title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024. Thomas William Tatar, age 38, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $3,000. Tatar must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. Tatar was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 11, 2024. The investigation discovered that Tatar had been grooming a 10-year-old female for months through the online application “Discord”. Tatar convinced the child into thinking they were in a romantic relationship which ultimately led to him convincing her to create for him and send to him depictions of herself engaged in sexually explicit behavior. “Using the Internet, this defendant targeted a 10-year-old girl and persuaded her to share pornographic images of herself,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His 30-year sentence rightfully reflects the gravity of his crime. More than that, however, this case is yet another reminder to parents and caretakers across the state that we must be vigilant when it comes to our children’s use of smart phones, tablets, and gaming devices. Each platform provides defendants like this one an avenue through which children can be targeted and victimized. It will take all of us—community members, caretakers, educators, and law enforcement—to put an end to this nightmarish criminal activity.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Tatar was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Brandon Man Sentenced for Bank Embezzlement

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Brandon, South Dakota, man convicted of Bank Embezzlement. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024. Cade Richard Weeldreyer, age 31, was sentenced to one day in federal prison, four years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, $1,000 fine, and restitution in the amount of $21,619 to One American Bank. Weeldreyer was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 18, 2024. The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 21, 2023, when Weeldreyer, while being employed as a branch manager of One American Bank, embezzled $21,619 from the bank. Weeldreyer took the mutilated currency from the bank’s vault and instead of following the bank’s procedures for handling the currency, kept it for himself and used it for his own purposes. This case was investigated by the FBI, the Sioux Falls Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.


title: Somerset County Man Admits Stealing more than $600,000 in Federal Benefits Meant for His Deceased Father

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man today admitted stealing more than $600,000 in federal benefits that were intended for his deceased father, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Steven Jones, 66, of Somerset, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court today to an information charging him with conversion of federal funds. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Steven Jones’ father received several federal retirement benefits before he died in October 2004. After Jones’s father died, Jones intentionally falsified his father’s death certificate so that the federal agencies would continue to issue the retirement benefits. On two occasions, Jones had a person impersonate his father to a federal agency so that the agency would think his father was still alive and continue payments. The investigation revealed that Jones unlawfully collected these payments for nearly 20 years, from October 2004 to December 2023. The charge of conversion of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration Office, of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chana Y. Zuckier of the OCDETF Unit in Newark. jones.information.pdf


title: Lodge Grass woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for meth trafficking in large, multi-state drug conspiracy based on Crow Indian Reservation

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass woman who trafficked methamphetamine to multiple Montana Indian reservations as part of large-scale, multi-state conspiracy that was based in her family home on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Sayra Longfox, 26, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in 2022, federal law enforcement in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, conducted a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking investigation that centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, received drugs from sources in Washington and supplied both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and other reservations and communities in Montana. Longfox is one of 27 individuals, along with her mother, Frederica Lefthand, and her uncle, Wendell Lefthand, convicted in the investigation. The government characterized Longfox as mid-level dealer who had an integral role in the conspiracy. Longfox sold in quarter pound to pound quantities, and she admitted to carrying a 9mm handgun for protection. Longfox sold drugs from Spear Siding and on the Rocky Boy’s and Fort Belknap reservations in northcentral Montana. Longfox distributed meth and cocaine she got from her mother along with drugs she obtained directly from co-defendant Carlos Arciga-Galvan, who is a fugitive. In one of her writings, Longfox said, “Call papi for me plez? I need at least a QP going up north for the powwow.” A QP is known to the government as a “quarter pound.” In a text message to Longfox, Frederica Lefthand praised her daughter’s work as drug dealer saying, “And you are doing a GREAT job Queen of the North.” One cooperator described how Longfox “picked up the reins” when her uncle, Wendell Lefthand, went to jail and that she was “running the show” on Fort Belknap. Another cooperator described that Longfox ran the operation on Rocky Boy’s and in Hays, on the Fort Belknap, for Frederica Lefthand. Frederica Lefthand was sentenced to 24 years in prison, while Wendell Lefthand was sentenced to 15 years in prison for their convictions in the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . XXX


title: Three Bay Area Real Estate Professionals Sentenced To Federal Prison For Their Roles In $55 Million Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Tjoman Buditaslim, Jose De Jesus Martinez, and Jose Alfonso Tellez were sentenced today to 24 months, 14 months, and 12 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a mortgage fraud conspiracy. The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior U.S. District Judge. Buditaslim, 52, of San Francisco, Martinez, 59, of Daly City, Tellez, 27, of San Jose, and a fourth defendant, Travis Holasek, 52, of San Francisco, were indicted in November 2023 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As detailed in court records, from 2018 through 2022, Buditaslim, a licensed real estate broker until his license was revoked in 2019, conspired to originate approximately 102 home loans worth more than $55 million based on false and fraudulent loan application information. Buditaslim obtained home loans for his clients, potential homebuyers, by submitting false loan applications and income information to multiple loan companies. Buditaslim knew that the applicants could not qualify using truthful income information. Unbeknownst to the applicants, Buditaslim created fraudulent documents, including judicial divorce decrees, alimony and child support checks for nonexistent children, bank statements, and loan applications, that falsely inflated the applicants’ income. The loan companies extended home loans to Buditaslim’s clients relying on the falsely inflated income information. Buditaslim and his co-conspirators profited from the conspiracy via payments from escrow when the clients purchased homes or direct payment from the clients. Buditaslim admitted that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which insured many of the fraudulently obtained mortgage loans, lost approximately $486,484.38 to keep certain of the loans from going into foreclosure. According to Martinez’s plea agreement, Martinez, who worked as a licensed real estate agent, directed clients to Buditaslim knowing that Buditaslim would qualify his clients for home loans based on false and fraudulent loan application materials and information. Buditaslim obtained approximately 49 loans for Martinez’s real estate clients totaling about $27.7 million. As the agent for the buyers, Martinez earned nearly $590,000 in real estate broker commissions. According to Tellez’s plea agreement, Tellez worked as a loan officer at a mortgage company where he received home mortgage loan applications and supporting documentation to determine if applicants qualified for a mortgage based on his employer’s and FHA rules and guidelines. As part of the conspiracy, Tellez helped originate approximately 30 home mortgage loans worth more than $17 million based on what he knew to be false and fraudulent income information. Despite knowing that he was required to stop and flag applications based on false and fraudulent income representations, Tellez knowingly assisted in originating and funding the loans. Tellez earned more than $134,000 in commissions on the 30 fraudulently obtained loans. “The defendants tried to line their own pockets at the expense of homebuyers, lenders, and federally insured programs. Instead of helping potential homebuyers obtain home loans for which they were qualified, defendants chased loans that should never have been extended,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Today’s sentences hold the defendants accountable for their conduct.” “Justice was served today. People seeking to fulfill their American dream of homeownership must not be victimized,” said Herminia Neblina, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General’s Western Region. “FHFA-OIG will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of mortgage frauds and we will always seek to hold such criminal fraudsters accountable in the justice system.” “The defendants and other co-conspirators engaged in a $55 million mortgage fraud scheme, fabricating material documents to falsely qualify individuals for loans they would not have otherwise qualified for. When individuals commit fraud against federally funded programs, it creates significant risks to the viability of the program and limits the financial resources available to assist hard working Americans with homeownership,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Joshua Stockman with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.” “To protect the public, Postal Inspectors worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners at Federal Housing Finance Agency OIG and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development OIG to arrest and prosecute those individuals responsible for fraud schemes committed against businesses and the public,” said San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Breyer sentenced each of the three defendants to three years of supervised release. Buditaslim was also ordered to pay $1,393,018.46 in restitution, Martinez was ordered to pay $840,847.35 in restitution, and Tellez was ordered to pay $858,321.67 in restitution. Buditaslim, Martinez, and Tellez will begin serving their sentences on Feb. 3, 2025. Holasek is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4, 2024. The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud and General Crimes Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by FHFA-OIG, HUD OIG, USPIS, and the California Department of Justice.


title: U.S. Department of Justice Brings Lawsuit to Stop Unlawful Fencing on Forest Service Land in Colorado

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Patrick Pipkin, Brian Hammon, and a group of unidentified persons unlawfully placed fencing, without permission, on federal public lands near Mancos, Colorado. The lawsuit, which was filed in the federal district court in the District of Colorado, seeks to clarify that such activity is not permitted and to prevent future unlawful fencing of the area. In its complaint, the United States alleges that in October 2024, Mr. Pipkin, Mr. Hammon, and other unidentified individuals erected miles of fencing on public land in the San Juan National Forest that is owned by the United States and managed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. The public uses this land for many purposes, including recreation and grazing. The defendants used fenceposts and barbed wire to erect the fencing, which obstructed free passage across a large area of this land. While much of the fencing materials were later removed by members of the public, some of those materials, including barbed wire, remain on the land. The lawsuit also alleges that since that time, Mr. Pipkin has regularly posted notices in the town of Mancos, signed by him as a representative of a group called the “Free Land Holder Committee,” which purport to exercise authority over the public’s use of this land and set deadlines for members of the public to act to protect their rights. The complaint asserts claims under the Unlawful Inclosures Act of 1885 and for civil trespass. The lawsuit seeks a court order to prevent further obstruction or intimidation of lawful users of this popular area and further harm to the land and the public, and to ensure continuing free and lawful access to public land. “Public lands belong to all of us, not to any individual person or group. It is unlawful to construct fences on Forest Service lands without the Forest Service’s permission,” stated Matt Kirsch, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado. “We have filed this lawsuit to make clear that these federal lands remain open to the public for all lawfully permitted uses, and to prevent anyone from obstructing that public access.” The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence. This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Lake and Bill Scarpato. Attachments: civil_complaint_0_0.pdf exhibit_1_-_overview_map_0_0.pdf exhibit_2_-_detail_map_0_0.pdf


title: Rochester business owner pleads guilty to tax charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony Carnevale, 53, of North Chili, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that Carnevale, owner of VIP Maintenance Inc. DBA College Bound Sealers, a paving and sealing business, failed to report over $3,000,000 in revenue to the IRS between 2017 and 2021. From the total amount of $3,000,580.33 received from customer checks cashed, Carnevale paid fees to a check cashing business totaling $63,564.19, paid business expenses totaling $62,391.00, and then paid VIP Maintenance Inc.’s employees some of or all their wages in cash totaling $2,143,504.75. The remaining amount of cash received from the checks cashed, $731,120.39, was kept by Carnevale. This resulted in $171,217.00 in unpaid personal income taxes, and $327,956.23 in unpaid payroll taxes. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division. Sentencing is set for March 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford. # # # #


title: Russian woman pleads guilty to attacking CBP officer

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Olesia Sumina, 43, of Russia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge McCarthy to resisting a federal immigration officer and was sentenced to time served. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Henning, who is handling the case, stated that on October 9, 2024, Sumina traveled to Canada with her two children to file an immigration asylum claim. The claim was refused by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which resulted in Sumina being driven by CBSA to the Peace Bridge Point of Entry. CBSA officers informed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers that Sumina became difficult to deal with during transport and that she had spit inside their vehicle. CBP officers attempted to interview Sumina utilizing a language translation application but were unsuccessful. Sumina was uncooperative throughout the interview and was also reluctant to provide her personal information. As CBP officers attempted to gain access to Sumina’s cellular telephone, she grabbed the phone and quickly put it in her pocket. As CBP officers attempted to retrieve the phone, Sumina quickly became aggressive towards them and resisted multiple comply commands. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. # # # #


title: Jamestown man going to prison for his role in drug conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Timothy Snyder, 44, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 100 grams or more of heroin, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Snyder was a drug trafficking associate of Rocco Beardsley. As a part of Beardsley’s drug trafficking organization, Snyder, a manager and supervisor, sold, stored, and packaged drugs; kept drug ledgers; collected money; and coordinated with co-conspirators to sell methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl. In May 2019, Snyder and his wife were stopped by the Jamestown Police Department and their vehicle was searched. Law enforcement recovered $8,400 in cash, which was drug proceeds to be turned over to Rocco Beardsley. Rocco Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. 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 . The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. # # # #


title: Level 3 registered sex offender going back to prison on multiple child pornography charges

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Donald Campbell Sr., 62, of Elmira, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under the laws of New York State relating to the possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that between July 25, 2022, and January 9, 2023, he possessed digital devices including a cell phone and an SD card, both of which contained images and videos of child pornography. Campbell downloaded and distributed the images via the internet. In total, he possessed more than 600 images and videos, some of which depicted prepubescent children less than 12 years old being subjected to violent sexual abuse, and the sexual abuse of an infant. Campbell is a registered level-three sex offender (the highest risk level) following two prior felony child pornography offenses in New York State Court in December 2004 and March 2019. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne. # # # #


title: Jamestown man pleads guilty to meth charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Justin Brooks, 35, Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that on February 8, 2021, Jamestown Police officers responded to Brooks’ residence on Bush Street for a report of a possible assault and initiated an investigation into a burglary/assault. Subsequently, officers executed a search warrant at Brooks’ residence and recovered suspected marijuana, $6,500, scales, packaging material, a sword, and approximately 357 grams of methamphetamine. 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 . The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson. # # # #


title: Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gabriel Beltran-Lopez, age 38, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced November 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possessing 27 pounds of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Beltran-Lopez to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On May 8, 2021, a deputy with the York County Sheriff’s Office stopped Beltran-Lopez for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, Beltran-Lopez consented to a search of his vehicle. The search resulted in 27 pounds of pure meth being found in the vehicle. The DEA assisted in the investigation, and Beltran-Lopez was replaced as the driver by an undercover agent. The vehicle was then driven to Omaha, where it went to an address found in the vehicle. Jose Hernandez-Gomez came out of the residence and gave the undercover agent $6000 for the meth, after which he too was arrested. Hernandez-Gomez was sentenced on August 18, 2023, to a 135-month term of imprisonment. This case was investigated by the York County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, and the Omaha Police Department.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Over $6.8 Million In Federal Grants To Support Opioid Treatment Programs

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that $6,817,676 in federal grants has been awarded to six counties in the Western District of North Carolina to combat opioids, stimulants, and other substances and to support local treatment programs. The grants were administered by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program. The funding will assist communities with the prevention, diversion, treatment and recovery needs of individuals affected by substance use disorders. According to provisional data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023,” of which 81,083 were due to a synthetic opioid, primarily fentanyl. “The funding allocated to Western North Carolina will strengthen local efforts to fight the opioid crises and its impact on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “These grants further our commitment to work with our local partners to support public health and help build safe and healthy communities.” The six counties below received funding to address the opioid and stimulant crisis and meet the needs of individuals with substance use disorders. Catawba County was awarded $1.3 million to support its existing collaborative Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (L.E.A.D.) and Medicated Assisted Treatment (M.A.T.) programs. Gaston County was awarded $1,219,877, to support services provided to children and their families in foster care as a result of parental drug use. Henderson County was awarded $1,299,000 to supplement funding for its Recovery Community Center and to expand its capacity. Jackson County was awarded $998,952, to implement a comprehensive program designed to impact the overdose crisis and community-wide effects of illicit opioid substances. Transylvania County was awarded $999,947, to support its Bridging Reentry: Expanding Access to Treatment and Holistic Care (BREATH-C) program, that aims to reduce the impact of substance misuse on justice involved residents. Wilkes County was awarded $999,900, to implement a program to increase access recovery support services and to reduce the impact of illicit substances on individuals and communities. BJA offers funding through a variety of different programs. Visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding to review currently available grant opportunities and learn about funding webinars.


title: Two Men Charged with Robbing Chinese Business

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

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Alexander Sánchez-Morales and Bryan Merced-Bigio with an armed robbery related to the restaurant China City, in Bayamón, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. According to the Government’s allegations in a Complaint, on October 10, 2024, Sánchez-Morales and a co-conspirator followed a woman and her two young children to a residence above China City restaurant, where the defendants forced their way into the residence and beat the husband in the head with a machinegun. Defendants stole hundreds of dollars related to the restaurant business before fleeing upon arrival of agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. “The armed robbery allegedly committed by these individuals was a horrific home invasion that spread fear through the community,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “Combating violent crime is among the highest of priorities for the federal law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico. There is nothing more important than protecting our communities and keeping law abiding citizens safe in their own homes.” Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Miami Field Division stated: “This indictment represents continuing ATF efforts in the fight against violent crime and those who use machineguns to further their violent activities.” “Part of our mission is to ensure the safety and well-being of every individual. I want to emphasize that when we say ‘everyone,’ we truly mean all people, irrespective of their legal status or any other factors that might make them hesitant to report a federal crime,” stated Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “We commend the work of the US Attorney’s Office and ATF in this investigation. I urge anyone who has been targeted by violent criminals due to their ethnicity, nationality, or race to come forward and report it by calling 787-987-6500 or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.” If convicted, defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeanette Collazo and Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the FBI. If convicted on all counts, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Federal Firearms License Holder Pleads Guilty to Trafficking of Firearms

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport man has pleaded guilty to a charge of trafficking in firearms. Dwayne Ronquillo , 52, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby and entered his guilty plea. According to information presented in court, Ronquillo is a Federal Firearms License holder. In April 2024, Ronquillo maintained a booth at the flea market in Greenwood, Louisiana, where he displayed and sold firearms. On April 20, 2024, an individual went to the flea market where he met Ronquillo and discussed purchasing a firearm. The individual informed Ronquillo that he had previously taken a plea deal and had a felony on his record which had prevented him from buying a firearm at a pawn shop. Ronquillo then sold the individual a Ruger Security-9, 9x19mm pistol for $500 in cash. In addition, Ronquillo sold the individual approximately 150 rounds of 9mm ammunition. After this firearm purchase, the individual continued to communicate with Ronquillo via text messaging to try and obtain an AR-style pistol. The individual texted Ronquillo on April 22, 2024, and advised him again that he had a felony on his record preventing him from purchasing firearms. On April 25, 2024, the individual met with Ronquillo in the parking lot of a Shreveport business and purchased a DPMS A-15, 7.62 multi caliber pistol for $1,000 in cash. On May 29, 2024, following these two firearms purchases, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) executed a federal search warrant at Ronquillo’s residence and registered premises for his Federal Firearms License. In total, agents seized 75 firearms, various calibers of ammunition, and assorted magazines. Ronquillo admitted at the hearing today that he knew the use, carrying, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon was a felony and pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in firearms. “This defendant shamelessly and recklessly put firearms and ammunition in the hands of people he knew to be prohibited, thwarting the efforts of law enforcement to keep firearms out of the possession of those who legally cannot possess them. For this conduct and in the spirit of public safety, we look forward to this individual receiving a just sentence of imprisonment in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.” Ronquillo faces a sentence of not more than 15 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing has been set for April 10, 2025. The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg. # # #


title: Dallas Residents Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution and Possession Conspiracy

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – , HECTOR OMAR SEGURA-LARA (“SEGURA-LARA”) age 36, and JOSE ANTONIO ORTEGA-SILVA (“ORTEGA-SILVA”) , age 33, both residents of Dallas, Texas, were sentenced by United States District Judge Susie E. Morgan on November 19, 2024, to 108 months imprisonment and 37 months imprisonment, respectively, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and, possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA were also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. According to court documents, on August 25, 2021, near milepost 56 on Interstate 12, Louisiana, State Troopers stopped a Chrysler 200 occupied by SEGURA-LARA and ORTEGA-SILVA . When the vehicle’s occupants provided contradictory answers to the troopers regarding their itinerary, the troopers conducted a consensual search of the vehicle. During the search, the troopers discovered four kilograms of cocaine in an additional car battery located under the hood. Both SEGURA-LARA and ORTEGA-SILVA acknowledged that they were driving to Virginia to deliver drugs. ORTEGA-SILVA admitted that, at the request of another individual, he obtained the vehicle in Dallas and drove it to Houston where another individual loaded the vehicle with drugs. ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA were then instructed to drive to Virginia where the drugs would be offloaded and $152,000.00 in cash placed in the car’s battery. ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA were to then return to Texas with the proceeds. For the conspiracy count charged, ORTEGA-SILVA and SEGURA-LARA each face up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, a mandatory minimum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTOPHER GLASS (“GLASS”) , age 46, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on November 21, 2024 to time served. The Court’s sentence consists of a 16-month term of imprisonment, with the defendant already having served the past 18 months in federal custody. Upon release from imprisonment, GLASS was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. GLASS previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. According to court records, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents started investigating GLASS in June 2020 as a narcotics distributor in the New Orleans area. The investigation involved the use of a court authorized, Title III, wiretap investigation. During the wiretap investigation, agents overheard dozens of recorded telephone calls that revealed GLASS was conspiring with others to distribute cocaine, as well as pills containing heroin and fentanyl. 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. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Domestic Violence Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty in federal court to violently assaulting his girlfriend in a domestic violence incident. According to court documents, on October 9, 2023, Frank Shorty Trujillo , 19, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, violently assaulted his girlfriend, Jane Doe, at their residence. The attack was triggered by Trujillo 's anger over a delayed marijuana delivery. The assault began in front of the couple's one-year-old son. Trujillo repeatedly punched Jane Doe and bit her left leg above the knee. Throughout the attack, Jane Doe feared for her life. Trujillo will remain detained pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Trujillo faces up to five years imprisonment. Upon his release from prison, Trujillo will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Distributing Fentanyl

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –CHARVAN MORRIS (“MORRIS”) , age 27, was sentenced on November 21, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of distributing fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). According to court documents, in February of 2024, MORRIS made three sales of fentanyl to a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at a motel on Airline Highway. Over the three sales, MORRIS distributed more than nine ounces of fentanyl. MORRIS made one of the sales from the driver’s seat of a vehicle, all while the front seat passenger was armed with an AR-style pistol. 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. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Announces Anticipated Resignation From The Southern District Of New York

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, announced today his intention to resign his position as United States Attorney, effective 11:59 p.m. on December 13, 2024. Edward Y. Kim, who currently serves as Deputy United States Attorney, will become the Acting United States Attorney upon his departure. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today is a bittersweet day for me, as I announce my resignation as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world. It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level – upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence. That success is due to the career attorneys, staff members, and law enforcement agents of this Office. Working with them during my tenure has been a privilege of a lifetime. They are worthy custodians of this Office’s tradition of doing the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons. They are patriots. They are my family. And I will miss them dearly. I thank President Biden for nominating me as United States Attorney, and Attorney General Garland for leading the Department and supporting the Southern District of New York during my tenure. It has been an honor to serve the American people.”


title: Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Sentenced for Conspiring to Act as Agent of Chinese Government

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in prison today for conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General. Li was further ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 and to serve three years of supervised release. According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers, and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission. Li is a U.S. citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS. For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later. In March 2017, an MSS officer requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them. In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting U.S. companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major U.S. company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information. In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and the officer provided Li with the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet, Karyna Valdes, and Jordan Howard for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Former Chief Investment Officer Of Global Bond Investment Firm Charged With Over $600 Million Investment Adviser Fraud

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging S. KENNETH LEECH II, the former Chief Investment Officer of Western Asset Management Company (“WAMCO”), with securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, commodity trading adviser fraud, commodities fraud, and making false statements. WAMCO is a global fixed-income investment adviser that manages hundreds of billions of dollars on behalf of its clients. Between 2021 and 2023, LEECH defrauded WAMCO’s clients by engaging in a criminal cherry-picking scheme to favor certain clients at the expense of others, assigning over $600 million of gains to favored clients and over $600 million of losses to disfavored clients. LEECH has been summoned to make his initial appearance in the Southern District of New York in connection with the charges by December 6, 2024. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “We allege today that S. Kenneth Leech II—the Chief Investment Officer of a significant manager of pension funds and other long-term investments—used his position to cherry pick trades and prop up his favored but failing accounts at the expense of others. These charges should be a reminder that this Office continues to police all corners of the financial markets and will swiftly hold those accountable who believe that they can cheat and abuse the trust of clients for their own purposes.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Kenneth Leech, the former CIO of Western Asset Management Company, allegedly violated his fiduciary duty by crafting a preferential treatment scheme to allot more than $600 million in profits and losses to particular clients. Instead of allocating trades appropriately, Leech allegedly allowed favoritism to benefit preferred accounts for their benefit. The FBI will continue to investigate any individual who exploits their trusted position to favorably treat certain clients at the expense of others." According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] Between 2021 and October 2023, LEECH committed fraud and abused the trust placed in him by clients of the investment-management company WAMCO. LEECH engaged in a criminal scheme commonly known as “cherry picking” to compensate for losses in his marquee investment strategy by assigning trades that performed well during their first day into client accounts associated with that investment strategy, and assigning trades that performed poorly over their first day into the accounts of other clients, who were not aware that LEECH was causing them losses to favor others. LEECH’s victims included institutional and retail investors who trusted LEECH to manage their savings and pension plans. Over the course of his criminal scheme, LEECH allocated trades with net first-day gains of at least approximately $600 million to his favored strategy and clients, and allocated trades with net first-day losses of at least approximately $600 million to clients to whom he owed an equal fiduciary duty. LEECH was able to carry out this scheme because, as Chief Investment Officer of WAMCO, LEECH was responsible for making trades on behalf of different portfolios and assigning those trades to the portfolio for which he had traded—a process generally referred to as “allocation.” One set of portfolios for which LEECH traded followed what WAMCO called the “Macro Opportunities” strategy (“Macro Opps”). Another set of portfolios followed what WAMCO called the “Core” and “Core Plus” strategies (together, the “Core Strategies”). LEECH owed a fiduciary duty to any client who invested in portfolios that followed either of these strategies. Despite that duty, and in violation of it, LEECH engaged in a fraudulent scheme to bolster Macro Opps, which necessarily came at the expense of the Core Strategies, by allocating trades based on their performance between the time he placed the trades and the time he made his allocations. He carried out this scheme by placing trades, waiting to see how those trades performed throughout the day, and then using the first-day performance of his trades to determine where to allocate them—assigning better-performing trades to Macro Opps and worse-performing trades to the Core Strategies. This was contrary to WAMCO’s compliance trainings, which emphasized that LEECH should allocate trades promptly, and against WAMCO’s policies, which prohibited allocating trades on the basis of first-day performance to make up for losses. Neither LEECH nor WAMCO disclosed to investors that LEECH used first-day performance to decide how to allocate trades, or that LEECH was favoring Macro Opps in his allocations. To the contrary, WAMCO represented to investors that LEECH and others knew where they planned to allocate a trade before making the trade and finalized the allocation promptly after the trade was completed, and LEECH later testified before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that he knew where he planned to allocate a trade when he placed it. This testimony was false and the reality was far different. LEECH routinely waited hours after making his trades—often until late in the day—to make his allocations, allowing him to observe how his trades had performed before deciding where to allocate them. Between 2021 and October 2023, LEECH used that ability to see how the market moved to support Macro Opps by awarding it better performing trading and hiding worse performing trades in the Core Strategies. By allocating trades based on first-day performance, LEECH bolstered the overall performance of Macro Opps at the expense of the larger Core Strategies. Each time LEECH assigned a trade with a first-day gain to Macro Opps, or assigned a trade with a first-day loss to the Core Strategies, LEECH improved or protected the daily performance of Macro Opps. When done consistently over time, those daily boosts added up to significantly enhance the performance of Macro Opps. From January 2021 through October 2023, the Treasury futures and options trades that LEECH allocated specifically to Macro Opps had net first day gains of over $600 million. By contrast, during this period, the Treasury futures and options trades that LEECH allocated specifically to the Core Strategies had net first day losses of over $600 million. LEECH’s bias in favor of Macro Opps was more pronounced the larger the first-day gain or first-day loss. For example, between 2021 and October 2023, there were over 500 Treasury futures or options trades that LEECH chose to allocate specifically to either Macro Opps or the Core Strategies and that had first-day gains over $500,000. LEECH allocated over 90% of those winning trades to Macro Opps and fewer than 10% to the Core Strategies. Conversely, over that same time period, there were over 500 Treasury futures or options trades that LEECH chose to allocate specifically to either Macro Opps or the Core Strategies and that had first-day losses over $500,000. LEECH allocated less than 10% of those losing trades to Macro Opps, while allocating over 90% of them to the Core Strategies. Similarly, between 2021 and October 2023, there were over 150 Treasury futures or options trades that LEECH chose to allocate specifically to either Macro Opps or the Core Strategies and that had first-day gains over $1,000,000. LEECH allocated over 90% of those winning trades to Macro Opps and less than 10% to the Core Strategies. Over that same time period, there were over 200 Treasury futures or options trades that LEECH chose to allocate specifically to either Macro Opps or the Core Strategies and that had first-day losses over $1,000,000. LEECH allocated less than 5% of those losing trades to Macro Opps, while allocating over 95% to the Core Strategies. LEECH’s pattern of biased allocation was steady over the period relevant to this Indictment. In each of the 34 months between the beginning of 2021 and October 2023, the U.S. Treasury futures and options trades allocated specifically to Macro Opps had a net first-day gain. By contrast, over that same period, the U.S. Treasury futures and options trades that LEECH allocated specifically to the Core Strategies had net first-day losses in all months except two. The bias in favor of Macro Opps was not caused by LEECH pursuing a unique trading strategy for Macro Opps. Notably, when LEECH did not exercise discretion to allocate trades between Macro Opps and the Core Strategies, the trades that went to Macro Opps were not characterized by disproportionate first-day gains. For example, between 2021 and October 2023, LEECH had a standing instruction that trades he made through a certain broker (“Broker-1”) should, by default, be allocated to Macro Opps. As a result, LEECH generally did not exercise discretion to allocate trades through Broker-1 at the end of the day because his trading assistant automatically allocated them to Macro Opps. When Treasury futures and options trades were allocated to Macro Opps without LEECH first observing performance in the market, the bias in favor of Macro Opps disappeared. Over the relevant time period, approximately 55% of the trades LEECH placed through Broker-1 trades had first-day gains, while approximately 45% had first-day losses. These trades produced modest first-day losses, generating an average first-day loss of over $5,000. This is dramatically lower than the average first-day gain of approximately $225,000 that LEECH generated on those trades that he specifically allocated to Macro Opps when he had an opportunity to see market movements before making an allocation decision. After October 2023, WAMCO removed LEECH from the Core Strategies, so he no longer had the authority to allocate trades to those strategies. As with the Broker-1 trades, when LEECH no longer had discretion to allocate trades to the Core Strategies, the trades LEECH allocated to Macro Opps stopped having a consistent, pronounced bias toward first-day gain. In all, between 2021 and October 2023, the U.S. Treasury futures and options trades LEECH allocated specifically to Macro Opps had net first-day gains of over $600 million. By contrast, the U.S. Treasury futures and options trades LEECH allocated specifically to the Core Strategies had net first-day losses of over $600 million. * * * LEECH, 70, of Pasadena, California, is charged with one count of investment adviser fraud and one count of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of commodity trading adviser fraud and one count commodities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which today filed a parallel civil action against LEECH. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett and Peter J. Davis are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Gonzales Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JULES GIBSON (“GIBSON”) , age 39, formerly a resident of Gonzales, Louisiana, pled guilty on November 21, 2024, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and, to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 846; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). GIBSON admitted that as a prior drug offender, he is subject to enhanced penalties for the conspiracy charge. As to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Cocaine, GIBSON faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000 and, at least 8 years of supervised release. As to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, GIBSON faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and, up to three years of supervised release. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Sentencing in this matter is set for February 25, 2025. Court documents court reflect that a co-defendant, who also pled guilty, was arrested by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies after they recovered several plastic bags containing cocaine and crack cocaine, a black digital scale, a Black Taurus Model PT 24/7 PRO handgun with a magazine containing 11 live rounds of .45 ammo and his cell phone, from his pick-up truck. Examination of the co-defendant’s cell phone by the JPSO and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, uncovered text messages, photographs and other information documenting his drug trafficking activities. Additionally, the cell phone examination identified GIBSON and revealed his own drug related purchases and payments. GIBSON was later arrested by JPSO in possession of a Taurus Model PT140 PRO, .40 caliber pistol. 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 Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.


component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in prison today for conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General. Li was further ordered to pay a fine of $250,000 and to serve three years of supervised release. According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers, and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission. Li is a U.S. citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement, and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS. For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later. In March 2017, an MSS officer requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them. In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting U.S. companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major U.S. company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information. In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and the officer provided Li with the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet, Karyna Valdes, and Jordan Howard for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Metairie Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROOSEVELT COCKHERAN (“COCKHERAN”) , age 40, formerly a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, pled guilty on November 22, 2024, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and, to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility, to Further a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b); Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C); and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). COCKHERAN also admitted that he is a prior drug offender and as such, is subject to enhanced penalties as to the conspiracy charge. As to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and Distribute Cocaine, COCKHERAN faces a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000 and, at least 8 years of supervised release. As to Unlawful Use of a Communications Facility, COCKHERAN faces up to 4 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 and, up to 1 year of supervised release. As to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, COCKHERAN faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and, at least 3 years supervised release. As to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, COCKHERAN faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and, up to three years of supervised release. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Judge Morgan ordered sentencing to occur on February 25, 2025. Court documents reflect that COCKHERAN was arrested by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) deputies after they recovered several plastic bags containing cocaine and crack cocaine, a black digital scale, a Black Taurus Model PT 24/7 PRO handgun with a magazine containing 11 live rounds of .45 ammo and his cell phone, from his pick-up truck. Examination of the cell phone by JPSO experts and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, revealed text messages, photographs and other information documenting his drug trafficking activities. 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 Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.


title: Eleven Charged For Drug Trafficking in Southern Illinois

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – Following an investigation into the drug trafficking network in southern Illinois, eleven individuals are facing federal charges for distributing meth in Jackson, Massac, Perry, Saline and Williamson counties. Nigelle J. Bird, 32, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was charged with one federal count of distribution of meth in Jackson County. Nathan Behrens, 35, of Harrisburg, was charged with one federal count of distribution of meth in Williamson County. Darvon D. Ellis, 36, of Harrisburg, is facing two counts of distribution of meth in Saline and Williamson counties. Jeffrey T. Dancy, 41, of Sparta, was charged with two counts of distribution of meth in Perry County. Blake Mann, 36, of Carrier Mills, was charged with two federal counts of distribution of meth in Saline County. Desmond Nelson, 44, and Chanel Nelson, 47, of Carrier Mills, are each facing three federal counts of distribution of meth in Saline County. Tony L. Goss Jr., 36, of Brookport, Kelsey M. Hesser, 27, of Smithland, Kentucky, and Autumn J. Lynn, 40 of Golconda, are facing one federal count of conspiracy to distribute meth in Massac County. Goss was charged with four additional counts of distribution of meth, Lynn was charged with two additional counts, and Hesser with one additional count. Joe J. Taylor, 32, of Brookport, is facing two charges of distribution of meth in Massac County and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. “The charged offenders are accused of distributing meth mainly across five rural counties in southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “DEA agents and our local law enforcement partners are dedicating resources to help ensure illegal drug distribution operations continue to be identified and disrupted.” "Drug traffickers drive violence and infect our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in southern Illinois. “DEA is committed to removing these individuals from every aspect of society by working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt, dismantle and destroy the criminal organizations they belong to. Our commitment to the citizens of southern Illinois and the American public is steadfast, and doesn’t stop with just one win. We will continually strive to make our streets safe.” An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. DEA led the investigation with assistance from the Carbondale Police Department, ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Illinois State Police.


title: Doctor Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Defrauding The NBA Players’ Health And Welfare Benefit Plan

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM WASHINGTON was sentenced today to five years in prison for his participation in a scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association (“NBA”) Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan (the “Plan”). WASHINGTON was convicted on June 28, 2024, following a one-week jury trial and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “William Washington, a licensed medical doctor, had a solemn responsibility not to abuse his position of trust. Instead, Washington used his license and his clinics to generate fraudulent invoices for medical services he never performed. Over just one year, Washington pocketed nearly a half-million dollars for himself and his co-conspirators. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who engage in health care fraud schemes, particularly medical providers, will face stringent penalties.” According to the Indictment and the evidence at trial: From approximately in or about 2019 through July 2020, WASHINGTON, a licensed medical doctor who operated medical clinics located in the Seattle, Washington-area, participated in a scheme with retired NBA players to defraud the Plan. In furtherance of the scheme, WASHINGTON generated fraudulent invoices purporting to document nearly $500,000 worth of medical services that he never provided – such as $10,000 office visits and $25,000 shoulder injections – and repeatedly lied to the Plan by claiming that he had performed those services. WASHINGTON also swiped Plan-issued debit cards to collect money on these fake invoices. As a result of these debit card swipes, WASHINGTON received over $450,000 from the Plan, which he cashed out and distributed to his co-conspirators. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, WASHINGTON, 47, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, forfeit $475,042, and pay restitution in the amount of $475,042. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rushmi Bhaskaran, Qais Ghafary, and Rebecca Delfiner represented the Government at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finkel and Daniel G. Nessim participated in the investigation and prosecution of this case.


title: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Reynard Penn, 43, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 17, 2023, Penn sold approximately 27 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $1,600 at his Beckley residence. Penn admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling fentanyl to the confidential informant on three other occasions at his residence between August 23 and September 13, 2023. On September 18, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Penn’s residence and found cocaine, marijuana, a Ruger .380-caliber pistol and $4,889. The cash included $470 in pre-recorded money Penn received from the confidential informant during the controlled drug buys. Penn is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-94. ###


title: Georgia Residents Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Money Laundering, Wire Fraud, and Attempted Extortion

body_text: Wilmington, Del. – On November 14, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment charging nine Georgia residents with conspiracy to commit money laundering and related offenses, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, David C. Weiss, announced today. Defendant Charges Asaad Amir Hasuan, also known as “Dante Frederick,” age 43, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Eight counts of money laundering One count of wire fraud One count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion Deborah Danielstunstill, age 73, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Three counts of money laundering Destinee Lecount, age 27, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Audrey Gibbons, age 64, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Penny Hunter, age 58, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Three counts of money laundering Beverly Fredrick, age 59, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Two counts of money laundering Lakisha Easton, age 40, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Jasmine Warren, age 31, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering Manuel Joseph Rocha, age 53, of Brunswick, Georgia One count of conspiracy to commit money laundering According to the Superseding Indictment, from about September 2021 through at least May 2024, while incarcerated in Georgia, Hasuan perpetrated fraud schemes against the family and friends of his fellow inmates. Hasuan induced his victims to transfer money and property for his own personal benefit and for the benefit of others by, among other things, falsely promising to provide legal assistance, physical protection, and investment opportunities. Hasuan ultimately defrauded his victims out of millions of dollars, including one Delaware resident who transferred money and property valued at more than $3.5 million. Hasuan then conspired with a network of money mules to launder the proceeds of his fraud schemes through various financial transactions, including the purchase of real property, mobile homes, and automobiles. The defendants also funneled the fraud proceeds through a car rental company doing business in the name of “One Way Auto.” U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “While incarcerated, Mr. Husuan orchestrated an illegal scheme that defrauded victims of millions of dollars. Working with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to prioritize prosecuting individuals who choose to continue to disregard the rule of law. I commend the FBI for their work in investigating this case.” The FBI’s Wilmington Resident Agency is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith C. Ruggles and Claudia L. Pare are assigned to prosecute this case. The U.S Attorney’s Office and the FBI are seeking to identify additional victims of Asaad Amir Hasuan a/k/a “Dante Fredrick.” If you, your family member, or anyone that you know had contact with Hasuan and would like to provide additional information, please contact the FBI at Baltimore Field Office at 410-265-8080. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER .


title: Memphis Man Sentenced to over 26 Years of Imprisonment in Connection with Multiple Hotel Robberies

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Timothy Woodard , 26 , was sentenced to 315 months in federal prison for his convictions related to a string of hotel robberies committed in Memphis between October and December of 2022. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. On October 19, 2022, Woodard entered a hotel and pointed a handgun at a clerk. Woodard demanded money from the cash drawer. After the register was opened, Woodard took approximately $400. Woodard then forced the clerk to open the hotel safe by threatening to kill him if he did not comply. The clerk opened the safe, and Woodard took $300 from it. On December 19, 2022, Woodard entered a second hotel and waved a semi-automatic handgun at two desk clerks before demanding money from the cash registers. Woodard took approximately $1,500 from the registers. Approximately two hours later, on the same date, Woodard entered a third hotel with another person. Woodard jumped over the counter, pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the clerk, and demanded money from the register and the clerk’s wallet. Woodard took approximately $800-$1000 from the register and $300-$500 from the clerk. In December 2023, a grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned a six-count indictment charging Woodard with three counts of “robbery affecting commerce” (Hobbs Act Robbery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 and three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). On May 15, 2024, Woodard pled guilty to all counts. On November 21, 2024, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Woodard to 315 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force along with the Memphis Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lorraine Craig, who prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Methamphetamine Possession and Multiple Firearm Crimes

body_text: Memphis, TN – A Memphis man was recently convicted by a federal jury of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute along with multiple counts related to his illegal possession of firearms. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today. According to information presented in court, on July 13, 2022, detectives in the Multi-Agency Gang Unit executed a search warrant on an apartment in Memphis where Andre Blue , 37 , was living. There, they discovered a loaded Glock Inc. .45 caliber pistol, a Sig Sauer Inc. 9mm caliber pistol, and a loaded Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol in the primary bedroom. Detectives also found 15 grams of pure methamphetamine in the primary bathroom toilet bowl. An American Tactical Imports Inc. multi-caliber pistol was found in the closet of a child’s bedroom on the top shelf next to a magazine loaded with at least 50 live rounds. On February 23, 2023, detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on another residence occupied by Blue, where they found a Sig Sauer pistol under the primary bathroom sink along with various drug-sale paraphernalia. Due to his prior felony convictions, Blue is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. On November 20, 2024, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Blue guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Blue faces a mandatory statutory minimum of five years in federal prison for possession of five grams or more of actual methamphetamine as well as a consecutive five-year mandatory minimum prison sentence related to his conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Sentencing is set on February 26, 2025 before United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla. 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 investigation in this case was conducted by the PSN Gun Task Force, along with the Multi-Agency Gang Unit and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Acting United States Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Eileen Kuo and Regina Brittenum, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Man Who Attempted to Enter Church With Rifle Charged With Gun Crime

body_text: A man who recently attempted to enter a church with a tactical rifle has been charged with a federal firearm crime stemming from a 2022 shooting, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Russell Alan Ragsdale, 25, was charged via criminal complaint with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Friday and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver Monday morning. According to court documents, Mr. Ragsdale entered a church at 5:05 p.m. on Nov. 2 alongside about 100 parishioners celebrating mass. After attending services, Ragsdale returned to his vehicle and allegedly retrieved a rifle from his trunk. He then closed the three gates to the parking lot. At 5:35 p.m., Mr. Ragsdale allegedly attempted to re-enter the church with his rifle, but could not gain access because the parishioners locked the doors. During the investigation of the incident at the church, agents learned about a shooting involving Mr. Ragsdale, who was arrested on Feb. 3, 2022 in Seagoville for the felony murder of his roommate. (The murder case was later dismissed.) At the time, Mr. Ragsdale told Seagoville law enforcement that his roommate attacked him and claimed he “shot him many times” in self-defense. Officers recovered three firearms, including a 10mm Glock and an AR-15 rifle, and almost two grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms from the residence. An analysis of Mr. Ragsdale’s phone showed a history of drug use dating back to November 2021, as well as evidence of purchasing and using hallucinogenic mushrooms on Feb. 2, 2022. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Ragsdale is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Seagoville Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, which participated in the murder investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jongwoo Chung is prosecuting the case.


title: Mississippi Man Sentenced to 8.5 Years For Traveling to Wisconsin to Assault 12-Year-Old Child

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Reginal Wright, 38, Indianola, Mississippi, was sentenced November 22, 2024, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 102 months in prison for traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. Wright pleaded guilty to this charge on August 20, 2024. On November 7, 2023, Wright traveled to Madison and picked up a 12-year-old girl from her foster home. Wright sexually assaulted the girl while in Wisconsin and then later in Tennessee and Florida. Law enforcement was later able to track the girl’s location and eventually recovered her from a Greyhound Bus traveling from Florida to Atlanta. At sentencing, Judge Conley found that Wright took advantage of a child for his own sexual gratification. Judge Conley also noted the “gaping age difference” between Wright and the child, who Judge Conley described as vulnerable and clearly childlike. Judge Conley said that Wright made a “sordid decision” and caused the child trauma that she may not fully understand until later. The charge against Wright was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Highway Patrol, Wisconsin State Patrol, Medley Florida Police Department, Fort Pierce Florida Police Department, Cocoa Florida Police Department, Lake City Florida Police Department, and the Columbia County Florida Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case. This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Punxsutawney Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal fraud laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Patty Merlo, 66, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around May 2016 to in and around January 2022, Merlo embezzled and converted for her own use approximately $91,300 in Social Security benefit payments to which she knew she was not entitled. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Merlo.


title: Memphis Man Sentenced for Possession of Fentanyl and Multiple Firearms

body_text: Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to over nine years of imprisonment for possession of over 200 grams of fentanyl and numerous firearms discovered during a search of his residence. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to information presented in court, in May 2023, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Memphis and detectives with the Bartlett Police Department began investigating the distribution of large amounts of fentanyl in the Memphis area. During the investigation, law enforcement identified Myshun Jefferson , 21 , as a fentanyl distributor and learned that he was distributing narcotics from two Memphis locations. The agents and detectives arranged for at least one controlled purchase at each property. Based on information obtained from the controlled purchases, search warrants were executed on the two properties. Agents and detectives discovered Jefferson at the residence on Baywood Avenue, along with more than 200 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and four firearms. One of those four firearms was a Glock pistol discovered in a sofa near Jefferson when law enforcement officers entered the home. This pistol had an unregistered aftermarket device allowing the firearm to act as a machine gun, also known as a “switch,” installed. Two of the other firearms discovered during the search of the residence were also unlawfully altered: a second Glock pistol, also fitted with an automatic “switch” device, and a JTS 12-gauge illegal short-barrel shotgun. Jefferson was indicted in September 2023 for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. On September 4, 2024, Jefferson entered a guilty plea on the two-count indictment. On November 19, 2024, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Jefferson to 117 months of incarceration with a three-year period of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. “HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners across Tennessee, will continue to pursue those who pose a significant threat to public safety through the illegal possession of firearms and contribute to the opioid crisis,” said Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “Today’s sentence reflects the serious nature and consequences of engaging in the illegal possession and distribution of fentanyl, a drug that continues to claim lives and devastate communities.” This case was investigated by HSI Memphis and the Bartlett Police Department. The United States Customs and Border Patrol Laboratories in Savannah, Georgia assisted in this investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorney Bryce H. Phillips who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Man Admits Possessing Child Pornography in Retirement Home

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Webster Groves, Missouri on Monday admitted possessing more than 170,000 images and 11,000 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Joseph J. Fitzsimmons, 76, pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography. In March of 2023, Fitzsimmons moved into an assisted living facility in Webster Groves and was getting help with his internet connection from an employee of the facility. That employee spotted two images containing child sexual abuse material and contacted the Webster Groves Police Department. A court approved search of Fitzsimmons apartment recovered computers and other electronic devices that were then examined by the St. Louis County Police Department. A total of 170,310 images and 11,410 videos containing child sexual abuse material were found on the devices, as well as 16,780 computer-generated or animated images and 549 videos. Fitzsimmons is scheduled to be sentenced March 4, 2025. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .