title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quantel O. Saunders, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced today to three years and ten months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 19, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Saunders with a firearm tucked in the front of his waistband outside a service station on the 200 block of North Eisenhower Drive in Beckley. Officers stopped Saunders as he was entering his vehicle and recovered a Ruger-57 5.7x28mm handgun from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Saunders admitted to the officers that he possessed the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Saunders knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession of a firearm by a prohibited carrier and three counts of wanton endangerment with a firearm in Raleigh County Circuit Court on August 3, 2015. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Parsons prosecuted 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-108.


title: DC Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a ‘Ghost Gun’ While Trafficking Cocaine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ahmad Robertson, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for possession of an illegal “ghost gun” in furtherance of drug trafficking. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations -Washington Field Office (HSI-DC), Acting Inspector in Charge Ajay Lall of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division (USPIS), and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Robertson pleaded guilty on November 7, 2023, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the 66 month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Robertson to serve 48 months of supervised release. Robertson has been in custody since June 1, 2023. According to court documents, on June 1, 2023, officers from the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF), HSI, USPIS, MPD, and other law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant on Robertson’s home and vehicle on the 100 block of Xenia Street, SE. Officers ordered the occupants to come out of the residence. After 15 minutes, Robertson exited the premises and police took him into custody. Officers searched Robertson and discovered two baggies of white powder in his pants pockets, which was later determined to be cocaine. Officers then searched Robertson’s vehicle and discovered a digital scale and a “ghost gun,” a privately manufactured AR-style pistol with no serial number, loaded with 28 rounds of 5.56 caliber ammunition. When officers searched Robertson’s home, they recovered two additional firearms, extended magazines, assorted rounds of ammunition of various calibers, drug paraphernalia including additional digital scales, a blender with fentanyl residue, and fentanyl. This investigation 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. This case was investigated by HSI, USPIS, and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Leiter.


title: Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Received Sentence Enhancement for Lying to the Court

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: Tulsa, Oklahoma – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Malcolm Andre Jones, 32, of Broken Arrow, to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release for Wire Fraud. Judge Frizzell further ordered Jones to pay $20,665 in restitution. According to the plea agreement, Jones admitted to submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. Jones's application to the Small Business Association stated that he owned a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for that business. However, Jones did not own a landscaping business. He admitted to using the funds to pay bills and purchase a couch and an automobile. Jones used the funds and then had them forgiven. After pleading guilty and while being on pretrial bond, Jones lied to probation officers, the government, and his attorney about significant matters during the presentence investigation. Jones submitted a forged college diploma, claiming he received a master’s degree in college. He stated that he was undergoing chemotherapy for kidney cancer and had more than $500k in debt. Jones went as far as lying about serving in the military. In court filings, Jones described deployments in detail and claimed he suffered from PTSD because a friend supposedly died in front of him. He presented fake military paperwork claiming he had been honorably discharged and received a Medal of Honor and Purple Heart, despite not having served in the military at all. Jones received an enhanced sentence for obstruction of justice. Jones was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, U.S. Small Business Administration, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Department of Defense – Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ammon Brisolara and Kristen Harrington prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Firearms Smuggler Pleads Guilty to International Money Laundering and Smuggling Firearms from the United States into Mexico

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2024-042_Vasquez Balganon

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Angel Vasquez Balganon, 33, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024, to Smuggling Goods from the United States and International Money Laundering. Vasquez Balganon is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23, 2024, by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. Vasquez Balganon admitted that, between March of 2018 and January of 2021, and on April 6, 2021, he attempted to export and did export numerous firearms, some of which were recovered in Mexico. He also attempted to export and did export weapons components, ammunition, and accessories. On April 6, 2021, Vasquez Balganon was arrested at the Nogales, Arizona Port of Entry attempting to smuggle high-capacity magazines that were concealed in his vehicle into Mexico. Customs and Border Protection officers found a shopping bag in the vehicle containing nine 30-round AR-15 5.56 caliber high-capacity magazines. Vasquez Balganon stated he knew about the magazines and knew he was prohibited from taking them into Mexico. Vasquez Balganon also stated that he expected to be paid $100 to transport the magazines from the United States into Mexico. Further investigation revealed that, prior to his apprehension and arrest on April 6, 2021, Vasquez Balganon had attempted to export or exported 67 firearms, including a machinegun, an AK-103 style firearm, a Century Arms WASR rifle, and an FN SCAR 17 rifle, as well as 20,000 rounds of ammunition and ammunition links and 208 magazines. Some of the firearms were recovered in Mexico. All the firearms, weapons components, ammunition, magazines, and accessories are designated on the United States Commerce Control List as prohibited by law for export from the United States into Mexico without a valid license. Vasquez Balganon did not possess a lawful export license or any other lawful authority to export these items from the United States into Mexico. Vasquez Balganon also admitted that, from February of 2019 to March of 2021, in Arizona and elsewhere, he transferred $20,680 from a U.S. bank to a bank in Mexico with the knowledge and intent that these funds were to be obtained in cash in Mexico and used for the smuggling of firearms and weapons components, ammunition, and accessories that were illegally exported from the United States into Mexico. A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction for International Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02908-TUC-JGZ-BGM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-042_Vasquez Balganon # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Federal Court Permanently Bars Michigan Women and Her Businesses Based on Fraudulent Conduct and Orders them to Disgorge Nearly $690,000

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal court in Detroit, has permanently barred Annetta Powell and her seven tax preparation-related businesses, Alliance Tax Services Inc., Nationwide Tax Services Inc., Tax Expert Stores Inc., United Tax Services Inc., Top Financial Specialists Inc., United Financial Team Corporation and Speedy Tax Stores Corporation, from preparing federal tax returns for others and from owning or operating a tax return preparation business. The court also ordered the defendants to disgorge $689,797.91 to the United States, representing the ill-gotten gains that the defendants received for preparing certain categories of fraudulently prepared returns from 2019 through 2021. The order and the judgment of permanent injunction follow a twelve-day trial held from November 2023 to January 2024. The order, signed by U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for the Eastern District of Michigan, notes that the “Defendants’ preparation of fraudulent returns was widespread” and that “all of Powell’s stores and many preparers routinely violated IRS rules and regulations.” According to the court’s order, Powell, through her several companies, operated up to five tax preparation stores in Detroit, Pontiac, and Flint, first under the name “The Tax Experts” and then, since 2021, under the name “Speedy Tax Stores.” The court found that the “harm caused by Defendants’ fraudulent tax preparation scheme was severe and widespread, occurring across five stores for nearly a decade.” The court concluded that the Defendants “prepared too many fraudulent tax returns with similar issues … for the pattern to have been random.” In reaching its conclusion, the court noted that Powell refused to cooperate with the IRS investigation and took active steps to “thwart [the investigation] by altering customers’ files and returns and manipulating the use of an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), which is a number assigned to a taxpayer that the IRS uses to monitor the returns preparers submit. Powell could not obtain an EFIN because of her criminal record so her stores used EFIN numbers under someone else’s name. This misconduct, along with other past fraudulent conduct, led the court to determine that Powell “would likely find new ways to prepare fraudulent returns” if she were not permanently barred from doing so. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Bradley Sarnell, Elizabeth Kirby, Daniel Applegate, Thelma Lizama, Eric Ashby II and Steven Shashy of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.


title: Okmulgee Resident Sentenced To Life For Two Counts Of Murder In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amy Leann Hall, age 43, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to Life in prison for each of two counts of Murder in Indian Country, and 240 months in prison for one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Department. On November 28, 2022, Hall pleaded guilty. According to investigators, during the early morning hours of November 1, 2018, Hall entered the room of her 18-year-old son and shot him in the head while he slept, killing him instantly. Hall proceeded to the bedroom of her 16- and 14-year-old daughters and shot both in the head as they slept. Hall’s 14-year-old daughter survived. Hall’s 16-year-old daughter never regained consciousness and died from her injuries four days later at the hospital. An Okmulgee County deputy dispatched to the scene spotted Hall’s vehicle and gave pursuit. After a chase exceeding 110 miles per hour, law enforcement apprehended and arrested Hall. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “This crime was gut-wrenching and there is no question the sentencing is just. It is absolutely heart breaking to think a mother could be capable of shooting her own children while they slept,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI is responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue these cases. We are committed to protecting all of the tribal communities we serve, helping victims, and ensuring that justice is met for violent offenders.” “The horrific violence visited upon this family was unimaginable, and nothing will ever make things right,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Nevertheless, justice requires a careful consideration of all facts, including the interests of the surviving victim. Based on these considerations, the United States recommended a life sentence be imposed in this case.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hall will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.


title: Peruvian National Extradited for Overseeing Call Center That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. Consumers

component: Civil Division

body_text: A resident of Lima, Peru, was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance today in Miami federal court, where he stands accused of operating a large fraud and extortion scheme. Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40, was arrested on Feb. 26, 2023, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. He has remained incarcerated in Peru since that time. According to the indictment, the defendant managed and operated Peruvian call centers from January 2014 through February 2019. The defendant and his co-conspirators in Peru allegedly used Internet-based telephone calls to contact Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. The call centers falsely told victims they had won raffles for free products, including computer tablets with English language courses. Many consumers expressed interest in receiving the free products. In later calls, victims were told they were required to make large payments to receive the products. When victims objected, the callers misrepresented that the victims had unlawfully failed to pay for or receive delivery of products. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals responsible for defrauding vulnerable U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for its assistance extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.” “Collaboration between countries enhances efforts to strengthen rule of law,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service thanks the Republic of Peru and our law enforcement partners who were determined to dismantle this transnational scheme to defraud U.S. consumers via the U.S. mail and telephonically. Together, we sent a strong message, globally, that justice has no borders.” According to the indictment, the defendant and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be lawyers, court officials, police officers, and representatives of a supposed “minor crimes court.” The defendant and his co-conspirators falsely told the victims that they had a contractual obligation to pay for and receive products and had caused legal problems for themselves and others by allegedly failing to do so. The indictment alleges that the callers also falsely threatened victims with court proceedings, arrest, negative marks on their credit reports, or immigration consequences if they did not immediately pay for the purportedly delivered products and settlement fees. According to the indictment, many victims paid because of these baseless threats. At times, the defendant and his co-conspirators re-victimized the same victims with a related “restitution” fraud scheme. According to the indictment, the defendant and his co-conspirators placed additional calls to those victims who had already paid and, while posing as lawyers from a U.S. court, falsely represented that victims were entitled to restitution payments that would compensate them for their losses to the defendant and his co-conspirators in the first part of their scheme. The defendant and his co-conspirators fraudulently told these victims that they needed to pay a percentage of their restitution to a lawyer who supposedly brought a case and recovered restitution on their behalf. In reality, there was no lawyer, no restitution order, and no funds were returned to the victims who made these additional payments. A seven-count federal indictment was filed against the defendant in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in November 2021 and was unsealed upon the defendant’s extradition to the United States. The defendant has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and extortion. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. If convicted, Zuñiga faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Peruvian National Police and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov . For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ciudadano Peruano Extraditado Por Dirigir Un Centro De Atención Telefónica Desde El Que Amenazaban Y Estafaban A Consumidores De Habla Hispana En Los Estados Unidos

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia y el Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos dieron a conocer hoy que un residente de Lima, Perú, fue extraditado a los Estados Unidos y compareció por primera vez en el tribunal federal de Miami, en el día de la fecha, donde se lo acusó de dirigir un vasto complot dedicado a extorsiones y estafas. José Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40 años, ciudadano de Lima, Perú, enfrentará cargos federales. Zuñiga fue detenido el 26 de febrero de 2023 por las autoridades peruanas en virtud de un pedido de extradición de los Estados Unidos. Desde entonces, permanece detenido en Perú. De acuerdo con la acusación formal, el acusado administró y dirigió centros de atención telefónica en Perú desde enero de 2014 hasta febrero de 2019. Supuestamente, el demandado y sus cómplices en Perú hacían llamadas telefónicas vía internet para contactar personas de habla hispana en los Estados Unidos. Desde los centros de atención telefónica, se engañaba a las víctimas diciéndoles que habían ganado sorteos de productos gratuitos, que incluían tablets con cursos de inglés. Muchos consumidores manifestaban su interés por recibir los productos gratuitos. En llamadas sucesivas, se les informaba a las víctimas que debían realizar pagos cuantiosos para recibir los productos. Cuando las víctimas se oponían, quienes llamaban los engañaban diciéndoles que habían incurrido en una conducta ilegal por no haber pagado o recibido los productos. “La División de Protección al Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia se compromete a perseguir y enjuiciar a los delincuentes internacionales responsables de estafar a consumidores vulnerables en los Estados Unidos, en cualquier lugar donde se encuentren. Agradezco a la República del Perú, y a la Policía Nacional del Perú, por su colaboración para extraditar a esta persona a fin de que enfrente cargos aquí en los Estados Unidos”, declaró el fiscal general principal adjunto, Brian M. Boynton, jefe de la División Civil del Departamento de Justicia. “El Departamento de Justicia y la policía de los Estados Unidos seguirán trabajando en estrecha colaboración con sus socios de las fuerzas de seguridad en todo el mundo para enjuiciar a los delincuentes que intentan estafar a víctimas estadounidenses desde el extranjero”. “La colaboración entre países mejora los esfuerzos para fortalecer el estado de derecho. El Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos agradece a la República del Perú y a nuestros colegas de las fuerzas de seguridad que actuaron con determinación para desmantelar este complot dedicado a estafar consumidores estadounidenses a través del correo postal de los Estados Unidos y por vía telefónica. Juntos, enviamos un mensaje contundente, a nivel mundial, de que la justicia no tiene fronteras”, declaró Juan A. Vargas, Inspector encargado del Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos, División Miami. De acuerdo con la acusación formal, el acusado y sus cómplices fingían ser abogados, funcionarios judiciales, oficiales de policía y representantes de un supuesto “tribunal de delitos menores”. El acusado y sus cómplices engañaban a las víctimas diciéndoles que tenían una obligación contractual de pagar y recibir los productos y que habían causado problemas legales para ellos mismos y para terceros supuestamente por no haber cumplido esa obligación. La acusación formal establece que quienes hacían las llamadas también amenazaban a las víctimas, de manera fraudulenta, con juicios, detenciones, calificaciones negativas en sus informes crediticios o consecuencias por su condición de inmigrantes si no pagaban de inmediato los productos supuestamente entregados y los aranceles de cancelación. De acuerdo con la acusación formal, muchas víctimas terminaron pagando debido a estas amenazas infundadas. En algunos casos, el acusado y sus cómplices revictimizaban a las mismas víctimas mediante una organización fraudulenta relacionada de “restitución de productos”. De acuerdo con la acusación formal, el acusado y sus cómplices hacían nuevas llamadas a víctimas que ya habían pagado y, fingiendo ser abogados de un tribunal de los Estados Unidos, declaraban falsamente que las víctimas tenían derecho a pagos de restitución que compensarían las pérdidas sufridas a manos del acusado y sus cómplices en la primera parte de la conspiración. El acusado y sus cómplices engañaban a estas víctimas diciéndoles que debían pagar un porcentaje de la restitución a un abogado que supuestamente había iniciado una causa judicial y que había logrado la restitución del producto en nombre de la víctima. En realidad, no existía ningún abogado, ninguna orden de restitución y no se devolvía ningún monto a las víctimas que realizaban estos pagos adicionales. En noviembre de 2021, se presentó una acusación penal federal sobre 7 delitos contra el acusado en el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Sur de Florida, que fue refrendada con la extradición del acusado a los Estados Unidos. El acusado enfrenta cargos de conspiración, fraude electrónico y extorsión. La acusación formal solo alega que se cometieron delitos. Si es condenado, Zuñiga enfrenta una pena máxima de 20 años de prisión. Un juez del tribunal federal de Distrito dictará sentencia después de considerar las Directrices para la Imposición de Condenas de los Estados Unidos y otros factores establecidos por ley. Todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre lo contrario más allá de una duda razonable. La fiscalía de la causa está a cargo del abogado sénior y coordinador de juicios penales internacionales, Phil Toomajian y de la abogada Carolyn Rice de la División de Protección al Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia. El Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos investigó el caso. Asimismo, colaboraron intensamente la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de la División Penal, la Fiscalía de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Sur de Florida, el Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado, el Servicio de jefes de policía de los Estados Unidos, la Policía Nacional del Perú y la Fiscalía del Procurador General del Perú. El Departamento de Justicia continúa investigando y acusando formalmente a sospechosos en otras causas similares que incluyen amenazas contra residentes de habla hispana de los Estados Unidos. Si usted o alguien que conoce tiene más de 60 años y sufrió una estafa económica, cuenta con la asistencia de profesionales expertos en la Línea gratuita nacional de atención para adultos mayores: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Esta línea gratuita del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos, administrada por la Oficina de Asistencia para Víctimas de Delitos, brinda ayuda personalizada a las personas que llaman mediante la evaluación de las necesidades de la víctima y la identificación de los próximos pasos correspondientes. Los administradores del caso identifican los organismos en los que corresponde hacer la denuncia, proporcionan información a quienes llaman para ayudarlos a presentar la denuncia, ponen en contacto a las personas que llaman directamente con los organismos correspondientes y ofrecen recursos y derivaciones, caso por caso. El primer paso es presentar la denuncia. Denunciar puede ayudar a las autoridades a identificar a quienes cometen delitos y denunciar determinadas pérdidas económicas por estafa lo antes posible puede aumentar la probabilidad de recuperar lo perdido. La línea gratuita está disponible de lunes a viernes de 10:00 a. m. a 6:00 p. m. hora del este de los Estados Unidos, en inglés, español y en otros idiomas. Para obtener más información acerca de las gestiones del Departamento para ayudar a los adultos mayores estadounidenses, visite su página web de la Iniciativa de Justicia para los Adultos Mayores. Para obtener más información acerca de la División de Protección al Consumidor y sus gestiones para la aplicación de la ley, visite su sitio web en https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Los consumidores pueden presentar sus reclamaciones ante la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC) en https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ o por teléfono llamando al 877-FTC-HELP. El Departamento de Justicia ofrece varios recursos relacionados con la victimización de personas mayores por estafas a través de su Oficina de Asistencia a las Víctimas de Delitos, a la que se puede acceder en https://www.ovc.gov . Para obtener más información sobre la División de Protección al Consumidor y sus medidas de lucha contra el fraude, visite su sitio web en www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch .


title: Federal Prisoner Pleads Guilty in Connection to Escaping from Halfway House

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court to escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Michael Villanueva, 43, pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody. U.S. District Court Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024. Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment by the District of Vermont for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine. In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to the Hampshire House. At the Hampshire House, he was placed on house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet. On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to the Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone. That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with. Villanueva did not return to the Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being apprehended in the Manchester area. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $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. The U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Three Montanans each sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in Missoula, Helena communities

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — Three Montanans who admitted trafficking fentanyl in the Missoula and Helena communities were sentenced to more than five years in federal prison this week, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Defendant Nikolas Loren Pellant, 34, of Missoula, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. On March 28, co-defendants Lynsi Noel Barnes, 33, of Missoula, and Beau James Breneman, 44, of Helena, were each sentenced to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Each defendant pleaded guilty in November 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The government alleged in court documents that in October 2022, federal agents intercepted a package that contained more than 300 fentanyl pills and was addressed to Pellant. Officers arrested Pellant when he accepted the package in a controlled delivery. The investigation determined that Pellant and his girlfriend, Barnes, had been selling fentanyl in the Missoula are for several months and that they acquired the drug through the mail and by making weekly trips to Spokane, Washington. The government further alleged that in January, the Montana Highway Patrol stopped Barnes as she was returning from one such trip and seized more than 450 fentanyl pills and other evidence of drug distribution from her vehicle. In addition, the government alleged that in January 2022, law enforcement received reports of a rash of fentanyl overdoses in Lewis and Clark County. An investigation determined that Breneman was distributing heroin laced with fentanyl and that he had warned at least one customer to use small and diluted quantities of the drug because it was dangerous. Breneman admitted to distributing heroin laced with fentanyl. On May 31, 2023, Breneman and Barnes were passengers in a vehicle that was stopped in Shoshone County, Idaho. Law enforcement searched the car and found more than 300 fentanyl pills. Officers also found a plastic bag containing more fentanyl pills concealed on Breneman’s person. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Service, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Alex Murdaugh to Be Sentenced for Federal Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Money Laundering Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh, 55, of Hampton, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on 22 charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering. Murdaugh pleaded guilty in September 2023. Read the previous release here . United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel will impose the sentence. WHEN: Monday, April 1, 2024, at 10 a.m. WHERE: United States District Courthouse The hearing will be held in Courtroom 3 and Courtroom 1 will serve as overflow space 83 Meeting Street Charleston, South Carolina ### NOTE: United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs along with Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office and SLED Chief Mark Keel, will be available outside the courthouse following the hearing. The hearing could last approximately three hours. No cameras or cell phones are allowed in the federal courthouse.


title: Former Fugitive Sentenced to Six Years for Role in 2012 Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Oliver Jaramillo Brown, 34, of Tucson, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine on June 27, 2023. Brown was involved in a Nogales, Sonora-based drug trafficking conspiracy that used Tucson as a staging ground for distribution into the United States. Brown played numerous roles in the organization, including escorting loads of drugs driven into the United States by other conspirators, escorting loads of drugs to destinations in the United States, loading and unloading drugs from these vehicles, and assisting at a location where drugs were being stashed. Over the course of the government investigation, the United States seized more than 140 kilograms of cocaine, more than 60 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine, over $1 million in bulk cash, and two firearms. On March 10, 2012, Brown fled to Mexico while the government was making arrests of the United States-based members of the conspiracy. Brown lived in Mexico for more than a decade before he attempted to return to the United States in late 2022 and was apprehended on the fugitive warrant in this case. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-14-1026-03-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-043_Brown


title: Twice Convicted Bank Robber Sentenced to 13+ Years in Federal Prison

body_text: A bank robber who attempted to kidnap a Comerica employee was sentenced Thursday to more than 13 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Staci West League, 52, was charged via criminal complaint in May 2022 and indicted later that month. In September 2023, she pleaded guilty to bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced Thursday to 165 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr. In plea papers, Ms. League admitted to robbing a Comerica Bank in Irving, Texas, on April 29, 2022 while brandishing a 9mm handgun. According to court documents, Ms. League entered the bank at 4:02 p.m., approached a teller, and asked to speak to a manager. When the manager approached her window, Ms. League announced she was committing a robbery and demanded cash. Both the manager and the teller went to the vault to retrieve the money, which they placed into a blue courier bag. When the manager presented the bag to the defendant, she drew a handgun out of her hoodie and attempted to verify an amount. The manager returned to the vault, put more money into the bag, and gave it to Ms. League. Ms. League then pointed her handgun at another bank employee and ordered him to walk out the front door and to her pickup truck. Remarking that she needed a hostage, she ordered him into the truck. As the defendant got into the driver’s side door, the employee was able to flee to a nearby fast food restaurant. Ms. League fled the scene. Ms. League immediately fled the scene and drove to the Irving Fire Department, where she told firefighters that she “did something very bad” as they waited for Irving police to arrive. Law enforcement recovered the cash and the gun used in the robbery shortly after they arrested Ms. League. The 2022 robbery was Ms. League’s second bank robbery; she was convicted of robbing the same Comerica Bank in 2019. (That conviction was the underlying offense for the felon-in-possession charge. ) According to court documents, Ms. League entered the bank around 4:54 p.m. on June 14, 2019 with something concealed under a blanket, then announced, “I want large bills.” A teller spotted a rifle peeking out from under the blanket, she went to the vault to retrieve cash, which she placed in a plastic bag and gave to Ms. League. The defendant said, “thank you” and walked out the front door. She then drove directly to the police department to turn herself in. She pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 40 months in prison for that crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Irving Police Department conducted both investigations. U.S. Attorneys Robert Withers, Jordan Ganz (fmr), and Shane Read (fmr) prosecuted the cases.


title: District Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Felony Second-Degree Theft for Stealing Multiple Packages after Multiple Prior Theft Convictions

body_text: WASHINGTON – Dayvon Baker, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for one count of felony second-degree theft. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On February 9, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty to one count of felony second-degree theft. At today’s sentencing, Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz sentenced Baker to 12 months and one day in prison. According to the government’s evidence, on November 17, 2023, the defendant went up to residences in Northwest Washington, D.C. and stole packages that been delivered to residents’ front doors. Baker was indicted on December 20, 2023, on three counts of felony second degree theft. Baker had multiple prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion, and was therefore subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in prison. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaskin, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DANIEL STEPHEN WRAY , a/k/a “Danny,” a/k/a “Tubs,” a/k/a “El Gordo ,” age 35, a resident of Chula Vista, California, pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on October 6, 2021, at the direction of WRAY , WALTER ALVAREZ TIRADO, a drug courier, traveled from Kentucky and bound for New Orleans to deliver fifty pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of TIRADO’s vehicle in Pearl River, La. Following the stop, officers searched TIRADO’s luggage, and discovered fifty pounds of methamphetamine. WRAY faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mansatory special assessment fee. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Harland Lee Todd, 34, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Todd’s residence and seized 163 grams of cocaine, a Glock Model 30 .45-caliber pistol, a Mossberg model 702 .22-caliber rifle, a Remington model 870 12-gauge shotgun, 16 ammunition magazines, 634 rounds of ammunition and $2,468. Todd admitted that he possessed the cocaine and intended to distribute it, in addition to the 111 grams of cocaine that he had sold on five separate occasions. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Central West Virginia Task Force. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-124.


title: Waite Park Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST PAUL, Minn. – A Waite Park man has pleaded guilty to a St. Cloud bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on May 6, 2021, Ray Reco McNeary, 38, entered a Wells Fargo Bank in St. Cloud and alleged that there was fraud on his bank account. After the bank manager was unable to locate any accounts belonging to McNeary, McNeary became enraged and demanded that $60,000 in cash be taken from the vault and placed in a bank bag. The bank manager activated the silent panic alarm, notifying law enforcement of a problem at the bank. According to court documents, upon arrival, St. Cloud police officers learned that five employees of the bank were being held hostage by McNeary. Multiple times throughout the incident, McNeary held a pair of scissors against the bank manager’s neck and back. FBI hostage negotiators spoke with McNeary repeatedly during what turned out to be an eight-hour standoff. During the course of negotiations, four of the employees were allowed to leave the bank. The standoff ended at approximately 10:24 p.m. when the bank manager fled the bank and law enforcement moved into the bank and arrested McNeary. McNeary pleaded guilty today to one count of armed bank robbery in U.S. District Court before Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Cloud Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case.


title: Law Enforcement Partners Remind Drone Owners About 'No Drone Zone' in Airspace Surrounding the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Law enforcement will enforce local and federal laws regarding Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, during the ongoing recovery and salvage operations underway on the Patapsco River and areas surrounding the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. FBI Baltimore, in conjunction with the United States Attorney's Office - District of Maryland, and members of the Unified Command – Maryland State Police (MSP), Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the United States Coast Guard, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Synergy Marine – are reminding the public that the airspace is a 'No Drone Zone' and they are committed to identifying, investigating, disrupting and prosecuting the careless or criminal use of drones in the area. “Drone operators need to know that we take seriously any incursion in the restricted airspace around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Such incursions threaten the safety of those involved in the investigation of the bridge collapse and the recovery of victims. We will investigate and prosecute anyone who violates the ‘no drone zone,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “The FBI's message is simple: all drones are to stay away from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. This is to ensure the safety of all first responders and crews in the area as well as to not interfere with their work," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office. "You will be charged federally if you fly a drone in a restricted area. It is harmful to the recovery operations, and it is illegal.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) on March 26 after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The TFR extends for three nautical miles in radius, from the center of the bridge, and from the surface up to and including 1500 feet above ground level (AGL). Law enforcement in the area is actively monitoring for illegal UAS/drone use and has responded to multiple drone incursions over the past few days. There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding any UAS/drone use anywhere within the “No Drone Zone” established by the FAA. Anyone who attempts to fly a UAS/drone in any prohibited manner may be subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment. Information about all federal UAS/drone regulations can be found on the FAA website . The specific TFR can be found at: Key Bridge TFR . ###


title: Statement From Acting U.S. Attorney Levy on First Federal Dogfighting Case Charged in the District of Massachusetts

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: “This morning, John Murphy, of Hanson, Mass., was arrested after being indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture – in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Court filings allege that on June 7, 2023, federal agents executed a search of Mr. Murphy’s residence in Hanson and seized nine pit bull-type dogs possessed for the purpose of animal fighting. Federal agents also recovered from Mr. Murphy’s home many items commonly used with dogfighting operations, including: Veterinary supplies and disposable skin staplers, used to close dogfight wounds; Injectable anabolic steroids; Dog fighting literature and other dogfighting training equipment; and Break sticks, which are used by dogfighters to pry open a dog’s bite on another dog. We have also filed a civil forfeiture action to forfeit the dogs seized to date during the investigation. This is the first-time federal criminal charges have brought in the District of Massachusetts under the federal Animal Welfare Act. Dogfighting for entertainment and profit is cruel, it’s inhumane, and it is a felony under federal law. Today’s arrest puts an end to the calculated brutality we allege Mr. Murphy perpetuated and should serve as a warning to others who engage in the barbaric practice of dog fighting. The investigation remains ongoing.”


title: Youth Wrestling Coach and Referee from Ocean County Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 87 months in prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Alec Donovan, 26, of Brick, New Jersey, a youth wrestling coach and referee, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence on March 28, 2024, in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2021 through March 2021, Donovan used an internet-based application to exchange multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse, including depictions involving pre-pubescent children. Donovan also used the web-based messaging application to solicit and engage in conversations with minors, including requesting nude photographs from the minors and sending nude photographs to them. In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Donovan to 30 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Goldman of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.


title: California Man Sentenced for Attempting to Illegally Export Firearms and Night Vision Rifle Scopes to The Sultanate of Oman

body_text: Fares Abdo Al Eyani, 41, of Oakland, California, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to export defense articles and attempting to export defense articles. “Mr. Al Eyani admitted to conspiring to smuggle restricted arms, ammunition, and other defense material to a foreign country and has now been held to account,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The unlawful trafficking of U.S. weapons overseas represents a threat to public safety and national security and will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.” “Enforcing the nation’s export laws is an important objective for my office,” said U.S Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California, “Because controlling our ports prevents the proliferation of weapons, protects our national security, furthers our foreign policy, and maintains our business competitiveness.” “The illicit export of weapons overseas will not be tolerated by the FBI and anyone attempting to do so will be held accountable,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, are committed to protecting our U.S. technology and citizens from anyone who tries to evade our laws and threaten our national security.” “The sentencing of El Anayi for attempting to illegally export firearms and night vision rifle scopes to The Sultanate of Oman underscores the serious ramifications for international arms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco. “Such actions not only pose significant risks to national security but also contribute to destabilizing regions and potentially fueling conflicts. It's crucial for law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant and prosecute individuals involved in such activities to prevent the illicit proliferation of weapons and technology. This case highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating arms trafficking and enforcing export control regulations. Justice has been served with the hard work and dedication of HSI, and partner organizations FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations San Francisco, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.” According to court documents, Al Eyani acquired no less than four firearms with magazines and ammunition, and at least 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities in 2019. In November 2019, Al Eyani attempted to send the firearms to the Sultanate of Oman in shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. He concealed the firearms by disassembling them, wrapping them in aluminum foil, and then secreting them within automobiles inside the shipping container. Then, in December 2019, Al Eyani attempted to export the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles to the Sultanate of Oman in two shipping containers departing from the Port of Oakland. Law enforcement searched the containers and seized the firearms, magazines, and ammunition, as well as the 44 rifle scopes, monoculars, and goggles with night vision capabilities, thereby thwarting Al Eyani’s unlawful scheme. The commercial export of arms, ammunitions, implements of war and defense articles and services from the United States is governed by the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and its attendant regulations, the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The AECA authorizes the President, among other things, to control the export of “defense articles” deemed critical to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. The AECA also authorizes the President to designate goods as “defense articles,” require licenses for the export of such articles, and promulgate regulations for the export of such articles. By executive order, the President has delegated this authority to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). Accordingly, the DDTC has promulgated regulations under the AECA, known as the ITAR. The ITAR defines a “defense article” as any item on the United States Munitions List (USML). Persons desiring to export items on the USML from the United States to a place overseas must first register with the DDTC and obtain individual export licenses prior to any shipment abroad. Court documents establish that the items Al Eyani attempted to export — four firearms, magazines, ammunition, and night-vision rifle scopes — were defense articles prohibited from export without a license by the AECA and the ITAR. Al Eyani did not have a license to export the defense articles. In a separate sentencing, Al Eyani’s wife, Saba Mohsen Dhaifallah, 42, also of Oakland, was sentenced to three years of probation for making false statements to FBI special agents during the investigation of this matter. The FBI, HSI, and CBP investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California’s National Security and Cybercrime Section is prosecuting the case in consultation with the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.


title: Coventry Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN MATAVA, 60, of Coventry, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to his receipt of COVID-19 relief funds. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds were to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll. The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, such as Celtic Bank, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2020, Matava applied to Celtic Bank for a $100,000 PPP loan for J.M. Builders LLC. The application submission included several false representations, including that J.M. Builders LLC had eight employees and an average monthly payroll of $40,000; that the monies would be used for payroll, lease, mortgage, interest, and utilities; and that the business owner was not subject to pending formal criminal charges. At the time of the PPP loan application, there were no records of payroll or employees with the Connecticut Department of Labor for J.M. Builders LLC, and Matava was subject to criminal charges in two pending cases related to arrests in 2017 and 2018. On April 22, 2020, Celtic Bank disbursed $100,000 to a bank account for J.M. Builders LLC on which Matava was the signatory. The account was opened on April 21, 2020, and had a balance of $0 immediately prior to the loan funds being disbursed. Between April 2020 and January 2021, Matava used the funds primarily for personal expenditures, including $3,498 to pay a dog breeder, $4,777 for payments to an RV superstore in Connecticut, and legal fees, including a $2,000 retainer, for four court cases in Rockville, Connecticut. In January 2021, Matava sought $100,000 in additional PPP funds from Celtic Bank, and included with the application several additional false statements and fraudulent tax documents. Celtic Bank denied the application. Judge Dooley ordered Matava to pay restitution of $100,000. Matava was arrested on January 7, 2023. On January 2, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction. Matava is released on a $60,000 bond, in home detention. He is required to report to prison on May 13. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Sean P. Mahard. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: St. John The Baptist Parish Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LARRY TRICHE , age 52, a resident of Norco, La., was sentenced on March 27, 2024 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to five (5) years probation, one hundred (100) hours of community service, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, between May 25, 2020, and July 2, 2020, TRICHE accompanied Ryan Fremin on three trips from Louisiana to the Houston, Texas area to purchase kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from Leonel Gonzalez, a Houston-based narcotics trafficker. On each occasion, TRICHE obtained a Houston area hotel room while Fremin drove to Houston to purchase the methamphetamine from Gonzalez. TRICHE and Fremin then returned to Louisiana, sometimes in separate vehicles, with TRICHE carrying the methamphetamine in his vehicle. Upon their return to Louisiana, Fremin took the methamphetamine from TRICHE and distributed it to local customers. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Fugitive Cuban national extradited from Spain and sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for health care fraud conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami federal district judge sentenced a longtime fugitive and Cuban national, Ariel Nuñez-Finalet, to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a massive 18-defendant conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud through various south Florida pharmacies. The judge also ordered Nuñez-Finalet to pay $1,910,222 in restitution. From January 2011 to September 2014, Nuñez-Finalet was involved with a network of pharmacies that submitted more than 16 million dollars in successful, fraudulent claims to Medicare for medications that were medically unnecessary and not provided to patients. Nuñez-Finalet conspired with two leaders of the conspiracy who are still fugitives, Pedro Torres and Antonio Hevia, and others to defraud Medicare. Nuñez-Finalet served as the legal owner and registered agent of a fraudulent pharmacy, Lily & Rosy Pharmacy Discount Corp, and furthered the fraud at multiple other pharmacies. Nuñez-Finalet cashed checks and withdrew cash—typically just below the legal reporting limit of $10,000—to provide patient recruiters with funds they needed for illegal kickbacks. Those kickbacks were used to obtain Medicare beneficiary information necessary for co-conspirators to submit fraudulent claims. For just two of the fraudulent pharmacies at which Nuñez-Finalet committed fraud, he caused Medicare to pay over $1.9 million in fraudulent claims for prescription drugs, of which the Government traced over $500,000 to Nuñez-Finalet personally. When Nuñez-Finalet and his co-conspirators were indicted in April 2016, Nuñez-Finalet had already fled to Cuba, where he lived for years until moving to Mexico in 2022. On March 21, 2023, Nuñez-Finalet flew to Spain, where he was arrested upon arrival pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida worked closely with the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of International Affairs to submit a formal request for Nuñez-Finalet’s extradition to the United States, which was granted by the Government of Spain. On November 21, 2023, Nuñez-Finalet was surrendered to United States authorities and returned to Miami to face charges for the health care fraud conspiracy, after which he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region, made the announcement. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. The FBI Legal Attaché office in Madrid, Spain and the DOJ’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the extradition of Nuñez-Finalet. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi and DOJ Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes of the Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman handled asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 16-cr-20267. ###


title: Former Postal Employee  Sentenced for Embezzling U.S. Mail

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COI MORRIS (“MORRIS”) , age 25, of New Orleans, La., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance, for stealing items from the mail he was entrusted to handle as a postal employee. According to court documents, MORRIS was employed by the United States Postal Service as a mail handler at the processing center in New Orleans when he was apprehended stealing items from the mail. MORRIS was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. MORRIS was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Felony Threats and Stalking Result in Six Year Prison Term  for District Man

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eddie Tibbs, 34, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 73 months in prison for stalking, felony threats, felony destruction of property, misdemeanor destruction of property, and a civil protection order violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In addition to the prison sentence, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian ordered Tibbs to serve three years of supervised release and a $500 payment to the fund established by the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation Act. Tibbs pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, Tibbs and the victim are former romantic partners, whose relationship ended in 2020. For over a year, the defendant proceeded to stalk, threaten, and intimidate the victim after their relationship broke up. From 2021 until early 2023, the defendant engaged in criminal conduct which included calling the victim’s phone several times and leaving voicemails insisting on speaking with her. Tibbs also threw rocks through the victim’s bedroom window, vandalized her car, showed up at her job unannounced, and threatened her and her family’s life, through phone calls and texts messages from real and fake phone numbers and emails. Tibbs’ dangerous conduct persisted, even after the victim obtained a civil protection order and was forced to move from her residence. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Richard Kelley of the Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on March 26 was: Brian Todd Olson, 37, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Olson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Olson was detained pending further proceedings. The Helena Police Department and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04. Appearing on March 22 was: Terrence Derrell Milton, 34, of Spokane, Washington, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Milton faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Milton was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Tri-Agency Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-01. Khalif Ali-Daquane Jackson, 36, of Decatur, Georgia, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jackson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Jackson was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Helena Police Department and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04. Brandon Lee Romero, 29, of Poplar, on charges of robbery, carjacking, transportation of stolen vehicle and assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, Romero faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Romero was detained pending further proceedings. The Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services, Williston Police Department and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-10. Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on March 28 was: Joseph Patrick Mullaney, 46, of Butte, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge, Mullaney faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Highway Patrol, U.S. Probation Office and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-08. Scott Gilbert Apgar, 41, of Libby, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Apgar faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Apgar was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-19. Gerry Alen Albus, 64, of Elmo, on charges of theft of government money and Social Security fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Albus faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Albus was released pending further proceedings. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-18. Teri Anne Bell, 57, of Columbia Falls, on charges of wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Bell was released pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-17 Appearing on March 25 was: Jerry Leon Kamps, 63, of Dillon, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kamps faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Kamps was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Dillon Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-04. Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 21 was: Jordale Thomas Redwolf, 36, a transient, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of the most serious crime, Redwolf faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Redwolf was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-29. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Fire Set in Vergennes

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Eddy Santiago, Jr., 30, of Clifton, New Jersey was sentenced today in the United States District Court following his guilty plea to using extortionate means to collect and punish the nonrepayment of a debt. United States District Judge Christina Reiss sentenced Santiago to 49 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. According to court records, Santiago was arrested by Vermont state law enforcement authorities on January 5, 2022, after he had set fire to a vehicle at a residence in the Booth Woods neighborhood of Vergennes earlier that morning. The fire destroyed two vehicles in the driveway and damaged the residence itself. Witnesses reported that Santiago had threatened to start a fire if the residents did not pay a large debt he thought they owed him for cocaine he had provided. Video cameras in nearby residences showed Santiago carrying a gas can and lighting the car on fire in the early morning hours of January 5, 2022; investigators also located gas station security camera footage showing Santiago filling a gas can in South Burlington approximately an hour before the fire and placing it in the front passenger seat of his vehicle. After Santiago was stopped and arrested, investigators found a partially filled gas can in the trunk of his vehicle. Several law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation of Santiago, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Vermont State Police; the Vergennes Police Department; and the Middlebury Police Department. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the mutually supportive efforts of the agencies in their proactive investigation of drug crimes and their reactive investigation of the arson. Santiago was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher represented the United States.


title: Morristown Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Jordan Phelps, 34, of Morristown, Vermont, has been indicted for illegal possession of a firearm while being a user of controlled substances. He was arraigned on March 29, 2024, and United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Phelps detained pending further proceedings. According to court records, on March 11, 2024, Jordan Phelps called the Morristown Police Department on four occasions and threatened to go to the home of a sworn member of law enforcement. The threatening phone calls were recorded, and law enforcement investigated Phelps. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Phelps’ residence that led to the seizure of a loaded Marlin Model 336 .30-30 Caliber Rifle from Phelps’ bedroom. Further investigation into Phelps revealed that he was an unlawful user of controlled substances. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Phelps is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Phelps faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Morristown Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Phelps is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Santa Monica, California man sentenced to 5 years in prison for organized retail theft scheme spanning 23 states

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 27-year-old Santa Monica, California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for his organized retail theft scheme that caused more than $664,000 in damage, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jaylan Amir Thomas was arrested in May 2023. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 5, 2023. At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said Thomas “persisted in this crime spree after being arrested and charged in multiple jurisdictions.” “Mr. Thomas recruited others to his criminal scheme, and thus altered the trajectory of their lives with criminal charges in various states,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Despite advantages such as a stable home and college studies, Mr. Thomas chose fraud as his path and in the process created higher prices for consumers everywhere.” According to records in the case, from March 2022, Thomas led a group that traveled the U.S., stopping at home improvement stores and renting two types of expensive construction equipment: jumping jack tampers and vibratory plate compactors valued between $1,500 and $2,000 each. Thomas used more than 150 fake IDs and dozens of fake telephone numbers to trick the stores into renting him the equipment. For each rental, he signed an agreement promising to return the machine on a specific date or pay a mounting fine. He acknowledged with each rental that failure to return the machine could lead to prosecution. Thomas paid small rental deposits with one of nine common debit cards, but he and a co-conspirator locked the accounts to prevent the stores from charging the card for the equipment. Thomas and others transported stolen goods in rental vans. He then sold the equipment on online marketplaces for about $700 per machine. In all, Thomas and his crew stole more than 480 pieces of equipment from 190 home improvement stores in 23 states. Thomas was ordered to pay $664,161.50 in restitution to the victim home improvement store. Thomas was arrested four times in three different jurisdictions in relation to the scheme, but it did not deter him. He would bail out of jail and continue the fraud. The group stole multiple items of equipment from stores in Federal Way, Tacoma, Vancouver, Covington, Longview, Bothell, Everett, Redmond, and Seattle. Asking for a 51-month prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar wrote to the court, “Organized retail crime like Thomas’ thefts has a significant impact on our communities: An analysis from the Retail Industry Leaders Association estimates Washington retailers lost $2.7 billion to organized retail crime in 2021. Forbes Advisor ranked Washington as the number one state impacted by organized retail theft based on six metrics. Organized retail crime raises costs for consumers and threatens the safety of stores and employees.” Judge Martinez noted that organized retail theft has been on the rise since the pandemic and costs U.S. residents some $30 billion a year. “Mr. Thomas's multi-state retail theft scheme not only resulted in substantial financial losses for retailers but also highlighted the complex and widespread nature of organized retail crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This orchestrated fraud operation, underscores the critical need for collaborative efforts, including robust public-private partnerships, to combat such threats effectively. Homeland Security Investigations played a pivotal role in unraveling this intricate network, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts between government agencies and private businesses in safeguarding communities from the pervasive impact of organized crime.” The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.


title: Coconspirator in Agent’s ‘Secret Probation’ Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: The coconspirator in retired FBI agent William Stone’s scheme to con a local mother out of more than $700,000 by convincing her she was on “secret federal probation" was sentenced Thursday to nearly six years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Joseph Eventino DeLeon, 63, was indicted in December 2021. In February 2024, after 12 days of trial, a jury convicted him and Mr. Stone of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (Mr. Stone was also convicted of five counts of wire fraud, one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity, and one count of false impersonation of a federal officer.) Mr. DeLeon was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who ordered him to pay $765,320.37 in restitution to his victim. According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Stone convinced his victim, C.T., that she was under “secret probation” for federal drug crimes in “Judge Anderson’s court in Austin, Texas.” He and Mr. DeLeon told the victim that the fictious federal judge had appointed the two of them to administer the conditions of her six year “secret probation.” They required her to text them written reports of her daily activities, and to compensate them for their supervisory services, as well as any expenses they incurred. Copies of the five and six figure checks she wrote them were admitted into evidence at trial. Over the course of eleven months, C.T. gave Mr. Stone more than $700,000 and Mr. DeLeon more than $50,000. Mr. Stone and Mr. DeLeon insisted that C.T. was prohibited from disclosing her probation status to anyone, and would risk imprisonment and loss of her children if she did not comply with the terms of her probation. When C.T. began to question the situation, Mr. Stone assured her everything he’d done was “legit.” In order to further convince her the probation was real, the defendants monitored her cell phone communications, conducted physical surveillance of her, stated they had discussed C.T.’s probation with a psychiatrist, enlisted another person to impersonate the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “Intelligence Center” in a message inquiring about C.T., and even placed spoof calls between Mr. Stone, C.T., and the fictitious Judge Anderson. They urged her to distance herself from her family, claiming her family members wanted to take her inheritance away from her, and persuaded her to transfer her inherited assets out of a trust and into an account under her own name. At one point, they claimed Judge Anderson would discharge C.T.’s probation if C.T. agreed to marry Mr. Stone. Mr. DeLeon even carried a weapon in C.T.’s home while purportedly providing “protective services” for her. Mr. Stone was previously sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and taken into custody when sentenced, as was Mr. DeLeon. The Texas Rangers and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Mr. Stone retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in October 2015. The Bureau provided valuable assistance during the trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenna Rudoff, Donna Strittmatter Max, and Marcus Busch prosecuted the case with the support of Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller and Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Pryor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture .


title: District Men Plead Guilty to Shooting Father and Minor Son in December 2018

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamal Matthews, Darnell Savoy, and Stefon Freshley, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to the December 28, 2018 shooting of a father and son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, the victims were in their SUV standing along the curb in the 200 block of 54 th Street, Northeast, waiting for a friend to arrive so they could leave to attend a WWE wrestling event. As the victims waited, Matthews saw the SUV and mistook it for the same vehicle that shot at him and his cousin three days earlier. Matthews emerged from the Christmas Day shooting physically unharmed, but his cousin was killed. Upon seeing the victims’ SUV, defendant Matthews immediately called another individual, who then called Freshley. Moments after speaking with that individual, Freshley and Savoy, who were a few blocks away, entered Savoy’s Nissan Altima and drove towards Matthews. Savoy was driving and Freshley was in the front passenger seat when they picked up Matthews at the corner of 54 th and Clay Streets Northeast. Matthews got into the back seat of the Nissan Altima. Savoy drove into the 200 block of 54 th Street Northeast. As they drove towards and past the victims’ vehicle, Matthews fired approximately 30 shots at the SUV. The minor victim was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The adult victim sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan.


title: Bellingham, Washington drug dealer sentenced to ten years in prison for distributing fentanyl while possessing firearms

body_text: Seattle – A 39-year-old Bellingham, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for drug distribution and firearm crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Daniel Faix was arrested in April 2023, and pleaded guilty in January to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “You were caught and charged, and returned to dealing drugs.” “When Mr. Faix encountered law enforcement in late December 2022, he was carrying thousands of fentanyl pills, and drug proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “But one arrest didn’t stop him, and four months later a search of his RV home turned up thousands more pills and four guns he kept to protect his drug business. Spreading such poison in our community while illegally possessing guns, and the defendant’s extensive criminal history, merits a ten-year-prison term.” According to records filed in the case, Faix was one of six people charged federally in a months-long investigation of fentanyl dealing in Whatcom County. The ring was actively moving fentanyl from the Seattle area to redistributors in Bellingham. Law enforcement officers observed various drug transactions and interdicted the drug loads. In one instance, law enforcement was called to a mini-mart where two people involved with the drug ring overdosed on fentanyl and had to be revived and transported to the hospital. In asking Judge Jones to impose the ten-year-sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs wrote to the court, “The Court is certainly aware of the dangers that these drugs – particularly fentanyl – pose to those who use them. And Faix must be aware of the harm caused by these drugs as his own life has been consumed and upended by drug use. Ultimately, Faix – for whatever reason – was willing to personally profit from the distribution of an addictive and often deadly controlled substance.” One other member of the drug ring has been sentenced: 33-year-old Ahbdurman Ahmed of Seattle was sentenced in January 2024 to six years in prison. On Wednesday, defendant Natasha Parkhill, 38, of Bellingham, pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in July. Defendant Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed, 35, of Seattle pleaded guilty in January and is scheduled for sentencing in June. Defendant Matthew Anderson, 35, of Bellingham, is scheduled for trial in July. Defendant Robel Sisay Gebremedhin, A/K/A Robel Sisay Gebremedhui, 41, of Burien, WA is being sought by law enforcement. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, and the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.


title: Massachusetts Man Indicted for Stealing Postage Stamps Using Fraudulent Checks

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Soto, age 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was arraigned yesterday on a federal indictment charging him with twelve counts of theft of government property, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced. According to the indictment, Soto used fraudulent checks to purchase more than $30,000 worth of United States Postal Service postage stamps over the course of two days in Oneida County, Oswego County, and Onondaga County in August 2023. The charges filed against Soto carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The USPIS is investigating the case with the help of the Fulton Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.