component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON — Today, the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced a proposed settlement with PennEnergy Resources LLC (PennEnergy) resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania. If accepted by the court, the consent decree specifies that PennEnergy will undertake various projects to assess, modify and improve monitoring and maintenance of vapor control systems. These projects will result in a reduction of over 8,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 1,740 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate more than 150 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually. PennEnergy also agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty. This amount will be shared equally by the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a co-plaintiff in this case. PennEnergy will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at 17 of its oil and gas production facilities and partial measures at an additional 32 facilities, all located in Butler County and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. “When PennEnergy failed to implement an appropriate vapor control system on storage tanks at its facilities in western Pennsylvania, the company not only violated federal law, it allowed a substantial volume of volatile organic compounds to escape into the atmosphere,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s settlement reflects this office’s commitment to holding corporate citizens accountable for their wrongdoing and protecting our residents and the air they breathe.” “Oil and gas producers must comply with the Clean Air Act, which is intended to control air emissions and improve air quality and our environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “By adhering to the requirements of today’s settlement, PennEnergy will significantly reduce air emissions from its operations.” “Today’s settlement continues EPA’s efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for illegal emissions that hamper air quality and accelerate climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Penn Energy will undertake projects to improve air quality and reduce emissions of methane at nearly 50 facilities, providing environmental and public health benefits for Pennsylvanians and demonstrating that reducing illegal pollution from oil and gas facilities is good for communities and the planet.” “This settlement marks a significant step toward reducing emissions and ensuring cleaner air for all residents of the Commonwealth,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Every Pennsylvanian is entitled to breathe clean air, and the Shapiro Administration is dedicated to ensuring that polluters are held responsible for any harm to that right.” This settlement resolves PennEnergy’s failure to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from five of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, in western Pennsylvania. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018. As a result of these violations, PennEnergy released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health. The agreement requires PennEnergy to take the necessary steps to ensure that its systems to control pollutants from atmospheric storage tanks are adequately designed and properly operated and maintained at an estimated cost of $2.4 million. These actions will significantly reduce harmful emissions from the company’s oil and gas operations. In addition, PennEnergy must undertake a project to mitigate the environmental and public health harm attributable to their violations. Specifically, by Jan. 1, 2025, PennEnergy will be required to replace no fewer than 217 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices in Butler and Lawrence counties, in western Pennsylvania. These measures are estimated to cost $1.2 million. PennEnergy is a privately-owned oil and gas company headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Its business is focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional shale resources in the Appalachian Basin, and its natural gas extraction and production operations consist of approximately 370 wells at 107 oil and gas facilities located in western Pennsylvania. The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change . This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s PennEnergy Resources LLC Settlement web page . The proposed consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA and PADEP investigated the case. Attorneys with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.


title: Pittsburgh Man Charged with Escape After Failing to Return to Residential Reentry Center

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of escape from custody, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Ryan Gainer, 44, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on October 17, 2024, following a 48-hour home pass, Gainer knowingly, and without authorization, failed to return to the residential reentry center where he was serving a federal sentence. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former Houston park ranger charged with sexual assault and extortion of multiple victims

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Houston resident has been federally indicted for repeatedly abusing his authority as a City of Houston urban park ranger by stopping, detaining and assaulting victims who visited city parks late at night, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal grand jury returned an indictment Dec. 3 charging Joey Lamar Ellis with 20 counts representing accusations of civil rights violations perpetrated against eight victims. He is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison. According to the charges, Ellis positioned his city-issued vehicle behind the victims’ vehicles to prevent them from leaving. In many instances, he allegedly confiscated their driver’s licenses and/or cell phones. Ellis falsely accused his victims of committing various crimes and threatened their cars would be towed or they would be arrested, according to the charges. As the encounter progressed, Ellis allegedly offered the victims a way out of being towed, charged and arrested. On some occasions, Ellis allegedly demanded money. On others, he assaulted his victims and at times demanded sexual acts, such as groping one victim, forcing another to strip naked and sexually assaulting another, according to the charges. During multiple instances, Ellis allegedly utilized his firearm in such a way to threaten his victims. He also instructed at least one victim to not tell anyone, according to the charges. “The indictment accuses Ellis of leveraging his authority to intimidate victims, demanding money or, in more disturbing instances, forcing them into unwanted sexual acts,” said Hamdani. “This alleged breach of public trust underscores the horror of those using their power for alleged unlawful gains, leaving communities questioning the integrity of their protectors.” If you believe you have been a victim or know someone who has, please fill out a quick this quick Seeking Victims online FBI form or contact the FBI Houston Field Office at 713-693-5000. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharad Khandelwal and Rebekah Saunders are prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Drug Trafficker and Money Launderer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yvette Porras-Ochoa, 42, of Wittmann, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 180 months in prison. Porras-Ochoa pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Cocaine, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Prescription Controlled Substances Oxycodone and Promethazine-Codeine, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on August 22, 2024. Porras-Ochoa was the head of an Arizona-based drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine and prescription drugs. To fraudulently obtain the prescription drugs, Porras-Ochoa used an Arizona-licensed medical practitioner’s authorization to prescribe controlled substances and recruited others to pick up prescription drugs from Arizona-based pharmacies. After receiving the prescription drugs, she sold them, as well as cocaine, to out-of-state customers. Porras-Ochoa arranged payment for the drugs in a variety of sophisticated ways so as to avoid detection and subsequently laundered some of the drug proceeds through real estate transactions. During a year-and-a-half long investigation, investigators were able to seize several large loads of drugs connected with Porras-Ochoa and confirm her involvement in the distribution of 884.2 grams of oxycodone, 33,330 units of promethazine-codeine, 4,690 units of alprazolam, 27,200 units of tramadol, 63,900 units of midazolam, and 2.96 kilograms of cocaine. This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. In other words, OCDETF is a holistic approach to prosecuting organized crime. Deterrent criminal justice sentences are only a part of the District’s strategy to dismantle criminal entities. Sometimes, as here, it includes coordination with state and local partners. On other occasions it involves the use of sensitive investigative techniques like court-authorized interceptions of communications, or responsible use of civil and criminal asset forfeiture to disgorge illicit gains, or extradition of leadership from foreign nations, or collaboration with federal regulatory entities like the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Unites States Postal Service, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1265-PHX-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-172_Porras-Ochoa # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Leader of Child Sexual Abuse Ring  Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Rappylee Bateman, 48, of Colorado City, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 50 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. On April 1, 2024, Bateman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity and Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping. “Protecting the most vulnerable is our highest calling as prosecutors,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Many thanks to our dedicated prosecutors and law enforcement colleagues for an expeditious investigation, and to our victim advocates for their focus on services and healing.” “Every child should feel and be safe in their homes,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Today’s sentencing brings some closure to the victims with hopes they can confidently continue the long road to living normal lives with trusted and loving adults surrounding them. Protecting our most vulnerable populations, with children at the top of the list, is and will continue to be a high priority for the FBI and our partners.” Bateman, who represented himself as a religious prophet, was the leader of a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. Beginning in 2019, Bateman amassed followers in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. In 2020 and 2021, Bateman’s followers gave their minor daughters and wards to him as child “brides” to sexually abuse. The victims were as young as nine years old. Through coercion and manipulation, Bateman regularly forced his victims to participate with him in individual and group sexual activities with adults and other children. He gave one of the victims to an adult male follower to be sexually abused, and on another occasion transmitted a live video stream of child sexual abuse to his followers. Bateman and others transported the victims between states to facilitate the sexual abuse, which continued until Bateman’s arrest on federal charges in September 2022. Following Bateman’s arrest, his child victims were placed in the legal and physical custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety. In November 2022, Bateman conspired with some of his followers to kidnap the victims from their custody placements. The conspirators succeeded in taking eight of the girls to California and then to Washington, where they were found by law enforcement and returned to Arizona. Bateman was charged along with 11 of his adult followers, all of whom have also been convicted of charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy. Two of Bateman’s co-defendants were convicted at trial by a jury, and the others were convicted by guilty plea. Several other defendants have already been sentenced, and the remaining defendants will be sentenced in the coming months. The Federal Bureau of Investigation-Phoenix conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8092-PHX-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-173_Bateman # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Des Moines Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines woman was sentenced on November 15, 2024 to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of a pill containing fentanyl that resulted in a victim’s death. According to public court documents, Nevaeh Simone Botts, 21, sold pills containing fentanyl to a 16-year-old victim who subsequently overdosed and died. Botts also sold fentanyl pills to an undercover police officer three times. In July 2023, during the execution of a search warrant at Botts’s apartment, law enforcement found hundreds of fentanyl pills and two firearms. After completing her term of imprisonment, Botts will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Botts was also ordered to pay $5,574.09 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl deaths for youth ages 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill .


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on November 8, 2024 to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl. According to public court documents, Luca Joseph Roberts, 25, provided pills containing fentanyl to a victim on October 20, 2022. The victim used the pills, overdosed, and died. Law enforcement identified Roberts as the source of supply for those pills and purchased from Roberts additional pills containing fentanyl. After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberts will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Roberts was also ordered to pay $5,796.00 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl deaths for youth ages 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill .


title: Labelle Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Coercion And Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Carson Miller (30, Labelle) to 30 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, receipt of child sexual abuse material, possessing and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, and transferring obscene matter to a minor. Miller was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Miller entered a guilty plea on August 20, 2024. According to court documents, from June through December 19, 2023, Miller sought out and chatted with minors over the internet through the use of a social media application. In June 2023, a parent notified law enforcement that Miller, claiming to be 16 years old, had been chatting with a 13-year-old child using a social media application and soliciting sexually explicit images of the minor. At Miller’s urging and direction, the teen sent sexually explicit photos and videos to Miller. In November 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant for Miller’s social media account. The account records revealed numerous conversations that Miller had with minors in which Miller asked the minors for explicit images of themselves. Miller also sent photos of his genitals to minors. In December 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence. Miller agreed to speak with agents and admitted to using a social media application to request child sexual abuse material from minors. He estimated that he had requested the material from approximately 100 minors and admitted to sending a photo of his genitals to approximately 200 minors. Miller admitted that at times he would threaten self-harm in order to receive sexually explicit images from minors. A forensic examination of Miller’s cellphones and laptop revealed images and videos of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. This is another case 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: Orange County Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Federal Prison For Drug And Firearms Offenses

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Joshua Grant Cobb (34, Orlando) to 25 years in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Cobb pled guilty on July 31, 2024. According to court documents, law enforcement identified Cobb as a distributor of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl who used his residence to facilitate his drug deals. A confidential source was then used to arrange a controlled purchase of fentanyl at Cobb’s residence. Cobb was detained leaving his residence for the deal. He had a loaded firearm and 55 grams of a fentanyl mixture on his person. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Cobb’s residence. Inside, agents located over 700 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 350 grams of fentanyl mixtures, $4,000 in cash, drug processing materials and equipment, and six additional loaded firearms. Cobb was ordered to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he possessed. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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: China-Based Hacker Charged for Conspiring to Develop and Deploy Malware That Exploited Tens of Thousands of Firewalls Worldwide

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: A federal court in Hammond, Indiana, unsealed an indictment today charging Guan Tianfeng, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for his involvement in a conspiracy to hack indiscriminately into firewall devices worldwide in 2020. Guan and his co-conspirators worked at the offices of Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co. Ltd. to discover and exploit a previously-unknown vulnerability (an “0-day” vulnerability) in certain firewalls sold by U.K.-based Sophos Ltd. (Sophos) – an information technology company that develops and markets cybersecurity products. The malware that exploited the vulnerability discovered by Guan was designed to steal information from infected computers and to encrypt files on them if a victim attempted to remediate the infection. In total, Guan and his co-conspirators infected approximately 81,000 firewall devices worldwide, including a firewall device used by an agency of the United States. “The defendant and his co-conspirators exploited a vulnerability in tens of thousands of network security devices, infecting them with malware designed to steal information from victims around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s indictment reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to working with partners across government and across the globe to detect and hold accountable malicious cyber actors based in China or elsewhere who pose a threat to global cybersecurity.” “The defendant and his conspirators compromised tens of thousands of firewalls and then continued to hold at risk these devices, which protect computers in the United States and around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who contribute to the dangerous ecosystem of China-based enabling companies that carry out indiscriminate hacks on behalf of their sponsors and undermine global cybersecurity.” “Our law enforcement actions, technical expertise, and enduring partnerships with private companies, like Sophos, demonstrate the reputation of the FBI as being a reliable and effective partner for stopping this malicious activity,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Complementary actions prevented further victimization of U.S. businesses and individuals while contributing to the safety of U.S. citizens as they use the internet.” “Today’s indictment underscores our commitment to protecting the public from malicious actors who use security research as a cover to identify vulnerabilities in widely used systems and exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana. “Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators placed thousands of computer networks, including a network in the Northern District of Indiana, at risk by conducting this attack.” “The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators found and exploited affected firewalls owned by businesses across the United States, including in Indiana,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “If Sophos had not rapidly identified the vulnerability and deployed a comprehensive response, the damage could have been far more severe. Sophos’s efforts combined with the dedication and expertise of our cyber squad formed a powerful partnership resulting in the mitigation of this threat.” The Conspiracy to Exploit Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) 2020-12271 As alleged in the indictment, in 2020, Guan and his co-conspirators developed, tested, and deployed malware that targeted approximately 81,000 Sophos firewalls using a 0-day vulnerability that existed on those devices. The 81,000 Sophos firewalls were located throughout the world, including within victim organizations located in the Northern District of Indiana. The vulnerability was later designated CVE 2020-12271. Guan and his co-conspirators designed the malware to steal information from firewalls. To better hide their activity, Guan and his co-conspirators registered and used domains designed to look like they were controlled by Sophos, such as sophosfirewallupdate.com. Sophos discovered the intrusion and remediated its customers’ firewalls in approximately two days, which caused the co-conspirators to modify their malware. As modified, the malware was designed to deploy encryption software from a ransomware variant in the event the victims attempted to remove the malware. Their encryption efforts did not succeed, but demonstrated the conspirators’ disregard for the harm that they would cause to victims. Guan Tianfeng’s Employment and Sichuan Silence’s Relationship with the PRC Government According to court documents, Guan worked for Sichuan Silence, a PRC-based private company that has provided services to the PRC Ministry of Public Security, among other PRC organizations. According to Sichuan Silence’s website, it developed a product line which could be used to scan and detect overseas network targets in order to obtain valuable intelligence information. In October, Sophos released a number of articles chronicling its separate long-running investigation, "Pacific Rim.” Sophos detailed PRC-based advanced persistent threat groups targeting its networking appliances for over five years, which it described as “unusually knowledgeable about the internal architecture of the device firmware.” One of the attacks described in the Pacific Rim report involved CVE-2020-12271. Soon after the Sophos announcements in October, the FBI issued a call for information regarding computer intrusions into Sophos edge devices. The FBI continues to solicit information on PRC-sponsored malicious actors targeting edge devices and network security appliances. The U.S. Department of State also announced rewards today of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Guan or any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also announced sanctions on Sichuan Silence and Guan today. Trial Attorneys Jacques Singer-Emery and George Brown of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Lupa for the Northern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case. The FBI continues to investigate Sichuan Silence’s hacking activities and intrusions into various edge devices. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Matthew L. Farmer, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2023, law enforcement officers had reason to believe Farmer was carrying a firearm and encountered him while patrolling Charleston’s West Side. Officers asked Farmer if he had a firearm, and Farmer told them he had a firearm in his back pocket. Officers retrieved a Firearms Import Export (FIE) model Titan .25-caliber handgun from Farmer’s back pocket. The firearm had a magazine inserted that contained seven rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Farmer knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Monongalia County Circuit Court on October 7, 2015, and grand larceny in Wetzel County Circuit Court on January 26, 2011. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department-Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-202. ###


title: Owner Of Telemarketing Call Center Sentenced To 121 Months In Prison For Multi-Year Scheme To Defraud PAC Donors

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICHARD ZEITLIN, the owner of a telemarketing call center business, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for his leadership role in a scheme to defraud donors of certain political action committees (“PACs”) through false and misleading fundraising calls. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan following the defendant’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on September 10, 2024. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Richard Zeitlin’s actions represent a profound breach of trust, as represented by today’s sentencing. The integrity of donor contributions is essential, and this Office will continue to pursue justice against those who undermine it.” According to the allegations in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in Court: PACs are entities registered with the Federal Election Commission that may be tax-exempt and collect money to advocate on behalf of or against certain causes and political candidates. By contrast, charities, unlike PACs, typically provide direct services to communities or causes. From at least in or about 2017 up to and including in or about 2020, ZEITLIN used his telemarketing call center business and various associated entities to defraud numerous donors of millions of dollars by providing misleading and false information about how the donors’ money would be spent and the nature of the organizations to which they were giving. Specifically, ZEITLIN directed his employees to alter the call scripts used when calling potential donors on behalf of certain PACs in order to mislead potential donors into believing that they would be giving to a direct-services organization ( i.e. , a charity), rather than to a political advocacy organization ( i.e. , a PAC). ZEITLIN directed that these lies, misleading statements, and misrepresentations be made so that donors would be more likely to give money, thereby increasing the funds raised and profits for his businesses – which typically received approximately 90% of the funds donated. In some instances, ZEITLIN’s businesses retained 100% of the funds donated with none of the money going to the causes described in telemarketing calls to donors. When one PAC treasurer confronted ZEITLIN with complaints from donors that solicitation calls falsely represented a PAC as a charity, ZEITLIN falsely denied that the calls were being made, acknowledged that such calls would be inappropriate, and refused to give the treasurer any call recordings that would have revealed his fraud. ZEITLIN lied under oath to conceal his fraud. In December 2020, while testifying under oath during a deposition in connection with a federal civil matter, ZEITLIN falsely stated, in substance and in part, that neither he nor his employees provided input as to the call scripts used by ZEITLIN’s telemarketing call centers when making fundraising calls on behalf of PACs. In truth and in fact, ZEITLIN and his employees frequently provided input on and changed call scripts, including by adding false and misleading statements into the call scripts. In March 2022, in a declaration filed under penalty of perjury to a federal judge, ZEITLIN falsely stated that, among other things, he was not associated with and did not direct, supervise, or control certain business entities relating to ZEITLIN’s telemarketing business when, in truth and in fact, ZEITLIN controlled all of the entities by exercising ultimate authority over managerial, operational, and financial decisions, including at the time he signed this declaration. In or about May 2022, after ZEITLIN learned that he and his businesses were under federal investigation, ZEITLIN directed his employees to delete electronic messages relating to his businesses. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, ZEITLIN, 54, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $8,906,760.00, which represents ZEITLIN’s proceeds from the crime, and restitution in the amount of $8,906,760.00. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Kim, Emily Deininger, and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Nevada Man Sentenced for Dumping Waste into Cities’ Wastewater System and Lying to Investigators

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A Nevada man was sentenced today for illegally discharging waste, collected by a business he managed, into a local wastewater treatment system, in violation of the Clean Water Act. Matthew Thurman, general manager of Environmental Resources Inc., doing business as Easy Rooter Plumbing (ERP), was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a $680,000 fine and serve one year of supervised release for knowingly violating pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act. ERP was separately sentenced to three years of probation and a $680,000 fine. For years, ERP and Thurman orchestrated illegal discharges of grease waste and wastewater collected from food-service businesses into the wastewater treatment system of the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nevada. Local regulators warned ERP and Thurman regarding the illegal discharges, but when the scheme continued, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened an investigation. During the investigation, Thurman lied to federal agents and falsely blamed competitors for the illegal discharges. The actions by Thurman and ERP jeopardized the integrity of the wastewater treatment system, creating significant environmental risks and increased maintenance costs which were passed on to consumers. “This case underscores the importance of holding individuals and corporations accountable when they knowingly harm our environment and attempt to obstruct justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Violations of the Clean Water Act are serious crimes, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.” “The defendant defrauded clients, exposed Nevada communities to contaminated sewage, and engaged in conduct that required taxpayer dollars to be spent on costly repairs," said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today's significant sentencing demonstrates that EPA will continue to bring to justice environmental criminals." “Nevadans depend on our clean water system for everyday life. By knowingly illegally dumping waste into the treatment system, the defendants jeopardized the quality of life of our citizens in violation of the Clean Water Act,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to prosecute these crimes and hold the violators responsible.” This case represents a collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies to protect America’s water systems. EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division led the investigation with assistance from the City of Reno’s Utility Services Department-Environmental Control and the City of Sparks’ Environmental Control Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans for the District of Minnesota, formerly of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Keenan for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.


title: 38 Charged in Alleged Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: Greensboro, NC – A federal indictment charging 38 defendants with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride was unsealed today, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. The indictment charges the following individuals with narcotics distribution conspiracy: [1] NICHOLAS TYLER CURRY, age 30, of Mount Gilead, NC, also known as “Hundough” and “Hondo”; [2] EMMANUEL MARTIMIANO LEON-SOTO, age 44, of Naco, Mexico, also known as “Manny,” “Jose Manuel Lopez-Castro,” “Jesus Lopez Castro,” “Pedro Beltran Zazueta,” “Pedro Zazueta Beltran,” “Emmanuel Gomez,” “Emanuel Leon,” “Emanuel Leon-Soto,” “Manuel Leon Soto,” “Jose Manuel Lopez Castro,” and “Emanuel Pena Gomez”; [3] JIMMY MENDOZA ARENAS, age 36, of Phoenix, AZ, also known as “Gordo,” “Jay Jay,” and “JJ”; [4] CRANDALL ORTAIS INGRAM, age 32, of High Point, NC, also known as “Turk”; [5] KELLY EMANUEL HARRINGTON, JR., age 31, of Candor, NC; [6] ERICK LEMAR POLLARD, age 42, of Candor, NC, also known as “Black” and “E”; [7] JERRY MCCLURE, JR., age 40, of Winston-Salem, NC; [8] ANTHONY OKURTIS RASHAD LLOYD, age 29, of High Point, NC, also known as “Ant”; [9] CHRISTOPHER TRELONNIE EVERETTE, age 31, of Candor, NC, also known as “Bank Rich” and “Bank”; [10] DAMON LEE INGRAM, age 46, of Candor, NC, also known as “Danky”; [11] TRENT DASHUN STARNES, age 28, of Mount Gilead, NC, also known as “Trinidad”; [12] CARMEN VALENZUELA, age 37, of Glendale, AZ; [13] IVANGIANNI VALENZUELA GONZALEZ, age 20, of Glendale, AZ; [14] RAY COZART, JR., age 29, of Jackson Springs, NC, also known as “The Mayor,” “Bigrayful DaMayor,” “Big Rayful,” and “Rayful”; [15] SAMMY SOQUI, age 36, of Tucson, AZ; [16] BERNARD ESQUIRE CAIN, age 33, of Winston-Salem, NC; [17] ABEL GEBREHIWET ZERATSION, age 30, of Winston-Salem, NC; [18] NIKONDA TAYE INGRAM, age 31, of High Point, NC, also known as “Slatt” and “Big Boy”; [19] CHARLES EUGENE ROBBINS, age 65, of Phoenix, AZ; [20] ADAN VILLAREAL-GRAJEDA, age 39, of Phoenix, AZ; [21] JORGE ANTONIO LOPEZ-VALDEZ, age 18, of Glendale, AZ; [22] LEWIS RONDEZ PRATT, age 34, of Candor, NC; [23] ADRIAN DEVON HILL, age 54, of Lenoir, NC; [24] PRECIOUS SEQUILA HERRON, age 28, of Tucson, AZ; [25] SHAINA ALEAH HUNT, age 27, of Fairmont, NC; [26] SCOTTIE PERETT STANBACK, age 43, of Jackson Springs, NC; [27] AHMAD RASHAUN SAUNDERS, age 31, of Winston-Salem, NC, also known as “Heart”; [28] CORNEILLOUS DEONTE STALEY, age 33, of Ellerbe, NC, also known as “Sosa”; [29] SANIYAH JENAY MCCORKLE, age 19, of Cherryville, NC; [30] AMYA KYONNA GORDON, age 21, of Mount Gilead, NC; [31] KATEY ANN LAMONDS, age 26, of Mount Gilead, NC; [32] GERMAN LOPEZ-GOMEZ, age 22, of Phoenix, AZ; [33] XAVIER FABRICE ELLIS, age 27, of Jackson Springs, NC, also known as “Zay”; [34] CAMARIUS KISON PHILLIPS, age 22, of Candor, NC, also known as “CBo”; [35] CODY ANTHONY CURRY, age 29, of Tucson, AZ, also known as “Boss Curry,” “El Jefe,” and “Boss Man”; [36] TERELL MYHIEM BALDWIN, age 22, of Troy, NC, also known as “Backstreet”; [37] MICHAEL WILLIAM CURTIS, age 49, of Archdale, NC; and [38] JUSTIN RAND ALLEN, age 35, of Candor, NC. The indictment also charges 10 of the defendants named above with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking scheme. Those charged with money laundering conspiracy include NICHOLAS TYLER CURRY, EMMANUEL MARTIMIANO LEON-SOTO, JIMMY MENDOZA ARENAS, CRANDALL ORTAIS INGRAM, ANTHONY OKURTIS RASHAD LLOYD, TRENT DASHUN STARNES, CARMEN VALENZUELA, PRECIOUS SEQUILA HERRON, SHAINA ALEAH HUNT, and CODY ANTHONY CURRY. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison for narcotics conspiracy, and up to 20 years for money laundering conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As of today, 37 of the 38 defendants are in custody. Of 26 defendants arrested today, 18 will have initial court appearances today or tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joi E. Peake of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). Eight defendants were arrested outside the MDNC and will have initial appearances in the districts of arrest. Eleven other defendants—NICHOLAS TYLER CURRY, JIMMY MENDOZA ARENAS, CRANDALL ORTAIS INGRAM, JERRY MCCLURE, JR., BERNARD ESQUIRE CAIN, ABEL GEBREHIWET ZERATSION, ADAN VILLAREAL-GRAJEDA, LEWIS RONDEZ PRATT, AHMAD RASHAUN SAUNDERS, GERMAN LOPEZ-GOMEZ, and CAMARIUS KISON PHILLIPS—are currently in federal or state custody on related charges and will be arraigned on these charges at a later date. One defendant remains at large. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Investigating agencies include the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Candor Police Department, Mesa (Arizona) Police Department, Davie County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Drug Task Force, Mooresville Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, and Surry County Sheriff’s Office. ###


title: Biddeford Man Faces Up to 20 Years After Being Found with Cocaine While on State Probation for Unlawfully Possessing Cocaine

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. According to court records, in September 2024, a Biddeford police officer encountered Gage Barton , 26, walking in the early morning hours. Barton was on probation for unlawful possession of cocaine, and was also on bail conditions in the State of Maine District Court in York County. The officer searched Barton under his bail conditions. Barton was wearing a sling bag under his coat, and when the officer felt the bag he discerned something hard that he believed to be a weapon. When the officer looked inside the bag, he discovered a small digital scale and several clear plastic bags containing cocaine. Barton faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine up to $1 million to be followed by three years to life of supervised release. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department. ###


title: Topsham Man Serving State Sentence for Sexual Abuse of Children Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges After Discovery of Hidden Devices Containing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Topsham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to four counts of sexually exploiting a child. According to court records, in August 2022, a worker from a Brunswick landscaping company found two laptops and several hard drives hidden under a kayak on the company’s property. The employee opened the devices and discovered that they contained child sexual abuse material. They also recognized a former employee, Henry Eichman , 64, in some of the files. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) forensically examined the devices and recovered over 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material, including videos showing Eichman setting up a recording device and/or participating in the sexual abuse of four minor victims from 2014 to 2016. Eichman entered an Alford plea in state court in 2018 to the sexual abuse of children and is currently serving a 10-year sentence. Eichman faces 15–30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, to be followed by five years to life of supervised release on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Topsham Police Department. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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 the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Justice Department and EPA Announce Settlement with Cahokia Heights, Illinois, for Improper Operation of the City’s Sanitary Sewer System

body_text: The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois today announced a settlement with the City of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, resolving violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act resulting from the city’s failure to properly operate its sanitary sewer system. The settlement requires that Cahokia Heights pay a $30,000 civil penalty and implement an estimated $30 million in extensive compliance measures. The complaint against Cahokia Heights alleges that on more than 300 occasions since November 2019, Cahokia Heights discharged sanitary sewage from an overflow point in its sewer system to nearby waterways in violation of section 301 of the Clean Water Act. The city also discharged untreated sewage from other locations throughout the community, including into ditches, roads, yards and homes. Sanitary sewer overflows can damage property and harm water quality when they enter waterbodies. Discharges of raw sewage, or sanitary sewer overflows, also carry bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms. “We are taking action to ensure that the City of Cahokia Heights operates its sewer system in a way that complies with the Clean Water Act, and to protect human health and the environment in the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This settlement reflects the United States’ commitment to advancing environment justice.” “Cahokia Heights failed to maintain its aging sewer system, resulting in hundreds of illegal sanitary sewer overflow discharges that created public health risks and contaminated homes and the environment,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement, which benefited from significant input from the local community, includes an estimated $30 million infrastructure investment that will put Cahokia Heights on a path to significantly reduce overflows and ensure effective operation of the sewer system.” “Cahokia Heights residents have had to endure these threats to their health and their environment for far too long,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Residents are worried that the change can’t come soon enough. This consent decree is a significant step forward, bringing meaningful improvements to the community.” “For too long, the neglected and aging sewer system in Cahokia Heights has forced local residents to deal with raw sewage in their basements, in their streets and in local waterways,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “I am proud of my office’s collaboration with the Department of Justice and local and state entities as we work toward a solution to solve this real environmental and public health threat. I will continue to partner with all levels of government to enforce Illinois’ environmental laws and protect our communities.” “For far too long, residents of Cahokia Heights have been plagued by frequent sanitary sewer overflows as the result of the improperly maintained sewer system,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “It is our hope that this settlement and the significant actions it includes provide residents with further assurance that federal and state government entities are committed to addressing these historic infrastructure issues and the proper maintenance of their sewer system. Illinois EPA remains dedicated to ensuring the City of Cahokia Heights continues work to rehabilitate and repair the deteriorated system.” Under the settlement, the city will conduct more than 80 near-term capital improvement projects, such as constructing an interceptor to reroute wastewater flow, system-wide repairs and various investigations and assessments. The city is also required to keep the community informed about the work, have plans in place for emergencies and update its operations such as creating digital maps and monitoring in real-time known overflow points. The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, is subject to a 60-day comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA investigated the case. Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the Illinois Attorney General’s office are handling the case.


title: North Berwick Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud after Applying for PPP Loans for Travel Agency He No Longer Owned

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A North Berwick man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for filing fraudulent applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Frederick Avery , 50, to five months in prison followed by five years of supervised release including five months of home detention. He was also ordered to pay $227,667 in restitution. Avery pleaded guilty on July 15, 2024. According to court records, between April 2020 and September 2021, Avery submitted two applications for PPP loans that claimed he was the 100% owner of Superior Cruise and Travel LLC. Avery had sold the agency to a limited liability company in Pennsylvania in November 2019. He claimed on the applications that the loans, which totaled more than $215,000, were for payroll, lease/mortgage interest, utilities, and other items. Avery submitted falsified bank statements from a non-existent account to support one of the applications. The FBI investigated the case. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA. ###


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in Prison for Selling Fatal Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who sold the fake Percocet pills that killed a man in St. Louis County in 2022 to 23 years and eight months in prison. “I’m going to send a message to other drug dealers,” said Judge Schelp, who also ordered Deontae’ Tre’Von Overall to pay $21,736 in restitution to his victim’s family. Evidence and testimony at Overall’s trial in September showed that the victim contacted Overall’s cell phone on Dec. 3, 2022, seeking the prescription pain pill Percocet. The victim bought three pills that appeared to be Percocet from Overall at Overall’s St. Louis home. The victim died later that evening from fentanyl intoxication caused by ingesting the fake Percocet. He was discovered the following day by his parents and a sister. To find out who sold the drugs, investigators with the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration contacted Overall’s phone to arrange additional purchases of counterfeit Percocet. Overall sold fentanyl to an undercover task force officer on July 19, 2023, and fentanyl and methamphetamine to the officer on July 26. A court-approved search of Overall’s home in Belleville on August 3, 2023, found drug paraphernalia and dozens of pills resembling those sold to the victim and the undercover officer. On September 6, the Friday before his trial began, Overall admitted the July 26 sale of drugs to the undercover task force officer and pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing one or more controlled substances to another person. Jurors found Overall, 28, guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. In court Tuesday, Judge Schelp said Overall “glorified” the drug trade, referring to a music video in which he discusses selling drugs while on house arrest and displays his ankle monitor. “The victim of this man’s illegal business was poisoned by a pill. No one could have known was in it,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "DEA works tirelessly to warn people of the danger of taking pills not prescribed by a doctor or a pharmacy, and we are being heard. Drug-induced deaths are down 14.5% nationwide as of June 2024, and pills tested by DEA labs with a lethal dose of fentanyl have decreased to five out of 10. DEA and our partners will keep working to make those numbers better.” The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Epplin and Jerome McDonald prosecuted the case.


title: Seattle Police Department awarded $1.5 million to enhance testing of rape kits to reduce backlog and pursue “cold cases”

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded the Seattle Police Department $1.5 million to support continued investigation and testing of evidence in sexual assault cases, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This critical support is designed to move cases forward and support crime survivors as they heal,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These funds will support the use of strategies such as genetic genealogy to try to solve cold cases and hold offenders accountable.” The grant supports the formation of multidisciplinary teams at SPD including prosecutors, victim advocates and service providers. SPD will institute a case management system for tracking and managing investigations and victim services. Advanced DNA testing methodologies and forensic genetic genealogy will be used to move cases forward, especially cold cases. The grant will also support victim-centered notifications and trauma-informed support services, ensuring survivors receive timely and sensitive updates.


title: Massachusetts Construction Company Owner Sentenced for Tax Crimes and Making a False Statement

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for an employment tax scheme and making a false statement at an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing. According to court documents and statements made in court, Mauricio Baiense, formerly of Quincy, owned and operated Contract Framing Builders Inc. (CFB), a Medford, Massachusetts, construction business. Baiense was responsible for paying to the IRS the payroll taxes withheld from CFB employees’ wages and for filing the quarterly employment tax returns. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense facilitated having approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFB’s corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities controlled by him. Baiense then directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB’s employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees. When questioned under oath at an OSHA interview regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee of Baiense’s company, Baiense made false statements to a federal investigator - falsely claiming that the deceased employee did not work for him. In total, Baiense caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $2,824,577.45. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge William G. Young for the District of Massachusetts ordered Baiense to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $2,824,577.45 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts, Acting Regional Administrator Jeff Erskine of OSHA Region 1, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Wlodyka of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Boston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement. IRS-CI, OSHA and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.


title: Lawrence Man Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Lawrence man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Ronny Ramos, age 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In August 2024, Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. A trial date for a co-defendant has been set for March 18, 2025. “The defendant trafficked staggering amounts of methamphetamine into New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “Methamphetamine’s effects on individuals pose significant danger to the community and law enforcement officers who are combatting the drug epidemic in New Hampshire. Local, state, and federal law enforcement throughout the Granite State will continue to target every level of the distribution chain in an ongoing effort to address the impact of this dangerous drug on our communities.” “As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Yesterday’s sentence not only holds Mr. Ramos accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to distribute this poison in the Granite State.” According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramos conspired to distribute approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire on several occasions. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from his co-defendant, via an intermediary. The payments from his co-defendant for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to the co-defendant in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for New Hampshire. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. ###


title: McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty To Felony Assault Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Larry Keith Mickle, age 49, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment charging him with one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm. The Indictment alleged that on June 18, 2024, Mickle assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Mickle will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced To Prison For Trying To Illegally Buy A Pistol

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jason Harris (43, Palm Coast) to two years and four months in federal prison for making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm. Harris entered a guilty plea on April 10, 2024. According to court documents and records, on May 22, 2023, Harris attempted to purchase a .22 caliber pistol from a gun store in Bunnell. At the time, Harris had multiple prior felony convictions, including robbery, felony battery and sale of cocaine. During the attempted purchase, Harris made a false statement on an ATF Form 4473, indicating that he was not a convicted felon. Because of his prior convictions, Harris is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This is another case identified through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to buy a gun. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. 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: Manager of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Indicted for Circumventing Export Controls

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – A 12-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” for her alleged involvement in a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws and sanctions on Russia. Mazulina, the Western regional manager of a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK airport) in Queens, New York, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State, was arrested earlier today in Seattle and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James Guanci, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Export Enforcement, Boston, announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, Mazulina used her position as a manager of a freight forwarding company to facilitate unlawful exports to Russia through JFK airport,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Evading U.S export regulations presents a danger to our national security, and we will continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools make sure these enablers, both individuals and corporations, cannot operate in our district.” Mr. Peace extended his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, and the DOC’s Boston Field Office for their assistance in this case. “The defendant exploited her knowledge of the export business to falsify documents and circumvent U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping oil and gas products to Russian customers,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “American companies like the freight forwarder where Mazulina worked play a critical role in the global supply chain and movement of goods. The National Security Division will not tolerate individuals who seek to abuse their positions in these companies for financial gain at the expense of national security.” “Collaborating with foreign actors to evade U.S. export controls is a serious national security violation,” said DOC Special Agent in Charge Guanci. “The Office of Export Enforcement, alongside its law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate efforts to illicitly fuel Russia’s wartime economy.” As alleged in the indictment, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.” Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, documents which should have revealed that the exported goods were destined for Russia. Mazulina is charged with conspiracy to export controlled goods to Russia without a license, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit money laundering, exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license, filing false export documents with the U.S. government, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to export or exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license; up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and filing false export documents with the U.S. government. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and with the assistance of Litigation Analyst Emma Tavangari. The Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section assisted with this investigation. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. The Defendant : NATALYA IVANOVNA MAZULINA (also known as “Natasha Mazulina”) Age: 41 Federal Way, Washington E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-493 (EK)


title: Justice Department Sues Tax Preparation Business and Its Owners to Stop Alleged Tax Preparation Fraud

body_text: The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in Tyler, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Hudrell Lemontez Jones, Brenda Jackson Thomas and D&B Professional Tax Services LLC from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others. According to the complaint, Jones operated and prepared returns through an unincorporated business, D&B Professional Tax Services, starting in 2020 before forming D&B Professional Tax Services LLC in 2022. Additionally, according to the complaint, Thomas has prepared returns in connection with Jones since 2020 and is an owner of or has otherwise shared in the profits generated by D&B Professional Tax Services LLC. The complaint alleges that Jones and Thomas prepare and file tax returns that falsely reduce their customers’ taxable income and falsely increase their customers’ refunds, while profiting by charging their customers substantial return preparation fees — at the expense of the Treasury. The complaint alleges that the defendants engage in misconduct, including: Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses, Claiming false mortgage interest deductions, Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits, and Improperly concealing their status as preparers of certain returns by using the names and ID numbers of other preparers. The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully ( Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer ) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes. In addition, IRS Free File , a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details. Jones Complaint for PI.pdf


title: Rockaway Beach Sex Offender Indicted for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Rockaway Beach, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was indicted by a federal grand jury today for receiving child pornography. Roy Dean Faux, 51, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Faux has two prior state felony convictions for attempting to entice a child under the age of 15. Due to his prior convictions, Faux is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole if convicted. Today’s indictment alleges that Faux received child pornography from July 1, 2023, to May 7, 2024. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Faux to forfeit to the government two cell phones and a computer tablet, which were used to commit the offense. The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Former Coast Guard Servicemember Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A former Coast Guard member was sentenced to 133 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for receiving child pornography after an investigation found that he had solicited child pornography from multiple women. Stephen Lamond Lollis, 36, pled guilty to the charge on August 19, 2024. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Lollis was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Coast Guard after a former romantic partner reported him to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In her tip, the woman reported that Lollis had shown her the child pornography he possessed and had made graphic comments about his desire to sexually abuse her and her son. As a result of this tip, HSI agents executed a search warrant on Lollis’ residence, which resulted in four devices being seized that contained contraband. On those devices, law enforcement found images and videos of child pornography. Additionally, law enforcement found conversations on his devices in which Lollis encouraged women to sexually abuse their own children and then to send him videos and images of the abuse. Lollis had engaged in this coercive behavior to solicit child pornography from multiple women, including the woman who ultimately reported him to law enforcement. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-CR-21-FL-RN.


title: Collin County man convicted in oil and gas fraud scheme in Eastern District of Texas

body_text: PLANO, Texas – A Murphy man has been convicted of federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Sameer Praveen Sethi, 42, was convicted of seven counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering by a jury following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 10, 2024. According to information presented in court, over several years, Sethi engaged in fraud scheme targeting investors of oil and gas joint ventures. Evidence presented at trial showed that Sethi would create a joint venture, prepare investment documents along with his staff, have his sales staff market the investments, and then the money raised from investors would be spent almost entirely on personal and business expenses. Evidence showed the investment documents contained significant misrepresentations and false statements. Although over $4 million was raised over the course of the joint ventures, investors received almost no returns. "The United States Attorney's Office will continue to lead investigations into oil and gas investment schemes and other types of white collar crime that cause real harm to victims in Texas and around the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “The investors in this case were misled into providing their hard-earned money to a scheme that collapsed as the defendant was living well off of the money brought in by his joint ventures.” Sethi faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Texas State Securities Board, and the FBI. ###


title: Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Robert Lee Moran, 46, of Mount Hope, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 29, 2024, Moran distributed approximately 1 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Beckley. Moran is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-141. ###


title: Leticia Russi-Shareno Pleads Guilty To Labor Union Embezzlement

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Leticia Russi-Shareno, 60, of Kenmore, New York, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge of wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss released Russi-Shareno on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 22. On November 20, 2024, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Russi-Shareno with wire fraud. Russi-Shareno pleaded guilty to the information in court today. According to the information, between approximately August 2019 and December 2020, Russi-Shareno served as president of Local 2076 of the American Federation of Government Employees. Local 2076 is a labor union whose members are employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security working in Vermont and upstate New York. As president, Russi-Shareno had check signing authority on Local 2076’s Vermont bank account and also received a debit card to make official purchases on behalf of the union. According to the information, during her presidency, Russi-Shareno embezzled approximately $36,000 from Local 2076’s coffers by using the union’s debit card to make ATM withdrawals of funds for personal expenses; using the debit card to make purchases for her personal benefit; and by falsifying paperwork to obtain duplicate reimbursements for expenses incurred on behalf of Local 2076. The defendant also cashed or deposited into her own account several checks that the national AFGE union had issued to Local 2076. Russi-Shareno faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Her actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. This case was investigated by the Boston and Buffalo Regional Office of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and the Department of Homeland Security. Russi-Shareno is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.


title: Turtle Creek Resident Charged with Producing, Transporting, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The three-count Indictment named Ja’re Glavney-Owens, 19, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Glavney-Owens attempted to and did use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in or around November of 2024. The Indictment further charges Glavney-Owens with transporting and attempting to transport child sexual abuse material and with possessing child sexual abuse material. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 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 . An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Mississippi man sentenced to 15 years for ammunition offense  involving shooting of MHP Trooper

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

body_text: Aberdeen, MS – A federal judge sentenced Stanley Self, Jr. to fifteen years in federal prison for his illegal possession of ammunition in an incident in which a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol was shot. Self, 25 years old, had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including robbery and aggravated assault, and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. On May 2, 2023, a Trooper with the Mississippi Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Self in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Self fled from the Trooper, leading him on a high speed chase through Bolivar County in which speeds topped in excess of 120 miles per hour. Self’s flight from the officers occurred during the morning commute and resulted in him passing multiple school busses, endangering the students and drivers on their way to school. Self eventually lost control of his vehicle and shot the Trooper while attempting to flee on foot. The firearm was never recovered in this case after the shooting, but the shell casing of the bullets fired by Self were recovered and formed the basis of the federal charge in this matter. U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Self in Aberdeen on Tuesday following a sentencing hearing. During the sentencing hearing, the Trooper testified about the speed of the chase, the dangerousness to the public at large during the chase, and the impact that being shot by Self has had on him. More than a year and a half has elapsed without the Trooper being able to return to active duty since being shot by Self due to the serious nature of the injuries that he suffered. Self will serve this sentence concurrently with any sentence that he receives for state offenses relating to this incident. “This defendant received the maximum possible sentence for possessing the ammunition used in the shooting of a law enforcement officer who was engaged in the performance of his duties and protecting and serving the public,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Self’s actions on May 2 nd endangered the public and took the career of a law enforcement officer. Actions such as these will not be tolerated.” “The actions of this defendant were reckless, violent, and endangered countless lives, including the life of a Mississippi State Trooper who has dedicated himself to protecting the citizens of Mississippi. This case is a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day while upholding their commitment to public safety,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I commend the outstanding work of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, and our federal partners in bringing this individual to justice. We remain steadfast in our mission to hold offenders accountable and to ensure the safety of our communities.” “Today’s sentencing means that Stanley Self, Jr. will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Protecting the lives of our law enforcement partners, like our MHP Trooper in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability.” The case was investigated by the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office. Valuable contributions were made by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hampton and John Herzog, Jr. prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tracey Brown, 45, of Chelyan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about December 12, 2023, Brown obtained approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine in the Dayton, Ohio, area and transported the controlled substance to an Elkview, West Virginia, residence where he was living. Brown admitted that he distributed approximately 1 pound of the methamphetamine and intended to distribute the remaining methamphetamine with another person in the Southern District of West Virginia. On December 13, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Elkview residence and seized the remaining methamphetamine. Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to live in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. “This case is the result of determined investigative work by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Their outstanding efforts prevented a staggering amount of methamphetamine from reaching our streets and poisoning our community.” The U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force consists of members of the Mingo County Sheriff's Office, the Logan County Sheriff's Office, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia State Police. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-16. ###