title: Retired New Jersey Doctor Sentenced for Selling Toxic DNP Online and Faking Cancer Diagnosis to Avoid Trial

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that William Merlino, 85, of Mays Landing, NJ, was sentenced to thirty-three months in prison and one year of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for selling misbranded drugs online and obstruction of justice. The chemical 2,4-Dinitrophenol (“DNP”) has a variety of industrial and commercial uses, such as herbicides, dyes, and wood preservatives. In the 1930s, before federal law required drugs to be proven safe before they were marketed, DNP was used as a weight-loss drug despite significant adverse side effects, including dehydration, cataracts, liver damage, and death. Owing to DNP’s toxicity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has never approved DNP for human consumption. A year-long investigation by the FDA revealed that Merlino, a retired physician, packaged and sold DNP for human consumption as a weight-loss drug, and that he used Twitter to advertise, eBay to sell, and email to communicate with customers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Merlino operated his online business out of his home from at least November 2017 until March 2019, and earned approximately $54,000 from his sales of DNP to hundreds of customers. A search warrant executed at the defendant's residence recovered bulk DNP, packaging and encapsulating materials, and a pill press. In December 2019, Merlino was charged with one count of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce in connection with operating his illegal business, and in August of 2021, while under indictment and awaiting trial on the misbranding charge, he faked a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in order to avoid trial. Based on forged medical records and doctor’s letters submitted to the court, Merlino’s trial was delayed several months. When the obstruction was discovered in January 2022, he was charged with obstructing justice and detained. In August 2022, Merlino was convicted at trial of the misbranding charge, and subsequently pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge in January 2023. During the trial, a witness from the shipping service the defendant used to ship the drug to customers testified that they referred to Merlino among their colleagues as “the yellow man,” owing to the fact that every time he would bring in a package to ship, they would see yellow dust from the chemical on his skin, nails, and clothes. At sentencing, the government presented evidence that a customer in the U.K. died of DNP toxicity after ingesting pills he purchased from Merlino, who knew that DNP was toxic to humans and illegal to market as a drug. “Misbranding and selling a toxic chemical not fit for human consumption as a diet drug places the public at grave and obvious risk,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant’s deliberate, dangerous, and deceptive conduct in this case was egregious, and resulted in the tragic loss of a life. His faking having cancer to avoid accountability in our justice system only underscores his shocking contempt for the law.” “Distributing unapproved and potentially toxic drugs under false labeling and in a deliberate attempt to avoid regulatory scrutiny endangers consumers who are in many cases desperate for treatment,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “The fact a medical professional was involved makes the situation ever more troubling. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health.” The cases were investigated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, U. S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) Atlantic City under the HSI Newark office and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joan Burnes.


title: Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRIS BAO NGUYEN (“NGUYEN”) , age 30, of Marrero, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 30, 2023 for receipt of child pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to documents filed in federal court, the case against NGUYEN resulted from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) CyberTip report to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”). Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents along with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and LBI executed a federal search warrant at NGUYEN’s home in Marrero. HSI’s investigation determined NGUYEN received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. United States District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced NGUYEN to 5 years imprisonment, 15 years supervised release, registratio0n as a sex offender, and $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Murder of a U.S. Postal Service Employee

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Tony Cushingberry, 24, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to court documents, on April 27, 2020, at approximately 3:57 p.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers were called to North Denny Street in Indianapolis in reference to a person shot. Officers arrived at the scene and located a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, later identified as Angela Summers, shot and laying on the front porch of the residence. Ms. Summers was working as a letter carrier and was delivering mail on her route at the time she was shot. Cushingberry was sitting on his porch when he watched Summers walk past his house and proceed to the next residence. Cushingberry aggressively approached Summers on the neighbor’s porch and demanded his mail several times. Cushingberry continued to pursue Summers while displaying a handgun, eventually pulling it from the right side of his waistband and shooting Summers in the chest from several feet away. Cushingberry immediately fled the scene and stashed the gun in the detached garage of a nearby residence. On April 27, 2020, United States Postal Inspectors and IMPD Officers searched Cushingberry’ s home and located a safe that contained multiple boxes of ammunition, including the same caliber and brand of fired cartridge casing matching the Glock he used. Summers was transported to Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 5:31pm that evening. “Angela Summers was a beloved family member and public servant, and she should be alive today. She was taken from those who cared for her by the defendant’s evil decision to gun her down while she was simply doing her job,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our communities should not have to live in fear of every conflict leading to gun violence. No term of imprisonment will bring Angela back, but the sentence imposed today demonstrates that those who kill will face judgment and accountability. I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, IMPD, and our federal prosecutors for their efforts to seek justice in this case.” “The safety and security of Postal Service employees and customers is core to the mission of the Postal Inspection Service. This tragic death is a tremendous example of how local and federal partners joined together to investigate and bring to justice Tony Cushingberry, who senselessly took the life of our colleague. This sentence should serve as a warning to others who commit violent acts against Postal Service employees that Postal Inspectors will aggressively investigate and seek to have those individuals sentenced to the maximum extent possible” said Detroit Division Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins. “Angela Summers did not deserve to be killed for doing her job,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “My condolences go out to her family, friends, and colleagues, and I hope that this sentence at least provides a measure of closure for them.” United States Postal Inspection Service, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Cushingberry be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jayson W. McGrath and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Tyler Pollender-Savery Sentenced for Firearm Crime

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Tyler Pollender-Savery, 28, of Ludlow, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday in the United States District Court in Rutland to a time-served sentence following his guilty plea to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of controlled substances. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered that Pollender-Savery serve two years of supervised release. According to court documents, on December 10, 2018, Pollender-Savery was arrested and charged in state court in Windsor County, Vermont with second-degree murder in connection with the homicide of an infant. Following a jury trial in October 2022, the defendant was acquitted of those charges. As part of the investigation into the homicide, law enforcement searched Pollender-Savery’s residence and recovered nine firearms belonging to Pollender-Savery. Investigation further established that Pollender-Savery used both cocaine and marijuana in and around the time he possessed these firearms, and that he had assaulted someone with a firearm while using controlled substances. This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Wendy L. Fuller represented the government. David Sleigh, Esq. represented Pollender-Savery. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Santo Domingo Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of Minor, Receipt of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Jordian Pacheco was arraigned on an indictment charging him with sexual abuse of a minor and receipt of child pornography. Pacheco, 32, of Santo Domingo Pueblo, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Pacheco on May 24. According to the indictment and other court records, on Jan. 10, 2021, officers from the Navajo Police Department (NPD) responded to a call from a woman reporting that a man was hiding in the closet of her minor daughter, identified in court records as Jane Doe. When officers arrived at the residence, they located Pacheco. He provided officers with the name “Scott Nieto” and told them he was 18-years old and his mother had dropped him off at Jane Doe’s home. Pacheco was detained and transported to Window Rock Adult Detention Center. NPD officers located an unknown vehicle outside Jane Doe’s residence and towed it. When they ran the plates, it came back as belonging to Pacheco. Officers spoke to Pacheco again who confirmed that he had given them false identification. Pacheco told NPD officers that he had met Jane Doe on Tik Tok a year before and that he knew she was a minor. During the interview Pacheco claimed to have lost his phone. Upon his release from Window Rock Adult Detention Center on Jan. 11, 2021, Pacheco gained access to his vehicle to retrieve his cellphone, however NPD intercepted him and seized his phone and 8 other devices located in the vehicle. NPS obtained a search warrant for the devices and extracted information which included sexually explicit conversations with and photos of Jane Doe, as well as other minors. Based on the evidence, the FBI expanded their search for additional minor victims of Pacheco who he contacted through social media between 2014 and 2018. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Pacheco faces up to 20 years in prison. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-118


title: Louisville Man Charged With Transporting Minors Across State Lines With Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued last week charging Brian Anthony Sauer, 44, of Louisville, Kentucky, with transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court records, during the late hours of May 7, 2023, going into May 8, 2023, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Sauer transported three minor girls who had run away from a residential care facility in Louisville, Kentucky, to Clarksville, Indiana, and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with the girls. Sauer ultimately drove all three girls to a trailer park in the southwest area of Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he left them, on May 10, 2023. Sauer made his initial appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Sauer remains in federal custody and is scheduled for preliminary and detention hearings in the U.S. Gene Snyder Courthouse on Monday, June 5, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. If convicted, Sauer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and maximum potential penalties of life in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the case. 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.” 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: Dominican Man Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jonathan Alcequiez-Sanchez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Woodlock to one year and one day in prison, followed by a period of one year supervised release. Alcequiez-Sanchez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Jan. 31, 2023, Alcequiez-Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Alcequiez-Sanchez was deported from the United States on Sept. 18, 2018, after being arrested in the Bronx, N.Y. for unlawful entry. Sometime after his September 2018 removal, Alcequiez-Sanchez illegally reentered the United States. On or about Dec. 27, 2021, Alcequiez-Sanchez was convicted in Lawrence District Court of drug distribution and weapons charges for which he was sentenced to serve jail time at the Essex County House of Corrections. Alcequiez-Sanchez was taken into federal custody upon his release on Nov. 15, 2022. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Leader of Boston Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man responsible for leading a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced yesterday for heroin and fentanyl conspiracy charges and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his organization. Mujab Mubarak, a/k/a “Big Homie,” a/k/a “Easy,” a/k/a “E,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release. On March 3, 2023, Mubarak pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and one count of use and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. As part of the plea agreement, Mubarak agreed to forfeit $360,000 in cash, two motorcycles, a truck and multiple luxury watches that were purchased with proceeds of the drug trafficking organization. In total, the value of the forfeited property is approximately $523,000. Mubarak was responsible for a large DTO and employed multiple lower-level co-conspirators as part of his distribution network. Recordings obtained during the course of the investigation captured Mubarak describing the scope and extent of his drug trafficking operation. A cooperating witness made over 20 recorded purchases of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine from subordinates of Mubarak. Mubarak also discussed employing the cooperating witness as a distributor and explained the business in detail. Additionally, Mubarak was captured on a recording discussing a 2017 shooting incident where he targeted a former co-conspirator because he believed the co-conspirator had stolen the DTO’s drug money. Mubarak explained that the co-conspirator was transporting cash through Logan airport on behalf of Mubarak’s DTO and that the co-conspirator claimed that the money was seized by police, which was in fact true. When the co-conspirator failed to provide satisfactory proof of the seizure, Mubarak stated on recording that he located the co-conspirator and shot him. Police and medical records showed that the co-conspirator was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his back. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Boston Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Mallard of Levy’s Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 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: MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving a Violent Murder and for Drug Distribution and Firearms Violations

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced El Salvadoran national Jose Lopez Rivera, age 27, of Elmont, New York, formerly residing in Maryland, to 26 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy involving a violent murder connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13, and for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Chief Deputy, Colonel David Benjamin of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy. MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Since at least 2015, Lopez Rivera was a member of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) MS-13 clique. At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations, and reputation, including “ mata, viola, controla ,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ ver, oir y callar ,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position. As detailed in his plea agreement, on August 31, 2015, while Lopez Rivera and other MS-13 gang members were drinking in Wheaton, Maryland, they went to a coffee shop where they saw Victim 5. Victim 5 was wearing Nike Cortez sneakers, which according to MS-13 rules, were only to be worn by gang members. A MS-13 member had previously warned Victim 5 about wearing those sneakers. As they walked past Victim 5, he spit on one of the gang members who then punched Victim 5 in the mouth. Victim 5 threw a beer at one of the MS-13 gang members and ran. Lopez Rivera and another gang member chased Victim 5 away from the coffee shop and Victim 5 was then stabbed to death. Following the murder, the gang members reported to their leadership that they had killed a rival gang member. According to his plea agreement, on July 22, 2021, investigators searched an apartment in Elmont, New York, where Lopez Rivera was living at the time and recovered a shotgun, ammunition, and a brick of packed white powder, which tested positive for cocaine. Lopez Rivera admitted that he possessed the cocaine to distribute it and possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug distribution. Further, Lopez Rivera knew that he was in the United States illegally and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in this and related cases. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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 is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI; HSI; ATF; the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in these investigations, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and Anatoly Smolkin, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Tampa Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 30 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Dempsey Gilmore (32, Tampa) to 30 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Gilmore to forfeit an HS Produkt (Springfield Armory) model XDM-45 .45 caliber pistol and ammunition, which were used in the commission of the offenses. A federal jury had found Gilmore guilty on March 9, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 9, 2022, an officer from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) observed a red Dodge Charger fail to stop for a stop sign and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled at speeds over 100 miles per hour. A TPD Air Support Unit tracked and recorded the vehicle as it fled from the police, ultimately stopping near a residence, where the driver and passenger got out, scaled a fence, and ran into a house. During the flight, the air unit recorded the vehicle temporarily stopping and its occupants throwing items from the car. TPD officers arrived at that location and, along the side of the road, found a bag containing almost 200 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, a zip-top bag labeled “Dempsey,” and a fully loaded firearm (pictured below). They also found a box with bags of marijuana and a digital scale nearby. After obtaining a search warrant for the house where the suspects had entered, officers ordered the occupants to exit the home. Several individuals immediately complied, but Gilmore and another man initially remained in the house before ultimately coming out. Officers found a security video from the house showing Gilmore and the other man running into the residence and located more marijuana inside the Dodge Charger that had been abandoned near the residence. A fingerprint recovered from the vehicle matched that of Gilmore. Gilmore wad previously convicted of multiple felonies, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and escape. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman. 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: Mountain View Resident Sentenced To 12.5 Years In Prison For Enticing Children To Engage In Production Of Pornography

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Christopher Raymond Campbell was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for possessing, and enticing children to engage in the production of, child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge. Campbell, 37, of Mountain View, pleaded guilty to the charges on January 17, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Campbell admitted that, between March of 2021 and March of 2022, he corresponded with multiple minors through social media platforms using his iPhone and other electronic devices. Campbell admitted he often used aliases and screennames to dupe his victims into taking sexually explicit photos of themselves and sending the images to him. For example, Campbell admitted he presented himself as a young female, and then talked to victims he knew to be young girls; by pretending to be a girl, he would gain the trust of his victims and persuade them to send him pornographic photographs and videos of themselves. Similarly, Campbell acknowledged he sometimes pretended to be other individuals to make his victims think they were talking to multiple different people; Campbell then pressured the minors into creating sexually explicit images of themselves. Campbell acknowledged in his plea agreement that he sometimes used a recording function on his phone to take and save live video of his communications with the minor females. He also admitted he gave his victims instructions on how to take the photos, including coaching them while they masturbated or, in the case of one victim (who was 9 years old), instructing her to insert various objects into her vagina despite the pain it caused her. Campbell admitted he enticed one minor to send him at least 10 videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that another minor victim (estimated to be between 10 and 14 years old) sent him videos including one showing her breasts and pubic region. On August 25, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Campbell, charging him with one count each of coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b); receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b); and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). Campbell pleaded guilty to the possession charge and the coercion and enticement of a minor charge. Judge Chhabria dismissed the receipt of child pornography charge at sentencing. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria also ordered Campbell to serve 60 months of supervised release—to begin after his prison term. Judge Chhabria ordered Campbell to begin serving his prison term on July 28, 2023. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Yeh is prosecuting the case with assistance from Lakisha Holliman and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Connection with Scheme to Obtain More Than $550,000 In Fraudulent COVID-19 Cares Act Loans

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Lawrence A. Walker, age 63, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, for fraudulently obtaining more than $262,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), intended to provide financial assistance to small businesses under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department. According to the plea agreement, from March 2021 through December 2021, Walker and a co-conspirator engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a PPP loan for Walker’s business, Nutscola Street Promotions, LLC (“Nutscola”). Walker was the owner and resident agent, but Nutscola had no employees at the time and was not in operation. As detailed in the plea agreement, on March 21, 2021, Walker and his co-conspirator submitted a PPP loan application that contained multiple misrepresentations, including that Nutscola had 13 employees and an average monthly payroll of $104,900.87. Walker and his co-conspirator fabricated a tax form and a February 2020 bank statement purportedly from Nutscola’s business account which were submitted in support of the loan application. Walker opened the Nutscola bank account on March 6, 2021, as part of the fraud scheme. Based on the false representations and fraudulent documentation, the PPP loan was funded and approximately $262,252 in loan proceeds was distributed to the Nutscola bank account. After receiving the loan proceeds, Walker provided his co-conspirator with a kickback for his work in obtaining the loan—two checks totaling $78,000, which was approximately 30% of the loan amount. Walker and his co-conspirator knew that, under the PPP rules, interest and principal on a PPP loan were eligible for forgiveness, if the business spent the loan proceeds on permissible items within a designated period of time and used a certain portion of the loan toward payroll expenses. To make it appear that the PPP loan funds were being used for legitimate purposes, on March 30, 2021, Walker signed an agreement with a payroll processor to provide payments using the PPP funds to purported employees of Nutscola, including Walker, his brother, and various other friends and associates. Use of the payroll services also created documentation that could be used to substantiate a request for the PPP loan to be forgiven. According to the plea agreement, a total of $159,000 in sham payroll payments were made using funds traceable to the PPP loan obtained by Walker and Nutscola. None of the purported employees were actually employed by Nutscola and several of the purported employees provided the funds directly back to Walker. Walker used the loan proceeds to purchase a Mercedes-Benz automobile valued at more than $76,000 and to lease and fully furnish a luxury apartment in downtown Baltimore that overlooked Camden Yards baseball stadium. Neither use of the funds was permissible under PPP rules. On December 31, 2021, Walker’s co-conspirator also fraudulently applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the CARES Act on behalf of Walker and Nutscola. The fraudulent EIDL loan did not close. On April 26, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Walker’s residence and seized multiple electronic devices, including Walker’s phone, as well as over $30,000 in cash hidden in a garbage bag inside a heater in Walker’s bedroom. The $30,000 in cash constituted fraudulently obtained PPP funds. Walker has made no payments in connection with the PPP loan obtained for Nutscola, and the entire PPP loan amount of $262,252 remains outstanding. As part of his plea agreement, Walker must forfeit the cash seized during the search, the Mercedes-Benz, and pay a money judgment of $262,252. Walker must also pay restitution of $262,252. Walker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 31, 2023. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of three strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case. He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber. 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 . # # #


title: Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Over $150,000 in Official Funds

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to a Bill of Information charging her with Federal Program Theft. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. Miller’s scheme began on or about July 1, 2018, and continued through in or about September 2022. In all, Miller embezzled, stole, and converted to her personal use more than $150,000 in official funds. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.


title: Fair Haven Residents Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Gun Possession Offenses

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on May 31, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against John Muzzy, 32, of Fair Haven, Vermont, and Rebecca Ross, 39, also of Fair Haven, Vermont. The indictment charges Muzzy with three counts of distribution, and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base, and one count of being a user of unlawful controlled substances in possession of a firearm. Ross is charged in one count of distribution of cocaine base. Muzzy will be arraigned on the indictment on June 2, 2023, and Ross will be arraigned on June 5, 2023. Both hearings will be before Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. According to court records and proceedings, in September 2022, a confidential source (CS) told the Vermont Drug Task Force (VDTF) that they could buy cocaine base from Muzzy. Thereafter, on September 23, 2022 and October 27, 2022, the CS purchased cocaine base from Muzzy. The CS negotiated with Muzzy a third time to buy cocaine base, on May 3, 2023. When the CS went to Muzzy’s residence to make the purchase, the CS purchased the drugs from Ross instead of Muzzy, who told the CS that “I’m the businesswoman” when the CS said that they wanted to deal with Muzzy. On May 19, 2023, VDTF executed a search warrant at the residence where Muzzy and Ross lived in Fair Haven. During the search, approximately 20 firearms and a quantity of cocaine base was seized. Muzzy was located at the property in a vehicle in which cocaine base and two firearms were found. Muzzy admitted to being a drug user and said that the cocaine base and firearms found in the vehicle were his. Ross was also arrested during execution of the search. She admitted to distributing drugs for money. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fair Haven, Vermont Police Department in the investigation of Muzzy and Ross. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the prosecution of Muzzy and Ross. Muzzy is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven L. Barth and Ross is represented by Karen R. Shingler, Esq. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Founding Member Of New York’s Largest Latin Kings Set Sentenced To 27 Years In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DIEGO MATEO, a/k/a “Casa,” was sentenced to 27 years in prison in connection with his participation in the Black Mob set of the Latin Kings and their distribution of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. MATEO pled guilty on February 23, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For two decades, Mateo ran the largest and most violent set of the Latin Kings in the New York area. He recruited hundreds of young men into his gang and used them to run a massive drug operation that committed countless acts of violence. Today’s sentencing — along with the other significant sentences that have been imposed in this case — proves that gang life is not glamorous and will lead to years in prison.” According to public filings and statements made in court: The Black Mob is a New York-based set, or “tribe,” of the nationwide Latin Kings gang. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms. MATEO was the highest-ranking member of the Black Mob. He founded the gang in 2002 and then grew the Black Mob into the largest Latin Kings set in the New York area with a power base built on massive amounts of drug trafficking and a reputation for violence. Prior to the instant prosecution, the Black Mob had approximately 300 members. The fear and power wielded by the Black Mob amplified MATEO’s own personal reputation, making him, at one point, the highest-ranking Latin King in the entire East Coast. As the leader of the Black Mob, MATEO oversaw the Black Mob’s operations and also ordered and participated in acts of violence and narcotics trafficking. This violence included multiple arsons and a November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral that was ordered by MATEO. Three of the deceased’s family members were shot. In December 2019, 17 members and associates of the Black Mob were charged with racketeering offenses, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses. In April 2021, seven additional members and associates of the gang were charged, including MATEO. The defendants in this case have included the entire senior leadership of the gang and its most violent members. In addition to today’s sentencing of MATEO, the sentences of the Black Mob leadership have included CARMELO VELEZ (228 months in prison), CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ (210 months in prison), ANGEL LOPEZ (240 months in prison), LUIS SEPULVEDA (180 months in prison), EMMANUEL BONAFE (216 months in prison), MARK WOODS (228 months in prison), WILLIAM GONZALEZ (204 months in prison), ALBERTO BORGES (204 months in prison), RICARDO RICUARTE (168 months in prison), JUAN HERNANDEZ (192 months in prison), RAUL CUELLO (168 months in prison), and PAUL CUELLO (168 months in prison). MATEO pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics. In connection with his guilty plea, MATEO further stipulated to his involvement in multiple acts of violence: the November 18, 2012, shooting at a gang rival’s funeral and a 2016 arson of a commercial wedding venue in Connecticut. * * * In addition to the prison term, MATEO, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hobson, David Robles, Elinor Tarlow, and Patrick Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Asheville Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Federal Firearms Offense

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Danquon Shermaine Brown, 32, of Asheville, to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a firearms offense, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement. According to court documents filed in the case and the sentencing hearing, in 2014, Brown was convicted in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Brown’s federal conviction prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Court records show that in February 2022, officers with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) received information that Brown, who at the time was staying at Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel and Casino in Cherokee, had outstanding arrest warrants in Buncombe County. On February 16, 2022, Brown checked out of the hotel. On the same day, CIPD officers arrested Brown after they stopped his vehicle near Highway 19 in Cherokee. Over the course of the arrest, CIPD officers recovered from Brown a handgun which was loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition. On March 1, 2023, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the Cherokee Indian Police Department and the ATF for their assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: 19-Year-Old Woman Charged for Assaulting TSA Officers

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ma’Kiah Cherae Coleman, 19, of Glendale, Arizona, was indicted on May 17, 2023, by a federal grand jury in Phoenix. The six-count indictment included three counts of assault on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and three counts of Interference with Airport Security Screening Personnel. The indictment alleges that, at approximately 6:00 a.m. on April 25, 2023, at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, Coleman interfered with TSA officers who were conducting security screenings at Security Checkpoint D of Terminal 4. The indictment further alleges that during her interference with TSA officers, Coleman inflicted bodily injury on two TSA officers; specifically, she grabbed one officer by the hair, forcing the officer’s head down against a table, and hitting the officer in the head multiple times, and elbowed the other TSA officer in the head. Coleman also is alleged to have bit the hair of a third TSA officer who had come to the aid of the other two officers who were struggling with Coleman during the altercation. Each conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer resulting in Bodily Injury carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Assault on a Federal Officer with contact and during the commission of another felony carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each conviction for Interference with Airport Security Screening Personnel carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Coleman has been released from detention on personal recognizance with conditions pending trial. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Glenn McCormick, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 23-00780-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-080_M. Coleman # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Former Credit Union Assistant Branch Manager in Tulare Arrested for Stealing over $60,000 from Members’ Accounts to Spend on TikTok

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Esther Andrade Olson, 48, of Hanford, was arrested today on the charge that she embezzled over $60,000 from multiple members’ accounts at a Tulare-based credit union where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Olson began working at the credit union in 2005 and was promoted to assistant branch manager in 2019. In July and August 2022, Olson made several unauthorized withdrawals from four members’ accounts, including seven withdrawals totaling $35,000 from one member. When questioned by credit union officials, Olson abruptly resigned from her position. Court documents indicate that Olson was using some of the embezzled funds to promote herself on TikTok. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chan Hee Chu and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Olson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million 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: Registered Sex Offender Charged With Coercion And Enticement Of 15-Year-Old In Orange County

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today an Indictment charging CURTIS ELLINGTON with enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and committing this offense while being a registered sex offender. ELLINGTON was arrested in Kansas on April 27, 2023, and detained pending his transfer to White Plains federal court. Today, ELLINGTON was arraigned in White Plains and detained. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Curtis Ellington, a convicted rapist, was allegedly undeterred by his previous involvement with the criminal justice system. This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. We will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have sexually exploited children. We encourage anyone who may have additional information into Curtis Ellington’s conduct to please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.” As alleged in the Complaint filed on April 26, 2023, and the Indictment filed on May 24, 2023, in White Plains federal court: [1] CURTIS ELLINGTON was convicted on or about January 12, 2007, in Orange County Court of Rape in the First Degree: Intercourse with A Person Less Than 11 Years Old and sentenced to seven years in prison. As a result of this conviction, ELLINGTON is required to register as a sex offender. On or about April 7, 2023, ELLINGTON slept at the home of a 15-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) and, while there, engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1. Prior to engaging in sexual activity with Victim-1, ELLINGTON and Victim-1 engaged in numerous communications via Instagram in which ELLINGTON, who used the Instagram screen name “Godson,” discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with Victim-1. * * * ELLINGTON, 33, of Junction City, Kansas, is charged in Count One with enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and in Count Two with engaging in this offense while a registered sex offender. Count One carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Count Two carries a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison, which must be imposed to run consecutive to any sentence imposed in connection with Count One. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing. Mr. Williams requests that any individuals who have information with respect to CURTIS ELLINGTON contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, and the Middletown Police Department in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint and the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and Indictment and the description of the Complaint and Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. u.s._v._ellington_complaint.pdf u.s._v._ellington_indictment.pdf


title: Chesapeake Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 36 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, Jonathan Wilson, 35, was identified as the result of parallel investigations by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Chesapeake Police Department. In early 2022, HSI identified Wilson after Belgian authorities reported he was distributing CSAM to a citizen in Belgium. Chesapeake Police found Wilson after Kik, a social media platform, reported he was uploading CSAM to his account. HSI and Chesapeake Police joined forces and executed a search warrant at Wilson’s residence in Chesapeake. Wilson was found to have been sexually abusing and filming the abuse of a toddler over a period of two years, from when the child was two years old to when she was four years old. Wilson was immediately arrested by Chesapeake Police and later by HSI. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C.; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 www.justice.gov/psc. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-45.


title: Rapid City Brothers Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has convicted Elias Condon, age 24, and Jordan Condon, age 22, both of Rapid City, South Dakota, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a two-day court trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on May 24, 2023. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Elias Condon and Jordan Condon were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021. During their involvement in the conspiracy, the brothers made multiple trips to the Denver, Colorado, area where they purchased methamphetamine. They then returned to South Dakota and distributed the methamphetamine to others to further sell or use. Several times the defendants brought firearms to trade for the methamphetamine. Two co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty to their involvement. Edward Ybarra was sentenced to 15 ½ years in federal prison on March 3, 2023. Ramon Morales-Padilla will be sentenced on July 21, 2023. This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), which is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing dates are pending. The defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: “Crips” Gang Member Receives More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Conviction After Leading Law Enforcement on a High-Speed Chase and Crashing His Car

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Darrell Koonce, 36, of Kinston, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He pled guilty to the charge on February 22, 2023. According to court documents and other information presented in court, on July 6, 2021, Koonce was stopped for erratic driving after he was observed leaving a known drug location in Kinston. When the Kinston Police Detectives approached the vehicle, they observed an odor of marijuana. During a search of the car, detectives located 40 grams of fentanyl and cash. On August 4, 2022, officers observed Koonce driving a sedan on Ferrell Road in Lenoir County. The officers attempted to stop Koonce and serve a federal arrest warrant and Koonce initially stopped his car. However, Koonce then fled at a high rate of speed. Officers pursued him and Koonce’s car reached speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour. Koonce ultimately collided with a car that was travelling in the other lane of traffic, and he was arrested following the collision. According to law enforcement, Koonce was a member of the Crips Gang and has prior convictions for Discharging a weapon into occupied property (2006), Common Law Robbery (2015), Assault Inflicting Serious Injury on a Detention Officer (2015), and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon (2020). “As an agency, we’re extremely grateful that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had made it their focal point to assist communities such as Kinston,” said Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette. “This sentence protects our community and places a career criminal where he belongs, in prison.” This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Kinston Police Department and the Jacksonville Police Departments investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-00036-M-RJ-1. ###


title: Former Engineer Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Semiconductor Trade Secret

body_text: BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. man was sentenced today in Boston federal court for possessing the stolen prototype design of a microchip, known as the HMC1022A, which was owned and developed by his former employer, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), a semiconductor company headquartered in Wilmington, Mass. This chip is used in both aerospace and defense applications. Haoyang Yu, 45, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, during which he may not work in the microchip industry. Yu was also ordered to pay a fine of $55,000 and restitution to be determined at a later date. In May 2022, following a month-long trial, a federal jury convicted Yu of possessing ADI’s stolen trade secret. The jury acquitted Yu of alleging possession of other stolen trade secrets, wire fraud, immigration fraud, and the illegal export of controlled technology. “This prosecution demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the semiconductor market, as this technology plays a critical role in both our country’s industrial policy and geopolitical strategy. Mr. Yu stole intellectual property from his employer, plain and simple, and used that pilfered information to line his own pocket. I commend the work of the Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service in their dedicated work to the investigation and prosecution of this matter,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Yu was convicted by a federal jury of stealing trade secret associated with the design for a semiconductor utilized in defense and aerospace industries. As a result of an intensive investigation, Yu is facing federal prison for his crime,” said Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI works tirelessly with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure the security of sensitive U.S. strategic technologies and will continue to disrupt and dismantle any attempts to obtain them for financial gain.” “Today, Mr. Yu learned his fate for possessing a stolen semiconductor trade secret for his own financial gain. Thankfully, his actions did not destroy his former employer’s business,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “While we all welcome fair competition, the FBI will not tolerate stealing and cheating. It’s illegal, unethical, and unfair, and this type of criminal conduct hurts American businesses, jobs, and consumers.” Between 2014 and 2017, Yu worked at ADI, where he designed microchips used by the communications, defense, and aerospace industries. Through his employment, Yu had access to various kinds of ADI intellectual property, including present and future microchip designs, schematics, layouts, modeling files, customer lists, and ordering histories. While employed at ADI, Yu used this information to start his own microchip business, Tricon MMIC, LLC. Forensic analysis later showed that Yu’s personal, at-home computer held exact, bit-for-bit copies of hundreds of ADI intellectual property files. Trial evidence showed that Yu had accessed these files on ADI’s secure servers, copied them, changed their filenames – often to those of cartoon characters, and then saved them on his personal electronic accounts and devices. Trial evidence showed that all of the chips Yu’s business sold were built with ADI’s stolen intellectual property. In particular, Yu used the stolen HMC1022A design to manufacture two knock-off versions of ADI’s chip. Yu then began selling his versions of the HMC1022A to ADI’s customers and others even before ADI went to market with its own completed design. In all, before his arrest, Yu manufactured about 10,000 chips built with stolen ADI property and grossed about $235,000. ADI cooperated fully in the government’s investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Rashel Assouri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office; HSI Acting SAC Krol; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; and Michael Wiest, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Lexington and Hingham Police Departments provided assistance with the investigation. Valuable assistance in the case was provided by the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Beck, Jason A. Casey and John A. Capin of Levy’s National Security Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Rocky Mount Man Involved in Raleigh Shooting Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Terrance Daniels, 34, of Rocky Mount was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records and evidence presented in court, Terrance Daniels engaged in a shooting outside of a convenience store on Poole Road in Raleigh on July 6, 2022. The shooting was captured on video and Daniels could be seen firing the illegally possessed firearm nine times in the direction of two victims, one of whom was an acquaintance of Daniels. The two victims were engaged in a fist fight outside of the store when Daniels fired at them, striking them both in their legs. Daniels was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and indicted on November 1, 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023. The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00275-BO. ###


title: Greensboro Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearms Dealing as a Result of New Legislation Aimed at Building Safer Communities

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – A Guilford County man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a license after a lengthy investigation revealed an extensive illegal firearms business, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. According to court records, GREGORY VINCE RACHAL, age 58, of Greensboro, was contacted in September 2020 by law enforcement after sales records revealed that RACHAL had purchased a large number of firearms on multiple occasions that were the same make and model. At the time of the purchases, RACHAL did not have a license to deal firearms, and the sales records mirrored the behavior of a firearms dealer. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) visited RACHAL to inquire about the sales and RACHAL voluntarily admitted to selling firearms without a license. RACHAL said he was not sure that he needed a license and agreed to no longer sell firearms. In the days immediately after the interview, RACHAL continued to obtain additional similar firearms, prompting a federal investigation. In November 2020, local ATF agents received multiple reports that firearms purchased by RACHAL were recovered by law enforcement agencies across multiple states. In total, twenty-seven of RACHAL’s firearms were recovered in Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In September 2021, a confidential source revealed to law enforcement that RACHAL owned and operated a tactical supply store located besides his business, POPS Electric, wherein he sold ammunition, tactical gear, and firearms parts, and that he was manufacturing privately-made firearms (PMFs), also known as “ghost guns.”. In an additional interview with ATF agents in December 2021, RACHAL again admitted that he had continued to sell firearms despite warnings from federal agents. RACHAL also informed the agents that he had maintained a log of all of his firearms transactions which he provided to law enforcement. According to his records, RACHAL had acquired over 200 sterilized firearms between March 2020 and January 2021. His records further detailed that he sold approximately fourteen of those after the initial warning from investigators in September 2020. In July of 2022, a confidential source (CS) revealed to law enforcement that RACHAL had PMFs for sale at his tactical shop. The CS then made a series of controlled purchases of PMFs at this location that were audio and visually recorded by law enforcement. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. “This case is just one example of how our law enforcement agencies work hard each day to keep Americans safe. By tracing and confiscating illegal firearms and removing unlicensed dealers from our communities, the threat that these weapons will fall into the hands of those prohibited from possessing them is substantially decreased,” said U. S. Attorney Sandra Hairston. On October 31, 2022, RACHAL and one co-defendant were charged in a sealed Indictment. RACHAL was charged with one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license on March 1, 2023. RACHAL was sentenced today to a 60 month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, RACHAL was ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay a $5,000 fine and a special assessment of $100.00. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greensboro Police Department, and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré. ###


title: Two Eagle Pass Trucking Company Employees Arrested for Alleged Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – Two Eagle Pass women were arrested Friday, May 26, on a four-count indictment related to their alleged scheme to defraud and embezzle money from their employer, a Texas-based trucking company headquartered in Eagle Pass. According to court documents, Dina Maldonado Morales, 42, and Laura Ballesteros Haby, 52, allegedly used their positions with MH Group to divert the company’s customer account receivable payments to their own bank accounts. The total amount of the embezzled, diverted and stolen funds between July 2017 and April 2019 is alleged to have been approximately $1.4 million. Both Morales and Haby are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud. The defendants made their initial court appearances on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count and 20 years in prison on the three wire fraud and aiding and abetting counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division made the announcement. HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rex Beasley and Izaak Bruce are 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: Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Car Theft Scheme

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man pleaded guilty to a scheme involving the theft and interstate shipment of at least $1.6 million in stolen cars, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. Dexter Sherrod Pearce , 34, pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen motor vehicles. As part of his plea, Pearce admitted that from May 2020 until August 2022, he and others stole and transported from one state to another at least 24 cars valued at over $1.6 million. Pearce admitted as part of his plea that he and others stole cars from automobile dealerships and individuals in other states and transported them to the Northern District of Alabama to sell. The conspirators also stole cars in Alabama and transported them to other states to sell. To conceal that the cars were stolen and to facilitate the sale of the stolen cars, Pearce and others caused vehicle identification numbers to be altered, obtained false bills of sale and tag applications, and used the false documents to obtain bogus car titles and registrations. According to the plea agreement, Pearce has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes and forfeit $227,615.00, representing the money he made during the conspiracy. “The theft and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles has been a persistent problem in many parts of this country, and we are grateful for the work of HSI in unraveling this scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Organized criminal activity, such as this, is extremely costly to victims and the economy as a whole,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Every day, HSI and our law enforcement partners, are working to disrupt these criminal organizations and bring those who look to profit from these stolen goods to justice.” The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for interstate transportation of stolen cars is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Catherine Crosby are prosecuting the case.


title: New Bern Getaway Driver in Armed Robbery Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Justin Pickens, 31, of New Bern was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for charges related to an armed robbery in New Bern, North Carolina. According to court records and evidence presented in court, Justin Pickens and two of his co-defendants, Quamaime Donnell Smith and Francesco Greco, Jr., planned and executed an armed robbery of the Five Points gas station in New Bern on May 17, 2021. The robbery was captured on the video surveillance footage from inside the store. The footage shows two male suspects enter the store, one armed with a handgun and the other armed with a tire iron. The robber with the gun, Smith, could been seen striking the store clerk in the head with his gun. The two robbers then emptied the cash register and fled the store in a getaway vehicle driven by Pickens. In total, the three stole roughly $3,000 in cash from the store. New Bern Police located and arrested all three suspects within 24 hours of the robbery and recovered the firearm used during the robbery. “Brutal armed robberies like this one leave victims traumatized for years, and sometimes with lifelong physical limitations. This gas station attendant was not just held-up, he was pistol-whipped in the head. Hardworking people should never be subjected to violence just for doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The FBI and New Bern Police worked hard to get justice for this victim. And, for his role in a violent crime that netted roughly $3,000, this defendant and his co-conspirators are now spending time behind bars.” “The New Bern Police Department serves and protects the citizens and businesses within the City,” said New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher. “Our daily goal is to create and maintain a peaceful place to live, work, and visit. These perpetrators committed a heinous act of assaulting the clerk and robbery of the business. Members of the agency worked together tirelessly, using various investigative techniques and methods, to bring about the best possible outcome for the victim, as well as those within the community. Let this outcome serve as notice to criminals that the New Bern Police Department will bring the full weight of the justice system on individuals who threaten the balance of peace within our community.” Pickens, the getaway driver, was named in a one count indictment on July 21, 2022, charging him with interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting. He pleaded guilty on February 23, 2023. Greco was sentenced to 40 months on April 21, 2022, and Smith was sentenced to 144 months on May 25, 2022. Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The New Bern Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-CR-00038-BO. ###


title: Susquehanna County Man Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justin Passetti, age 31, of Kingsley, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Passetti admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Susquehanna County area in March 2020. The charge stems from an incident on March 11, 2020, in which the Pennsylvania State Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Passetti was an occupant. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of five pounds of crystal methamphetamine. The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is also 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. Under federal law, the drug trafficking offense carries a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: Former USDA animal inspector sentenced for accepting bribes

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 69-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison for accepting bribes from Mexican cattle brokers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Roberto Adams pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered he serve a total of 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The sentenced was enhanced because he accepted more than one bribe payment while in a position of public trust for a total amount of over $40,000. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Adams did not understand the gravity of the crime he committed and the significance of the harm he did or could have caused by allowing diseased cattle into the country. He was also ordered to immediately pay $40,000 in fines. “It is critical that we do not allow corruption to infect positions of public trust, including inspectors at the port of entry,” said Hamdani. “They are supposed to ensure the safety and integrity of the agricultural products passing into the United States. Adams put that system at risk. We hope this sentence serves as deterrent to others thinking of violating their obligations.” At the time of his plea, Adams admitted he accepted over $40,000 in bribe payments from Mexican cattle brokers while acting in his official position as a USDA employee. In return, he allowed cattle to enter the United States without proper quarantine or inspection. Adams was a employed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lead animal health technician for 10 years. In that role, he was responsible for inspecting and quarantining or excluding tick-infested or diseased cattle. He was only one of two technicians the USDA employed in Laredo and exercised high level decision-making authority. The FBI and USDA - Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.


title: O.C. Man Charged in Alleged $1.8M Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County-based businessman who portrayed himself as a wealthy and successful entrepreneur – sometimes bragging that he was one of the richest men in Africa – was arrested this morning on federal charges alleging he solicited investments under false pretenses and used the investors’ money to support his own high-end lifestyle. Amadou Kane Diallo, 44, a Senegalese national living in Laguna Niguel, was arrested at his residence this morning by FBI special agents. Diallo is expected to be arraigned on a 21-count indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. The federal grand jury indictment unsealed today alleges that Diallo fraudulently obtained more than $1.8 million from at least 11 victims who thought their investments would allow them to reap the benefits of Diallo’s supposed business successes while facing little to no risk. Diallo was the CEO of two Newport Beach-based companies – Virtual Advisors LLC and Liquide, Inc. – which he allegedly used to solicit investments in purported business opportunities related to various sectors and topics, including technology, healthcare, real estate, home ownership and service to the African diaspora. Diallo made various representations to victims, including falsely telling some potential investors that he had previously raised hundreds of millions of dollars for another investment firm and its real estate investment fund – a claim that simply was not true, according to the indictment. Contrary to his representations to victims, Diallo allegedly used most of the investment funds for his own extravagant lifestyle, which included making rent payments on his residence, purchasing or making payments on luxury vehicles, buying clothes and fancy dinners, and hosting lavish events for foreign government officials. In conjunction with Diallo’s arrest, authorities seized a number of items related to allegedly fraudulent conduct, including three late model luxury vehicles – a Ferrari SF90 Stradale, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Range Rover – a Harry Winston ring worth approximately $12,500, and a brokerage account containing about $500,000 worth of stocks. The indictment charges Diallo with 19 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering counts. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI is conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Justice Department Trial Attorney William E. Schurmann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling today’s seizures. If you believe you are a victim in this case or other conduct by Mr. Diallo, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov .


title: Hamden Man Admits Mailing Numerous Threatening Letters

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: GARRETT SANTILLO, 43, of Hamden, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to mailing numerous threatening letters to individuals in Connecticut and elsewhere. According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately December 2021 and June 2022, Santillo mailed more than 100 letters containing threatening and hateful statements, including threats of violence, to journalists, judges and other public officials and individuals in Connecticut and elsewhere, including a Justice of the United States Supreme Court and a United States Supreme Court Justice Nominee. Several letters mailed by Santillo contained this or similar language: “If you don’t obey what this letter says, you along with others including [name redacted] and people in Washington DC and everywhere and you. You all will be killed!!” Santillo pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications to a United States Judge, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. He has been released on a $100,000 bond since his arrest on July 6, 2022. Santillo has been federally prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced for mailing threatening letters three prior times, and he completed his most recent term of federal supervision in August 2021. This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Hamden, Milford, Ridgefield, and New Haven Police Departments. The investigation has also been assisted by the offices of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney, the New Haven State’s Attorney and the Litchfield State’s Attorney. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.


title: Colchester Man Indicted on Robbery Charge

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Joshua Wells, 34, of Colchester, Vermont was indicted for an offense under the Hobbs Act for obstructing commerce by robbery. Wells made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Burlington on May 31, 2023. United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle scheduled a detention hearing for June 7, 2023. According to court records, on January 17, 2023, the South Burlington Police Department (SBPD) received a call reporting an armed robbery at the Jolley gas station located at 977 Shelburne Road in South Burlington, Vermont. Multiple SBPD officers responded to the scene and determined that a white male, who was wearing all black clothing and a black mask, flashed a gun at the store clerk, stole money and a carton of cigarettes, and fled on foot. Two days later on January 19, 2023, investigators searched Wells’ hotel room and vehicle and found the gun used in the robbery, which turned out to be a BB gun, and the distinctive black mask that Wells wore to the Jolley. The U.S. Attorney’s Office notes that the indictment is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Wells faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Any sentence in the case will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Burlington Police Department, the Colchester Police Department, the University of Vermont Police Services, and the New England State Police Intelligence Network for their work in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig represents the government. Wells is represented by Evan Barquist, Esq. and Mary Nerino, Esq. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .