title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Distributing Crack Cocaine While on Court-Supervised Release

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for drug conspiracy and distribution of cocaine. JULIAN WYRE, 46, was convicted by a jury in December 2023 on one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and seven counts of distribution of cocaine base. Wyre distributed the cocaine in 2019 in Rock Falls, Ill. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on Monday after a hearing in federal court in Rockford. In 2008, Wyre was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for illegally possessing cocaine base with the intent to distribute. He was on federal court-supervised release at the time of the conspiracy and distribution charges for which he was sentenced this week. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Illinois State Police, Illinois State Police Blackhawk Area Task Force, and Rockford Resident Agency of the FBI Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ladd and Jonathan S. Kim.


title: Oncology Practice, Physicians, and Reference Laboratory To Pay Over $4 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: Oncology San Antonio, PA and its affiliated physicians have agreed to pay $1.3 million, and CorePath Laboratories, PA has agreed to pay $2,746,275.22 plus accrued interest, in civil settlements with the United States and the State of Texas to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The United States alleged that Oncology San Antonio, a hematology and oncology practice, entered an unlawful kickback arrangement with CorePath Laboratories, a San Antonio-based diagnostic reference laboratory, in August 2016. CorePath Laboratories provided in-office bone marrow biopsy services at Oncology San Antonio practice locations and performed subsequent diagnostic testing on the biopsies. According to the United States, CorePath Laboratories agreed to pay $115 for each biopsy referred by Oncology San Antonio and its physicians. The payments for each referred biopsy were paid to the private practice entities of three Oncology San Antonio physicians. The United States contended that the payments for referrals of biopsies constituted kickbacks within the meaning of the Anti-Kickback Statute and that the terms of the written agreement between Oncology San Antonio and CorePath Laboratories failed to meet any statutory safe harbor. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by a federal health care program, such as Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. Claims submitted in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute may give rise to liability under the False Claims Act. The civil settlement with Oncology San Antonio and its physicians also resolves allegations that Dr. Jayasree Rao, through Oncology San Antonio and her own oncology and hematology practice entity, provided medically unnecessary tests, services, and treatments to Medicare, TRICARE, and Texas Medicaid beneficiaries in the San Antonio Metro Area, and billed the federal healthcare programs for the medically unnecessary tests, services and treatments. “Illegal financial incentives to physicians undermine the integrity of our healthcare system and impair the objective judgment of the community’s healthcare professionals,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “These settlements demonstrate my office’s commitment to protect federal healthcare programs against such violations, as well as other efforts to defraud these programs.” Dr. Rao and her practice entity also entered a three-year Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute involving oncology services can waste scarce federal health care program funds and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Individuals who participate in the federal health care system are required to obey laws meant to preserve both the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients." “The TRICARE Program is vital to the health and well-being of our warfighters, retirees, and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Shilling of the Southwest Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General. “Today's settlement announcement highlights the steadfast commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to holding accountable those who seek to enrich themselves by jeopardizing the healthcare of TRICARE beneficiaries and defrauding American taxpayers.” The civil settlement with Oncology San Antonio and its physicians also resolves claims brought under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Slavisa Gasic, a physician formerly employed by Dr. Rao. The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act permit private parties to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned Unites States and Texas. ex rel. Gasic v. Oncology San Antonio, P.A., and Jayasree N. Rao, M.D., No. SA-16-CV-001140-XR (W.D. Tex.). This matter was investigated through the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas; the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services San Antonio Field Office; the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service San Antonio Resident Agency; and the Office of the Attorney General of Texas Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Van De Walle negotiated the settlements on behalf of the government. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Security Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Securitas Security Services USA Inc. (Securitas), a protective services company with locations throughout the United States. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that certain Securitas locations violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States. “Employers cannot restrict the types of documents workers can use to prove their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department continues to ensure that all workers, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin, are allowed to present valid documents of their choice to prove their permission to work.” The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) determined that from at least Feb. 3, 2020, to Dec. 20, 2021, Securitas’ East Bay area locations, located in the cities of Concord and Fremont, California, routinely required lawful permanent residents to present a specific immigration document when checking their permission to work. In addition, the department determined that, between Feb. 3, 2020, and June 23, 2022, the company made similar document demands of other non-citizens with permission to work. Under the terms of the settlement, Securitas will pay $100,000 in civil penalties to the United States and establish a backpay fund of $75,000 to compensate victims of the company’s discriminatory practices, including those who were fired or lost work because they could not comply with the company’s discriminatory document demands. Securitas has also agreed to train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, review its employment policies and be subject to monitoring by the department. Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify), or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov ; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una empresa de servicios de seguridad para resolver acusaciones de discriminación relacionadas con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Securitas Security Services USA Inc. (Securitas), una empresa de servicios de seguridad con oficinas por todo Estados Unidos. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento de que ciertas ubicaciones de Securitas vulneraron la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando discriminó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. al verificar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. «Los empleadores no pueden restringir los tipos de documentos que los trabajadores pueden usar para demostrar su permiso para trabajar», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento seguirá garantizando que todos los trabajadores, independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen, puedan presentar los documentos válidos que ellos mismos eligen para demostrar su permiso para trabajar». La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, determinó que, desde al menos el 3 de febrero del 2020 hasta el 20 de diciembre del 2021, las ubicaciones de Securitas en el área de East Bay, ubicadas en las ciudades de Concord y Fremont, California, solían exigir a los residentes permanentes legales que presentasen un documento migratorio específico a la hora de verificar su permiso para trabajar. Además, el Departamento determinó que, entre el 3 de febrero del 2020 y el 23 de junio del 2022, la empresa realizó solicitudes documentales similares a otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. con permiso para trabajar Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Securitas pagará $100,000 en sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos y establecerá un fondo de pagos retroactivos de $75,000 para compensar a las víctimas de las prácticas discriminatorias de la empresa, incluidas aquellas que fueron despedidas o perdieron su trabajo porque no pudieron cumplir con las obligaciones de la empresa. Asimismo, Securitas capacitará a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento. La ley federal permite a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios con base en el estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluidos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar que los ciudadanos estadounidenses (por ejemplo, una identificación estatal o licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que razonablemente parezca genuina. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, por lo general, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y el reclutamiento en el sitio web de la IER . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify), o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.


title: Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Arranging the Sale of a Firearm and Methamphetamine While Incarcerated in Rhode Island State Prison

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

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who continued to direct and run his established drug trafficking business on the streets of Providence, and who attempted to arrange the illegal sale of a firearm he illegally possessed, all while incarcerated at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) on unrelated charges, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Ronald M. Kramer, 39, pleaded guilty on August 16, 2023, to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 78 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. At the time of his guilty plea, Kramer admitted to a federal judge that, while confined at the ACI in February 2021, he learned of an individual outside of the prison who might be interested in purchasing a firearm that Kramer illegally possessed and was trying to get rid of. Kramer provided the information to his then-girlfriend, who arranged to meet with the potential buyer to sell him the firearm. Subsequently, at Kramer’s direction, the woman also made two deliveries of methamphetamine pills, totaling more than 244 grams, to the buyer of the firearm. The person who took possession of the firearm and the drugs was, in fact, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron. The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department. 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. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, and the Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, and North Providence Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this case. ###


title: New Rochelle Man Sentenced To More Than 19 Years In Prison For Assaulting An FBI Task Force Officer And Related Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DARREN SMITH was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern to 230 months in prison for assaulting a Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Task Force Officer and related offenses. SMITH was previously convicted after a jury trial on September 12, 2022, of assaulting a federal officer, discharging a firearm in relation to his assault of a federal officer, and unlawfully possessing a firearm. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This Office stands shoulder to shoulder with our partners in law enforcement when they come under attack. We will stop at nothing to ensure that those who seek to harm them face justice.” According to the Indictment, public court filings, evidence presented at trial, and statements made in court: On September 25, 2020, after officers of the Yonkers Police Department (“YPD”) initiated a lawful stop of the car SMITH was driving, SMITH sped away and led law enforcement officers on a car chase and then foot pursuit through the crowded streets of downtown Yonkers, holding a loaded handgun and refusing multiple law enforcement orders to stop and put down the gun. An FBI Task Force Officer assigned to the FBI’s Westchester-based Safe Streets Task Force was among the law enforcement who responded and pursued SMITH. Eventually, the Task Force Officer and members of the YPD brought SMITH to the ground. While they attempted to restrain SMITH, who still refused to let go of the gun, SMITH fired five shots into the crowded Getty Square area of Yonkers in close proximity to members of law enforcement and bystanders, including a woman pushing a stroller with a baby. While firing his gun, SMITH attempted to turn the gun back towards members of law enforcement, including the Task Force Officer, who were on top of him and trying to restrain him. A photograph of SMITH on foot running with his gun is shown below: * * * In addition to the prison term, SMITH, 27, of New Rochelle, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Yonkers Police Department. The FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI; U.S. Probation; New York State Police; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Westchester County District Attorney’s Office; Putnam County Sheriff’s Office; Rockland District Attorney’s Office; and the New York City, Westchester County, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, and Clarkstown Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Kevin T. Sullivan, and Celia V. Cohen are in charge of the prosecution.


title: St. Louis Man Caught with Gun and Drugs After Chase Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught after a police chase with a fully automatic Glock handgun and cocaine base to 10 years in prison. Anthony Wooten, 41, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Jan. 2, 2024, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and admitted being caught with the gun and drugs. On May 30, 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop of a Hyundai Veloster near the intersection of Goodfellow Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue. Wooten initially stopped, but sped away when officers got out to approach him. He drove at high speeds through residential neighborhoods, and at one point drove up on a curb to avoid spike stripes, endangering both residents and officers. Next to the driver’s seat, Wooten had a .40-caliber Glock pistol that was equipped with a conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock switch, that converted it into a fully automatic weapon. The Glock had an extended magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition and Wooten had a second, drum-style magazine loaded with 41 rounds. He also had more than 20 grams of cocaine base. The chase ended in the 5900 block of Hamilton Terrace. Wooten ran inside an apartment and refused to come out. He later fled to another unit inside the same building before surrendering. In a sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin pointed out Wooten’s extensive criminal history, including a 2001 conviction for first-degree assault and armed criminal action after he shot someone six times. He fled from police in 2010 and was caught with a firearm in 2012. In 2017, he escaped from a halfway house and was on supervised release in that case when he fled from police again. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin 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: North Port Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Firearm From Firearms Dealer

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Michael O’Brien (48, North Port) has pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a firearms dealer. O’Brien faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He has also agreed to forfeit the stolen firearm. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on January 17, 2024, O’Brien entered a federal firearms dealer in Charlotte County, concealed a pistol that was on display, and left the store without paying for it. When confronted by ATF personnel later that night about the firearm theft, O’Brien had the stolen pistol on his person. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Bus passenger convicted for smuggling over $1.2M of pure meth in 48 jars of lard

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 62-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty for attempting to smuggle 63.85 kilograms of pure meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On Jan. 10, Eleazar Vilchiz Alonso applied for entry into the United States at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo while on board a commercial bus. At primary inspection, law enforcement discovered several dozen jars of lard in his luggage. As part of an agricultural inspection, authorities discovered a sandy substance within the lard which tested positive for meth. Law enforcement recovered a total of 48 jars in several suitcases. Alonso stated he was going to deliver them to an address in Houston. Laboratory analysis later confirmed the substance in the jars was 100% pure crystal meth or “ice” totaling 63.85 kilograms with a value of more than $1.29 million. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 9. At that time, Alonso faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine for each count. Alonso has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence Andrew Check Jr. prosecuted the case.


title: Michigan City Woman Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Angelica Ortiz, 37 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Ortiz was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in the fall of 2022 Ortiz and co-defendant, Kyle Kirkland, distributed methamphetamine to multiple individuals in Michigan City. Co-defendant Kirkland was sentenced in October 2023 to 137 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Johnstown Man Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Crack Cocaine Violations

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Shawn Howard, 49. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around June 2021 to July 2021 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Howard conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack. Howard was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of crack cocaine that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Howard. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Laredo resident charged with possession of machine gun

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old man has been indicted for possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal grand jury has now returned a one-count indictment against Francisco Isaias Rodriguez. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future. The criminal complaint alleges on March 12, a member of law enforcement attempted to stop a truck for a traffic infraction. Rodriguez allegedly exited the truck seconds before the stop and fled from the scene on foot. It is alleged during the subsequent chase, Rodriguez resisted arrest, ignored commands from authorities and allegedly threw a small bag he carried around his shoulder over a fence and into a backyard. Law enforcement later recovered the bag from the backyard which allegedly contained a Glock 9-millimeter pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch.” According to the complaint, this device altered the function of the firearm to shoot more than one round with a single pull of the trigger, making the firearm a fully-automatic weapon. The bag also allegedly contained an extended magazine with 40 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition. If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Florida Couple Plead Guilty To  Production Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Timothy Frederick Murphy-Johnson, 40, of Gainesville, Florida, and Olivia Ashford Henn, 21, of Orlando, Florida, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to produce child pornography, and two counts of production of child pornography. Murphy-Johnson also pleaded guilty to transporting the child from Texas to Florida for the purpose of sexual abuse. The pleas were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. At the plea hearings, Murphy-Johnson admitted to causing a child to be transported from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Gainesville, Florida in early June 2023. Between June 11, 2023, and July 25, 2023, the child was maintained at Murphy-Johnson’s residence in Gainesville, Florida. The child was subjected to extreme sexual abuse which was filmed by both Murphy-Johnson and Henn. During this time, Murphy-Johnson and Henn engaged in numerous conversations—in person, by cell phone, and through internet-based messaging—in which they discussed the child’s physical and mental condition, sexual acts involving the child, and their mutual concern regarding being arrested if discovered by law enforcement. On July 25, 2023, law enforcement officers investigating the reported disappearance of the child from Texas executed a search warrant at Murphy-Johnson’s residence in Alachua County, Florida. The child was rescued, and Murphy-Johnson and Henn were arrested. Sentencing for both Murphy-Johnson and Henn is scheduled for June 25, 2024, at 11:30 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor. Murphy-Johnson faces a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment and five years to life on supervised release. Henn faces a sentence of 15 to 90 years imprisonment and five years to life on supervised release. The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney F.T. Williams. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Three Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charge in Scheme to Distribute More Than 1 Million Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Three Mexican men, who last year were arrested in El Monte with more than 1 million fentanyl pills, each pleaded guilty today to a federal narcotics charge. At a hearing today before United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., the following three defendants – all from Sinaloa, Mexico – pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl: Florencio Camacho Allan, 29; Gerardo Gaxiola Patiño, 30; and Alex Valdez Oroz, 26. According to their plea agreements, from September 2022 to March 2023, the defendants conspired with each other and others to knowingly distribute fentanyl. Prior to March 7, 2023, a Mexico-based drug broker arranged a deal with a buyer to sell approximately 2 million fentanyl pills. The deal was to occur in the Los Angeles area and the buyer agreed to pay approximately 75 cents per pill. As part of the deal, the buyer also agreed to first purchase a sample “box” of approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills at the same price. On March 7, 2023, the drug broker coordinated a meeting between Allan and the buyer to occur that day at a Denny’s restaurant in El Segundo to buy the sample fentanyl pills. Later that day, Allan, Patiño, and Oroz arrived in a white car at the Denny’s. While Oroz waited in the driver’s seat of the car, Allan and Patiño met the buyer and the buyer’s associate inside the restaurant, where they discussed the plan to sell approximately 1 million more fentanyl pills later that day, and the sale of another 1 million fentanyl pills the next day. After the meeting, Allan, Patiño, the buyer and the associate went to the white car, where Patiño retrieved a black bag, containing approximately 10,082 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 1.1 kilograms (2.5 pounds), out of the white car and handed it to the buyer in exchange for $7,500. The three defendants then drove away. Later that day, Allan confirmed with one of the buyers that they had possession of the larger set of pills and – via a WhatsApp video call – showed one buyer the pills, which appeared to be in the car’s trunk. They agreed to do the 1-million fentanyl pill deal in a Holiday Inn parking lot. At the Holiday Inn, law enforcement detained Allan and Oroz in the parking lot. Officers also found and detained Patiño, who was inside the Holiday Inn lobby bathroom. Inside the white car, law enforcement found at least three duffle bags in the trunk and back seat, each containing bundles of fentanyl pills. In total, the defendants knowingly possessed with intent to distribute approximately 1,016,270 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 109.3 kilograms (241 pounds). Judge Blumenfeld scheduled an August 13 sentencing hearing, at which time each defendant will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program with Homeland Security Investigations, the Hawthorne Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the California National Guard providing assistance. Assistant United States Attorney K. Afia Bondero of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Missouri man sentenced for bank robbery in Kansas

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri man was sentenced to 100 months in prison for bank robbery. A federal jury had convicted Richard Ruston, 54, of Independence, Missouri, for robbing a bank in Shawnee, Kansas, in July 2022. According to court documents, Ruston entered First Interstate Bank on Shawnee Mission Parkway wearing a red bandana covering his face and neck, a dark bandana covering the top of his head, a long-sleeve shirt with a snake-skin pattern, sunglasses, and gloves. He approached a bank teller, lifted his shirt, displayed a firearm in his waistband, and said to her, “Put the money on the counter, do it now, do it now.” Fearing for her safety, the teller complied with the demand. Ruston took the money and fled the scene. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Shawnee, Kansas Police Department, with valuable assistance from the Merriam, Kansas Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and Liberty, Missouri Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug prosecuted the case. ###


title: Bellevue, Washington man sentenced to 6+ years in prison for third federal conviction for drug and gun crimes

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 52-year-old Bellevue, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 77 months in prison for drug trafficking while illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sanxay Heng Xayadeth was arrested September 6, 2023, after he sold drugs to a person working with law enforcement. Police searched his home and car that day and found dealer quantities of fentanyl pills, powder, and chunks, as well as cocaine. A Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol was found in his bedroom along with body armor. Xayadeth is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said Mr. Xayadeth “has made a career out of selling poison. Fentanyl is causing one to two deaths a day in King County…. He demonstrates an indifference to the harm he does in the community.” Looking at Xayadeth’s long criminal history Judge Robart concluded, “Since age 21 it’s been a complete campaign of criminal conduct inflicted on the public.” According to records filed in the case, since the age of 21, Xayadeth has served more than 23 years in prison. His first federal conviction was in 2005, for setting up an MDMA drug deal while armed with a 9 mm handgun. He had more drugs and multiple firearms at his residence and was sentenced to 10+ years in prison. In 2015, less than a year after being released from federal prison he was arrested with a stolen firearm and was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison. In the current case, Xayadeth had been on supervised release for just over a year when he was identified as a significant drug dealer in King County. Following this prison term Xayadeth will be on four years of supervised release. Xayadeth pleaded guilty in January 2024. In asking for a sentence of more than six years in prison, Assistant United States Attorney Erika Evans noted the deadly toll of fentanyl on our community. “In 2023, the King County Medical Examiner’s office reported 1,091 confirmed overdose deaths related to fentanyl. In the first two and a half months of 2024 alone, there have been approximately 222 fentanyl-related deaths in King County. Fentanyl is estimated to be fifty times stronger than heroin. Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can kill. In 2023, the year Xayadeth committed his drug trafficking crimes, the King County Medical Examiner’s office said it struggled to store bodies partly due to the rise in fentanyl overdoses.” The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erika Evans.


title: Justice Department to Monitor Polls in Wisconsin for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: The Justice Department has announced that it is monitoring today’s election in the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws. The Civil Rights Division enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The division regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with the federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Providence Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who arranged for more than a half-dozen substantial-sized deliveries of fentanyl to another person has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Hector Diaz, 30, pleaded guilty on November 28, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and to a charge of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release. According to information presented to the court, on at least seven occasions beginning in late November 2021, Diaz either personally delivered fentanyl to an individual known to the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force or arranged for another person to deliver fentanyl at his behest to that same person. Deliveries of fentanyl ranged from 25.03 grams to 99.08 grams. Each delivery of fentanyl was monitored by members of the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force and the drugs were quickly seized by a member of law enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. The FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of members of the FBI, Central Falls Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. ###


title: Federal Trial Jury Finds Three Defendants Guilty in String of Violent Crimes, Drug and Gun Offenses, and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – Yesterday a federal jury convicted two Louisville men and a Louisville woman of numerous felony offenses, including kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering after a ten-day jury trial. Several other defendants previously pleaded guilty to the charges. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 20, 2021, John E. Lohden, Jr. , 34, and others, while impersonating United States Marshals, kidnapped and held a victim for ransom. The jury found Lohden guilty of one count of kidnapping and one count of impersonator making arrest or search. Further, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2022, Lohden possessed three firearms. Lohden was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On November 16, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lohden was convicted of receiving stolen property under $10,000. On November 28, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lohden was convicted of wanton endangerment in the first degree (three counts). The evidence at trial revealed that the three firearms Lohden possessed had previously been stolen from members of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Additionally, one of the firearms was a short, barreled rifle. The jury found Lohden guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Additionally, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 16, 2022, Lohden , Dayton Peterson , 23, and others, while impersonating a Louisville Metro Police officer, an agent with the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and a United States Marshal, kidnapped and robbed adult and minor victims at a residence in Louisville. The defendants took money, jewelry, firearms, and controlled substances from the home. The jury found both Lohden and Peterson guilty of one count each of kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Also, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 18, 2022, Lohden fled from police in a vehicle downtown Louisville. Following his capture, Lohden was found in possession of over 12 kilograms of cocaine, over 1 kilogram of heroin, several firearms, a sting ball grenade, and stolen jewelry. The jury found Lohden guilty of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Further, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 19, 2022, Peterson and Samantha Trummer , 29, used proceeds from the August 16, 2022, robbery to purchase a mobile home. The jury found Peterson and Trummer guilty of money laundering, which is engaging in a monetary transaction derived from specified unlawful activity. Finally, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on October 26, 2022, Peterson was found in possession of over 700 grams of cocaine, over 500 grams of heroin, and a Romam/Cugir model mini-Draco .762 caliber pistol. The jury found Peterson guilty of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lohden , Peterson , and Trummer are scheduled for sentencing on July 22, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Lohden remains detained pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The Court ordered Peterson detained pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Trummer remains released from custody pending sentencing. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence for each defendant after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI, LMPD, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF, IRS, DEA, and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Gomez and Frank Dahl are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal specialist Adela Alic. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Justice Department Sues Utah Prison System for Discrimination Based on Gender Dysphoria

body_text: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the State of Utah, including the Utah Department of Corrections (UDOC), alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for discriminating against an incarcerated transgender woman on the basis of her disability, gender dysphoria. The department’s complaint alleges that UDOC failed to provide the complainant equal access to health care services after she repeatedly requested hormone therapy, and also failed to make reasonable modifications to its policies and practices to treat her gender dysphoria. Before filing this lawsuit, the department gave UDOC written notice of its findings and an outline of remedial measures necessary to address them. Gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition marked by clinically significant distress caused by an incongruence between the sex an individual is assigned at birth and their gender identity. Left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria can experience serious adverse mental health outcomes. “People with gender dysphoria, including those held in jails and prisons, are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are entitled to equal access to medical care just like anyone else with a disability,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Delays or refusals to provide medical treatment for people with gender dysphoria can cause irreparable harm, including debilitating distress, depression, attempts at self-treatment and even death by suicide. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the rights of all people with disabilities in our country, including those who experience gender dysphoria – and those rights are not given up at the jailhouse door.” The department’s complaint alleges that UDOC imposes unnecessary barriers to treatment for incarcerated individuals with gender dysphoria that are not required for other health conditions, and unnecessarily delayed the complainant’s treatment. The complaint also alleges that UDOC failed to grant the complainant’s requests for reasonable modifications, including permitting her to purchase female clothing and personal items in the commissary, modifying pat search policies and appropriately assessing her housing requests to avoid discrimination on the basis of gender dysphoria. As a result, her gender dysphoria worsened during her incarceration at UDOC. Twenty-two months after entering custody, she performed dangerous self-surgery and removed her own testicles. The department’s lawsuit is part of its broader efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with gender dysphoria. These include the Civil Rights Division’s recently filed statement of interest clarifying that gender dysphoria can be a covered disability under the ADA and explaining that correctional institutions violate the Eighth Amendment when they categorically refuse to provide medically necessary gender-affirming care to incarcerated individuals with gender dysphoria and a challenge to Tennessee’s SB1 which makes it unlawful to provide or offer to provide certain types of medical care for transgender minors with diagnosed gender dysphoria. The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section is handling this matter in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov .


title: Bozeman construction company owner admits failing to pay payroll, withholding taxes of more than $800,000 to IRS

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — The owner of a Bozeman construction company accused of not paying to the IRS employee-related taxes of more than $800,000 admitted to tax crimes today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Joseph Glen Dickey, 38, pleaded guilty to failure to truthfully account for and pay over withholding and FICA taxes, a felony, and failure to file employer’s quarterly return and pay tax, a misdemeanor. Dickey faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Aug. 14 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Dickey was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that Dickey is the owner of Alpine Customs, Inc., a commercial construction company that has employed 60 or more individuals. Dickey acted as Alpine’s general manager and exercised control over every aspect of the business, including approving company payments and overseeing company bank accounts. Alpine withheld payroll taxes from employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes. Alpine also was required to make quarterly deposits of those payroll taxes and additional employer payroll contributions to the IRS. Dickey did not timely deposit several employee or employer payroll taxes from 2018 to 2021. Dickey knew of the requirements and his bookkeepers and IRS officers repeatedly advised Dickey of these legal obligations. In total, Dickey failed to timely pay $803,374 in employer and employee payroll taxes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Lead Property Manager Admits Conspiracy to Committ Wire Fraud in $470,000 Kickback Scheme Involving Jersey City Condo Complex

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A New Jersey man today admitted conspiring with two others in a kickback scheme to defraud the owner of a condominium complex in Jersey City of $470,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Ranaldo Bennett, 56, of Jersey City, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Bennett’s conspirators, Nathaniel Obedos and Jonathan Smith, pleaded guilty before Judge Williams on July 6, 2023, and Feb. 8, 2024, respectively, and are awaiting sentencing. According to the publicly filed documents and statements made in Court: From November 2018 through October 2020, Bennett conspired with Smith and Obedos to engage in a kickback scheme to defraud the owner of the condominium complex. Bennett was the complex’s lead property manager and Smith was its superintendent. Bennett and Smith steered repair and maintenance work to Obedos and his company in exchange for kickbacks from Obedos. Bennett and Smith falsified invoices that grossly inflated the value of Obedos’s work. Relying on those fake invoices, the complex paid Obedos the inflated prices, and Obedos then used the excess money to pay Bennett and Smith kickbacks. The complex paid Obedos and his company over $1 million for work that was actually valued at $500,000. Obedos used the overpayments to pay $440,000 in kickbacks to Bennett and approximately $30,000 in kickbacks to Smith. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years. The charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Bennett’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit. bennett.information.pdf


title: Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in a Case Involving Two Carjackings of Food Delivery Drivers

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John Nusslein, 19, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking resulting in death, and one count of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. Nusslein was charged by indictment in June 2022 with these offenses, in connection with a series of carjackings of food delivery drivers in Northeast Philadelphia during November and December of 2021. According to the indictment, the defendant and others committed two carjackings during the course of the conspiracy that took place between November 29, 2021, and December 29, 2021. The incidents detailed are as follows: On December 2, 2021, Nusslein and two others placed a food delivery order to an address on the 3000 block of Teesdale Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 7:00 p.m., when C.C., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 approached C.C. and struck him repeatedly to facilitate the taking of C.C.’s vehicle, a 2004 Toyota Camry. Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 then fled the area in C.C.’s stolen Toyota Camry. C.C. was later taken to the hospital by first responders. On December 21, 2021, C.C. succumbed to his injuries and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was the assault that C.C. sustained during the carjacking. On December 16, 2021, Nusslein and Person 1 placed a food delivery order to an address on the 9000 block of Hilspach Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 9:10 p.m., when W.Z., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein and Person 1 approached W.Z., pointed a firearm at him, demanded his money, and struck him to facilitate the taking of W.Z.’s vehicle, a 2015 Infiniti QX5. Nusslein and Person 1 then fled the area in W.Z.’s stolen Infiniti QX5. “The fact that these carjackers specifically lured two innocent people trying to make a living is despicable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That Nusslein and the others so brutally beat one driver that his injuries proved fatal is horrific. We and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force simply won’t permit violent offenders like Nusslein to victimize people with impunity. They will be prosecuted, and they will go to prison for a very long time.” “Carjacking is a serious federal crime with lengthy prison sentences. This case also demonstrates that carjacking is a deadly dangerous crime,” said Eric J. DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF Philadelphia Field Division is working diligently with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, sharing the ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer through federal prosecution.” “This case is a tragic reminder that carjackings can have deadly consequences,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The senseless assault on these food delivery drivers is appalling and unacceptable. I commend the outstanding collaboration between the Philadelphia Police Department, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work in bringing this case to justice. Our carjacking task force remains vigilant in investigating these crimes and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of Philadelphians.” Nusslein is set to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, before United States District Court Judge John M. Younge, and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Stram and Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To 14 ½ Years’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on April 2, 2024, George E. Jones, age 43, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 151 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years on supervised release for trafficking cocaine. Judge Wilson also sentenced Jones to a consecutive 24-month prison term for violating the conditions of a term of supervised release he was serving for a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Jones previously pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 28 grams and more of cocaine base. In 2011, Jones was convicted of drug trafficking that resulted in Jones serving approximately a 10-year federal prison sentence. Jones was released from that sentence in May 2020, and resumed selling crack and powder cocaine in Harrisburg less than two months later while he was serving a term of supervised release. 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. The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance provided by the Harrisburg Police Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Wheeling Grand Jury Returns Multiple Firearms Indictments

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury has returned three indictments, charging West Virginia residents with federal firearms violations. Robert Hypes, age 56, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm. According to reports, officers were called to Hypes’ home on a domestic incident and found a revolver and two rifles during a search. Hypes was previously convicted of a felony in Nicolas County, West Virginia, prohibiting him from having firearms. Timothy Nottingham, age 49, of Middlebourne, West Virginia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. According to the indictment, Nottingham is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony convictions of burglary and grand larceny in Tyler and Marshall Counties. He was arrested with a .38 caliber revolver in Tyler County. Talon D. Feucht, age 29, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, is facing one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Feucht, prohibited from having firearms because of a prior felony conviction in Maine, had a .38 caliber revolver in Marshall County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid is prosecuting the Hypes and Feucht cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the Nottingham case. The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the Hypes case. The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the Nottingham investigation. The Moundsville Police Department assisted in the Feucht case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thomas Donnell Shaw, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced yesterday, April 1, 2024, to five years in prison to run consecutively to his current state sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2021, Shaw was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a law enforcement officer. The traffic stop resulted in a search of the vehicle, and officers found a FNH model FNS-40 .40-caliber pistol and a quantity of methamphetamine. Shaw admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it within the Southern District of West Virginia. Shaw further admitted that he possessed the firearm in part to protect himself, the drugs and his drug proceeds. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum, Owen Reynolds and Ryan A. Keefe 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. 3:23-cr-194.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

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

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Texas man and convicted felon on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Wyndle Dorsie Shepherd, Jr, 31, of Wake Village, Texas, to 180 months in prison. Shepherd pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in. According to the plea agreement, a Demopolis Police Department agent was patrolling I-20/I-59 in Boligee, Alabama, in March 2022 when the agent stopped Shepherd for speeding. Shepherd was traveling alone through Alabama on his way back to Texas in a rental car. The traffic stop ultimately led the agent to search the vehicle. During the search, the agent found a loaded and chambered Taurus 9mm pistol under the driver’s seat, a box of 9mm ammunition, a small bottle containing marijuana, 3 ounces of loose marijuana in a clear plastic bag, and a plastic bag containing drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine. ATF investigated the case along with the Demopolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney L. Plyler and Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.


title: Washington Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Second-Degree Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Silaz Elijah James, age 19, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder and one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 240 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release as well as $6,620 in restitution. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 13, 2022, James, who is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, got into an argument with his victim about money. As James walked out of the house in Toppenish, where the argument took place, he turned and fired a single shot from a pistol. The shot stuck the victim in the chest, killing her. James then got into a vehicle with two other people. As the driver of the vehicle pulled away, James fired two additional shots at people standing outside the home. Neither of those shots stuck anyone. On April 7, 2023, the Court granted the United States’s motion to transfer James’s case from juvenile to adult status. On January 9, 2024, James, who was 17 at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty. “This case is tragic in every way. A young lady’s life was taken and Mr. James will spend the next several years in federal prison. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragic and senseless crime. No sentence will ever erase the tragic loss of the life of the victim,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police as well as the Assistant United States Attorneys from my office who worked to see this case through and seek justice on behalf of the young life that was taken.” “Mr. James’s decisions ended the life of one person and put other innocent bystanders in immediate danger.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “His actions demonstrated a disregard for the lives of people around him. Our hope is that the victim’s loved ones find some solace with today’s sentence.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.


title: Miami cryptocurrency exchanger sentenced to prison for running unlicensed money transmitter business

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami-based digital currency exchanger was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that converted cryptocurrency drug proceeds into cash. Raul Rodriguez, aka raultiovigia, 44, of Miami, Florida, was in the business of converting cash into bitcoin and other digital currency, and vice versa, in exchange for a fee. Rodriguez provided these services to the public through an online digital currency exchange platform known as “LocalBitcoins.com.” Rodriguez exchanged at least $5,047,462 in digital currency from 2016 through 2022; during the first two years of that period, he was the highest-volume trader of digital currency on the LocalBitcoins.com platform in the State of Florida. In addition to the 57-month prison term, Rodriguez will be on supervised release for three years, and was ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $5,047,462. In March 2013, the United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) publicly announced that an administrator or exchanger of a virtual currency, such as Bitcoin, was required to register with the Secretary of the Treasury as a money transmitting business. Despite these requirements, Rodriguez operated an unregistered and unlicensed money transmitting business for over five years. Rodriguez’s clients included a convicted drug trafficker and a professional money launderer. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence. IRS-CI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the FBI, Miami Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone handled asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-20474. ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 20 Years After Officers Seize 144 Pounds of Meth Hidden in Car Tires

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after law enforcement officers seized 144 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside automobile wheels in his shed. Jorge A. Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 42, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 20 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 30, 2023, Rodriguez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A confidential source told Independence, Mo., police detectives that he/she purchased methamphetamine from Rodriguez-Gonzalez. On Oct. 11, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rodriguez-Gonzalez’s residence. Officers seized an H&R Pardner Pump 20-gauge shotgun and a TGI Knox 7.62x39-caliber AK-style rifle from the bedroom. Inside a detached shed, officers found a set of four Toyota wheels and tires. Because the tires seemed extremely heavy, detectives cut one open and found a metal compartment attached to the inside of the wheel. The metal compartment was then cut open and found to contain methamphetamine. Each wheel and tire was dismantled by investigators, who found methamphetamine inside each of the four tires. Investigators found a total of 144 pounds of methamphetamine in the four tires. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Gun Trafficker Sentenced for Attempting to Send Firearms to Drug Cartel Members in Mexico

body_text: Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario, 29, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and money laundering. A co-conspirator, Saleh Yusuf Saleh, 24, also of Cleveland, was sentenced on Nov. 30, 2023, to five years and eight months in prison. Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh were arrested in Cleveland on March 2, 2023, and Rodriguez Hilario was ordered detained. Rodriguez Hilario entered a guilty plea on Nov. 13, 2023. “Combating firearms trafficking networks that arm the Mexican cartels is a top Department of Justice priority,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The 13-year sentence imposed in this case reflects the severity of the crime — and years of difficult and dangerous work by ATF agents and their law enforcement partners. Because of their efforts, the Department kept scores of high-powered firearms out of the hands of the Mexican cartels and secured the conviction and lengthy sentences of the traffickers responsible.” “Firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Those who seek to divert firearms to unlawful markets in Mexico are often arming dangerous drug cartels, who use these high-powered weapons to fuel their criminal activities. ATF will continue to work with our partners at CBP, OCDETF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring important cases like this and hold gun traffickers accountable.” “This case highlights the joint commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We are dedicated to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and holding gun traffickers accountable for their actions.” According to court records, since 2021, undercover agents from the ATF, posing as Mexican cartel members, were introduced to Rodriguez Hilario because he was a trafficker of firearms that could be smuggled to Mexico. During the investigation, Rodriguez Hilario and others discussed the purchase of AR-15s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. One of the co-conspirators described that he sold AR-15s and AK-47s to El Salvadorans, and also had cocaine available for distribution. Rodriguez Hilario further offered fentanyl to one of the undercover agents to make pills. Beginning in late-2021, members of the conspiracy sold or arranged the sale of at least 90 rifles and one Mac-10-type machine gun with a silencer to undercover agents in the Middle District of Florida and Cleveland. In November 2022, an undercover agent told Rodriguez Hilario that his associates in Mexico were “battling and losing” and needed to purchase more firearms. On March 2, 2023, Rodriguez Hilario arranged to deliver 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms to the undercover agents. Saleh, who acquired and assembled the parts to make the firearms, arrived at the meeting with Rodriguez Hilario and the agents. After an undercover agent inspected one of the boxes of firearms, both Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh were arrested. Firearms from the Oct. 21, 2021, sale. Firearms from March 10, 2022, sale. Firearms from May 26, 2022, sale. The ATF Tampa and Columbus Field Divisions investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Baeza for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Cleveland Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection also provided assistance.


title: Domestic trafficker admits to possession with intent to distribute over 2,000 counterfeit pills

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 40-year-old resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Walter Wellington Somers admitted he possessed more than 2,000 pills containing fentanyl. On Dec. 23, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call from the Embassy Suites Hotel in Laredo. Hotel staff found what they believed to be drugs in one of the rooms while trying to clean it. Law enforcement arrived on scene and observed Somers attempting to get back into the room. He claimed he was only there to pay for a television he had broken. Authorities conducted a search of the hotel room and discovered a silver zipper bag containing several clear plastic bags with a large number of small blue circular pills. They were imprinted with an “M-30” logo. Law enforcement confirmed Somers had been staying in the room and checked out earlier in the day before returning to the hotel. A laboratory analysis later determined there were a total of 2,319 pills which contained fentanyl. The investigation revealed Somers had traveled from Louisiana to meet a friend in South Texas. In phone messages between the two, they discussed collecting money and acquiring narcotics. In one audio message, the individual told Somers if he sent $700 or $800 that evening, someone would front them 3,000 pills. The friend also sent Somers a video of him holding three bags of blue M-30 pills that were identical in size, shape and packaging to the pills seized Dec. 23, 2023. “One pill can kill – that’s the mantra of law enforcement when discussing the dangers of fentanyl-laced pills,” said Hamdani. “Laredo’s children are dying because of pills similar to the ones Somers possessed. This case exemplifies why we must educate our communities not just on the dangers of fentanyl, but how this lethal drug is disguised to fool people into believing it’s nothing more than ordinary prescription medication.” U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Somers faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine. Somers will remain in custody pending that hearing. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Jensen and Brian Bajew are prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA’s website. #OnePillCanKill


title: Honduran National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S., Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging JOSE PAVON-FERMIN, 40, a citizen of Honduras who previously resided in Norwalk, with illegally reentering the United States after being deported and failing to register as a sex offender. The indictment was returned on October 4, 2023. Pavon-Fermin was arrested on March 7, 2024, in Rustburg, Virginia. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, and was ordered detained pending trial. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Pavon-Fermin was convicted in state court for sexual assault in the third degree and unlawful restraint in the first degree. For those offenses, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail, suspended after serving four and one-half years, and 10 years of probation. He also was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. In June 2021, after serving his state sentence, Pavon-Fermin was deported and removed from the United States. He illegally reentered the U.S. and, in January 2023, was arrested in Norwalk on unrelated state charges. Pavon-Fermin failed to register or update his registration in Connecticut’s sex offender database, as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). SORNA, which was passed by Congress in 2006 as part of the Adam Walsh Act, provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States and seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. In part, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. The indictment charges Pavon-Fermin with one count of illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of failing to register as a sex offender, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking in and Around Public Housing Development

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A man identified as a member/associate of the Heath Street Gang pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine in a public housing development. Michael Van Rader, 26, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2024. Van Rader was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. On or about Sept. 3, 2023, Van Rader was arrested on the grounds of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, a public housing complex in Jamaica Plain, in possession of a distribution quantity of cocaine. At the time of his arrest, Van Rader was barred by the Boston Housing Authority from trespassing at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to life of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is 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: Marion Man Sentenced To 50 Months In Federal Prison For Receiving A Firearm While Under Felony Information

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: HELENA-WEST HELENA—Demarcus Parker will spend the next 50 months in federal prison for receiving a firearm while under felony information. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr. Judge Marshall sentenced Parker to 50 months imprisonment, which is more than twice the sentencing guideline range of 15 to 21 months. Parker was also sentenced to three years of supervised release to follow his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. On April 5, 2023, Parker, 31, of Marion, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of knowingly possessing a stolen firearm and one count of receiving a firearm while under a felony information. On July 25, 2023, Parker pleaded guilty to receipt of a firearm while under felony information. On May 14, 2018, in the Circuit Court of Crittenden County, Parker was charged by felony information with several felonies, including capital murder, unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, criminal attempt capital murder, and forgery. On December 11, 2019, Parker was released on bond for those felony offenses. Parker was accused of murdering an off-duty Forrest City police officer, who was hit with a stray bullet in a gang-related shootout. Parker was then convicted of murder following a jury trial. That conviction was ultimately overturned on procedural grounds in March 2023. On Friday, January 17, 2020, at approximately 6:24 p.m., West Memphis Police Department officers observed a white 2007 Cadillac Escalade, driven by Parker, commit a traffic violation. After stopping the vehicle, officers located a loaded firearm under the center console of the Escalade. Parker admitted he was in possession of the firearm and knew that felony charges were pending against him at the time Parker received this firearm. An investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen out of Denton, Texas, in 2017. “Today, the man who an Arkansas jury found guilty for the April 28, 2018, murder of Forrest City Police Officer Oliver Johnson, but whose conviction for that murder was later dismissed on procedural grounds, has now been held accountable and punished for the subsequent offense of receiving a firearm while knowingly facing a pending charge of murder. Mr. Parker has an extremely violent criminal past, and his behavior reflects no respect for the law. Importantly, due to the work by prosecutors in our office and the ATF Memphis Field Office, Mr. Parker has been in continuous custody since before the mandate was issued to release Mr. Parker on May 4, 2023, by the Arkansas Supreme Court,” said Ross. “Although today’s conviction was for a completely separate offense that happened 19 months after Officer Johnson’s murder, as soon as our office learned on March 16, 2023, that the Arkansas Supreme Court had announced its decision to dismiss the murder conviction, in order to protect the public from Mr. Parker for as long as possible, we resolved to bring any appropriate federal charges before the Arkansas Supreme Court’s final mandate would take effect,” U.S. Attorney Ross said. “We did this by securing an indictment from a federal grand jury on April 5, 2023, against Mr. Parker for his receipt of a firearm while under a felony information. This case highlights the importance of working with our state and local partners to focus on prosecuting the most dangerous and violent offenders when no other options are available to the State of Arkansas. In an act of blatant disregard for human life, this defendant brutally murdered a Forrest City police officer in front of the officer’s family. Today’s sentence solidifies an intolerance to this senseless act of murder and the protection of the community from villains such as this defendant. “Today’s sentencing means Demarcus Parker will not pose a risk to anyone else in the community,” said ATF Nashville Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. “Protecting the lives of our law enforcement partners, like Officer Oliver Johnson, and the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish every day. This sentence highlights ATF’s commitment to protecting the public through vigorous enforcement of the federal firearms laws by identifying, arresting, and presenting for prosecution the perpetrators responsible for violent crimes committed in our communities.” The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial District. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR