryptocurrency. According to admissions in his plea agreement, Rivera operated on the “dark web” with the moniker, “JuicePal.” He arranged and directed the distribution of steroids in nearly every state in the United States, as well as to Canada, Germany, Australia, and countries in the United Kingdom and the European Union from 2018 to 2021. He used encrypted communications and internet-access methods to avoid detection and took in millions of dollars in virtual currency and cash as proceeds from thousands of sales. Rivera also worked with several co-conspirators in the United States, who were responsible for manufacturing steroids for him, shipping them to customers, receiving cash payments, and forwarding him proceeds. Rivera, a United States Citizen, ran this operation for years while living abroad. “This defendant thought he could hide his international steroid distribution network and money laundering by operating on the dark web, but we have shined a bright light on his crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “This lengthy sentence is the result of an investigation into a complex global illicit counterfeit steroid production and distribution network that spanned several years, which concluded with the dismantlement of both the known U.S. and British networks of operation,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “The egregious criminal conspiracy attempted to utilize encrypted communications, cryptocurrencies, and an elaborate network of co-conspirators to obfuscate operational activity in the U.S. and abroad. I thank the several federal partners that came together to support HSI, most notably U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration to dismantle these operations.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to identifying, investigating and disrupting these criminal organizations to protect our communities from the distribution of these dangerous drugs through our postal system,” said Carroll Harris, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Los Angeles Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Owen Roth. DEFENDANTS Case Number 21-CR-3382 AJB James Charles Rivera Age: 32 New York SUMMARY OF CHARGES Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(E), and 846 Maximum Penalties: Ten years in prison, and a $500,000 fine Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h) Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison, and the greater of $500,000 or twice the amount of loss AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Postal Inspection Service U.S. Food and Drug Administration This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.


title: FBI issues wanted poster for Florida defendant who failed to show up for sentencing

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The FBI today issued a ‘Wanted Poster’ for Volodimyr Pigida. In December 2022, Volodimyr Pigida, a Miami resident who previously resided in Bellevue, Washington, was found guilty by a jury in the Western District of Washington of 26 felony counts , including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, and bankruptcy fraud, among other crimes. In his over $11 million dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of victims, Volodimyr Pigida and his wife operated a ‘work-at-home’ email scheme named Trend Sound Promoter that ultimately crashed – but not before the two raided the company’s accounts to purchase homes, expensive cars, and a yacht. On August 4, 2023, Pigida failed to appear at his sentencing hearing. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips@fbi.gov . volodimyr-pigida.pdf


title: Former tribal councilmember and police officer sentenced to 34 years in prison for sexual abuse of minors

body_text: Tacoma – A 69-year-old member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 34 years in prison for nine federal crimes related to the sexual abuse of minors, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joseph Anthony Turrey, of Port Angeles, Washington, was convicted following a seven-day jury trial in March 2023. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said Turrey had shown no sign of remorse telling Turrey, “You demonstrated a wantonness, a cruelty, and mercilessness…. No restitution can give (your victims) back what was stolen from them.” In 2021, according to records filed in the case, three victims disclosed abuse by the defendant that occurred between 2008 and 2016. The charged assaults occurred on tribal land, triggering federal jurisdiction. Two of the victims were as young as 6 and 7 years old when the sexual assaults began. Early in his career, in 1993-94, Turrey served as a law enforcement officer on the Hoh Reservation. Turrey, and those who knew him at that time, described his role as Chief of Police. The Hoh Tribe has no record of that position but is aware that Turrey was employed by the tribe and supervised a fisheries enforcement officer. Turrey went on to serve as a police officer for the Lower Elwah Tribe and also served on the Tribal Council. In her statement to the court, Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster said Turrey “held positions of power while exploiting children.” Turrey was convicted of six counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor, two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact. The case was investigated by the FBI and Lower Elwha S’Klallam Police Department, with assistance from the National Park Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster, Will Dreher, and Jonas Lerman.


title: Former Texas Police Lieutenant Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice An 11-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity In Florida

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Seth Estes Vanover (51, Diana, Texas) has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity using an online social messaging application (app). Vanover faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, imprisonment, and a potential life term of supervised release. Vanover was arrested on October 12, 2022, at the Longview Police Department in Texas where he was employed as a sworn law enforcement officer. Vanover is currently detained pending his sentencing hearing. According to court documents, on July 25, 2022, an undercover FBI agent began an online operation designed to identify adults seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the agent posted a notice in a public chat room of an online social messaging app. That day, Vanover, using the name “jattleson,” contacted the agent using a private messaging feature of the app. Vanover confirmed that he was “into yung” and sent the agent several photos depicting child erotica as well as a photo of a nude adult male. Vanover and the undercover agent discussed the sexual experience of the purported 11-year-old “child,” and Vanover stated that he would “love to” meet them in Florida and would “love to be naked with” the “child.” Vanover and the agent engaged in more conversations on the app on August 8 and 10, 2022, and September 19, 2022, during which the two discussed meeting in Florida so that Vanover could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Vanover confirmed with the agent that the “child” was “open to have sex,” discussed details of the sexual acts that Vanover intended to perform on the “child,” and directed the agent to “[t]alk to [the “child”] about the intended sexual activity.” On October 12, 2022, FBI agents arrested Vanover at the Longview Police Department and Vanover resigned on that same day. Agents searched a patrol vehicle used by Vanover and recovered a cellphone that belonged to Vanover. A review of the phone revealed that it contained at least 230 videos and 130 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and young children. This phone also contained sexually explicit online written communications that Vanover had with other app users, as well as child sexual abuse videos and photos that Vanover received during some of these conversations. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance and cooperation from the Longview Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. 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.justice.gov/psc.


title: Fort Myers Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deshon G. Walker (26, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as convicted felon. Walker faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to court documents, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with Walker as the front seat passenger. Officers located a loaded Glock pistol under Walker’s seat. DNA analysis later linked Walker to the pistol. Walker had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. Morgan. 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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: California Men Stopped on I-55 Charged with Trafficking over 100 Kilos of Cocaine

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Two California men, David Dowling-Chacon, 41, and Luis Dukes-Acosta, 38, have been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. According to the Affidavit filed with the complaint, on August 15, 2023, an Illinois State Police Trooper stopped the tractor trailer Dowling-Chacon and Dukes-Acosta were operating on Interstate 55 near Springfield for a routine motor carrier safety inspection. The men told the trooper they were traveling together from California to Chicago to pick up a load for the tractor trailer. While speaking to Dowling-Chacon and Dukes-Acosta, the trooper became suspicious and determined further investigation was necessary. After receiving permission to search the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered approximately 103 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation on the scene. If convicted, Dowling-Chacon and Dukes-Acosta face a mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment of at least 10 years and could receive up to life in prison. The charges also carry up to a life-time term of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $10,000,000. The arrests followed investigation by the Illinois State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Police Department, Jacksonville Police Department and Logan County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Former Juvenile Justice Employee Indicted for Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: ASHLAND, Ky.— A former Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice employee, Nathaniel K. Lumpkins, 32, of Elkfork, Ky., has been indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsifying records or documents to obstruct justice. Lumpkins was employed at Woodsbend Youth Development Center, a Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice facility located in West Liberty, Ky., and worked as a Youth Worker, responsible for the custody, care, and control of the juveniles housed there. The indictment alleges that on January 23, 2019, Lumpkins, while working as a Youth Worker, violated the civil rights of a fifteen-year-old when he used unreasonable force to attempt to restrain the victim, causing bodily injury, including a broken arm. The indictment further alleges that Lumpkins wrote and signed an incident report that included false information, attempting to cover up his use of force. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, announced the indictment. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by FBI. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Dembo. Lumpkins will appear in Court for his arraignment on Friday. For the deprivation of rights charge, Lumpkins faces up to 10 years in prison, and for the falsifying records charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. — END —


title: Former Alabama Correctional Sergeant Convicted of Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted a former Alabama correctional sergeant of deprivation of rights under color of law, falsification of records and obstruction. The evidence at trial established that on March 8, 2018, at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Staton Correctional Facility, Correctional Sergeant Devlon Williams assaulted an inmate, D.H., in the main hallway of the healthcare unit. Witnesses at trial testified that Williams repeatedly punched and kicked D.H., who was on the ground and not resisting or posing a threat to any person or corrections officer. Williams continued the beating by hitting D.H. multiple times with a collapsible baton. The government presented evidence at trial that after the beating, Williams and another corrections officer, Larry Managan, who previously pleaded guilty to obstruction, attempted to cover up the beating. Williams made false statements about the assault to an Alabama Department of Corrections investigator and prepared a false report about the incident. “This defendant is being held accountable for using excessive force against an inmate and preparing a false report to cover-up his unlawful behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Prisoners, like everyone else, have the right to be free from such needless and extreme violence at the hands of law enforcement officers. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the constitutional and civil rights of any Americans, including people who are incarcerated.” “While most corrections officers try each day to do the right thing, unfortunately, some abuse the authority they are granted,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “Everyone deserves protection under the law and my office will hold any officer criminally responsible for violating the civil rights of a person in his or her custody.” “There is no place for this type of behavior in law enforcement. The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Mobile Field Office. “Today’s conviction demonstrates our commitment to this mission. I would also like to highlight the exceptional work by our partners at the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division without whom this case could not have been successful.” Williams’ co-defendant, Larry Managan Jr., previously pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with this incident on Dec. 8, 2021. Williams and Managan are awaiting sentencing. The FBI Mobile Field Office and Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Fort Jennings Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation

body_text: TOLEDO – Kirk Smith, 33, of Fort Jennings, Ohio was sentenced on Wednesday, August 16, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after earlier pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Knepp also ordered Smith to pay a $100 special assessment and be placed on supervised release for 10 years upon release from imprisonment. Additionally, Smith was ordered to pay $5,000 to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. According to court documents, in September of 2021, Smith engaged in online communication with undercover law enforcement and indicated he was sexually active with a minor child and had nude photos of the child. Shortly thereafter, Smith sent photos of a minor child that were sexually exploitive. A court authorized search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence where his cellphone was seized and found to contain the messages Smith exchanged with the undercover law enforcement online. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali.


title: Toledo Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm Charges

body_text: TOLEDO – James Luther Sawyer IV, 33 of Toledo, Ohio was sentenced on Tuesday August 15, to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after earlier pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Knepp also ordered Sawyer to pay a $300 special assessment and be placed on supervised release for 4 years upon release from imprisonment. According to court documents, on April 24, 2022, Toledo police officers responded to a 911 call of a man pointing a handgun at passing vehicles. Officers spotted Sawyer fitting the description in the area of Huron and Lagrange Streets in Toledo. When Sawyer was ordered to stop by officers, he removed a handgun from his pants and threw it to the ground. After officers arrested Sawyer and recovered the handgun, they searched Sawyer’s backpack and found 28 plastic bags containing approximately 67 grams of methamphetamine. Sawyer was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior Felonious Assault conviction in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. This case was investigated by the Toledo Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali.


title: Owners of Mental Health Counseling Services Company Plead Guilty to Employment Tax Crime

body_text: An Oklahoma man and a Virginia man pleaded guilty, in separate cases, to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, Stephen Christopher Parker of Oologah, Oklahoma, and Michael Baines of Portsmouth, Virginia, were co-owners of a mental health counseling services company, Family Youth Intervention Services Inc., located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In that role, Parker and Baines were responsible for withholding, accounting for and paying over the income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages paid to the company’s employees. For the second quarter of 2016 they did not file the required quarterly employment tax return or pay over the entirety of those taxes. Parker and Baines further admitted that from January 2014 through December 2017, they did not pay over a total of approximately $1,265,259 in withholdings to the IRS. Parker and Baines each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, followed by supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. Chief District Court Judge John F. Heill III, will determine any sentence after considering U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Whipple for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.


title: Self-Professed “Shot Caller” Sentenced for Retaliation Plots

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

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Johnny Dolph, 50, originally of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced today in Omaha, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to an overall cumulative sentence of 150 months’ imprisonment for 10 Counts: Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Firearm Following a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence; 2 counts of False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm; Conspiracy to Tamper with Documents or Proceedings; Tampering with Documents or Proceedings; 2 counts of Conspiracy to Assault a Witness; and 2 counts for Attempted Assault of a Witness. After his release from prison, Dolph will serve a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Dolph is a self-professed “shot caller” for the Irish Mob Gang, which is a gang that originated in the Oklahoma state prison system. Dolph came to Omaha in early 2021 on an interstate parole compact following a prison sentence in Kansas. Dolph had lied to Kansas and Nebraska’s parole offices claiming that he would be living with an individual in Omaha who he claimed was his brother; the man was not his brother and is an affiliate of the Irish Mob Gang. In the summer of 2021, Dolph brought an individual from Kansas to Omaha to set up a forgery operation. This individual from Kansas was stopped by the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office in September 2021 and found to be in possession of numerous forgery related items to include counterfeit currency, forged Treasury checks, and document making implements. Shortly after the individual from Kansas’s arrest, Dolph and co-defendant Norwood began contacting the individual from Kansas’s wife, identified as Victim 1 who was located in Omaha, in attempts to prevent her from going to law enforcement. Victim 1 reported receiving threatening communications from Dolph and Norwood. Dolph, Norwood, and others began researching and attempting to locate where Victim 1 was located. In the fall of 2021, Norwood conducted a straw-purchase for Dolph of a Hi-Point C9 9mm handgun from gunbroker.com. The transfer was completed on October 25, 2021. A straw purchase is an illegal purchase of a firearm by one person for another. Dolph was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to eleven felony convictions in Oklahoma and Kansas as well as due to two misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in Kansas. In October 2021, Dolph’s apartment in Omaha was searched pursuant to a Federal search warrant. The affiant for the search warrant was a federal agent with the Omaha Metro Financial Crimes Task Force, identified as Victim 2. Following the execution of the search warrant, Dolph began researching Victim 2 and found, what Dolph believed to be, Victim 2’s home address; this address belonged to another individual with the same name as Victim 2. Dolph drove by what he believed to be Victim 2’s address and filmed it. Dolph then disseminated this video and address to third parties and, in one such conversation, expressed a need to obtain a “throw away” gun. In November 2021, Dolph contacted Kate Ruth and requested that she come to Omaha from Kansas to help him locate and carry out the “green light” he had put on Victim 1. Ruth was driven to Omaha by Juanita Gibson. Dolph paid for Ruth and Gibson’s gas and provided directions on where to go once they arrived in Omaha. Dolph and Norwood let Gibson and Ruth stay with them in their apartment. While in Omaha, the four attempted to locate Victim 1. At Dolph’s direction, Ruth and Gibson drove to a residence in Omaha at which Victim 1 was believed to be staying. On March 1, 2022, law enforcement attempted to arrest Dolph on a state warrant. Dolph was located and the Hi-Point C9 9mm handgun that Norwood had illegally purchased for him was recovered. The ATF examined the Hi-Point C9 pistol and determined that it travelled in interstate commerce to be located in Nebraska on March 1, 2021. Dolph was interviewed by law enforcement. He admitted to being a “shot caller” for the Irish Mob Gang. Dolph admitted to researching and threatening Victim 1. Dolph stated that he wanted to prevent Victim 1 from cooperating with law enforcement. Dolph stated that he believed a “green light” to be an assault. Dolph admitted to bringing “clovers,” female members of the Irish Mob Gang, from Kansas to Omaha to carry out the green light on Victim 1. He identified those clovers as Juanita Gibson and Kate Ruth. Dolph also admitted that Norwood purchased the Hi-Point C9 pistol on his behalf. Dolph admitted to possessing the handgun and making a fake handgun purchase permit to make it appear like he had legally purchased the firearm if he were to come into contact with law enforcement. Dolph admitted that he knew he was a felon. A review of Dolph’s social media included a photograph of him holding the firearm and telling another individual that Norwood had bought the firearm for him. Following his arrest on the state warrant, Dolph was Federally indicted for the firearms charges and was incarcerated at the Douglas County Correctional Center. On March 30, 2022, at 7:58 p.m. and at 8:14 p.m., Dolph called Norwood. Dolph used his assigned inmate PIN number and called Norwood at her known phone number. Inmates are advised that all non-attorney calls are recorded. In the calls, Norwood told Dolph that she was going to their trailer per his earlier request. The trailer was later identified and located at a storage facility in Omaha. Dolph then provided step-by-step instructions over the phone to Norwood on how to retrieve an item that was concealed in an air compressor in the trailer. Dolph instructed Norwood to burn the item using gasoline and a blow torch. During the call, Dolph was very agitated that the item be destroyed and said it will send him to prison. Dolph also expressed concern that Norwood did not destroy it and was going to turn it over to law enforcement. Dolph then asked Norwood to take a picture of the item burning to prove to him that she destroyed it. An image of the item burning was found on Norwood’s phone. The individual from Kansas was sentenced on May 23, 2022, to time-served after serving a nine-month sentence for Possession of Counterfeit Currency and Possession of a Document Making Implement or Authentication Feature and is currently serving a five-year term of supervised release. On July 18, 2023, Gibson pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Assault a Witness and Attempted Assault of a Witness and her sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2023. Norwood and Ruth are currently pending trial and are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. After the sentencing today, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Today’s sentencing of John Dolph is a message to criminals who think threatening a witness and destroying evidence will keep them out of prison. The FBI will find you. Intimidation and threats of violence will never be tolerated.” “The United States Secret Service is proud of the effective partnerships it maintains with the Omaha Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the United States Attorney’s Office, whose tireless efforts were instrumental in seeing justice served in this case,” said Kansas City Field Office Special Agent in Charge Brandon Bridgeforth. “We can think of no greater outcome than protecting citizens and witnesses of crimes from violent criminals such as Johnny Dolph.” "Our office has the power and authority to prosecute all offenses against the United States. Any attempts to subvert this pursuit of justice through illicit means will be met with aggressive prosecution," said Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr. "Today's sentencing is an example of this commitment and should serve as a warning to those who are contemplating unlawful attempts to undermine the criminal justice process." This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the Omaha Police Department, and the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.


title: Madison County Man Receives 7-Year Federal Sentence for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a Worden man to serve seven years in federal prison after he admitted to possessing more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Joseph Vieth, 36, was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $5,000 in special assessments and $6,000 in restitution to the victims. Following his prison sentence, he will serve five years of supervised release. “Law enforcement recovered hundreds of images of CSAM from the defendant’s phone—photos and videos taken of real children being abused in sexually-explicit situations,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Vieth furthered the exploitation of the victims depicted by viewing and distributing the material, and his substantial prison sentence is warranted.” According to court documents, Vieth was active in an online group identified as a messaging outlet for distributing child pornography from March 28 through Oct. 18, 2021. On four occasions between May 7 and June 21, 2021, he communicated with undercover law enforcement officers and distributed five different videos containing CSAM. Vieth also communicated with undercover law enforcement about meeting to sexually abuse a minor. “The FBI prioritizes targeting those who put the safety of our children in jeopardy,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “Our proactive efforts are designed to put those intent on harming children behind bars. This case and the resulting sentence represent the effectiveness of our efforts.” On Oct. 5, 2021, Agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s house and seized multiple electronic devices. While searching his cell phone, agents uncovered more than 600 images of CSAM. The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.