title: Irvine Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Planned Parenthood Clinic and Plotting to Attack Electrical Substation in Orange County

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man pleaded guilty today to firebombing a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa in March 2022 and planning to attack an electrical substation in Orange, and further admitted to plotting an attack on Dodger Stadium last year on a night celebrating LGBTQ pride. Tibet Ergul, 22, of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. “This defendant’s hateful ideology led him down a dark path of plotting to harm others,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The breadth of his and his co-conspirators’ violent plans is chilling. They planned to attack the power grid to start a race war, target Dodger Stadium on Pride Night, and bomb a second reproductive health services clinic. This reminds us of why it is critical that all of us unite against hate in our community.” “Mr. Ergul put lives at risk when he firebombed the clinic and yet continued to plan acts that had the potential to cause death and destruction,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “Using terroristic violence to further an ideology is a serious crime with severe consequences and, as a result, Mr. Ergul faces significant jail time when sentenced for his cowardly choices.” “NCIS is committed to the interagency coordination as part of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Battaglia of the NCIS Marine West Field Office. “This case should serve as a warning to those who perpetrate acts of terror against our fellow Americans and hate that threatens access to reproductive health services.” According to his plea agreement, in February and March of 2022, Ergul and Chance Brannon, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, agreed to use a Molotov cocktail to damage a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County. Ergul and Brannon, who at the time was an active-duty United States Marine, targeted the clinic because it provided reproductive health services and they wanted to encourage others to engage in similar violent acts. Ergul and Brannon also wanted to make a statement about abortion; scare pregnant women away from obtaining abortions; deter doctors, staff and employees at the clinic from providing abortions; and intimidate the clinic’s patients. On March 12, 2022, in Ergul’s garage, Ergul and Brannon knowingly assembled a Molotov cocktail. During the early morning hours of March 13, Ergul and Brannon – disguised in dark clothing, masks, hoods, and gloves – drove to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, ignited the Molotov cocktail and threw it at the clinic’s entrance, intentionally starting a fire. Due to the fire and the damage it caused, the clinic was forced to temporarily close and reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments. Ergul further admitted that in June 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade , he and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to attack another Planned Parenthood clinic. Ergul and Brannon abandoned this plan after seeing law enforcement near the targeted clinic. Ergul also conspired with others, including Brannon, to damage a Southern California Edison electrical substation to debilitate Orange County’s power grid. Ergul and his accomplices planned to attack the substation by using firearms or a Molotov cocktail that Ergul possessed in his garage. Ergul and Brannon consulted with an associate about surveillance, drone operations and firearms. In March 2023, Ergul messaged an associate to say he had found a substation in Orange to target. Ergul sent the associate aerial photographs of the substation and suggested doing a “drive-thru” at 3 a.m. Ergul also sent Brannon a letter in which he wrote: “The rifle is in a box in my room waiting to be used in the upcoming race war,” and he discussed a desire to murder politicians and journalists. Ergul and Brannon did not carry out this attack prior to their arrest in this case. During the early summer of 2023, Ergul and Brannon also discussed and researched how to attack the Dodger Stadium parking lot or the stadium’s electrical room on a night celebrating LGBTQ pride, including by using a device that could be detonated remotely, Ergul admitted in his plea agreement. Brannon and Ergul exchanged sabotage manuals and discussed doing “dry runs” to “case” the stadium. Law enforcement arrested Ergul and Brannon two days before Dodger Stadium’s scheduled “Pride Night.” The plea agreement in this case is “binding,” which means the court must accept or reject all aspects of it. United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney scheduled a May 30 sentencing hearing, at which time he is expected to announce whether he will accept the agreement. Should the court reject the plea agreement, any party may withdraw from it. Should the court accept the plea agreement, Ergul will face a prison sentence ranging from 60 months to 78 months. Ergul, who has been in federal custody since June 2023, is the third and final defendant to plead guilty in this case. Brannon, who also has been in federal custody since June 2023, pleaded guilty in November to four crimes: conspiracy, malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility – a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Brannon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15. Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Florida, who has been in federal custody since July 2023, pleaded guilty on January 19 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. Batten’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department and the Costa Mesa Fire Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Justice Department Trial Attorney Jacob Warren from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: Former Alabama Correctional Sergeant Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Inmate by Using Excessive Force and Lying to Cover It Up

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Sergeant, Devlon Williams, 38, was sentenced yesterday to 63 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report and to investigators in an attempt to cover up his abuse. He was previously convicted of deprivation of rights under color of law, falsification of records and obstruction of justice by a federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama. “This defendant was a sergeant who was supposed to set an example for those he supervised and instead he callously abused his authority and brutalized a vulnerable inmate during a time of need,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate this type of violent conduct inside our jails and prisons, and we will continue to prosecute corrections officials who violate the constitutional and civil rights of people in their custody. This sentencing should send a clear message to officials employed in correctional settings that they are not above the law and will be held accountable when they break it.” “While most members of law enforcement serve honorably and professionally, some are not so dedicated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “Williams savagely beat and taunted an inmate who was not resisting and posed no threat, then he and another officer lied to conceal the crime. They must be held responsible for their actions. Failure to do so would discredit the noble service of every other officer and weaken the public’s trust in those who are sworn to protect.” “Former corrections officer Devlon Williams not only attacked the victim while transporting him to receive critical care for suicidal ideation, but also attempted to cover up his crimes and intimidate witnesses,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the dignity and civil rights of individuals in custody, and we will investigate any law enforcement and corrections officers who abuse their authority.” According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Williams transported a suicidal inmate, D.H., from ADOC Staton Correctional Facility’s chapel to the healthcare unit. Rather than take the inmate to the infirmary to receive the aid that he needed, Williams stopped in the main hallway of the healthcare unit, where, away from other inmates, Williams assaulted D.H. while taunting him by yelling, “since you want to die, I’m going to help you.” Witnesses testified at trial that Williams repeatedly punched and kicked D.H., who was lying on the ground in a fetal position and not resisting or posing a threat to anyone. Williams continued the beating by hitting D.H. multiple times with a collapsible baton. Another corrections officer, Larry Managan Jr., also participated in the beating. After the beating, Williams and Managan attempted to cover up their misconduct. Williams made false statements about the assault to an ADOC investigator and prepared a false report about the incident. He also pressured junior-ranking officers and eyewitness nurses to lie along with him after the fact. Managan previously pleaded guilty, was sentenced for obstructing justice and testified against Williams at trial. The FBI Mobile Field Office and the ADOC Law Enforcement Services Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Felon for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on February 6, 2024, charging a Louisville man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Clarence Andrew Stiff, 42, is charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 17, 2023, Stiff possessed a Ruger, New Model Blackhawk, .45 caliber revolver, and ammunition. Stiff was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On December 22, 1999, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of assault in the first degree. On December 22, 1999, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of assault under extreme emotional disturbance and wanton endangerment in the first degree. On September 4, 2007, in Clark Superior Court, Indiana, Stiff was convicted of dealing in cocaine and resisting law enforcement. On December 20, 2007, in Oldham Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of promoting contraband in the first degree. On September 5, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree (two counts), burglary in the first degree, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, wanton endangerment in the first degree, and tampering with physical evidence. On August 15, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of robbery in the second degree (two counts), assault in the second degree, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. On August 15, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of torture of a dog/cat with serious physical injury/death. On April 10, 2023, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Stiff was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, and receiving stolen property (firearm). The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 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. This case is being investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 126 Months for Trafficking LSD

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Kyle A. Vanderpool, 36, was sentenced on Thursday, to 126 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with the intent to distribute 10 grams or more of LSD. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement received a report that an identified drug trafficker was traveling to Northern Kentucky to meet a source of supply. Law enforcement observed the individual meet with Vanderpool on July 26, 2021. A drug dog alerted for the presence of drugs in Vanderpool’s vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the car and discovered $26,642 in cash and various controlled substances, including 8100 doses of LSD on blotter paper, over 33 grams of liquid LSD, and 20.6 grams of ketamine. Under federal law, Vanderpool must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Russian International Money Launderer Pleads Guilty To Illicitly Procuring Large Quantities Of U.S.-Manufactured Dual-Use, Military Grade Microelectronics For Russian Entities

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, announced today that MAXIM MARCHENKO pled guilty to charges of money laundering and smuggling goods from the U.S. MARCHENKO was arrested in September 2023 and pled guilty earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, Maxim Marchenko admitted in court that he illicitly sought to procure U.S.-manufactured, military grade microelectronics to deliver to end users in Russia. Marchenko concealed his scheme to funnel these microelectronics – which had application for use in rifle scopes, night-vision goggles, thermal optics, and other weapons systems – by using shell companies and other elaborate money laundering techniques. Today’s guilty plea should send a strong message to those who attempt to break the law by supplying Russia with U.S. military technology that this Office will vigorously pursue such smuggling schemes and hold those involved to full account.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “By his own admission, Mr. Marchenko conspired to smuggle military-grade technology to Russia, using a complex network of front companies to hide his illicit activity. Today, once again, the Justice Department is holding accountable those who would enable the Kremlin and its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine.” According to the allegations contained in the Information, the allegations in the Complaint, and other filings and statements made in public court proceedings: At all relevant times, MARCHENKO was a Russian national who resided in Hong Kong and operated several Hong Kong-based shell companies. MARCHENKO and two co-conspirators (“CC-1” and “CC-2”), who are also Russian nationals, operated an illicit procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere overseas. This procurement network fraudulently obtained from U.S. distributors large quantities of dual-use, military grade microelectronics, specifically OLED micro-displays, on behalf of Russia-based end users. To carry out this scheme, MARCHENKO, CC-1, and CC-2 used shell companies based in Hong Kong and other deceptive means to conceal from U.S. government agencies and U.S. distributors that the OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia. The technology that MARCHENKO and his co-conspirators fraudulently procured had significant military applications, such as in rifle scopes, night-vision googles, thermal optics, and other weapon systems. To perpetrate the scheme, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy acquired the dual-use OLED micro-displays from U.S.-based distributors using MARCHENKO’s Hong Kong-based shell companies. Members of the conspiracy, including MARCHENKO, procured these sensitive microelectronics by falsely representing to the U.S. distributors (who, in turn, are required to report to U.S. agencies) that the Hong Kong shell entity was sending the shipments to end users located in China, Hong Kong, and other countries outside of Russia for use in electron microscopes for medical research. In reality, the OLED micro-displays were destined for end users in Russia. MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy concealed the true destination (Russia) from U.S. distributors for the purpose of causing false statements to the U.S. agencies. To conceal the fact that these OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy worked together to transship the illicitly procured OLED micro-displays by using pass-through entities principally operated by MARCHENKO in third countries, such as Hong Kong. MARCHENKO then caused the OLED micro-displays to be shipped to the ultimate destination in Russia using, among other entities, a freight forwarder known to provide freight forwarding services to Russia. In addition, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy used Hong Kong-based shell companies, principally operated by MARCHENKO, to conceal the fact that payments for the OLED micro-displays were coming from Russia. * * * MARCHENKO, 51, a Russian citizen who resided in Hong Kong, pled guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of smuggling goods from the U.S., which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. MARCHENKO is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, 2024, before the Honorable Nelson S. Román. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division and the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Australia; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit and White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong and Shiva H. Logarajah are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the U.S., along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Defendant Sentenced for Fraud at South Bend Housing Authority

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SOUTH BEND –Douglas Donley, 42 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, after being found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and one count of bank fraud on November 1, 2023, following an eight-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Donley was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $303,920 in restitution to the victim of the offense. According to documents in the case, the Housing Authority of South Bend (HASB) provides housing opportunities and services to the South Bend community, managing more than 800 public housing residential units. From approximately 2015 through 2019, a number of employees at the HASB conspired with each other and with outside contractors to defraud the HASB. The fraud scheme involved the issuance of HASB payment checks to four outside contractors for contracting work that had not actually occurred. These contractors would then deposit the HASB payment checks, withdraw a portion of each check in cash, and hand-deliver the cash back to co-conspirators at the HASB’s main office. Donley was one of the four outside contractors who participated in the scheme. From October 2017 to March 2019, a total of 29 fraudulent HASB payment checks were issued to the payee “Doug Donley.” None of the checks corresponded to legitimate contracting work. The total value of checks issued to “Doug Donley” was $310,920, which was the amount of the lost benefit intended to maintain and fix the housing units in which HASB tenants lived. Donley is the first to be sentenced of the three individuals who were found guilty at trial. This case was investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander, Joel Gabrielse, and Jerome W. McKeever.


title: Murphy, N.C. Woman Sentenced To 18 Years For Production Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Alyssa Danielle Seabolt, 26, of Murphy, N.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Seabolt to register as a sex offender after she is released from prison. Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, in 2021, Canadian law enforcement investigating the online trading of child pornography notified HSI about an individual in the United States, later identified as Seabolt, using Snapchat to distribute files depicting the sexual abuse of children. In June 2022, during an interview with HSI agents, Seabolt admitted to producing the child pornography she had shared online. On April 19, 2022, Seabolt pleaded guilty to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. U.S. Attorney King commended HSI for their investigation that led to today’s sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.


title: A New York Man is Sentenced for Sexual Abuse and Production of Child Pornography

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell, sentenced Carlos Caraballo, 28, of Bellport, New York, to 324 months of imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervision for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Production of Child Pornography. Upon his release, Caraballo will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in 2021, Caraballo met a 13-year-old minor victim in a chat room. After conversing with the child long-distance via computer and phone, Caraballo drove from New York to Oklahoma. While he was in Oklahoma, Caraballo engaged in sexual acts with the minor and took sexually explicit photos of the minor. The minor is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Caraballo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vani Singhal prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Human Rights Violator Sentenced for Immigration Fraud and U.S. Citizenship Revoked

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Georgia man was sentenced today to three years in prison for unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship by lying about his role in persecuting teenagers in Ethiopia in the 1970s for their political opinions. According to court documents, Mezemr Abebe Belayneh, also known as Mezmur Amare Belayneh, 68, of Snellville, unlawfully obtained U.S. citizenship in 2008 by lying about and concealing that he persecuted and committed acts of violence against perceived political opponents during a period known as “the Red Terror” in Ethiopia. The Red Terror was a campaign of brutal violence in the late 1970s in which Ethiopia’s ruling military council and its supporters detained, interrogated, tortured, and executed civilians. “Mezemr Belayneh violently beat political opponents in Ethiopia and lied about it to U.S. immigration authorities. Through this deception, he unlawfully entered this country and obtained U.S. citizenship,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Individuals who persecuted people in their home countries should take note: if you seek refuge unlawfully in the United States, we will investigate and prosecute you.” During the Red Terror, Belayneh served as a civilian interrogator at a makeshift prison housed in a hotel known as Menafesha in Dilla, Ethiopia. According to witness testimony, Belayneh interrogated victims about their political beliefs, and directed and participated in severe beatings in which they were whipped or hit with sticks while imprisoned in Dilla. Belayneh concealed this conduct when he obtained a visa to enter the United States in 2001 and when he applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008. “Belayneh obtained U.S. citizenship by concealing from immigration authorities the abuse he inflicted on teenagers in Ethiopia during the Red Terror in the late 1970s,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We hope that today’s sentencing brings a measure of peace and closure to the defendant’s courageous victims — some of whom testified at trial — and sends a clear message to others that we will continue to investigate and prosecute human rights abusers who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship.” “When a person attempts to become a U.S. citizen under false pretenses, it jeopardizes our naturalization process and we will not stand idly by for war criminals and human rights violators to use our nation as a safe haven,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Simply put, those who knowingly and willfully misrepresent themselves to obtain U.S. citizenship status will be held accountable for their deceitful actions.” A federal jury convicted Belayneh in July 2023 of one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law and one count of procuring citizenship to which he was not entitled. In addition to his prison sentence, Belayneh’s U.S. citizenship was also revoked. HSI Atlanta investigated the case, with coordination provided by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tal C. Chaiken for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case, with assistance from HRSP Senior Historian Dr. Christopher Hayden. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance. Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp .


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Maintaining Fictitious "SuperPac," and Credit Card Fraud

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Richardson, 37, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to falsifying a report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and credit card fraud, both felony offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) – Cybercrime Investigations Division. According to court documents, in March of 2020, Richardson created an independent expenditure-only political action committee, or “SuperPAC,” named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) using fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the SuperPAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the United States Senate. AFPA’s quick fundraising and spending attracted media scrutiny, questioning the veracity of the FEC reports. Richardson then filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA has refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. For his knowing falsification of the FEC report claiming to make $1.5 million in expenditures, Richardson pleaded guilty to making a false entry in a record. He, separately, pleaded guilty to credit card fraud for the falsification of a credit card application using a stolen social security number. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2024. Richardson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the false entry count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the credit card fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Russian International Money Launderer Pleads Guilty to Illicitly Procuring Large Quantities of U.S.-Manufactured Dual-Use, Military Grade Microelectronics for Russian Entities

body_text: Maxim Marchenko, 51, a Russian citizen who has resided in Hong Kong, pleaded guilty today to charges of money laundering and smuggling goods from the United States. Marchenko was arrested in September 2023. According to court documents, Marchenko operated several Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components Co. Ltd. (Alice Components), Neway Technologies Limited (Neway) and RG Solutions Limited (RG Solutions). Marchenko and two co-conspirators (CC-1 and CC-2), who are also Russian nationals, operate an illicit procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere overseas. This procurement network has fraudulently obtained from U.S. distributors large quantities of dual-use, military grade microelectronics, specifically OLED micro-displays, on behalf of Russia-based end users. To carry out this scheme, Marchenko, CC-1, and CC-2 used shell companies based in Hong Kong and other deceptive means to conceal from U.S. Government agencies and U.S. distributors that the OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia. The technology that Marchenko and his co-conspirators fraudulently procured have significant military applications, such as in rifle scopes, night-vision googles, thermal optics and other weapon systems. “By his own admission, Mr. Marchenko conspired to smuggle military-grade technology to Russia, using a complex network of front companies to hide his illicit activity,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today, once again, the Justice Department is holding accountable those who would enable the Kremlin and its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine.” “Today, Maxim Marchenko admitted in court that he illicitly sought to procure U.S.-manufactured, military grade microelectronics to deliver to end users in Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Marchenko concealed his scheme to funnel these microelectronics – which had application for use in rifle scopes, night-vision goggles, thermal optics and other weapons systems – by using shell companies and other elaborate money laundering techniques. Today’s guilty plea should send a strong message to those who attempt to break the law by supplying Russia with U.S. military technology that this office will vigorously pursue such smuggling schemes and hold those involved to full account.” “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the FBI’s relentless pursuit of justice as we put yet another individual who tried to illegally transport military-grade U.S. technology to Russia behind bars,” said Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch Larissa L. Knapp. “We will continue to collaborate with our partners to protect our national security and prevent the smuggling of such goods which could benefit authoritarian adversaries.” “The Russian military relies on illicit procurement networks, including the one Marchenko operated here, to perpetrate their brutal war against the Ukrainian people,” said Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. “We will continue to leverage all of our authorities to combat the transshipment of U.S. parts through third countries, like the People’s Republic of China, to the Russian military.” To perpetrate the scheme, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy acquired the dual-use OLED micro-displays from U.S.-based distributors using Marchenko’s Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components, Neway and RG Solutions. Members of the conspiracy, including Marchenko, procured these sensitive microelectronics by falsely representing to the U.S. distributors (who, in turn, are required to report to U.S. agencies) that Alice Components was sending the shipments to end users located in China, Hong Kong and other countries outside of Russia for use in electron microscopes for medical research. In reality, the OLED micro-displays were destined for end users in Russia. Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy concealed the true final destination (Russia) from U.S. distributors for the purpose of causing false statements to the U.S. agencies. To conceal the fact that these OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy worked together to transship the illicitly procured OLED micro-displays by using pass-through entities principally operated by Marchenko in third countries, such as Hong Kong. Marchenko then caused the OLED micro-displays to be shipped to the ultimate destination in Russia using, among other entities, a freight forwarder known to provide freight forwarding services to Russia. In addition, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy used Hong Kong-based shell companies, principally operated by Marchenko, to conceal the fact that payments for the OLED micro-displays were coming from Russia. In total, between in or about May 2022 and in or about August 2023, Marchenko’s shell companies funneled a total of more than $1.6 million to the United States in support of the procurement network’s efforts to smuggle the OLED micro-displays to Russia. Marchenko pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of smuggling goods from the United States which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29 in Manhattan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong and Shiva H. Logarajah for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.


title: Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Poplar Bluff, Missouri man on Wednesday was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug-trafficking and firearm related charges. Samuel D. Moore, 27, appeared for his sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. According to court documents, law enforcement officers were dispatched to Moore’s residence in Poplar Bluff last July in response to a reported domestic assault. Officers obtained a search warrant for the premises after observing multiple firearms and drug paraphernalia items inside the residence. Large quantities of various controlled substances were subsequently discovered inside Moore’s Chevy Tahoe, including a box containing 30 pounds of marijuana divided into one-pound bags. Inside that same box, officers found a 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an attached 50-round high-capacity drum magazine. At his guilty plea hearing last November, Moore admitted that he intended to sell the marijuana for profit and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug-trafficking activities. After serving the 10-year sentence, Moore will be placed on supervised release for three years. Felony state charges for domestic assault remain pending in the Circuit Court of Butler County, Missouri. As in all criminal cases, Moore is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Butler County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester prosecuted the case.


title: Abbeville Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Gabriel Hawthorne , 41, of Abbeville, Louisiana, has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in the Abbeville area. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Hawthorne to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hawthorne and two co-defendants were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. Hawthorne went to trial on the charges and was found guilty by a federal jury on November 16, 2023 of the conspiracy charge and on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Information at trial showed that Hawthorne conspired with Frederick Malaki Thornton and another co-defendant, Andrea Mitchell, to distribute fentanyl in the Abbeville area. In March 2022, an individual exchanged a series of phone calls and text messages with Mitchell, and she agreed to sell heroin to that individual. She arranged the distribution of the heroin by communicating with Thornton, who was her boyfriend at the time, and Hawthorne, who was her supplier. Hawthorne owned a business, ZZ’s Kitchen, in Abbeville and would use that business to store the narcotics that he, Mitchell and Thornton made arrangements to sell. Mitchell also admitted that Hawthorne would mix the fentanyl before giving it to her to sell. The suspected heroin which was sold by Mitchell and Thornton were seized and sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing and resulted a positive test for fentanyl. Hawthorne’s co-defendants Frederick Malaki Thornton and Andrea Mitchell have both pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel. # # #


title: New Bern Man Arrested Following Threats of Violence Sentenced to 17 Years for Federal Firearms Charge

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. –Isaiah Emmanuelle Gibbs, 25, of New Bern was sentenced today to 204 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Gibbs was arrested after threatening to retaliate for the shooting of a young child in July of 2023. Gibbs pled guilty to the charges on September 25, 2023. “Given this defendant’s previous criminal history, and pending state charges for firearm and drug violations, federal agents worked quickly to take him into custody after learning of credible threats to commit a shooting,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Those who are engaging in gun violence will be held accountable and brought to justice.” “The senseless murder of a 19-month-old reminds us that gun violence is indiscriminate. The New Bern Police Department and our community greatly value the relationship we have built with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, his team and all the other law enforcement professionals have shown a commitment to a common goal to make our community safe.” “Arresting and prosecuting violent criminals who illegally use firearms is a priority of the Craven County Sheriff's Office,” said Sheriff Chip Hughes. “We appreciate the cooperation and work of ATF agents and the U.S. Attorney's Office in removing this dangerous criminal from our community. We will continue to work closely with our federal law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and prosecute violent felons.” According to court records and other evidence presented in court, Gibbs was found with guns on five occasions between September 7, 2021, and March 11, 2023, by law enforcement officers from the New Bern and Emerald Isle Police Department’s and the Craven County Sheriff’s Office. Gibbs was federally indicted for an October 4, 2022, incident where the Craven County Sheriff’s office completed a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by Gibbs and others. A backpack carried by Gibbs contained a loaded 9mm handgun and multiple rounds of 9mm ammunition. A search of the vehicle located a stolen, loaded 9mm handgun with a large capacity magazine underneath Gibbs’ seat. On July 4, 2023, a vehicle was shot at in New Bern, and an adult male and his 19-month-old daughter were struck. The child succumbed to her injuries two days later. Gibbs was identified on scene immediately after the shooting. Shortly after the shooting, law enforcement learned that Gibbs intended to retaliate for the shooting. Due to the credible threat of violence combined with Gibbs’ history of violence, a federal complaint was filed, and Gibbs was arrested by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents on July 7, 2023, and has remained in detention since that arrest. During an interview with agents following his arrest, Gibbs admitted that he had been in possession of a firearm and ammunition during the October 2022 traffic stop. Gibbs was previously convicted of three common law robberies in 2020 making him an Armed Career Criminal subject to enhanced penalties for possessing a firearm or ammunition, including a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration. State charges for five counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon, second degree kidnapping, possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a schedule II-controlled substance, and two counts of resisting a public officer remain pending. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The New Bern and Emerald Isle Police Departments, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the cases. 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. 4:23-cr-00037-M-BM-1. ###


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to participating in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Isaac Clayton, 77, and Christopher Tejeda, 22, both of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencings for May 28, 2024 and July 9, 2024, respectively. According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area. As part of the conspiracy, Clayton stored various controlled substances including marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl at his apartment on behalf of the DTO. A search of his apartment in October 2022 resulted in seizure of various quantities of marijuana, cocaine base and fentanyl, as well as three loaded firearms, additional rounds of ammunition, $2,640 in drug proceeds and materials used to package and distribute controlled substances. Additionally, on behalf of the DTO, Tejada picked up, transported and delivered controlled substances to various individuals as well as collected and delivered proceeds from drug sales. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: District Man Indicted on Assault and Related Charges for Shooting a Man Riding a Scooter

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON- Antron Belk, 19, of the District of Columbia, was indicted February 28, 2024, by a Superior Court grand jury, on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges arising from the shooting of a man riding a scooter in the 4400 block of Quarles Street NE. The eight-count indictment charges Belk with one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with intent to murder while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Judge Marisa Demeo ordered that Belk be held without bond pending trial. On February 25, 2023, Belk was driving a black Kia Optima with two other passengers and pulled up next to the victim who was riding a scooter on Quarles Street NE. The defendant exited the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the victim before driving away. Surveillance video captured the defendant’s travel until the defendant and the two other passengers were seen exiting the vehicle and eventually entering a residential building. There were approximately 30 shell casings found on scene. The victim survived the shooting but sustained at least eight gunshot wounds, including two in the face area. The black Kia Optima had previously been reported stolen. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie. 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: Superseding Indictment Charges Hartford Man with Drug Trafficking, Gun Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a superseding indictment charging LUIS DeJESUS, 29, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, DeJesus’s criminal history includes felony convictions in state court for criminal possession of a firearm and burglary in the third degree. In 2022, members of the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force – North Central Office conducted a series of controlled purchases of narcotics from DeJesus. DeJesus was arrested on state charges on December 16, 2022. On that date, a court-authorized search of his Hartford residence revealed approximately 500 grams of fentanyl, 97 grams of crack cocaine, approximately one kilogram of marijuana, drug processing and packaging materials, a loaded Glock 45 9mm handgun, and approximately $52,000 cash. The case was adopted for federal prosecution and, on March 7, 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment charging DeJesus with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. It is further alleged that, after his federal arrest, DeJesus was released on a $100,000 bond and into home confinement at residence of a family member on Warren Street in Hartford. DeJesus was arrested on November 20, 2023, after law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence. As investigators entered the residence, DeJesus threw fentanyl out of a window. A search of the residence revealed an additional quantity of fentanyl, a small quantity of cocaine, and drug processing and packaging materials. In total, DeJesus is alleged to have possessed more than 400 grams of fentanyl on that date. On February 20, 2024, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging DeJesus with an additional count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. If convicted, DeJesus faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life for each of the narcotics offenses, and maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for the firearm offense. DeJesus, who has been detained since November 20, 2023, appeared today in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the superseding indictment. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Resident Office and the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force – North Central Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.


title: Keshena Man Indicted for Role in Multiple Fentanyl Overdoses On Menominee Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 27, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Warren J. Grignon (41) of Keshena, Wisconsin, with crimes related to three fentanyl overdoses on the Menominee Indian Reservation, one of which was fatal. The indictment charged Grignon as follows: COUNT DATE CHARGE PENALTY One On or about December 23, 2023 Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine. Two On or about December 23, 2023 Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting Serious Bodily Injury, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine. Three On or about December 23, 2023 Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting Serious Bodily Injury, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, up to life in prison; up to $1 million fine. Grignon also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted. According to court documents, on or about December 23, 2023, Grignon allegedly distributed fentanyl to three individuals while at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. One of the people died as the result of using the fentanyl provided by Grignon, and the other two were revived but sustained serious bodily injury as the result of using the fentanyl provided by Grignon. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the University of Wisconsin Hospital Pathology Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay. An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Marshall County Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – David Lee McCracken, age 39, of Moundsville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 90 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ohio County Sheriff’s deputies arrested McCracken at a hotel in Triadelphia, West Virginia, on four outstanding drug trafficking warrants from Belmont County, Ohio. Investigators searched the hotel room and found two safes containing methamphetamine, cash, and drug paraphernalia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio County Sheriff’s Office investigated. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided. ###


title: Keshena Man Indicted for Drug and Firearms Offenses On Menominee Indian Reservation

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging Anthony V. Brown a/k/a “Ice,” a/k/a “King Ice,” (50), of Keshena, Wisconsin, with drug and firearms crimes on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment charged Brown as follows: COUNT DATE CHARGE PENALTY One On or about January 1, 2024 Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Up to 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine Two On or about January 1, 2024 Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Mandatory minimum 5 years in prison, consecutive to other sentences; up to $250,000 fine Three On or about January 1, 2024 Felon in Possession of a Firearm Up to 15 years in prison; up to $250,000 fine Four January 15, 2024 Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Up to 20 years in prison; up to $1 million fine Five January 15, 2024 Felon in Possession of a Firearm Up to 15 years in prison; up to $250,000 fine Brown also faces terms of supervised release and special assessments of $100 per count if convicted. According to court documents, on or about January 1, 2024, Brown allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Brown, who previously had been convicted of a felony, also allegedly illegally possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On January 15, 2024, Brown allegedly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute to another person at a location on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Brown also illegally possessed a firearm at a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation on the same date. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier will prosecute the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay. An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Recidivist Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 175 Months In Prison For Causing Overdose Death Of 26-Year-Old Victim

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that ROY ESCOBAR was sentenced today to 175 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter Jr. for his years of fentanyl trafficking, which caused the overdose death of a 26-year-old man (the “Victim”) in Brooklyn, New York. ESCOBAR, who previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, operated his drug trafficking business alongside his two adult sons, Pablo Escobar and Roy Escobar Jr., who have also pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Roy Escobar’s actions have left a path of ruin in their wake. He contributed to the flood of fentanyl plaguing our communities, causing the death of a young man with a bright future ahead of him. He did all of this despite repeated prior drug trafficking charges and convictions, and he involved his own sons in this criminal activity. Escobar’s sentence is an important step toward bringing justice to his victims, and it reaffirms our unwavering commitment to combating this ongoing fentanyl crisis by holding drug traffickers like Escobar accountable.” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “This meaningful prison sentence assures New Yorkers that the NYPD and our law enforcement partners refuse to tolerate the illegal distribution of these poisons in our neighborhoods. I commend our courageous undercover officer in this case, and I thank our colleagues at the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, for continuing to be highly effective partners in our public safety mission.” According to the sentencing papers and the Court’s determinations at the sentencing hearing: On May 13, 2022, ROY ESCOBAR texted with the Victim to arrange a sale of what the Victim understood to be heroin. The Victim confided to ESCOBAR that he was “scared about the fent,” i.e., fentanyl, but ESCOBAR reassured the Victim that he understood the concern, and that he had heroin for sale. At approximately 10:30 p.m. that night, ESCOBAR arrived outside the Victim’s apartment and sold the Victim the drugs. Three days later, the Victim was found dead in his apartment, having overdosed the day prior on the drugs sold to him by ESCOBAR. Unbeknownst to the Victim, the drugs that he purchased from ESCOBAR in fact contained no heroin, but rather fentanyl and fentanyl analogue — far more potent, and deadly, substances — and the Victim died as a result of having consumed them. Following the Victim’s death, officers with the NYPD recovered the Victim’s phone and discovered his communications with ESCOBAR. An undercover NYPD officer (the “UC”) subsequently contacted ESCOBAR and began discussions concerning the purchase of narcotics. ESCOBAR sold fentanyl to the UC eight times over the next several months. Each time, the UC requested heroin and was led to believe that he was buying heroin, but the drugs that ESCOBAR sold in fact contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogue — the same fatal drugs that ESCOBAR sold to the Victim. Although ESCOBAR was the primary point of contact for the UC, ESCOBAR also involved his young adult sons, co-defendants Pablo Escobar and Roy Escobar Jr., in the narcotics trafficking. ESCOBAR explained to the UC that if ESCOBAR was ever unavailable, Pablo Escobar would be available to sell narcotics to the UC on ESCOBAR’s behalf. And, on two separate occasions, ESCOBAR sent Roy Escobar Jr. to deliver the drugs to the UC in ESCOBAR’s place. On October 18, 2022, ESCOBAR and his sons were arrested in connection with this investigation. Later that day, NYPD officers conducted searches of ESCOBAR’s residence in East Rockaway, New York, and a nearby storage unit rented in Roy Escobar Jr.’s name. During their searches, the officers recovered approximately 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, 198 grams of fentanyl analogue, five grams of crack cocaine, 163 grams of methamphetamine, and drug trafficking paraphernalia, including drug packaging materials that matched packaging recovered from the Victim’s apartment, near the Victim’s body. The investigation further revealed that ESCOBAR had been significantly involved in this pattern of narcotics trafficking since at least as early as April 2018. Specifically, the evidence showed that beginning in April 2018, a Venmo account used by ESCOBAR for drug sales received more than 2,000 separate payments, with an average transaction amount of $168.74 and a total amount of $347,772.25. ESCOBAR engaged in much of this conduct, including the sale of fatal drugs to the Victim, while he was already facing pending drug charges in New York state court. ESCOBAR had also previously been convicted for narcotics offenses in 2015 and 2002. * * * In addition to the prison term, ESCOBAR, 46, a Bolivian national residing in East Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $55,803, and ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, as well as the Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involved in this investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Andrew Jones are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: ALPINE, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Pecos to 135 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, U.S. Border Patrol agents inspected a vehicle driven by Jorge Alberto Garcia-Gamez, 45, at a checkpoint near Marfa. During the inspection, agents discovered 76 vacuum-sealed bundles containing 37.85 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s fuel tank. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Garcia-Gamez was transporting the methamphetamine for a Mexican drug trafficking organization. Garcia-Gamez was arrested Sept. 29, 2023 and pleaded guilty Nov. 17. “This case is reflective of the essential roles Border Patrol and HSI agents play in the mission to protect our communities across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to our partners, this prosecution has taken another drug trafficker off the streets for more than a decade, further disrupting the operations of Mexican cartels.” “This sentence should serve to dissuade anyone considering smuggling narcotics into our country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric McLoughlin for the HSI El Paso Division. “HSI special agents will continue to collaborate with our federal, local, and state law enforcement partners to stop the funneling of highly addictive and lethal drugs across the southern border.” HSI and the USBP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Greenbaum prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Firebombing Planned Parenthood Clinic and Plotting to Attack Electrical Substation

body_text: A California man pleaded guilty today to a firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa in March 2022 and planning to attack an electrical substation in Orange County, and further admitted to plotting an attack on Dodger Stadium last year on a night celebrating LGBTQI+ pride. Tibet Ergul, 22, of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30 and faces a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison. According to his plea agreement, in February and March 2022, Ergul and Chance Brannon, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, California, agreed to use a Molotov cocktail to damage a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County. Ergul and Brannon, who at the time was an active-duty U.S. Marine, targeted the clinic because it provided reproductive health services and they wanted to encourage others to engage in similar violent acts. Ergul and Brannon also wanted to make a statement about abortion; scare pregnant women away from obtaining abortions; deter doctors, staff and employees at the clinic from providing abortions; and intimidate the clinic’s patients. On March 12, 2022, in Ergul’s garage, Ergul and Brannon knowingly assembled a Molotov cocktail. During the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, Ergul and Brannon – disguised in dark clothing, masks, hoods and gloves – drove to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, ignited the Molotov cocktail and threw it at the clinic’s entrance, intentionally starting a fire. Due to the fire and the damage it caused, the clinic was forced to temporarily close and reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments. Ergul further admitted that in June 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade , he and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to attack another Planned Parenthood clinic. Ergul and Brannon abandoned this plan after seeing law enforcement near the targeted clinic. Ergul also conspired with others, including Brannon, to damage a Southern California Edison electrical substation to debilitate Orange County’s power grid. Ergul and his accomplices planned to attack the substation by using firearms or a Molotov cocktail that Ergul possessed in his garage. Ergul and Brannon consulted with an associate about surveillance, drone operations and firearms. In March 2023, Ergul messaged an associate to say he had found a substation in Orange to target. Ergul sent the associate aerial photographs of the substation and suggested doing a “drive-thru” at 3 a.m. Ergul also sent Brannon a letter in which he wrote: “The rifle is in a box in my room waiting to be used in the upcoming race war,” and he discussed a desire to murder politicians and journalists. Ergul and Brannon did not carry out this attack prior to their arrest in this case. During the early summer of 2023, Ergul and Brannon also discussed and researched how to attack the Dodger Stadium parking lot or the stadium’s electrical room on a night celebrating LGBTQI+ pride, including by using a device that could be detonated remotely, Ergul admitted in his plea agreement. Brannon and Ergul exchanged sabotage manuals and discussed doing “dry runs” to “case” the stadium. Law enforcement arrested Ergul and Brannon two days before Dodger Stadium’s scheduled “Pride Night.” Ergul, who has been in federal custody since June 2023, is the third and final defendant to plead guilty in this case. Brannon, who also has been in federal custody since June 2023, pleaded guilty in November to four crimes: conspiracy, malicious destruction of property by fire and explosives, possession of an unregistered destructive device and intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility – a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Brannon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 15. Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Florida, who has been in federal custody since July 2023, pleaded guilty on Jan. 19 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility. Batten’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department and the Costa Mesa Fire Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California is prosecuting this case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DATAYNA HOWARD , age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on February 28, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances—fentanyl, tapentadol, and marijuana—in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). According to court documents, on January 19, 2022, HOWARD was arrested at the Oakwood Shopping Center in Gretna, La. in possession of fentanyl, marijuana, drug trafficking supplies, and two loaded handguns. On June 8, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at HOWARD ’s residence in New Orleans and discovered over 700 tapentadol pills, marijuana, drug trafficking supplies, three handguns, and additional ammunition. HOWARD faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release on each of his convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. As to each of his convictions for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, HOWARD faces a minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to each count, HOWARD also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Highland County man sentenced to more than 6 years in prison for attempting hate crime

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A local, self-identified “Incel” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 80 months in prison for attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women. Tres Genco, 24, of Hillsboro, Ohio, admitted he plotted to commit a hate crime, namely, a plan to shoot women at a university in Ohio. He was arrested by federal agents in July 2021 and has remained in custody since. “Genco intended to carry out a devastating mass murder of innocent women in this state for no other reason than the fact that he hated them. Everybody deserves to live without threats of violence or fearing acts of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Genco’s sentence reflects the need to protect the community from him for a significant period of time. I thank each of our law enforcement partners for working together to keep our community safe.” “Genco plotted to violently attack women and was motivated by his personal hatred,” stated FBI Cincinnati Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura. “Law enforcement, working together, stopped his deadly attack from happening. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and community partners to disrupt threats and prevent violence in our community.” Genco identified as an Incel or “involuntary celibate.” The Incel movement is a predominantly male online community that harbors anger towards women, fueled by their inability to convince women to engage in sexual activity with them. According to court documents, Genco maintained profiles on a popular Incel website from at least July 2019 through mid-March 2020 and posted more than 450 times on the site. More than 3,000 items on Genco’s two phones contained the word “Incel.” In one online post, Genco detailed spraying “some foids [women] and couples” with orange juice in a water gun. Genco compared his “extremely empowering action” to similar conduct by known Incel Elliot Rodger. In May 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others, including shooting individuals outside a University of California, Santa Barbara sorority house. Prior to his mass attack, Rodger shot a group of college students with orange juice from a water gun. Rodger also emailed a 107,000-word manifesto to multiple media outlets before his mass shooting. Genco wrote a manifesto, too, stating he would “slaughter” women “out of hatred, jealousy and revenge…” and referring to death as the “great equalizer.” The investigation revealed that the day he wrote his manifesto, Genco searched online for two sororities, including one at The Ohio State University. His Google searches included “sorority osu” and “ohio state university sororities.” As part of this investigation, law enforcement agents discovered a note of Genco’s that indicated he hoped to “aim big” for a “huge!” kill count of 3,000 people with a reference to the same date as Elliot Rodger’s attack. The note said Genco intended to attend military training. In 2019, Genco purchased tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest, a hoodie bearing the word “Revenge,” cargo pants, a bowie knife, a skull facemask, two Glock 17 magazines, a 9mm Glock 17 clip, and a holster clip concealed carry for a Glock. Genco attended Army Basic Training in Georgia from August through December 2019. He was discharged for entry-level performance and conduct. On Jan. 11, 2020, Genco wrote a note on his phone entitled “isolated” that he described as “the writings of the deluded and homicidal.” Genco signed the document, “Your hopeful friend and murderer.” On Jan. 15, 2020, the defendant wrote another note on his phone that appears to document surveillance of an unidentified school. He wrote: “10:53 am, fairly busy, Wednesday, Students seem fairly nerdy, some hipster dull kids as well. The track is primarily unused. Ages vary. The average appears to be early 20s. Car quality is generally mid lower tier. Some sort of building behind the college look into it. They have no check of any sort entering the building. I wasn’t questioned at all. Backpacks are very common.” That same day, Genco searched online for topics including “planning a shooting crime” and “when does preparing for a crime become an attempt?” On March 11, 2020, Genco screenshotted information on his phone about radio codes for Columbus police and The Ohio State University police. He also accessed the Facebook pages for one of the university’s sororities. The next day, on March 12, 2020, Highland County sheriff’s deputies responded to Genco’s residence. At the residence, in the trunk of Genco’s vehicle, police officers found, among other things, a firearm with a bump stock attached, several loaded magazines, body armor and boxes of ammunition. Inside the residence, police officers found a modified Glock-style 9mm semiautomatic pistol, with no manufacturer’s marks or serial number, hidden in a heating vent in Genco’s bedroom. As part of his plea, Genco admitted that he possessed both firearms in furtherance of his plot. Genco pleaded guilty in October 2022 to one count of attempting to commit a hate crime. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney Painter and Timothy S. Mangan are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Porn, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

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 that Adrian Dale Tsinnijinnie pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of production of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and coercion and enticement of a minor. Tsinnijinnie, 36, of Fort Riley, Kansas, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Tsinnijinnie on Jan. 25, 2023. According to publicly available court records, between November 2020 and January 2021, while stationed on active duty in the U.S. Army at Fort Riley, Kansas, Tsinnijinnie used Facebook Messenger to contact and groom Jane Doe, a 13-year-old child. Initially, the messages Tsinnijinnie sent to Jane Doe were supportive, but soon Tsinnijinnie began to request nude videos and photos. Tsinnijinnie told the victim that if she didn’t send him photos it would make him sad. Tsinnijinnie continuously pressured Jane Doe until she reluctantly sent him a nude photo. During these interactions, Tsinnijinnie also sent Jane Doe nude photos and videos of himself. On June 20, 2021, while he was on leave from the U.S. Army, Tsinnijinnie traveled with his family to Shiprock, New Mexico, where Jane Doe lives. During the visit, Tsinnijinnie sexually assaulted Jane Doe on two occasions. Following the second incident, Tsinnijinnie apologized to Jane Doe and asked her to keep quiet about the incident, telling her that discussing the incident with others would “ruin everything.” Tsinnijinnie asked Jane Doe “cross her heart” not to say anything. On July 5, 2021, Jane Doe disclosed to her father that she had been sexually assaulted by Tsinnijinnie. The victim’s father took her to the San Juan Regional Medical Center where she underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam. Following the exam, the victim’s father met with a Navajo Nation Police Officer to make a report. At sentencing, Tsinnijinnie faces between 15 and 25 years in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. # # # 24-88


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Maintaining Fictitious Super PAC and Credit Card Fraud

body_text: A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to filing documents with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that contained false and fictitious information about a political action committee, or Super PAC, and credit card fraud. According to court documents, in March 2020, Christopher Richardson, 37, of Langhorne, created an independent, expenditure-only Super PAC named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) that used fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million from several fictitious individuals. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the Super PAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the U.S. Senate. Richardson filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. Richardson also used the alias of one of the fictitious donors to AFPA to obtain a credit card, and then used that card to conduct approximately 200 transactions. Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of making a false entry in a record and one count of access device fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the false entry count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the access device fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Cybercrime Investigations Division made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office and TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset for the District of Columbia.


title: KC Man Sentenced for Selling Meth, Heroin on the Dark Web

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for selling methamphetamine and heroin on the dark web. John M. LeCoque, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered LeCoque to forfeit to the government $22,000, representing proceeds obtained from his illegal drug trafficking. On Aug. 16, 2023, LeCoque pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. LeCoque admitted that he sold illegal drugs over the dark web via an online marketplace called White House Market from May 15, 2020, to Aug. 6, 2021. Federal agents used cryptocurrency to purchase methamphetamine and heroin from LeCoque through an undercover account on two occasions in 2021. Agents executed a search warrant at LeCoque’s residence on May 27, 2021. Agents seized methamphetamine and heroin from his apartment. Agents also found a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and ammunition inside a locked safe. Federal agents executed a search warrant of LeCoque’s online vendor account and located information for 279 orders of illegal drugs from May 2020 to May 2021, including a total of 604 grams of methamphetamine and 234 grams of heroin. Several months later, in August 2021, LeCoque advertised a “final sale” on his dark web vendor account. According to court documents, LeCoque advertised his product to countless users, marketing his methamphetamine as “Rural Mos finest crystal methamphetamine” and advertising his heroin as “high-potency brown powder heroin, cut with just enough lactose to make it easy to snort and prevent clumping.” Records from LeCoque’s account and statements made by LeCoque indicate he was grossing over $10,000 per month through his online drug sales. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Toledo man sentenced to decade in prison for armed robbery in Columbus, during which he shot a victim

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Juarvez Reemos Juan Whitfield-Neeley, 25, of Toledo, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 121 months in prison for armed robbery. According to court documents, in March 2020, Whitfield-Neeley shot three people during two separate robberies. “For the sake of a few dollars, Whitfield-Neeley forever altered the life of at least three victims through gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “The resulting federal cases against him should send a clear message to Whitfield-Neeley and others that it is not worth it, and you will ultimately pay by serving time in federal prison.” While robbing the Berkeley & Main Market in Columbus on March 15, 2020, he shot the store clerk in the back of the knee. A brief struggle ensued, and a gun in the clerk’s pocket fell to the floor. Whitfield-Neeley stole the clerk’s gun and fled. Two weeks later, in Toledo, Whitfield-Neeley used the gun he had stolen from Columbus and fired several shots at two clerks in a corner store in Toledo. He shot both clerks in the torso, stole a gun from one of the injured clerks and took the cash from the register. In June 2020, Whitfield-Neeley was charged in the Southern District of Ohio for the Columbus robbery and shooting. He was later taken into custody in the Northern District of Ohio, where he pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the Toledo robbery and was sentenced there to 207 months in prison. The defendant will serve his sentence for the Southern District of Ohio consecutively to the sentence he is already serving. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Twombly and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.


title: Worcester Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for False Tax Returns Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A tax preparer was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for preparing false tax returns in the names of taxpayers. Kwasi Kwarteng, 51, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Kwarteng was also ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $346,186 and a special assessment of $1,300. In addition, Kwarteng was placed under a permanent injunction barring him for life from preparing or assisting in the filing of federal tax returns for any other person or entity. In April 2023, Kwarteng pleaded guilty to 13 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal tax returns. From at least 2014 through 2018, Kwarteng operated under the name KK Tax Service –despite not being registered with the IRS as required by law – filing more than 1,195 tax returns in the names of clients, charging approximately $150 per return. Kwarteng added false information to hundreds of the returns to claim deductions for fictitious medical expenses, personal property taxes, gifts to charity, Individual Retirement Account (IRA) contributions and unreimbursed employee business expenses. The false returns resulted in some clients paying lower taxes than they owed and, in most cases, resulted in clients receiving tax refunds to which they were not entitled. Kwarteng caused more than half a million dollars in losses to the IRS. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.