title: Oregon Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses, Traveling to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that CANYON BEASLEY, 21, of Gresham, Oregon, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses, including traveling to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Beasley was arrested on September 30, 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman in Portland, Oregon, and was ordered detained. A detention hearing is scheduled for October 29 in New Haven. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Beasley and a minor victim in Connecticut engaged in an online relationship, communicating through Snapchat, TikTok, and through text messaging, for more than a year, and exchanged sexually explicit images through these online platforms. In June 2024, Beasley traveled to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim. The complaint charges Beasley with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Firearm

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing a stolen firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jadin Andino , 22, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Andino pleaded guilty on February 28, 2024. According to court records, in April 2022, Andino took possession of a 9mm firearm knowing that it had been stolen from a pawn shop in Waterville. Ryan Ansart, 22, of West Springfield, Mass. and Damiean Marcial-Alexander , 22, of Waterville have each pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from the Waterville pawn shop and are awaiting sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterville Police Department investigated the case. ###


title: Northwest Arkansas Woman Ordered to Pay More Than $3.4 Million in Restitution for Money Laundering and Filing of False Tax Return

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE - A Springdale woman was sentenced on August 15, 2024, to 13 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Yesterday, she was ordered to pay over $3.4 million in restitution on one count of money laundering and one count of Filing a False Income Tax Return. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, Shelly Jo Ketcher, age 58, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging her with money laundering and filing a false income tax return. Ketcher, worked as a bookkeeper and accountant at a Northwest Arkansas company for approximately 5 years. During that time Ketcher embezzled over $2.5 million from the company. Ketcher carried out her scheme in multiple ways including unauthorized and unearned payments to herself, unauthorized payments to credit card companies as well as unauthorized and unearned payments to others who were not employees of the company. In reference to the Filing a false income tax return charge, Ketcher reported false wages and salaries on her personal federal tax returns. Ketcher’s criminal history showed a prior conviction out of the Northern District of Oklahoma in 2006 for Wire Fraud as well as two Oklahoma state convictions for Embezzlement. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Fayetteville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case for the United States. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .


title: St. Louis County Woman Sentenced for Obtaining $263,000 in Fraudulent Pandemic Loans

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a woman from St. Louis County to five years of probation and ordered her to pay $279,201 in restitution for fraudulently obtaining loans that were supposed to go to struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Melissa T. Stevenson, 42, of Jennings, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of bank fraud. She admitted submitting three fraudulent applications for PPP loans from March 2021 through December 2021 that yielded a total of $263,284. The $279,201 Stevenson now owes to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) includes the amount of her Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans plus interest. Stevenson submitted fraudulent applications for a PPP loan for a business named “Our Love CDS” on two occasions in 2021, she admitted in her plea. Both applications contained falsely inflated information about the number of employees and the monthly payroll and included a false IRS Form 940 (Employe's Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return). Stevenson fraudulently sought another loan for “Drinks By Melissa,” again falsely inflating income to maximize the loan she would receive, her plea says. Stevenson said she would use the money to retain workers and for other business expenses that were permitted under the program but used the money for personal rent payments, credit card payments, a vehicle, retail purchases and payments to others. Stevenson also submitted applications for loan forgiveness for some of the PPP loans she received, falsely stating that she had spent all of the loan proceeds on payroll costs.


title: Ellsworth Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10+ Years, Ordered to Pay $90,000 in Restitution for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: An Ellsworth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Lee Ross , 62, to 121 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $90,000 in restitution. Ross was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, following a two-day trial. Ross was also sentenced to 24 months for violating his supervised release from an earlier conviction. The sentences will be served consecutively. According to court records, in March 2023, a relative of Ross called the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office in Bangor to express concerns that Ross had a cell phone and was using it to view pornography. Ross was on federal supervised release following a 2014 federal conviction for possessing child pornography and was prohibited from possessing any unapproved or unmonitored internet-capable devices. In April 2023, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Ross’s residence. During the inspection, the officers discovered a cell phone as well as a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia. When the phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child and further investigation revealed more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. A search of a vehicle used by Lee since his 2021 release from prison revealed a laptop and external hard drive hidden in the spare tire wheel well. The laptop was found to have 187 images and videos of child sexual abuse material while the external hard drive contained 761 images and videos. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Syracuse Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Mario Leslie, age 32, of Syracuse, was sentenced yesterday to serve 10 years in federal prison for his convictions for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). As part of his previous guilty plea, Leslie admitted that on February 6, 2024, he possessed over 151 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, inside his home and his vehicles, all of which were in Syracuse, New York. Leslie intended to distribute the fentanyl to others. Leslie also admitted that on that same date he knowingly possessed a loaded handgun in a secret compartment in his vehicle that he used to protect his drugs and drug proceeds as well as over 100 rounds of ammunition which were found in his home and vehicles. United States District Judge David N. Hurd also yesterday sentenced Leslie to serve a 4-year term of post-release supervision and ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment. This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.


title: Latham Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kristy Lynne Koldis, age 46, of Latham, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. In previously pleading guilty, Koldis admitted that she created sexually explicit content depicting the lewd and lascivious exhibition of V-1’s genitals from the time V-1 was approximately 9 years old through the time V-1 was approximately 13 years old and distributed the files to Joshua White, who pled guilty on December 13, 2023, to distribution and possession of child pornography. His sentencing is currently scheduled for December 12, 2024. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed special assessments totaling over $55,000 and ordered Koldis to pay $5,000 in restitution. Koldis will have to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison. Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Clearfield County Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Davin Gower, 30. According to information presented to the Court, from December 2019 to April 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Gower conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Gower was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. U.S. Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Gower. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison For Being A Felon In Possession of A Firearm

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Marcus Venson, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. On August 24, 2023, Venson, 45, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Venson to three years supervised release. Venson was indicted on November 2, 2022, in a second superseding indictment, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. An investigation revealed that on March 18, 2018, the Little Rock Police Department responded to a call of a theft that just occurred at a residence. The caller at the scene advised officers that a person drove to a nearby residence and entered the residence. Officers located Venson’s car outside and discovered he was inside the residence and carrying a television toward the front door. Venson, who was ordered to put the television down and show his hands, stated, “I’m just trying to steal stuff.” At this time, officers observed a silver firearm in Venson’s pocket, but Venson stated he did not have a firearm, while at the same time touching the firearm. Venson was placed into custody after officers ordered him to come out of the residence. During a search of Venson, officers recovered a firearm, ammunition, and phencyclidine (PCP). Venson is classified as an armed career criminal offender due to his violent criminal history that includes convictions for aggravated assault, terroristic threatening, residential burglary, and battery in the second degree. There is no parole in the federal system. The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Crews and John Ray White. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: U. S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces $17.4 million in Justice Department grants to state, county and organizations to support law enforcement and crime victim services

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, for the District of Montana, today announced approximately 27 grant awards totaling $17,476,734 in Department of Justice funds to help state and local government agencies and community organizations support law enforcement programs and to provide services for crime victims. The grants were awarded by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs. “This money reflects the United States Justice Department’s strong commitment to keeping our communities safe. From assisting law enforcement to helping victims of crime to keeping people from entering the criminal justice system, these funds will have a significant impact on our state. We are proud of our partnerships across the state and appreciate the important work each of partners provides to Montanans,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The awards announced are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . The following organizations and agencies receiving funding include: Montana Department of Justice: $323,742, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Competitive DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Montana Legal Services Association (Helena): $440,000, Office for Victims of Crime FY24 Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Montana Board of Crime Control: $411,304, Bureau of Justice Statistics FY24 National Criminal History Improvement Program Supplemental Funding under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Missoula County: $700,000, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 Grants to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Haven (Bozeman): $750,000, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Dawson County: $609,058, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Missoula County: $750,000, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Montana Legal Services Association (Helena): $500,000, Office on Violence Against Women FY 24 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County: $750,000, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Program Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (Helena): $367,379, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program Montana Board of Crime Control: $1,053,191, Office on Violence Against Women FY24 STOP Formula Grant Program Montana Board of Crime Control: $223,194, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program Formula Grant Montana Board of Crime Control: $1,123,798, Bureau of Justice Statistics FY24 National Criminal History Improvement Program Montana Board of Crime Control: $61,877, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 John R. Justice Formula Grant Program\ Montana Department of Justice: $391,391, SMART FY24 Support for Adam Walsh Implementation Grant Program Montana Board of Crime Control, $812,352, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Formula Solicitation Haven (Bozeman): $535,974, Office of Violence Against Women FY24 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking program Inspire Action for Social Change Inc. (Clancy): $250,000, Office of Violence Against Women FY24 Training and Technical Assistance Initiative. Montana Board of Crime Control: $3,017,090, Office for Victims of Crime FY24 Victim Assistance Formula Grant Montana Department of Justice: $640,000, Office for Victims of Crime FY24 Victim Compensation Formula Grant Montana Department of Justice: $600,000, Office of Justice Assistance Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Montana Board of Crime Control: $96,208, Office of Justice Assistance Project Safe Neighborhoods Formula Grant Program Judiciary Courts of State of Montana: $655,496, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Adult Treatment Court Program Montana Legal Services Association (Helena): $450,000, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Invited to Apply-Law Enforcement Operations University of Montana: $675,000, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention FY24 Victims of Child Abuse Act Tribal Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance Montana Board of Crime Control: $294,696, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program-Formula City-County of Butte Silver Bow: $994,984, Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . XXX


title: New York Man Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Oregon to Sexually Abuse a Child He Met Playing an Online Video Game

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A New York man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for traveling to Southern Oregon to sexually abuse a child and capturing the abuse on video. Brent Johnson, Jr., 26, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release. According to court documents, in August 2021, Johnson contacted a child through an online video game and, after exchanging phone numbers with the child, continued communicating with them via text messages and phone calls. Undeterred by the child’s age, in late 2021, Johnson traveled to Southern Oregon where he sexually abused the child and captured the abuse on video. In February 2022, the child’s mother contacted law enforcement after receiving text messages and images from Johnson. On May 5, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Johnson with sexually exploiting a child, distributing child pornography, and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. On June 26, 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Long Island, New York, and Medford, and the Rogue River Police Department. It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org . Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Multiple pharmaceutical distributor executives, sales representatives and brokers charged in connection with unlawful sales of over 70M opioid pills

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - Charges have been unsealed as part of a larger enforcement action related to the unlawful distribution of nearly 70 million opioid pills and over 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to alleged Houston-area pill-mill pharmacies. Three Houston-area pharmacy operators were also charged for their role in the schemes. Nine individuals have pleaded guilty. According to court documents, the opioids allegedly distributed - oxycodone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone - were available in numerous strengths and forms, but the distributors allegedly sold the drugs almost exclusively in their most abused, most powerful immediate-release pill forms, i.e., the ones that sold for the most money on the black market. The distributors also allegedly sold prescription drug potentiators such as alprazolam, carisoprodol and promethazine with codeine syrup known for their reputation of enhancing the high from the opioids. The distributors allegedly charged their Houston customers far more for the drugs than what a legitimate pharmacy could or would pay. As alleged in the charging documents, the defendants mostly targeted pill-mill pharmacies in and around Houston - a nationally recognized “hot zone” for diversion of pharmaceutical opioids onto the black market. The distributors sought to thwart Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversight function in several ways, including by following what one defendant called a “blueprint” for avoiding detection: high prices, low purchasing limits for the controlled drugs and compliance measures that only served appearances. In addition, the distributors were all located outside Texas, far removed from their Houston-area pill-mill pharmacy customers and the communities ravaged by their alleged offenses. “The distributors that sourced pills into the Houston area may be located across the country, but they targeted Houston, helping to make it a known ‘hot zone’ for drug diversion,” said Hamdani. “This office will always support the prosecution of individuals who are believed to have thwarted law enforcement and oversight by operating across state lines and posing as legitimate businesses, while poisoning our district by targeting pill mills with precisely the drugs at the heart of our country’s addiction crisis. These cases build on this district’s history of systematically dismantling pill-mill clinics, pharmacies and the often-violent drug-trafficking organizations responsible for selling these pills in our community.” “The defendants, including pharmaceutical drug distributors, allegedly exploited the opioid crisis for profit — selling dangerous and addictive drugs to pill-mill pharmacies at above-market prices, knowing that the drugs would end up on the black market,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division. “These charges represent the Justice Department’s largest criminal enforcement action targeting executives, brokers, and alleged pill-mill pharmacy owners for unlawfully distributing opioids and other commonly abused drugs. Our message is clear: we will not hesitate in our pursuit of those involved in dumping addictive pharmaceutical drugs onto the streets.” Those charged include Velencia Griffin, 42, Kendal Lyons, 29, and Andre Reid, 44, Houston; Sheldon Dounn, 71, and Jason Smith, 43, Plantation, Florida Plantation; Hernan Alvarez, 52, Phoenix, Arizona; Joshua Weinstein, 50, Miami, Florida; Eric Bailey, 59, St. Louis, Missouri; Joseph Pesserillo, 38, The Villages, Florida; Cassandra Rivera, 40, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Richard “Dick” Osbourne, 78, Memphis, Tennessee and Courtney Rotenberry, 45, Savannah, Tennessee. For unlawful distribution-related count, those charged face up to 20 years in federal prison, while a conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a possible five-year prison term. Conspiracy to use a communications facility to further the commission of a drug felony has a maximum four-year possible prison term. The DEA, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG), FBI, U.S. Postal Service - OIG, Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations and Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration - OIG, Broward County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. DOJ Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Devon Helfmeyer are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fyffe is assisting with forfeiture. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Eastern District of North Carolina are assisting with the prosecution. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . An indictment, information or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Sues Missouri Landlords Based on Discriminatory Criminal History Policy

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owners and managers of Suburban Heights Apartments, a residential rental property in Kinloch, Missouri, near St. Louis, engaged in a pattern or practice of race and/or color discrimination against prospective Black tenants by banning tenants with any past felony conviction and certain other criminal histories, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The defendants, Suburban Heights LLC, Crestline Property LLC, Triline Properties LLC and Jingle Properties LLC, each owned and/or managed the property at various relevant times since at least 2015. “Rental property owners and managers that ban tenants with a criminal history risk running afoul of the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Policies that perpetuate racial discrimination in the housing market can prove devastating for communities of color. This lawsuit should send a clear message to housing providers that certain criminal history bans on people seeking to put a roof over their heads are not just unfair but unlawful. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the protections of the Fair Housing Act to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of race and color in all its forms.” The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and alleges that, during their respective periods of ownership or management of the property from at least November 2015 to January 2024, the defendants publicized and enforced a categorical ban on tenants with felony convictions and certain other criminal histories, regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred. This policy excluded prospective tenants based on their criminal histories, which are known to have significant racial disparities, and which are not accurate proxies for actual underlying criminal activity nor reliable predictors of future criminal activity. By choosing to use that policy, the defendants likely deterred prospective Black tenants from applying to rent and excluded them from housing opportunities at Suburban Heights Apartments. The allegations were based, in part, on evidence generated by the department’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as prospective renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to remedy the harms caused by the defendants’ policy, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination at Suburban Heights Apartments or other dwellings owned or managed by the defendants, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291. Press 1 for English, press 1 for discrimination in housing and then press 8 for Suburban Heights Apartments to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to talk.suburbanheights@usdoj.gov or submit a report online .


title: BLM Activist Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio - Sir Maejor Page, 35, of Toledo, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick after a jury convicted him of wire fraud and money laundering for defrauding donors of more than $450,000 that they collectively gave to his nonprofit “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” (BLM of Greater Atlanta) based on Page’s false representations. He was also ordered to pay a $400 special assessment fee. Page continued to collect donations to his purported social justice charity through the organization’s Facebook page even after its tax-exempt status was revoked for failure to submit IRS Form 990 for three consecutive years. He regularly posted content to Facebook about social and racial issues to give his nonprofit the appearance of legitimacy, despite no longer being tax-exempt. He also used Facebook to message privately with users, and he falsely represented that their donations would be used to “fight for George Floyd” and the “movement.” As a result, approximately 18,000 people donated to the BLM of Greater Atlanta charity through its Facebook account, which Page administered. Page used the donations to BLM for his own personal benefit. He purchased entertainment, hotel rooms, clothing, firearms, and a property that he intended to use as his personal residence. He attempted to conceal the purchase of the property by using the name “Hi Frequency Ohio” and asked the seller to sign a nondisclosure agreement that would have prevented the seller from listing Page as the actual buyer. “Mr. Page took advantage of a cause meant to fight social injustices, using it instead to line his own pockets with thousands of dollars of donations,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “People donate their hard-earned money to support causes they believe in, and when a fraudster like Page comes along and tries to get away with a fake charity scheme, it hurts legitimate nonprofit organizations that rely on the generosity of others to advance their missions and make positive change in the world. This Office will hold accountable those who try to profit by scamming unsuspecting people out of their money like Page did here.” "The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals, like Sir Maejor Page, who engage in fraudulent charity schemes at the expense of the American public,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Page is a calculating criminal who willingly conspired to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars through the trusting public. Today’s sentence holds him accountable and demonstrates that the FBI will steadfastly pursue perpetrators who target American citizens.” This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Rob Melching .


title: Former Gardiner postmaster admits stealing office bank deposits

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — The former postmaster of the Gardiner post office admitted today to allegations that she stole office bank deposits, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Tanya Lee Holbrook, 42, of Emigrant, pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds and theft of government property as charged in an indictment. Holbrook faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each charge. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Holbrook was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that Holbrook began working as a postmaster of the Gardiner post office in September 2022. In February 2023, the manager of postal operations in Montana contacted the U.S. Postal Services Office of Inspector General regarding concerns that Holbrook was stealing office bank deposits. An investigation determined that Holbrook routinely issued money orders to herself and others but did not submit the funds for them to USPS. Between November 2022 and September 2023, Holbrook delayed approximately 48 bank deposits, totaling $46,755, from the Gardiner post office. While Holbrook usually sent the cash later when she was paid, she never provided funds for eight deposits, which totaled $24,443, from January 2023 to September 2023. When interviewed, Holbrook confessed to the thefts. Holbrook stated that she issued herself or family members money orders without remitting payment and then delayed sending the funds. Holbrook eventually fell so far behind that she was unable to pay for several deposits. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The USPS Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Pelahatchie Man Pleads Guilty to  Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Pelahatchie man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Brad O’Neal Lee, 41, sold a firearm to a pawn shop in Jackson, Mississippi. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was alerted to the sale. Lee is a convicted felon, and is therefore prohibited by federal law from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Lee’s previous felony convictions are for residential burglary, false pretense, and uttering a forgery, for which he served several years in state prison. Lee will be sentenced on February 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The ATF is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen 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.


title: Randolph Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Schemes Involving Sober Home Client, Mass Save Program and Mortgage Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Randolph man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his involvement in numerous fraud schemes involving sober homes in the Greater Boston area, the Mass Save Program and mortgage fraud. Nicholas Espinosa, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a mortgage lending business (mortgage fraud conspiracy); 16 counts of wire fraud; six counts of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering); and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2025. Espinosa was arrested and charged in March 2023 along with alleged co-conspirator Daniel Cleggett. According to the charging documents, Cleggett was the founder of the sober home business, A Vision From God LLC (AVFG), with locations in in Boston, Wakefield, Quincy and Weymouth under trade names including Brady’s Place, Lakeshore Retreat and Lambert House. Espinosa managed the day-to-day affairs of Cleggett’s business. Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, along with a sober home client entered into a conspiracy to defraud a New York-based family trust that was paying for the client’s room and board at Brady’s Place in Quincy. Specifically, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices to the family trust. Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, would then issue “refund” checks to the client in furtherance of the fraud scheme. According to the charging documents, from approximately October 2019 to December 2021, Cleggett personally, and through straw purchasers including Espinosa, purchased the three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes. Espinosa falsely represented that one of these properties was intended to be purchased as a primary residence for himself when, in reality, it was intended to be a sober home. In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett operated numerous insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save Program: Green Save Energy Corporation; Environmental Construction Objective Inc. (ECO); Green Giants, LLC; and Insulation Situation, LLC. Mass Save is a Massachusetts public/private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utility companies that funds energy conservation projects and improvements via energy efficiency funds charged to Massachusetts residents’ utility bills. Specifically, Green Save and ECO received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the Mass Save program. It is alleged that, from 2018 through mid-2021, Green Save and ECO fraudulently billed the vendor company for required permits that were not actually obtained. Green Save and ECO were ultimately terminated from participating in the company’s program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from participating in the Mass Save program. In response to this, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett and others, formed Green Giants as a new lead vendor with the same company under a straw owner. As a result, Espinosa, and allegedly Cleggett, obtained a total of $509,326 in payments from the company to Green Giants, despite a ban from participating in the Mass Save program. The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kingston, Randolph and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Merrillville Doctor Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: HAMMOND – Johann Farley, 60 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to health care fraud. Farley was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $557,000 to Indiana Medicaid ($444,000) and Medicare ($113,000). According to documents in the case, Farley was a physician who ran an addiction treatment practice in Merrillville, Indiana. Many of his patients struggled with opioid addiction and relied on him to treat their addiction. Farley required these patients to come to his office frequently, sometimes on a daily basis, but the visits only lasted a few minutes, and his patients often did not even see him. For over four years, Farley submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare falsely representing that he had complex, extended visits with his patients for several hours each week. In total, between January 2016 and May 2020, Farley billed Medicaid and Medicare for more than 7,000 services he did not provide and was paid more than $557,000 for work he never performed. The case was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Steven J. Lupa.


title: Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Illegal Weapons Possession Charges

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three co-defendants, Martin Cervantes Vasquez, 49, of Stockton; Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento; and Isaiah Alberto Salgado, 25, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to various drug trafficking and illegal weapons possession charges, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Cervantes and Alberto Salgado pleaded guilty to a fentanyl pill trafficking conspiracy. Cervantes also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Alberto Salgado also pleaded guilty to two counts of heroin distribution, to cultivating more than 100 marijuana plants, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Isaiah Salgado pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. According to court documents, Alberto Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to a confidential source on multiple occasions in 2019 and 2020. Cervantes supplied fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to Alberto Salgado and also possessed more than a kilogram of heroin and 500 grams of methamphetamine on the day of his arrest on Oct. 8, 2020. Alberto and Isaiah Salgado sold an illegal short-barreled rifle to the same confidential source in August 2020. Alberto Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew more than 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force; and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case. Cervantes is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2025, Alberto Salgado on Feb. 13, 2025, and Isaiah Salgado on Jan. 9, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Cervantes and Alberto Salgado face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Isaiah Salgado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: City Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing a Northeast Philadelphia Business, Carjacking a Mother and Daughter Outside Their Home in September 2022

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Amir Harvey, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond to Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, and felon in possession of ammunition, in connection with the robbery of a commercial business and a carjacking, both in Northeast Philadelphia. Harvey was arrested and charged by complaint in September of 2022 and then indicted on these charges in October of that year. On September 9, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., the defendant and three others approached the Hook and Reel restaurant, located at 9763 Roosevelt Boulevard. Upon encountering an employee of the restaurant outside, Harvey and the others forced him inside, ransacked the office, stole about $400 from the cash drawers, and fled. In the early morning hours of September 19, 2022, Philadelphia police officers responded to a report of a robbery in progress on the 8900 block of Maxwell Place, where the victim reported that her car had just been stolen by an armed individual as she and her teenage daughter were about to leave for school. The victim stated that around 6:15 a.m., she started her vehicle using an application on her cell phone. A short time later, she and her daughter exited their house and walked to the car parked in the front driveway, when they were approached by an armed individual, later identified as the defendant, who pointed a firearm, later found to be a replica, at their heads. The defendant grabbed the victim’s keys and purse and sped away in her vehicle. The victim then used its location tracking feature on her cell phone app and informed police, who responded to that location on the 2000 block of Griffith Street, about 2½ miles from the victim’s home. Using neighborhood video surveillance footage, investigators traced the movement of the victim’s vehicle and the defendant to a nearby apartment complex. “Amir Harvey ambushed a worker just trying to wrap up his shift, and a mom and daughter looking to start their day,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Robbing innocent people at gunpoint, even if the gun’s not real, is no game. It’s a serious crime — and an excellent way to earn an extended stay in federal prison. My office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to make Philly safer, as we lock up violent criminals with regard for neither the law nor other people.” “Violence against innocent Philadelphia victims — in this case a business employee, mother, and daughter — will not stand,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is on the frontline in the fight against violent crime, particularly carjackings and robberies. We hope this case deters those willing to use violence in our community. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to prevent and prosecute violent crime when it occurs.” The swift action to investigate and federally charge this defendant is the work of the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, which comprises members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department. The goal of the Task Force is to stem the wave of armed carjackings and violent crimes through investigative and enforcement techniques meant to identify, and refer for federal prosecution, all who terrorize innocent victims through commission of these offenses within Philadelphia and surrounding areas. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Eckert and Lauren E. Stram.


title: Rochester business owner pleads guilty to filing a false tax return

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James Leonardo, 56, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford, to filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that Leonardo is the sole member and owner of MY PI, LLC. The company owns a 110-foot yacht named “Pure Insanity,” which resulted in rental income for MY PI, LLC. Leonardo was required to report net profits or losses from the business use of the yacht on his personal federal income tax returns. For the years 2015 through 2018, Leonardo reported the rental income received by MY PI, LLC. However, to reduce the taxes owed, he falsely deducted all the losses incurred with respect to operation and maintenance by falsely claiming that the yacht was used 100% of the time for business purposes. In actuality, the yacht was only used for business purposes one-third of the time. As a result, Leonardo was only entitled to deduct one-third of the losses generated for operation and maintenance. As a result, he failed to report and pay additional income taxes totaling $872,869 for 2015 through 2018. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, and the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General’s, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, Northeast Field Office. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford. # # # #


title: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised Release

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Carlito Harris Carter, 45, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and violating supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 22, 2024, Carter sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $50. The transaction took place at Carter’s St. Albans residence. On January 26, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and found approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine, 200 grams of fentanyl, 300 grams of marijuana, various firearm components, ammunition, and $1,695. Carter admitted to possessing and intending to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl. At the time of this offense, Carter was on supervised release following his conviction for distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on September 2, 2011. Today’s sentence includes one year in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-46. ###


title: Dubois couple sentenced for tax fraud

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: Tammy Bushnell, 59, and Scott Bushnell, 64, of Dubois, Wyoming, were sentenced yesterday to eight months of home confinement with three years of probation for conspiracy to defraud the United States by underreporting gross income and filing a false tax return. According to court documents, the Bushnells owned and operated Trails End Guns and Trails End Motel in Dubois. During the 2017 through 2021 tax years, the Bushnells failed to provide all their gross receipts to their CPA and inflated some expenses, thus understating their tax liability for those years. The investigation began in 2021 when the couple listed the motel for sale. Undercover agents posed as potential buyers and were provided with financial statements that reflected substantially more receipts and profits for both businesses than what was reported on the couple’s tax returns. In furtherance of the conspiracy to defraud, the couple routinely destroyed business documents that would reveal true cash receipts and submitted false business records/reports to their accountant. “Scott and Tammy Bushnell had many chances to correctly report their income; however, they instead used a variety of tactics to conceal income and falsify business expenses,” said Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “Tax evasion will continue to be a priority for IRS-CI and we will aggressively pursue those who do not comply with their income tax obligations.” Both defendants waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an Information earlier in the year. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentences and ordered the defendants to pay $122,112.46 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $57,882 to the State of Wyoming. They were both fined $13,161 by the court as well. This crime was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Case No. for Tammy Bushnell: 24-CR-00052; Case No. for Scott Bushnell: 24-00090.


title: Sacramento Man Is 11th Defendant Sentenced in Large-Scale Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin to sub‑distributors in California and from the East Coast. During the wiretap, agents seized 4 kilograms of cocaine that Anderson had sold for $118,000 to a Baltimore sub-distributor. At the time of his arrest, agents seized 567 grams of powder cocaine and 949 grams of heroin from Anderson’s stash location and two loaded firearms from his residence. Below is the status of Anderson’s co-defendants: On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 47, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2024. On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 50, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. On March 28, 2024, Maurice Bryant, 53, of Antelope, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024. On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. On Aug. 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 65, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. On Sept. 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. On Aug. 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base. Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.


title: Carencro Man Sentenced to More than 38 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Oliver J. Martin , 40, of Carencro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 465 months (38 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for related firearms crimes. Law enforcement agents with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit began an investigation into Martin and his drug trafficking activities in Lafayette Parish in 2019. Agents conducted surveillance of Martin’s residence and on October 5, 2019, executed a search warrant for his residence located on LA Highway 1252 in Carencro. Inside the residence, agents discovered multiple narcotics, which included approximately 320 grams of heroin, 445 grams of methamphetamine, 970 grams of cocaine, 2,925 grams of marijuana, and ecstasy tablets. In addition, agents found an SKS rifle with an obliterated serial number, a Ruger LCP handgun with an obliterated serial number, a Beretta 92 pistol, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, numerous rounds of ammunition, and over $250,000 in cash, along with a notebook used as a drug ledger, a digital scale and money counter. Martin was not present at the time that the search warrant was executed. The suspected narcotics were sent to the crime lab for testing and were confirmed to be scheduled narcotics. On October 9, 2019, agents located Martin at a gas station in Carencro and when officers with the Carencro Police Department attempted to approach Martin’s vehicle, he fled the scene and a chase ensued with Martin driving at high rates of speed in excess of 100 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Martin lost control of his vehicle and his vehicle overturned. He was subsequently taken into custody and law enforcement agents found a large amount of narcotics in his possession. At the time of his arrest, Martin had other outstanding warrants for his arrest. He has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2001. The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Carencro Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Bordelon and LaDonte A. Murphy. # # #


title: Billings woman admits to meth trafficking, straw purchase of gun

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

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings woman accused of trafficking methamphetamine and of buying a firearm for a juvenile in which the gun was used in a burglary admitted charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Ali Sage Hausmann, 25, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth and to false statement during a firearms transaction. Hausmann faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug charge and a maximum of 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release on the firearm charge. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Feb. 5, 2025. Hausmann was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on May 9, 2022, Hausmann purchased a Beretta 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Billings. Hausmann was accompanied by a juvenile, identified as H., and her boyfriend. Hausmann filled out an ATF Form 4473 and indicated she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. The next day, H. burglarized a home in Billings with the Beretta 9mm. Another juvenile who participated in the burglary told law enforcement that H. was in possession of a Beretta 9mm pistol. The other juvenile indicated that the firearm was purchased for H. by a female, known to him as Ali, the day prior to the burglary. Hausmann’s boyfriend confirmed to law enforcement that Hausmann purchased the Beretta 9mm for H. On May 25, 2022, Hausmann pawned the Beretta pistol. During the investigation into the firearm purchase, law enforcement learned that Hausmann was selling drugs. Information from Hausmann’s Facebook account indicated she sold and purchased meth, and that she bought the firearm for H. In December, law enforcement served a search warrant on Hausmann’s residence and located a small amount of meth in her room and a different firearm in her purse. Hausmann admitted to selling drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. XXX


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Sentenced to More than 13 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization and for Violating Supervised Release

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Karl Lamont Funderburk, 38, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 13 years and six months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, and for violating supervised release. Funderburk admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2022 and March 22, 2023, Funderburk conspired with several other people to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and quantities of cocaine and fentanyl while living in Charleston. Funderburk had several regular customers who would purchase each controlled substance from him. Funderburk used runners who would deliver the controlled substances to these customers, collect money or other compensation from them, and return the proceeds to Funderburk. In all, Funderburk was found to be responsible for over 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 700 grams of cocaine, and over 100 grams of heroin or fentanyl. At the time of these offenses, Funderburk was on supervised release following his conviction for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 21, 2018. Today’s sentence includes one year and six months in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release. Funderburk is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Funderburk is among 30 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Another defendant, Mark Leslie Lively, 58, of Kenna, was found guilty on July 17, 2024, by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug Program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31. ###


title: Madison Man Convicted of Sexual Exploitation

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A jury has convicted a Madison man of child exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. The jury returned a guilty verdict against Anthony Ray Lawrence, 37, of Madison, after 3 days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Lawrence was convicted of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to evidence presented at trial, between April and May 2023, Lawrence used a social media application to engage with someone he thought to be a 14-year-old female but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. He told the undercover officer that he used the application to meet younger girls. On May 1, 2023, Lawrence traveled from Madison, Alabama, to Homewood, Alabama, to engage in a sexual act with a minor. At the time of his arrest, Lawrence possessed condoms and sexual lubricant. He had rented a hotel room nearby. If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced for Embezzling from Employer

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis, Missouri to a year and a day in prison and ordered him to repay $100,485 to his former employer and an insurance company. While working as a sales engineer at a St. Louis County company, Stephen Patrick Higgins, now 32, misused his company credit card for personal purposes on multiple occasions. Higgins pleaded guilty in July to one count of wire fraud. The U.S. Secret Service and the Chesterfield police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy prosecuted the case.


title: Licensed firearms dealer in King William pleads guilty to falsifying form for missing shotgun

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A federally licensed firearms dealer in King William, Virginia, pled guilty today to making false material statements regarding a missing firearm. According to court documents, Thomas Christian Berberich owned and operated Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, (PRG). On March 14, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of PRG. After reconciling the firearms at PRG against the open entries in PRG’s acquisition and disposition book, investigators determined that a .410 caliber shotgun had no disposition in PRG’s records and was not present in the store. On March 22, 2023, an ATF investigator instructed Berberich to report the shotgun as lost or stolen and complete an ATF Loss/Theft Form. On April 5, 2023, Berberich directed a co-conspirator to come to PRG to complete paperwork for the sale of the missing shotgun, which they did on April 7, 2023. Berberich signed the ATF Form 4473, certifying that the information on the form was true, correct, and complete. Neither the shotgun nor any money was exchanged. Berberich sent an email that day to the ATF investigator reporting that the missing shotgun was found on April 6, 2023, in a box in a closet at PRG, and that the shotgun was then sold to a customer on April 7, 2023. When the investigator returned to PRG on April 12, 2023, Berberich provided him with a copy of the false Form 4473. After the investigation, Berberich forfeited his federal firearms license. Berberich is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-131.


title: HPL gang members sent to prison for attempting to sell machine guns to cartel

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two members of the Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL) gang have been sentenced for unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Laredo residents and brothers Alberto Del Bosque, 24, and Anthony Del Bosque, 22, pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2022, respectively. Alberto Del Bosque was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a total 120-month term of imprisonment for Alberto Del Bosque, while his brother received 63 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about both men’s criminal histories as well as a recent shooting in another state where a machine gun similar to the ones the Del Bosque brothers were selling caused the death of four individuals and injured 22 others. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the machine guns the brothers sold were very dangerous to the public. “A small piece of plastic produced quickly and at a low cost on a 3-D printer can convert a legal firearm into a machine gun that sprays bullets indiscriminately,” said Hamdani. “The Del Bosque brothers manufactured these pieces of plastic, known as machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and sold them to a purported cartel associate, which shows a total disregard for human life. This prosecution demonstrates my office’s commitment to disrupting MCD manufacturers and protecting the public by taking gang members, like the Del Bosque brothers, off the streets and into prison cells.” said Hamdani. On July 5, 2022, law enforcement discovered Alberto Del Bosque was selling firearms and arranged to purchase one. He sold a Draco Nova Modul NAK9, 9mm AK pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Alberto Del Bosque is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law. During August and September 2022, the Del Bosque brothers were also selling 3D-printed drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s with drop in auto sears. The purchaser of the drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s claimed to be a procurer of firearms for the Cartel Del Noreste. A drop in auto sear aka MCD turns a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun. On Oct. 6, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant on Anthony Del Bosque’s residence and located a 3D printer with an MCD in the printer, a paper diagram of an AR-15 drop in auto sear, numerous MCDs, multiple calibers of ammunition, AR-15 and 9mm magazines, $18,071 in U.S. currency and a device for making AR-15 lowers. The HPL translates to Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen. HPL members maintain ties to the cartels and have involvement in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States. The Del Bosque brothers have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Former (AUSA) Angel Moreno and AUSA Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing Efforts

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. As an example of the Department’s commitment to public-private operational collaboration to disrupt such adversaries’ malicious cyber activities, as set forth in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Department acted concurrently with a Microsoft civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by the same actors. “Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber strategy in action – using all tools to disrupt and deter malicious, state-sponsored cyber actors,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Russian government ran this scheme to steal Americans’ sensitive information, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing account credentials. With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will be relentless in exposing Russian actors and cybercriminals and depriving them of the tools of their illicit trade.” “This seizure is part of a coordinated response with our private sector partners to dismantle the infrastructure that cyber espionage actors use to attack U.S. and international targets,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “We thank all of our private-sector partners for their diligence in analyzing, publicizing, and combating the threat posed by these illicit state-coordinated actions in the Northern District of California, across the United States, and around the world.” “This disruption exemplifies our ongoing efforts to expel Russian intelligence agents from the online infrastructure they have used to target individuals, businesses, and governments around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Working closely with private-sector partners such as Microsoft, the National Security Division uses the full reach of our authorities to confront the cyber-enabled threats of tomorrow from Russia and other adversaries.” “Working in close collaboration with public and private sector partners—in this case through the execution of domain seizures — we remain in prime position to counter and defeat a broad range of cyber threats posed by adversaries,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our efforts to prevent the theft of information by state-sponsored criminal actors are relentless, and we will continue our work in this arena with partners who share our common goals.” “This case underscores the importance of the FBI’s enduring partnerships with private sector companies, which allow for rapid information sharing and coordinated action. With these seizures, we’ve disrupted a sophisticated cyber threat aimed at compromising sensitive government intelligence and stealing valuable information,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today’s success highlights the power of collaboration in safeguarding the United States against state-sponsored cybercrime.” According to the partially unsealed affidavit filed in support of the government’s seizure warrant, the seized domains were used by hackers belonging to, or criminal proxies working for, the “Callisto Group,” an operational unit within Center 18 of the Russian Federal Security Service (the FSB), to commit violations of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a department or agency of the United States, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a protected computer, and causing damage to a protected computer. Callisto Group hackers used the seized domains in an ongoing and sophisticated spear-phishing campaign with the goal of gaining unauthorized access to, and steal valuable information from, the computers and email accounts of U.S. government and other victims. In conjunction, Microsoft announced the filing of a civil action to seize 66 internet domains also used by Callisto Group actors. Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks this group as “Star Blizzard” (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER). Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed Star Blizzard target over 30 civil society entities and organizations – journalists, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – by deploying spear-phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information and interfere in their activities. The government’s affidavit alleges the Callisto Group actors targeted, among others, United States-based companies, former employees of the United States Intelligence Community, former and current Department of Defense and Department of State employees, United States military defense contractors, and staff at the Department of Energy. In December 2023, the Department announced charges against two Callisto-affiliated actors, Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko (Перетятько Руслан Александрович), an officer in FSB Center 18, and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets (Коринец Андрей Станиславович). The indictment charged the defendants with a campaign to hack into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and Ukraine, all on behalf of the Russian government. The FBI San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case. The case is docketed at Application by the United States for a Seizure Warrant for 41 Domain Names For Investigation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) and Other Offenses , No. 4-24-71375 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 16, 2024). An affidavit in support of a seizure warrant and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: KC Man Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from Vehicles

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today as the final defendant in a conspiracy to steal more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts. Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bloodsoe to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable. On Oct. 26, 2023, Bloodsoe pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to possessing stolen firearms. Bloodsoe admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms (including Bloodsoe’s sale of a Glock handgun to a juvenile). According to court documents, Bloodsoe and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021. Bloodsoe also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 10mm handgun and a KelTec 5.56x45mm rifle, both of which had been reported as stolen, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Nov. 4, 2021. Bloodsoe is the fifth and final defendant, all of whom are residents of Kansas City, Mo., to be sentenced in this case. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Roy Rushing, 27, was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole. Drevion Hooker, 22, was sentenced to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole. Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: FBI Baltimore Makes 14 Arrests, Seizes Guns And Drugs In Multi-Jurisdictional Takedown

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Fourteen people were arrested yesterday in a large-scale drug and gun bust throughout Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City. During the operation – which involved over 500 officers, agents and personnel from federal, state and local agencies – law enforcement seized distribution levels of narcotics including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone, one shotgun, three handguns, nearly $40,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia. “This operation is yet another example of how the teamwork among our law enforcement partners is stronger than ever,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, “If we work together, with our community-based partners, our neighborhoods will be safe and secure.” "Thanks to diligent and comprehensive investigative work by the FBI’s Annapolis Safe Streets Task Force, a significant drug trafficking organization has been dismantled," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “In a coordinated effort across three jurisdictions, the FBI and our law enforcement partners worked seamlessly to thwart the capabilities of this criminal enterprise that profited from peddling poison within our communities. We are working hard to identify and stop the most violent offenders and facilitators." 14 people were arrested. 11 of the 14 are facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances. Additional charges could follow. A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 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 is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI-Baltimore Field Office, the Office of the State's Attorney for Anne Arundel County with the assistance of FBI national and regional assets, the Annapolis Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department, Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland Army National Guard, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Marshals Service. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jonathan Tsuei, who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #