title: South Lake Tahoe Man Indicted on 12 Counts of Wire Fraud in Cryptocurrency Trading Scam

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Daniel Chartraw, 51, formerly of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with wire fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Chartraw was responsible for defrauding multiple victims in a cryptocurrency investment scheme. Chartraw claimed that his companies, Crypto-Pal LLC and TDA Global, were developing and possessed a proprietary algorithm that was capable of generating exceptional returns on cryptocurrency investments. However, instead of investing money from his victims as he promised, Chartraw used the money to fund his personal lifestyle and travel. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Chartraw faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Carmel Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

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

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Gregory L. Thorpe, Jr., 28 years old, of Carmel, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to making a materially false and fictitious statement during the acquisition of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Thorpe was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in the summer of 2021, Thorpe purchased a handgun from a licensed firearms dealer and also attempted to make other firearm purchases while providing false information regarding his address of residency during the purchases. Thereafter during a traffic stop in Hendricks County in May 2022, one of the firearms Thorpe purchased was recovered from the trunk of his vehicle along with 2.9 kilograms of fentanyl pills. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Hendricks County Sheriff Department and the Plainfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Los Angeles Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for his Leadership Role in  Methamphetamine Conspiracy

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — Fernando Castro Bazan, 33, of El Monte, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 15 years in prison for his role as a leader in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine to the Sacramento area and elsewhere, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Castro Bazan sold and attempted to sell an undercover officer methamphetamine on three separate occasions. On July 15, 2021, Castro Bazan, who then resided in Los Angeles, sent a courier to Roseville to deliver 20 pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover officer. On August 12, 2021, Castro Bazan sent a different courier to deliver five pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover officer. Finally, in September of 2021, Castro Bazan promised to sell the undercover officer another 30 pounds of methamphetamine. The following day, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the defendant’s stash house and seized 31 pounds of methamphetamine. On June 30, 2022, while on pretrial release for this case, Castro Bazan was arrested for a separate federal case in San Diego. That case involved his use of drivers to transport drugs for a Tijuana-based drug trafficking organization. Using his status as a club promoter and amateur musician, Castro Bazan hired numerous college-aged drivers, luring them with the prospect of easy money and “all-expenses-paid trips to Mexico.” A number of the young drivers Castro Bazan employed were arrested at the border and convicted of drug trafficking or related offenses. They now have federal felony convictions on their records. Castro Bazan remained in federal custody during the pendency of the San Diego case, and ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiracy and importation of methamphetamine into the United States. On May 17, 2024, a federal judge in San Diego sentenced him to 12 years in prison. After being sentenced in San Diego, Castro Bazan was transported to the Eastern District to face his sentence in this case. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team with assistance from the California Highway Patrol, the LAFD HIDTA Group 48, the LA IMPACT Group 1, the Rialto Police Department Narcotics Unit, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.


title: Violent Crime Initiative Leads to Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Two men were sentenced this week in federal court in connection to two unrelated firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Shelby Theriault, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 24 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. In September 2024, Shelby Theriault pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. According to the plea agreement, on or about January 15, 2024, a shotgun was reported stolen after a good Samaritan had allowed the defendant, a homeless man, to stay in a guest bedroom of their home overnight. On January 20, 2024, Conway Police arrested Theriault on an unrelated theft case, where they discovered that he possessed a sawed-off shotgun. The defendant ultimately admitted to stealing the shotgun, sawing it down, and defacing the serial number. Theriault would have had to register the sawed-off shotgun with the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record, which he did not do. Theriault also had multiple warrants for his arrest from Colorado at the time of his arrest in Conway, New Hampshire. “The defendant not only stole the shotgun from someone who provided him shelter, he sawed the shotgun and obliterated the serial number thus making it harder to detect his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jane Young. “New Hampshire law enforcement will continue to prosecute those who possess illegal firearms as part of the ongoing effort to make our communities safer.” “I would first like to commend Patrol Officer Joseph Moore for his work on this investigation, which ultimately allowed the Conway Police Department to remove a stolen firearm from circulation. Experience has shown us that stolen firearms are often utilized in the commission of a crime. I would also like to thank the ATF and the US Attorney's Office, namely Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon, for their assistance with this case. The relationship we have with all of our Law Enforcement partners across the State of New Hampshire is vital to our mission,” said Chief Christopher Mattei of the Conway Police Department. Conway Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Michael Brown, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe to 24 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. In September 2024, Michael Brown pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of ammunition. According to the plea agreement, on or about November 2, 2023, Nashua Police conducted a motor vehicle stop where Brown was found to be in possession of a magazine, loaded with nine 9mm rounds of ammunition, in his pocket. “In this case, the defendant, a felon, was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior drug conviction in Florida, yet when he was encountered by law enforcement, he possessed a loaded magazine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute felons who illegally possess firearms and ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The illegal possession of ammunition by convicted felons poses a significant threat to the safety of our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing federal firearm laws and holding those who violate them accountable. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who endanger public safety are brought to justice.” Nashua Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon prosecuted both cases. These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: New Haven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAYQUAN GRAY, also known as “Scooby,” 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm possession and drug distribution offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 14, 2024, New Haven Police officer observed Gray, who had an active state arrest warrant, participating in a drug transaction in the area of Ferry Street and English Street in New Haven. Gray was apprehended, and officers found him in possession of 80 individual bags of cocaine, a loaded Polymer 80 “ghost gun,” and more than $1,200 in cash. Gray’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle and robbery in the third degree. Gray has been detained since his arrest. On August 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This matter was investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Two Houston Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Burglarizing Pharmacies in Southern Illinois, Missouri

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced two Houston, Texas, men to federal prison for burglarizing pharmacies of controlled substances in Casey, Illinois, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri. McKindley V. Allen, 32, and DaLeon J. Fontennet, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempted burglary involving controlled substances. Both defendants were sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. “Damaging and burglarizing locally-owned pharmacies that provide vital healthcare services impair rural communities, and leave residents and employees without reliable support,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The defendants were only concerned with lining their own pockets with controlled substances and drug proceeds and had no regard for the destruction left for the communities to clean up.” According to court documents, Allen and Fontennet unlawfully entered a pharmacy in Casey with intent to steal controlled substances in December 2023 by using a Sawzall to cut through the exterior wall. In January, the pair burglarized a pharmacy in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and took more than 16,000 pills. Fontennet admitted to also burglarizing a pharmacy in Murphysboro, Illinois. “DEA has seen a surge in burglaries of controlled substances at independent, non-chain pharmacies, which rips at the core of communities across this country” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in southern Illinois. “With the sentencing of these two criminals, DEA demonstrates its steadfast commitment to the American public and sends a clear message to those who engage in these types of egregious acts.” After burglarizing the pharmacies, Allen admitted to conspiring with others to distribute the stolen oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine. DEA St. Louis led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: CONCORD – A Methuen, Massachusetts man was sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Leuris Xavier Guerrero Valdez, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. “Methamphetamine, a dangerous and highly addictive drug, wreaks havoc on public health and safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Individuals like the defendant who profit from poisoning our communities will be held accountable. Law enforcement will continue to focus on identifying and disrupting individuals distributing deadly drugs throughout New Hampshire.” “DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Guerrero Valdez accountable for his crimes, but it should serve as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” According to charging documents and statements made in court, between June 2023 and March 2024, the defendant sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer on eleven occasions in New Hampshire. After the final sale, investigators arrested the defendant and searched a residence where he stored his drugs. There, investigators found large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Portsmouth Police Department and the Somersworth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather A. Cherniske and John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case. ###


title: Luigi Mangione Charged with the Stalking and Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and Use of a Silencer in a Crime of Violence

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, of Towson, Maryland, in connection with the Dec. 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione was taken into federal custody today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker for the Southern District of New York. “Today, the Justice Department has brought federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged, Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him — methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime. I am grateful to our state and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to locate and apprehend the defendant and to ensure that he answers for his alleged crime.” “Brian Thompson was gunned down in cold blood as he walked down a street in midtown Manhattan,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim for the Southern District of New York. “Thompson was allegedly killed just because he held the position of chief executive officer of a health insurance company. As alleged, Luigi Mangione traveled to New York to stalk and shoot Thompson in broad daylight in front of a Manhattan hotel, all in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione’s views across the country. But this wasn’t a debate, it was murder, and Mangione now faces federal charges. This office and its law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to fight violence in whatever form it takes.” “Luigi Mangione allegedly conducted the carefully premeditated and targeted execution of Brian Thompson to incite national debates,” said Assistant Director James E. Dennehy of the FBI New York Field Office. “This alleged plot demonstrates a cavalier attitude towards humanity — deeming murder an appropriate recourse to satiate personal grievances. Through continued close partnership with the NYPD, the FBI maintains our steadfast commitment to fervently pursue any individual who promotes a personal agenda through violence.” “NYPD detectives worked relentlessly to identify and widely distribute images of the suspect who allegedly carried out this premeditated, preplanned, targeted murder, and they are committed to assisting prosecutors in seeing this important case through to its rightful conclusion,” said Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). “This senseless incident highlights the critical role of the public in the NYPD’s public safety mission, and I thank everyone who saw something, said something, and did something. It is because of the public’s actions that we now have an alleged killer in custody back in New York City.” As alleged in the complaint, over the course of the last several months, Mangione meticulously planned the execution of Brian Thompson in an effort to initiate a public discussion about the healthcare industry. Mangione targeted the victim, tracked his whereabouts, and traveled from out of state to New York City, where the victim was scheduled to attend the company’s investor conference. After arriving in the city on Nov. 24, more than one week before the murder, Mangione performed reconnaissance in the area around the victim’s hotel and the conference venue where the victim was scheduled to speak. Using a false identification, Mangione checked into an Upper West Side hostel. In the early morning hours of Dec. 4, Mangione traveled by bicycle from the Upper West Side to the area around West 54th Street and Sixth Avenue. At approximately 6:45 a.m., Mangione strategically placed himself in between two cars on West 54th Street, and as the victim passed by, Mangione walked up behind the victim and fired several gunshots from a 9mm pistol causing the victim’s death. The pistol was equipped with what appeared to be a firearm sound suppressor or silencer. After the murder, Mangione fled on his bicycle northbound through Central Park and ultimately back to the Upper West Side. On Dec. 9, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while he sat in a fast-food restaurant after being recognized by one of the restaurant’s workers. Members of the Altoona Police Department confronted Mangione, who provided the same false identification that he used when checking into the Upper West Side hostel. Mangione was also found in possession of, among other things, a 9mm pistol and a sound suppressor consistent with the weapon used to kill the victim. Mangione is charged with one count of using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; and one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and NYPD are investigating the case. The Justice Department also thanks the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which has brought a separate prosecution against Mangione, which is currently expected to proceed to trial before the federal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile, Jun Xiang, and Alexandra Messiter for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ellicott City Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, Jennifer Tinker, 41, of Ellicott City, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire fraud. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, between January 2020 and November 2023, Tinker defrauded a real estate agency that she worked for by transferring more than $1 million of company funds through wire transfers, Zelle payments, checks, and ACH to her personal bank accounts. Tinker fraudulently embezzled funds from the real estate agency’s accounts – including its escrow, operating, and commission accounts. Tinker hid the transfers by listing fictitious “recipients” on the wire transfer paperwork to make them appear legitimate. She then wired the stolen funds into her personal bank accounts. Between approximately February 2021 and November 2023, Tinker wired money to her personal accounts more than 90 times. Additionally, Tinker made false and fraudulent edits and entries into her employer’s internal accounting records to conceal the transfers. The defendant used the funds that she stole from her employer to pay for luxury goods and personal expenditures such as vacations, Taylor Swift tickets, and five different vehicles. Tinker faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Wenner who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Dearborn, Michigan man, who used fake refund scheme to defraud retailers of more than $4 million, sentenced to three years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 27-year-old Dearborn, Michigan, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for a fraud scheme damaging retailers across the country, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Teal L. Miller. Sajed Al-Maarej operated “Simple Refunds” through the messaging service Telegram, where coconspirators were encouraged to purchase items from retailers Al-Maarej claimed he could defraud. Al-Maarej and his staff of “professional refunders” impersonated the purchaser and lied to the retailer about the status of the item to secure a refund for the purchaser, while permitting the purchaser to keep the ordered item. The scheme caused more than $4 million in losses for retailers and induced young adults nationwide to join a criminal scheme. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik noted that the fraud “was a difficult and expensive proposition” for the victim companies. “We need to send a message that this behavior is criminal,” Judge Lasnik said. “This defendant enticed many young and naïve online contacts to his illegal refunding scheme – some perhaps believed Al-Maarej’s spiel that this conduct was not illegal. They were badly misled,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Teal L. Miller. “This fraudulent refund scheme hurts retailers and ultimately raises prices for all of us. Al-Maarej got his expensive toys by convincing others to become complicit in his crimes.” According to records in the case, between September 2020 and December 2022, Al-Maarej represented to prospective purchasers that they could buy high value goods and keep them, while falsely claiming to the merchant company that a refund was due. Purchasers provided Al-Maarej information about their purchase (order number, name, address, value) and for a cut of the refund, Al-Maarej and his coconspirators would seek a refund by making false representations. For example, Simple Refunds would claim the item had not been delivered; was irretrievably damaged; or would have the purchaser mail a box of garbage or junk back to the company – once the package was scanned at the shipping point the refund was often issued before the box arrived back and the fraud was discovered. Al-Maarej recruited “insiders” at UPS and the US Postal Service who would input false scans into the order tracking history to make it appear items had been lost in shipping, stolen from the mail, or returned to the company. The end goal was for the purchaser to keep the product and get their money back. The purchaser then paid Al-Maarej 15-25% of the purchase price as his fee. Al-Maarej engaged in fraudulent refunding activity as well, on his own purchases. That conduct lasted until at least August 2023. In one instance, Al-Maarej obtained a refund for bulky tools, but he returned to the retailer an envelope filled with plastic toy frogs. One retailer identified more than $500,000 in items shipped to Al-Maarej’s home for which Al-Maarej obtained fraudulent refunds. In total, Al-Maarej made (and retailers lost) more than $1.4 million to his personal refunding activities. The Simple Refunds channel on Telegram amassed a following of more than 1,000 subscribers. Al-Maarej used a second channel to post information on successful refunds. Al Maarej represented to some of those he recruited that the scheme was not illegal. He targeted young men in their teens and twenties and embroiled them in criminal conduct. The indictment details how two Snohomish County residents ordered thousands of dollars of merchandise and conspired with Al-Maarej to get the payments refunded. Al-Maarej or others at his direction, impersonated the buyers, claimed the items had been “delivered not received” and got the purchase price refunded. The customers kept the items. In May 2022, Al-Maarej deepened his fraud by offering a “mentorship” program where he would teach others to create their own refunding scams – he charged $6,000 for admission to the program. He boasted that students would “learn from the best in the game, from everything fraud related, to legit businesses and cleaning your money.” Last summer, Al-Maarej pleaded guilty to wire fraud and mail fraud. As part of his sentence Al-Maarej was ordered to pay $4,353,819. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Amazon, Costco, and Microsoft assisted in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.


title: Former Richmond County, Georgia, Deputy Pleads Guilty Federal Civil Rights Violation

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former Richmond County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office deputy has pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges involving an assault on a jail detainee. Dantavion Jones, 33, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to an information charging the officer with one felony count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law. According to court documents, Jones was a deputy with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. On May 7, 2022, Jones was working with other deputies at Richmond County’s Charles D. Webster Detention Center to secure inmates who had caused flooding in a section of the jail. Jones deliberately removed the handcuffs of a compliant inmate, after which another officer proceeded to punch him. Jones pleaded guilty to failing to intervene or stop the assault on the inmate, who was not posing a threat to anyone at the time of the assault. Former deputies Daniel D’Aversa and Melissa Morello previously pleaded guilty for their involvement in the same incident. A sentencing date will be set at a later time. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III for the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Anita T. Channapati of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Another former Richmond County deputy pleads guilty to violating civil rights of jail detainee

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A former Richmond County Sheriff’s Office deputy has pled guilty to federal civil rights charges involving an assault on a jail detainee. Dantavion Jones, 33, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to an Information charging him with Deprivation of Civil Rights Under Color of Law. The guilty plea subjects Jones to a possible sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, along with substantial fines and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. As described in the plea agreement, Jones was a deputy with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and, with other personnel, responded to Richmond County’s Charles D. Webster Detention Center on May 7, 2022, to secure inmates who had caused flooding in a section of the jail. A pretrial detainee, referred to in court documents as Victim 1, “was handcuffed, face-down on the ground, and was not posing a threat to anyone” when another deputy shouted that the detainee wanted his handcuffs removed. A jailer attempted unsuccessfully to unlock the handcuffs, and Jones “then proceeded to unlock and remove the handcuffs from Victim 1.” Another deputy then repeatedly punched the detainee and placed him in a chokehold, while Jones “failed to intervene to stop or attempt to stop the assault.” Two other former Sheriff’s Office staff members, former Corporal Daniel D’Aversa , 52, and former jailer Melissa Morello , 27, await sentencing after previously pleading guilty to Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law in the underlying case. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for Jones upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services. The case is being investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III and Anita T. Channapati of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Rosharon, Texas, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months of imprisonment on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Daniel Saucedo, 34. According to information presented to the Court, on or about July 28, 2023, Saucedo attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Conti stated that Saucedo’s conduct was particularly serious because Saucedo traveled to Pittsburgh specifically to receive a kilogram of cocaine through the U.S. mail and then distribute it to a local drug dealer. Judge Conti emphasized the pervasive harms that drug trafficking and drug abuse have within communities. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Saucedo.


title: AAR CORP to Pay Over $55M To Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: WASHINGTON – AAR CORP. (AAR), a publicly-traded aviation services company headquartered in Wood Dale, Illinois, will pay over $55 million to resolve investigations by the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising from AAR’s participation in corrupt schemes to pay bribes to government officials in Nepal and South Africa. AAR entered into an 18-month non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department. According to the company’s admissions in connection with the resolution, between 2015 and 2020, AAR conspired to pay bribes to government officials to obtain and retain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa. AAR obtained profits of nearly $24 million as a result of the scheme. “Companies competing on a fair and level playing field is a core value that we expect any U.S. company or anyone doing business in the United States to embrace,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Bribery schemes, whether based inside or outside the United States, harm consumers and companies that are trying to lawfully run their businesses. That is why this office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to diligently pursue any individual or company that seeks to profit through corrupt or illegal means.” “AAR bribed high-level government officials to obtain business with state-owned airlines in Nepal and South Africa and reaped nearly $24 million in illicit profits as a result,” said Chief Counselor Brent Wible of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department continues to hold companies and individuals accountable for engaging in international corruption. Today’s resolution also demonstrates how companies that proactively report misconduct, extensively cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate will receive credit under the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, including in the form of the agreement, the amount of cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term.” “AAR, through its bribery of government officials in Nepal and South Africa, violated U.S. law enacted to ensure that U.S. businesses do not engage in foreign corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office. “Today’s outcome reflects HSI’s steadfast commitment to enforcing accountability within global commerce. HSI New York will continue to pursue all necessary measures to ensure that those who engage in corrupt practices, regardless of their location or position, are held fully accountable under the law.” In Nepal, AAR corruptly obtained business with Nepal Airlines Corporation, the state-owned airline of Nepal, related to the sale of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft by offering and paying bribes to Nepali officials through various intermediary companies. In South Africa, AAR corruptly obtained the award of an aircraft component support contract with South African Airways Technical, a wholly owned subsidiary of South African Airways, the state-owned airline of South Africa, by corruptly offering and paying bribes to South African officials through a third-party agent. As part of the NPA, AAR agreed to pay a penalty of approximately $26,363,029 penalty and $18,568,713 in administrative forfeiture. In addition, AAR will pay $29,236,624 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of the resolution of the SEC’s parallel investigation . The Justice Department has agreed to credit the forfeiture to be paid to the department against disgorgement AAR has agreed to pay to the SEC. Pursuant to the NPA, AAR has agreed, among other things, to continue to cooperate with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in any ongoing or future criminal investigations arising during the term of the NPA. In addition, AAR agreed to continue to enhance its compliance program and report to the Department regarding remediation and the implementation of compliance measures during the eighteen-month term of the NPA. The Department reached this resolution with AAR based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. AAR self-reported to the Department conduct that forms, in part, the basis for the resolution; however, the self-report was not a “voluntary self-disclosure” as defined in the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). Prior to the self-report, several English-language articles had been published in media outlets in Nepal and South Africa that described potential irregularities in the relevant contracts in both countries, including that an AAR subsidiary had been summoned by a Nepalese agency investigating irregularities and corruption in connection with the procurement of aircraft. In addition, twelve days before AAR’s self-report, an independent source reported the allegations regarding the Nepal conduct to the Department. AAR received credit under the CEP for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation, which included (i) self-reporting the conduct that forms, at least in part, the basis for the resolution before AAR was aware the conduct had come to the attention of the Department; (ii) promptly providing information obtained through its internal investigation, which allowed the government to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (iii) proactively preserving, imaging, and conducting extensive forensic analysis of key electronic evidence, which included imaging mobile devices, recovering deleted documents, forensically recreating attachments from log files, and decrypting recovered chat messages; (iv) making regular and detailed presentations to the Department; (v) promptly collecting, analyzing, and organizing voluminous information, including complex financial information; (vi) meeting the Department’s requests promptly; (vii) voluntarily making employees, including foreign-based employees, available for interviews; (viii) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations to the Department, including documents located outside the United States; and (ix) producing documents to the Department from foreign countries in ways that did not implicate foreign data privacy laws. AAR also engaged in extensive and timely remedial measures including, among other things (i) conducting an enterprise-wide review of all existing high-risk third-party representatives and reducing its use of international sales agents; (ii) enhancing protocols regarding onboarding and vetting of third-party engagements, including heightened diligence and senior-level approvals; (iii) taking employment actions, including promptly separating one employee involved in the relevant conduct and disciplining other employees with oversight responsibilities; (iv) strengthening its anti-corruption compliance program by investing in compliance resources and expanding its compliance function with experienced and qualified personnel, including appointing a Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and hiring a compliance monitoring manager; (v) implementing a compliance risk assessment program which has enabled AAR to proactively identify new areas of risk; (vi) enhancing public bidding policies and monitoring implementation of those enhancements; (vii) beginning to roll out a messaging application retention tool; (viii) implementing compliance auditing and periodic anti-corruption site reviews; and (ix) engaging in continuous testing, monitoring, and improvement of its compliance program. In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 45% reduction off the applicable Guidelines sentence. The Department gave significant weight in evaluating the appropriate disposition of this matter—including the form of the resolution, the reduction in the penalty amount based on cooperation and remediation credit, and the length of the term—to the Company’s self-report of the misconduct before the Company was aware the conduct had already come to the Department’s attention. The Department previously charged two individuals in related matters. Deepak Sharma, a former AAR subsidiary executive, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on August 1, 2024, to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the Nepal scheme. Julian Aires, a third-party agent of AAR, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia on July 15, 2024, to a conspiracy to violate the FCPA for his role in the South Africa scheme. HSI New York is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madhu Chugh for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case along with Acting Assistant Chief Katherine Raut and Trial Attorney Paul Ream of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted in the matter. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act .


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Vegetation Maintenance Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured an agreement with Burford’s Construction LLC (Burford’s), an Alabama-based contractor that provides vegetation clearing and maintenance for electrical utility companies and municipalities. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Burford’s routinely discriminated against lawful permanent residents when verifying their permission to work by demanding specific, and sometimes unnecessary, documents. “Employers cannot demand specific or unnecessary documents from workers because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “All workers, regardless of citizenship status, deserve a hiring process that is free from discrimination.” After conducting an investigation, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) determined that, from at least Jan. 1, 2021, through May 30, 2023, Burford’s routinely required lawful permanent residents to present specific immigration documents to establish their permission to work, even when they had already provided sufficient proof. Under the terms of the settlement, Burford’s will pay $308,689 in civil penalties to the United States, train its personnel on anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies that relate to hiring and be subject to departmental monitoring. Lawful permanent residents are sometimes referred to as “green card holders,” but they can show their permission to work using different types of documentation. As explained in the department’s newly-released fact sheet for lawful permanent residents , the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) protects lawful permanent residents from discrimination when an employer is verifying their permission to work. Employers cannot limit the valid documentation that a lawful permanent resident may show when verifying their ability to work. The fact sheet also explains how lawful permanent residents can get help if they are being discriminated against. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . IER’s website has more information on lawful permanent residents’ rights under the INA and how employers can avoid unlawful discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de mantenimiento de vegetación para resolver acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Burford’s Construction LLC (Burford’s), un contratista con sede en Alabama que proporciona mantenimiento y limpieza de vegetación para empresas de servicios eléctricos y municipios. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Burford’s discriminaba, de forma rutinaria, a residentes legales permanentes al verificar su permiso para trabajar, exigiéndoles documentos específicos, y, a veces, innecesarios. «A la hora de verificar su permiso para trabajar, los empleadores no pueden exigir documentos específicos o innecesarios a los trabajadores por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Todos los trabajadores, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, merecen un proceso de contratación libre de discriminación». Después de llevar a cabo una investigación, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, determinó que al menos desde el 1 de enero del 2021 hasta el 30 de mayo del 2023, Burford’s requería, de forma rutinaria, que los residentes permanentes legales presentasen documentos migratorios específicos para establecer su permiso para trabajar, incluso cuando ya habían proporcionado pruebas suficientes. Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Burford’s pagará $308,689 en sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios, revisará sus políticas de contratación y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento. A veces se les refiere a los residentes permanentes legales como «titulares de tarjetas verdes», pero pueden demostrar su permiso para trabajar mediante diferentes tipos de documentación. Como se explica en la hoja informativa del Departamento para residentes permanentes legales que se publicó hace poco , la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) protege a los residentes permanentes legales de la discriminación cuando un empleador verifica su permiso para trabajar. Los empleadores no pueden limitar la documentación válida que un residente permanente legal puede mostrar al verificar su permiso para trabajar. La hoja informativa también explica cómo los residentes permanentes legales pueden obtener ayuda si son discriminados. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . El sitio web de IER tiene más información sobre los derechos de residentes permanentes legales en virtud de la INA y cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación ilegal al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I̠ ‑9 e E‑Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1‑800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Iranian Man Indicted for Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organization Resulting in Death, and for Scheme To Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology Used in Military Drones

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two men who were arrested earlier this week have been indicted on charges related to a scheme to illegally export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran. Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a dual U.S.-Iranian national of Natick, Mass. and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, A/K/A Mohammad Abedini (Abedini), 38, of Tehran, Iran, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act “IEEPA) and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions (ITSR) regulations; and three counts of violation of the IEEPA and the ITSR. Abedini was also indicted on four additional counts of violation of the IEEPA and the ITSR; as well as one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death; and one count of provision and attempted provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. On Jan. 28, 2024, three U.S. service members were killed, and more than 40 others were injured, in a drone attack by IRGC-backed militants on a military base located in northern Jordan, known as Tower 22. According to court documents, analysis of the drone that was recovered from the site of the attack showed that the drone was an Iranian Shahed UAV and that the navigation system used in the drone was manufactured by Abedini’s company. The defendants were charged by criminal complaint on Dec. 16, 2024 and were arrested on Dec. 16, 2024. Sadeghi was arrested in Massachusetts and remains in federal custody. Abedini was arrested in Italy by Italian authorities at the request of the United States and is pending extradition proceedings. According to court documents, Abedini is the founder and managing director of an Iranian company, San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA or SADRA), that manufactures navigation modules used in the IRGC’s military drone program. SDRA’s main business is the sale of a proprietary navigation system—known as the Sepehr Navigation System—to the IRGC, which the United States designated as an foreign terrorist organization (FTO) on April 15, 2019. The primary application of SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System is for use in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) – also known as drones – as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Sadeghi was employed by a Massachusetts-based microelectronics manufacturer (U.S. Company 1) and was one of the founders of a Massachusetts-based technology company (U.S. Company 2) that specializes in wearable sensors that provide kinetic monitoring for fitness applications. As alleged in court documents, Abedini, Sadeghi, and others conspired to evade U.S. export control and sanctions laws by procuring U.S. origin goods, services and technology from, U.S. Company 1 and causing them to be exported and supplied to Iran and, in particular, Abedini’s Iranian company, SDRA. As further alleged, in or around 2016, Sadeghi traveled to Iran to request funding for U.S. Company 2 from the Iranian National Elites Foundation (INEF), which is an Iranian governmental organization whose main purpose is to recognize, organize and support Iran’s elite national talents. In exchange for funding for U.S. Company 2, which Sadeghi’s company ultimately received from the INEF, Sadeghi and others created a second company in Iran (Iranian Company 1). Shortly after forming Iranian Company 1, Sadeghi, through Iranian Company 1, entered into a contract with SDRA for the purchase of SDRA’s technology. It is also alleged that, since in or around 2016, on multiple occasions, Sadeghi has helped Abedini procure U.S. export-controlled electronic components for Abedini’s use in Iran. Due to U.S. laws restricting exports to Iran, Abedini established a Switzerland front company for SDRA, Illumove SA (Illumove). According to court documents, with Sadeghi’s assistance, Abedini, through Illumove, entered into a contract with U.S. Company 1 to develop a mechanism to evaluate U.S. Company 1’s electronic components, including sophisticated semiconductors. It is alleged that Sadeghi and Abedini subsequently caused U.S.-origin goods, services and technology to be transferred to Iran, through Illumove, for the benefit of SDRA. Certain of the electronic components that Abedini allegedly obtained through Illumove were the same types of electronic components used in SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System. According to court filings, the same navigation system that was determined to be used in the drone that struck Tower 22 and caused the death of three U.S. service members. Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the IRGC Aerospace Force, which is a strategic missile, air and space force. Since at least in or about 2014, SDRA has had multiple projects with the IRGC Aerospace Force, including projects for guided rockets and integrated navigation systems. As alleged, between 2021 and 2022, approximately 99% of SDRA’s sales of the Sepehr Navigation System, which are used in IRGC one-way attack drones, were to the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. Sadeghi and Abedini each face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million fine on the charges related to violating the International Emergency Economics Powers Act. On the charges related to providing material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, resulting in death, Abedini faces up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant United States Attorneys Jared Dolan and Alathea Porter of the District of Massachusetts’ National Security Unit; Trial Attorney Christina Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Trial Attorneys Katie Sweeten and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing assistance and is seeking extradition of Abedini from Italy. This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Massachusetts Resident Sentenced to 151 Months for Traveling to Capital Region Intending to Sexually Abuse a 10-Year-Old

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Martin Connearney, age 35, of Lenox, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 151 months of incarceration, following his guilty plea earlier this year to traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of Connearney’s guilty plea last February, he admitted that between April 6, 2022 and May 5, 2022, he communicated with an individual to discuss and plan Connearney’s sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl with speech and hearing difficulties who lived in the Capital Region. The individual Connearney communicated with was actually an undercover agent (“UC”). Connearney ultimately borrowed a car and on May 5, 2022, drove from Lenox to the Capital Region intending to meet with the UC and sexually abuse the child. Connearney was encountered by law enforcement officials at a prearranged meeting location and arrested. In imposing sentence today, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that Connearney was subject to an enhanced prison range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines because he had intended to take advantage of a vulnerable victim. According to court documents, while planning the sexual abuse of the child, Connearney repeatedly told the UC that there was less of a risk he would be caught because of the child’s hearing and speech difficulties. As part of the sentence imposed today, Connearney must also serve a 20-year term of supervised release, which will begin after he is released from prison. Connearney will also be required to register as a sex offender. The FBI Albany Division’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. The task force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Troy Man Charged With Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daion Morris, age 32, of Troy, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lucy Lang, New York State Inspector General (NYSIG), made the announcement. The indictment alleges that Morris used a stolen identity to create an unemployment insurance claim in September 2020, and continually recertified the claim through March 2021. Morris received over $29,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in the victim’s name. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Upon conviction on all counts, Morris would face at least 2 years and up to 22 years in prison; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Morris was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and ordered released pending a trial before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. HSI, NYSIG, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New York State Department of Labor – Office of Special Investigations investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: FACT SHEET: National Law Enforcement Accountability Database

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: To strengthen hiring practices by federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies and increase transparency and accountability, the Justice Department launched the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) in December 2023. NLEAD is a centralized repository of official records documenting instances of misconduct as well as commendations and awards for federal law enforcement officers. The NLEAD connects all federal law enforcement agencies under one accountability infrastructure. With the NLEAD, law enforcement agency hiring personnel have more accurate and complete information about misconduct in a job candidate’s past. Agencies can make more informed hiring decisions, which enhances both accountability and public safety. The NLEAD is accessible only to authorized users to help determine suitability and eligibility of candidates for law enforcement positions. On Dec. 18, the Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) published the first public report containing aggregated and anonymized data to maintain transparency and accountability. As required by the Executive Order, BJS will publish the report annually. All 90 Executive Branch agencies that employ law enforcement officers have certified to the Department that they have provided to the database all their responsive records (which could include a certification of “no records”). This reporting accounts for the approximately 150,000 Executive Branch law enforcement officers. Although agencies outside the Executive Branch are not obligated to use the NLEAD, several additional federal agencies have voluntarily committed to using NLEAD for their law enforcement officers, to increase transparency and accountability. The database includes records of instances of misconduct and commendations for current and former federal law enforcement officers that occurred over the past seven years, and the Department will conduct regular periodic compliance reviews to assess data quality. The NLEAD.gov website serves as a clearinghouse for information about the NLEAD and facilitates access to the database for authorized users. Consistent with the Executive Order, the Department requires its components that employ law enforcement officers to utilize the NLEAD in making a decision involving an officer’s hiring, job assignment, promotion, or participation on a task force. All Department law enforcement agencies have implemented standard operating procedures to ensure consistency in how NLEAD is utilized. Since launching in December 2023, the NLEAD has been searched nearly 10,000 times to assist federal law enforcement agencies in hiring, promotion and job placement decisions. Twenty-five of those searches, or about 0.25% of queries, resulted in a cross-agency match within NLEAD, allowing the vast majority of hiring decisions to proceed without the need to gather additional information from a prior employer. In the instance of a match, agencies gathered additional information about the candidate before determining whether to proceed. Based on the BJS report and the Department’s experience administering the NLEAD, it appears to be working as intended. The overwhelming majority of federal law enforcement officers are not in the NLEAD because they have no instances of misconduct. Federal law enforcement agencies are regularly and systematically querying the NLEAD. An officer’s presence in the NLEAD is not disqualifying; rather, it allows hiring and security managers to gather all relevant information about an applicant so they can make a complete and informed decision. The Department has also recently taken steps to support law enforcement officer accountability efforts at the state and local level: The Department is partnering with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) and the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets) to allow SLTT law enforcement agencies to query the NLEAD. This will improve accountability for officers moving from federal employment to SLTT The Department has awarded funding to IADLEST to expand its National Decertification Index (NDI) . The NDI is a national registry of law enforcement de-certification and revocation actions relating to officer misconduct that is currently used by all 50 states and D.C., and the expansion will include the additional categories of information set forth in the Executive Order. In May 2024, IADLEST entered into an agreement with a technology vendor to launch an updated NDI in 2025, with funding provided by the Department. This will improve accountability for officers who have any SLTT employment. In May 2023, the Department released accreditation standards for SLTT law enforcement agencies that called for usage of the NDI in connection with officer hiring. This will improve accountability for officers who have any SLTT The Department now requires its law enforcement agencies to utilize the NDI in making a decision involving an officer’s hiring or participation on a task force. The Department similarly encourages other federal law enforcement agencies to do the same checks. This will improve accountability for officers moving from SLTT employment to federal employment.


title: Romanian National Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Connection with NetWalker Ransomware Attacks Resulting in the Payment of Millions of Dollars in Ransoms

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Romanian man was sentenced today for his role in the NetWalker ransomware attacks to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $21,500,000 and his interests in an Indonesian limited liability company and associated luxury resort property under construction in Bali, Indonesia — a business venture he financed with proceeds from the attacks. He was also ordered to pay $14,991,580.01 in restitution. Daniel Christian Hulea, 30, of Jucu de Mijloc, Cluj, Romania, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy on June 20. According to court documents, Hulea admitted to participating in a conspiracy to use a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker. NetWalker ransomware has been used to target hundreds of victims all over the world, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. NetWalker attacks specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims. As part of his plea agreement, Hulea admitted to using NetWalker to obtain approximately 1,595 bitcoin in ransom payments for himself and a co-conspirator, valued at approximately $21,500,000 at the time of the payments. Romanian law enforcement officers arrested Hulea in Cluj, on July 11, 2023, pursuant to a request submitted by U.S. authorities. Hulea was subsequently extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Romania. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Hulea’s arrest and extradition. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Hulea from Romania to the United States. Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Suzanne Nebesky for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.


title: St. Charles County Man Sentenced for Multiple Vehicle-Related Frauds

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man to 33 months in prison for selling the same vehicle multiple times online and defrauding other vehicle owners and a welding company. Ronald Johnson, 57, of St. Peters, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of wire fraud and admitted owning a car restoration business known as Full Out Customs LLC. He used social media, including Facebook, to advertise vehicles for sale and vehicle repair services. In 2022, Johnson tricked a victim from Pennsylvania into paying $41,750 for a 2002 Ford Excursion that he’d already sold to a victim in South Dakota for $45,000. He gave the title to the South Dakota buyer and the SUV to the Pennsylvania buyer, meaning the Pennsylvania victim could not lawfully register the vehicle. Between Nov. 18, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, Johnson took $149,843 from another victim by falsely claiming he would use the money for vehicle repairs and parts. Between September and December of 2021, Johnson ordered $47,088 in welding equipment with no intention of paying for it. He wrote a check from a closed bank account to pay for the equipment. The victim company was able to recover some of the equipment. Johnson admitted falsifying car titles, emails and other documents to misrepresent the true status of repair work and the ownership of vehicles. Judge Fleissig determined that Johnson intended to cause financial losses of $315,142. He was ordered Thursday to repay victims. The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mannie Lamar Terry, also known as “Primo” and “J,” 37, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced today to two years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2023, Terry sold approximately 4.5 grams of fentanyl for $300 to a confidential informant in Beckley. Terry admitted to that transaction and to selling approximately 4.5 grams of fentanyl for $300 to the confidential informant in Beckley on March 13, 2023. Terry has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for assault with intent to do great bodily harm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and multiple controlled substance possession offenses. 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. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Brian D. Parsons prosecuted 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-59. ###


title: California Corrections Officer Charged with Federal Conspiracy and Civil Rights Violations

body_text: A federal grand jury in Fresno, California, returned an indictment today charging California State Prison-Corcoran Correctional Officer Raquel Mosqueda and inmate Jimmie Carter with conspiracy and a federal civil rights violation. The indictment alleges that, on or about April 20, 2022, Mosqueda and Carter conspired to violate the Eighth Amendment right to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment of J.M., an inmate at California State Prison-Corcoran. The indictment also charges Mosqueda with depriving J.M. of the same right, while acting under color of law, by facilitating Carter’s planned attack on J.M. If convicted, Mosqueda and Carter both face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy count. Mosqueda also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the federal civil rights violation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California and Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Sacramento Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Felon Who Assaulted Pregnant Teenager with a Gun  Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A felon who used a gun to assault a pregnant teenager was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison. Diago Davis, age 51, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a July 15, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Evidence at sentencing showed that on February 3, 2024, law enforcement officers searched Davis’s residence in Hiawatha, Iowa, where officers found a loaded firearm that Davis knowingly possessed. Earlier in the day, Davis had assaulted a pregnant teenage victim with that same firearm because he mistakenly thought she had taken his PlayStation 5. Davis has multiple drug‑related felony convictions. Davis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Davis was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Davis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Hiawatha Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-41. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mt. Vernon, Iowa, Resident Sentenced to Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography Charge

body_text: Brian Nathaniel Marshall, a resident of Mt. Vernon, who received child pornography was sentenced December 18, 2024 to 72 months in federal prison. Marshall possessed and received child pornography and had these images on both his phone and computer. As described in Marshall’s plea agreement, the images possessed by Marshall included images of prepubescent minors. Marshall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Marshall was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $27,000 in restitution to nine identified victims who were used to produce child pornography and requested restitution for damages they suffered. There is no parole in the federal system. Marshall is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, and the Mt. Vernon Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR- 00025. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Jefferson County felon sentenced for federal gun violation

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Kemien Sharod Taylor, 51, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 19, 2024. According to information presented in court, in November of 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence on 12 th Street in Port Arthur, where Taylor had previously sold crack cocaine. During the search, Taylor directed officers to a firearm in a bedroom closet. The firearm had been reported stolen in Houston. In addition to the stolen firearm, detectives also located a quantity of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia to include Pyrex mixing bowls with cocaine residue and digital scales with cocaine residue. Further investigation revealed Taylor to be a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn. ###


title: Three Indicted In Medicaid Fraud Conspiracy Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A 13-count indictment charges three defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering of proceeds derived from fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between March 2018 and July 2024, Shawn Ashley Grygo, 37, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, Shantel Rene Magadanz, 34, of Stacy, Minnesota, and Heather Lynn Heim, 46, of St. Paul, Minnesota, devised and carried out a health care fraud scheme to systematically overbill for drug and alcohol treatment services. The defendants used an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center called Evergreen Recovery, Inc. to defraud Medicaid and other health care programs by billing for treatment that was not provided, services that were not eligible for reimbursement, and billing for treatment services clients were required to attend as a mandatory condition of remaining in free housing provided as a kickback. According to court documents, in order to maximize the amount of fraudulent Medicaid claims, the defendants used free housing in Evergreen-controlled “sober” homes as a kickback to induce clients to enroll and remain in Evergreen Recovery treatment so that the defendants could use those clients’ names and identifying information to overbill Medicaid. In order to induce Medicaid-eligible patients to enroll in the program, the defendants recruited people from homeless shelters and encampments, residential drug treatment programs, and county probation offices looking for places to put people being released from jail. As part of their conspiracy scheme, the defendants told clients at intake – and repeatedly throughout their stay – that their entitlement to free housing was contingent on their attendance at least five group counseling sessions per week and a weekly individual session with their primary counselor. If a client’s attendance fell short of the requirement, the defendants and others threatened clients with being locked out of free housing and having their belongings put on the curb, all in order to compel utilization of services. According to court documents, the conspiracy scheme also involved fraudulent practices designed to facilitate overbilling for group counseling, one-on-one counseling, and treatment coordination services. As part of their scheme, the defendants created and caused to be created electronic health record chart entries weeks or months after the purported date of services. On at least one occasion, the defendants and others stayed at the office all night before a visit by licensing regulators in order to create hundreds of untimely chart entries. The defendants also hired Peer Coaches and directed them to log their time and activities in a manner that misrepresented the circumstances under which they were interacting with clients in order to facilitate systematic overbilling. Grygo, Magadanz, and Heim are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. Grygo is also being charged with three counts of money laundering. Grygo is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday, December 23, 2024. Magadanz and Heim made their initial appearances on December 19, 2024, and were released on conditions, including a condition prohibiting contact with former clients and employees of Evergreen Recovery and its related entities. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) at the Attorney General’s office for their assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp is prosecuting the case. 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: Jury Finds Maryland Man Guilty of Stalking, Threatening, and Shooting at Ex-Girlfriends

body_text: WASHINGTON – Nahvarj Mills, 31, of Brandywine, Maryland, was found guilty today of 24 counts related to cyberstalking, disseminating sexually explicit photos, and multiple shootings involving two victims. The jury verdict, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Mills dated both victims at various points in 2022 and 2023. Each victim ended their relationship with Mills. Between November 2023 and January 2024, Mills, angry about the break-ups, stalked both women by sending them threatening text messages, calling them hundreds of times, and showing up to their homes and places of employment unannounced. Mills went to both victims’ houses and spread sexually explicit images of them on their lawns. He repeated this conduct at one victim’s home multiple times, spreading the photos outside her home, where her neighbors were able to see the images. He subsequently created a fake Instagram account that appeared to belong to the victim and disseminated the victim’s sexually explicit images to numerous individuals via Instagram. Mills ultimately enlisted the help of a friend to shoot at one victim’s home on multiple occasions. The jury found Mills guilty of multiple counts of cyberstalking, unlawful publication, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C.’s Criminal Investigation Unit, the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Marco Crocetti, and Caroline Burrell are prosecuting this case. The prosecution team received valuable assistance from Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fox-Moles, Paralegal Specialists Melissa Macechko, Elizabeth Rives, and Tiffany Jones, Victim-Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant, Rogers Dickerson, and Tonya Jones, and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling. ## 24cr332


title: Houston armed felon sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Derrick Wayne Roberson, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 19, 2024. According to information presented in court, beginning in 2023, law enforcement conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating out of Houston and into East Texas. Roberson was found to be a member of that organization and a distributor of methamphetamine, heroin, a fentanyl analogue, as well as a firearms trafficker. As a member of the organization Roberson would transport contraband from the Houston area to East Texas and distribute the contraband. Over the course of the investigation, Roberson sold not only large amounts of methamphetamine, but also fentanyl and a firearms, including a firearm equipped with a “glock switch.” A glock switch allows for a handgun to be fired as a fully automatic weapon, making it a machine gun. Roberson has previous felony convictions for robbery, felony theft, and evading law enforcement with a motor vehicle. As a felon, he is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations, and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter. ###


title: Jury Finds Convicted Killer Guilty of Racketeering in 2017 Robbery that Resulted in Death of Swim Coach

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Green, 38, of Washington D.C., was found guilty today of racketeering and other counts in connection with a 2017 shooting in Southwest that led to the death of a swim coach. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Chief Marc Yamada of the Montgomery County Police Department, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s Police Department, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Following a 12-day re-trial, the jury found Green, 38, aka “Twin,” guilty of RICO conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2025. In 2021, Green was found guilty of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted robbery while armed, and robbery, for his action in the same shooting. According to the government’s evidence, Green was a core member of a criminal organization that operated in the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Maryland, and elsewhere, primarily making money through a series of armed robberies. Green’s actions in Southeast Washington on April 9, 2017, led to the death of 25-year-old Zaan Scott. Mr. Scott, a coach at the Eastern Market pool, was on his way home from swim lessons when Green attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Mr. Scott died on May 17, 2017, of a blood clot that the medical examiner determined was a result of the shooting. Green also was found guilty of firing gunshots at another victim on Feb. 23, 2017. Green has been detained since his arrest in April 2017. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Michael Liebman. 19cr0019


title: Man Pleads Guilty To Destroying Public Land In Los Padres National Forest Stemming From Unlawful Marijuana Cultivation

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – Jacinto Correa Cruz, 56, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in federal court this week to one count of depredation against federal lands and one count of manufacture of, and possession with intent to manufacture and distribute, marijuana plants, stemming from his participation in a large-scale illegal cannabis cultivation operation in the Los Padres National Forest. As part of his plea agreement entered on Dec. 17, 2024, Correa Cruz admitted to damaging federal property by willfully participating in an illegal marijuana grow operation on public lands and knowingly manufacturing marijuana plants. According to court documents, Correa Cruz was arrested in July 2022 during a multi-agency search of a large-scale marijuana cultivation complex in an area of the Los Padres National Forest known as the “Ventana Complex.” The complex is located in the Ventana Wilderness region of the national forest, a federally protected area that is known as a top “biodiversity hotspot” and is home to more threatened and endangered species than any other national forest in California. The search and investigation of the cultivation site where Correa Cruz was arrested revealed two plots that had been cleared of most native vegetation to make way for approximately 10,000 marijuana plants. Law enforcement also discovered a camp area with a tent and 15 sleeping bags, and a kitchen area with thousands of pounds of trash and dead animal parts. Significant quantities of hazardous materials and chemicals were also found on site. The illegal marijuana grow also had an irrigation system with two large water structures fed by a hose that was diverting water from a natural source. An environmental damage assessment found that the illegal operation diverted and used approximately 33,780 gallons of water a day in an area that was experiencing severe drought conditions. Furthermore, highly toxic and illegal chemicals, such as carbofuran, methamidophos, and diphacinone, were found on site and detected in the soil and water. These pesticides are known to have killed sensitive and endangered wildlife species throughout California. Fixing the environmental damage to this area cost over $92,540 per site and required a multi-step process spanning over a year. “The illegal cultivation of marijuana on public land poses significant environmental risks to public lands and wildlife that must be combatted. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who abuse natural resources and harm the environment while illegally growing marijuana on federal land,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Disrupting and dismantling the illegal cultivation of marijuana on federal lands remains a top priority for the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations team. We are committed to protecting our nation’s valuable resources for future generations and ensuring our national forests are safe for recreational use. This allows the public to enjoy these spaces without concerns for their health and safety. Our efforts would not have been possible without the strong cooperation of our partners at the Integral Ecology Research Center, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Brandon Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement and Investigations, Pacific Southwest Region. “Jacinto Correa Cruz helped poison the pristine lands of the Los Padres National Forest,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “He now stands accountable for the damage that will take years to heal. We will continue to stand firm with our federal, state, and local partners to keep our lands safe and prevent further depredation.” Correa Cruz has been in federal custody since Aug. 22, 2022. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2025, before the Honorable Eumi K. Lee, United States District Judge. Defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty for each offense of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, plus restitution. Any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant United States Attorney Anne C. Hsieh is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by USFS and the FBI, with assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.