title: Maryland Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Multiple Firearms Charges

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – After a four-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict, convicting Thomas Emmanuel Williams, 52, of Laurel, Maryland, on 12 federal charges related to drug and firearms trafficking. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to the evidence at trial, in January and February 2023, the defendant illegally sold 10 firearms, three machineguns, ammunition, and hundreds of oxycodone, codeine, and fentanyl pills to an undercover law-enforcement source. Williams sold several privately made firearms that didn’t have serial numbers, and so-called “Glock switches,” designed to convert semi-automatic Glock-style pistols into fully automatic firearms. The Defendant arranged to sell the drugs and guns to the source on four different dates through FaceTime and phone calls. Williams met with the undercover source in shopping-center parking lots in Laurel and Hyattsville, Maryland, to sell guns, ammunition, and drugs in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash. The firearms sold included a Hi Point 45 ACP Pistol and 9mm Rifle, Taurus 85 Ultra Lite .38 Special Revolver, two AR-style 5.56mm pistols, a Glock 21 .45 Auto Pistol, and a Glock 43 9mm Pistol, along with three “Glock switches” which are classified as machineguns under federal law. Williams faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF for their work in the investigation and ATF special agents Christopher Szakolczai and Katherine Rottman who conducted the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Dawn Williams who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Unified Care Services LLC Agrees to Pay $18M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Paycheck Protection Program Loans

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note: View the executed settlement agreement here . Torrance, California-based chain of skilled nursing facilities Unified Care Services LLC (Unified Care), its affiliates and its owner, Emmanual David, have agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by knowingly providing false information in support of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and loan forgiveness applications submitted by Unified Care and its affiliates. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Borrowers were eligible to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan proceeds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses. Only small businesses were eligible for PPP loans. Whether an applicant qualified as a small business was determined by assessing the employees, revenues, or net worth of the applicant along with all corporate affiliates that shared common operational control. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of all information provided in their loan applications, including their size and number of employees. The settlement resolves allegations that Unified Care and its affiliates falsely certified they were small business with fewer than 500 employees when they submitted their PPP loan and loan forgiveness applications in 2020. These applications allegedly failed to disclose that the entities applying were part of a larger chain of facilities that all shared common ownership and control that rendered Unified Care and its affiliates ineligible for PPP loans. The Unified Care affiliates covered by the settlement include: Unified Care Services LLC; Casa Montana LLC; Geri-Care Inc.; Geri Care V LLC; Pacific Palms Healthcare LLC; Foothill Care Center Inc.; Mount Megiddo LLC; Canyon Properties III LLC; Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc.; Foothill Care Center LLC; Foothill Care Center II LLC; David Kleis III LLC; David Kleis II LLC; Miramonte Enterprises LLC; and Washington Enterprises III LLC. “PPP loans were intended to assist eligible small businesses during the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When ineligible businesses improperly obtained loans, they harmed both the taxpayers who funded the program and the eligible businesses who were denied relief.” “COVID-relief programs were designed to help people and businesses during the worst public health crisis this nation had seen in one century,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “My office will continue to pursue those who knowingly cheat taxpayers by violating PPP and other pandemic-related programs.” “This resolution demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring that those who improperly obtain federally guaranteed PPP loans are held accountable and funds repaid to the American taxpayer” said Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Mandy Riedel of the Justice Department. “The SBA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring the integrity of CARES Act programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the SBA Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “Through partnerships with federal agencies, we continue to identify fraud schemes and protect relief funds from misuse.” The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Ashwani Chawla v. Unified Care Services et al ., CV 21-5935-GW (CDCA). The whistleblower will receive $2,070,000 in connection with the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel (SBA-OGC) and the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG). Senior Trial Counsel Benjamin C. Wei of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Ross for the Central District of California handled the matter, with assistance from Mary Cvengros of SBA-OGC and Christopher H. Stephens of SBA-OIG. 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 the federal 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 actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also 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 . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: South Bay-Based Nursing Facilities Chain and Owner Agree to Pay $18 Million to Resolve COVID-Related False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Torrance-based skilled nursing facilities chain Unified Care Services LLC, its affiliates, and its owner, Emmanual David, have agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by knowingly providing false information in support of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and loan forgiveness applications submitted by Unified Care and its affiliates, the Justice Department announced today. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Borrowers were eligible to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan proceeds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses. Only small businesses were eligible for PPP loans. Whether an applicant qualified as a small business was determined by assessing the employees, revenues, or net worth of the applicant along with all corporate affiliates that shared common operational control. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of all information provided in their loan applications, including their size and number of employees. The settlement resolves allegations that Unified Care and its affiliates falsely certified they were small business with fewer than 500 employees when they submitted their PPP loan and loan forgiveness applications in 2020. These applications allegedly failed to disclose that the entities applying were part of a larger chain of facilities that all shared common ownership and control that rendered Unified Care and its affiliates ineligible for PPP loans. “COVID-relief programs were designed to help people and businesses during the worst public health crisis this nation had seen in one century,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue to pursue those who knowingly cheat taxpayers by violating PPP and other pandemic-related programs.” The Unified Care affiliates covered by the settlement include Unified Care Services LLC; Casa Montana LLC; Geri-Care Inc.; Geri Care V LLC; Pacific Palms Healthcare LLC; Foothill Care Center Inc.; Mount Megiddo LLC; Canyon Properties III LLC; Cloverleaf Enterprises Inc.; Foothill Care Center LLC; Foothill Care Center II LLC; David Kleis III LLC; David Kleis II LLC; Miramonte Enterprises LLC; and Washington Enterprises III LLC. “PPP loans were intended to assist eligible small businesses during the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When ineligible businesses improperly obtained loans, they harmed both the taxpayers who funded the program and the eligible businesses who were denied relief.” “This resolution demonstrates the department’s commitment to ensuring that those who improperly obtain federally guaranteed PPP loans are held accountable and funds repaid to the American taxpayer” said Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Mandy Riedel of the Justice Department. “The SBA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring the integrity of CARES Act programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the SBA Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “Through partnerships with federal agencies, we continue to identify fraud schemes and protect relief funds from misuse.” The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Ashwani Chawla v. Unified Care Services et al. , CV 21-5935-GW (CDCA). The whistleblower will receive $2,070,000 in connection with the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel (SBA-OGC) and the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG). Assistant United States Attorney Jack D. Ross of the Civil Fraud Section and Senior Trial Counsel Benjamin C. Wei of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter, with assistance from Mary Cvengros of SBA-OGC and Christopher H. Stephens of SBA-OIG. 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 the federal 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 actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also 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 . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Warehouse Supervisor Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing $2 Million Worth of Fitbits from Amazon and Selling Them on eBay

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— Dwight Oliver, 40, of Grand Prairie, Texas, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to mail fraud. Oliver has also been ordered to pay $1,435,954.62 in restitution. According to court documents, from May 2021 to August 2022, Dwight Oliver worked as a facility supervisor for a company that operated a warehouse in Plainfield, Indiana. Between June 2021 and September 2021, approximately $2 million worth of Fitbit devices went missing in transit to multiple Amazon fulfillment centers across the United States. Through an internal investigation, Amazon discovered that the missing devices were associated with bulk purchase orders that had transited at one time through the warehouse where Oliver worked. In June of 2021, Oliver began stealing Fitbits devices from the warehouse. He disabled the GPS tracker of his employer’s sprinter van, allowing him to transport the stolen merchandise from the warehouse without detection by his employer. Oliver posted the stolen devices for sale on eBay, representing himself as a legitimate third-party seller. Oliver used the United States Post Office to mail one hundred stolen Fitbit devices to buyers across the country. In total, Oliver received approximately $687,540.53 for the sale of the stolen Fitbits. “Modern eCommerce depends modern logistics and supply chains, including many businesses in the Southern District of Indiana. Criminals who abuse their positions of trust to steal from customers and their employers cause harm to our economy and raise prices for everyone,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I commend our partners at the FBI and our federal prosecutor for their commitment to this case and ensuring that the individual responsible was held accountable. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that financial crimes can cause serious harm and can result in serious consequences.” “Today’s sentence should serve as a strong reminder that the exploitation of online platforms won’t be tolerated. Theft of merchandise not only disrupts the digital marketplace but undermines the trust consumers place in e-commerce platforms,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Danny Youmara. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those participating in such schemes are held accountable.” FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin Houston, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Former CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information

body_text: A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty today to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024. According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). “Mr. Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defense information he swore an oath to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the Justice Department will spare no effort to swiftly find and aggressively prosecute those who harm the United States by illegally disclosing our national security secrets.” “Asif Rahman is pleading guilty in federal court three months to the day that he disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his responsibility, and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This District, in partnership with federal law enforcement and the intelligence community, exemplified dedication, skill, and speed to bring him to justice expeditiously. Mr. Rahman’s actions placed lives at risk, undermined U.S. foreign relations, and compromised our ability to collect vital intelligence in the future.” “With today's plea, Asif Rahman acknowledges he betrayed the trust of his country by sharing classified information in spite of the risk to the United States and our allies,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Government employees who are granted security clearances and given access to our nation's classified information must promise to protect it. Rahman blatantly violated that pledge and took multiple steps to hide his actions. The FBI will use all our resources to investigate and hold accountable those who illegally transmit classified information and endanger the national security interests of our country.” “Today’s plea demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to deploy the necessary tools and authorities to identify, locate, and bring to justice a government clearance holder who violated the oath he took to support and defend the U.S. Constitution,” said Assistant Director David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “This is a good reminder to all clearance holders that the FBI and our Intelligence Community partners will spare no resource to immediately find and hold accountable those who violate the law and disclose classified information without authorization, no matter where in the world they are located.” According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings. After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman deleted and edited journal entries and written work product on his personal electronic devices to conceal his personal opinions on U.S. policy and drafted entries to construct a false narrative regarding his activity. Rahman also destroyed multiple electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and an internet router he used to transmit classified information and photographs of classified documents, and discarded the destroyed devices in public trash receptacles in an effort to thwart potential investigations into him and his unlawful conduct. Beginning in the spring of 2024 and continuing through November 2024, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret level, to take them to his residence. There, Rahman reproduced the documents and, while doing so, altered them in an effort to conceal their source and his activity. Rahman then communicated Top Secret information that he learned in the course of his employment to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it. Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest. Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for both counts in the plea agreement. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Dominican Man Previously Convicted of Drug Offenses Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced yesterday for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Edward Tejeda Pimental, a/k/a “Miguel Carrillo Rodrigues,” a/k/a “Angel Matos,” 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 37 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In November 2024, Tejeda Pimental pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry. Tejeda Pimental was first removed from the United States following a federal conviction for an immigration offense in the Western District of Texas in 2003. He was removed a second time following narcotics convictions in the District of Massachusetts in 2008. Later, Tejeda Pimental was removed from the United States for a third time in 2018, following a drug-related arrest in New Hampshire. Tejeda Pimental is currently facing an additional drug charge in Massachusetts state court following a 2022 arrest for fentanyl trafficking. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Crypto ‘Godfather’ and LASD Detective Agree to Plead Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Business Rivals and Tax Crimes

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A cryptocurrency businessman who dubbed himself “The Godfather” and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy have agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges, including for their roles in a conspiracy that targeted multiple victims in Los Angeles, violating their civil rights via intimidation, extortion, illegal search warrants and other abuses of police power, the Justice Department announced today. Adam Iza, 24, who has residences in Beverly Hills and Newport Coast, was named this week in a three-count superseding information that charges him with conspiracy against rights, wire fraud and tax evasion. Iza has been in federal custody since September 2024. Eric Chase Saavedra, 41, of Chino, an LASD deputy and a former federal task force officer, was separately charged today with conspiracy against rights and subscribing to a false tax return. Iza and Saavedra have agreed to plead guilty to these felony charges and are expected to make their initial appearances in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming days. “When law enforcement officers violate their oath, they betray not only the public but also the vast majority of officers who do the job the right way,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The conduct admitted to in these plea agreements is deeply disturbing and cannot be tolerated. I am grateful for the cooperation of Sheriff Robert Luna and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in working with our office to root out corruption and uphold civil rights.” “The defendants profited handsomely by abusing the criminal justice system and trampling on victims’ civil rights,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to rooting out corrupt officials and their coconspirators whose actions erode trust in law enforcement.” The plea agreement for Iza was filed this morning. Federal prosecutors late Thursday filed charges, as well a plea agreement, in the case against Saavedra. According to their plea agreements, Iza hired off-duty LASD deputies to act as his personal enforcers against his enemies. As part of the conspiracy to violate civil rights, Iza would have the deputies assist him in carrying out extortion, intimidation, setting people up for arrest, and abuse of legal process. One of the deputies Iza employed was Saavedra, who was assigned to LASD’s Operation Safe Streets Bureau and served as a federal task force officer assigned to the United States Marshals Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. Saavedra founded a private security company, Saavedra & Associates LLC. This company provided private security for its clients and often employed active LASD deputies and other law enforcement officers. From August 2021 to March 2022, Iza – who then lived in a Bel Air mansion – hired Saavedra & Associates to provide him round-the-clock private security at a typical cost of $100,000 per month. Iza hired the company again from July 2024 until Iza’s arrest in September 2024. Starting in the fall of 2021, Saavedra illegally and regularly used his LASD credentials to access sensitive law enforcement databases to obtain personal identifiable information for Iza, including PII for people with whom Iza had personal or business disputes, their associates and their family members. Saavedra knew he was not authorized under LASD rules to access this information for non-law enforcement matters or to share it with private clients. He did so because he wanted to impress Iza with his access to law enforcement information and to continue to receive lucrative business from Iza, according to court documents. Saavedra admitted that he used his powers as a sworn law enforcement officer to improperly obtain court-authorized search warrants related to individuals with whom Iza had disputes, including a warrant to search an individual’s residence that Saavedra helped facilitate and a warrant to obtain location information associated with another individual that Saavedra directly obtained. Iza, Saavedra and others used confidential information that the LASD deputies obtained in their official capacities to locate, intimidate, harass, threaten and extort individuals with whom Iza had disputes and their associates, according to court documents. They also used Telegram and other encrypted communications apps to avoid law enforcement detection. For example, in late 2021 or early 2022, Iza – believing a victim possessed a laptop computer containing more than $100 million in cryptocurrency – discussed and agreed that Saavedra would obtain a search warrant for GPS location associated with that victim’s telephone number. In January 2022, Saavedra applied for and obtained a search warrant under false pretenses from a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. In an affidavit supporting the search warrant application, Saavedra falsely stated that the victim’s telephone number was associated with a suspect in a firearms investigation. After securing the illegal warrant, Saavedra tracked down the victim and provided the victim’s address to Iza. In March 2022, Iza caused three armed individuals to try to force entry into the victim’s home to steal the laptop. The individuals fled after the victim fired a gunshot in their direction. Afterward, Iza sent the victim a video of the attempted home invasion robbery. The documents filed this week describe other violent acts, including an August 2021 event during which two LASD deputies held a victim at gunpoint inside Iza’s residence, after which Iza caused $25,000 to be transferred from the victim’s bank account to his own, and an October 2021 event in which Iza himself held a victim at gunpoint, causing that victim to transfer $127,000 to Iza. Iza also admitted to stealing more than $37 million by fraudulently gaining access to Meta Platforms Inc. business manager accounts and their associated lines of credit from 2020 to 2022. Both Iza and Saavedra admitted in their plea agreements to federal tax crimes. Iza willfully avoided the assessment of approximately $6,772,725 in federal income tax due for the year 2021. Saavedra received approximately $373,146 in unreported income and subscribed to a false tax return for 2021. “Mr. Iza’s and Mr. Saavedra’s relationship was little more than a thuggish partnership between a thief and a crooked cop,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The public should be able to trust members of law enforcement, but Mr. Saavedra violated his oath for a payday. Mr. Iza stole from anyone he could and found a big payday by ripping off Meta so that he could afford to pay for Mr. Saavedra’s corrupt protection and assistance. Unfortunately for both of them, money leaves trails and IRS Criminal Investigation is the best in the world at finding and following those trails. When you commit fraud and take a payday from fraudsters you must pay taxes on those funds. Now they will face justice for their actions.” After pleading guilty, Iza will face up to 35 years in federal prison. Saavedra will face up to 13 years in federal prison. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and J. Jamari Buxton of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Maxwell K. Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Jonesboro Man Sentenced for Possession of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: MONROE, La. – Jarrell M. Palmer , 44, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, was sentenced today for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced Palmer to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. In April 2023, agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious package mailed from California to an address in Jonesboro. Agents exposed the package to an open air examination by a narcotic detecting K-9 who alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics coming from inside the box. A warrant was obtained, and agents found several jigsaw puzzle boxes inside, one which contained Ziplock-style bags wrapped in plastic wrap and carbon paper. Inside those bags were more than 5,000 pills suspected to be fake oxycodone tablets. Subsequent chemical analysis determined that the pills comprised a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and weighed approximately 552.5 grams. Law enforcement agents repackaged the box and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the front door of the Jonesboro address. Agents observed the defendant’s mother retrieve the package from the front doorstep and take it inside the residence. Shortly thereafter, agents were alerted by way of sensors installed on the package that it had been opened and they converged on the home to execute the search warrant. Agents found Palmer standing outside of the home and arrested him. Palmer had residue on his hands from spray that was added to the package by law enforcement agents. Inside the home was the suspicious package containing the jigsaw puzzle boxes with the fentanyl, as well as marijuana and a digital scale. Palmer admitted that the suspicious package was his and that he sold the pills to other individuals. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on December 12, 2023. The case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Metro Narcotics Unit in Monroe, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Announces the Implementation of the EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program. “In this office, we are focused on enhancing the identification and prosecution of white-collar crime,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “The EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program achieves that by incentivizing individuals to proactively come forward with information about crimes taking place within corporations. The benefit to the participant, if qualified, is avoiding prosecution. We encourage all who may have information on fraud, corruption, or corporate crime, to fill out the short form on our website.” To encourage early voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct and to promote effective enforcement of criminal laws, this office has implemented the EDNC Whistleblower Pilot Program. The program applies to circumstances where an individual discloses information regarding certain covered subjects identified in the policy to this office. These covered subjects include criminal conduct undertaken by or through public or private entities or organizations, including corporations, partnerships, non-profits, exchanges, financial institutions, investment advisers, or investment funds involving fraud or corporate control failures; intellectual property theft and related violations; or offenses affecting market integrity. The policy also applies to disclosed criminal conduct involving state or local bribery or fraud relating to federal, state, or local funds. The policy does not apply to offenses involving violence. Provided all policy conditions are met, this office will enter into a deferred or non-prosecution agreement with the whistleblower. By clarifying the requirements and benefits of such self-disclosure, this office seeks to incentivize individuals (and their counsel) to provide actionable and timely information. This will, in turn, help us expose more misconduct and better protect the communities we serve. A full copy of the Policy, and the intake form for applicants, can be found on our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/ednc-whistleblower-pilot-program


title: Putnam Valley Husband And Wife Sentenced To Prison For Operating Prostitution Businesses At Multiple Massage Parlors In New York

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that HONG RU LIN, a/k/a “Bruce,” and KENA ZHAO, a/k/a “Angela,” were each sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to prison for violating the Travel Act by operating prostitution businesses at multiple massage parlors in Putnam, Westchester, New York, and Queens County. ZHAO was sentenced on January 10, 2025, to 12 months and one day in prison, and LIN was sentenced today to 12 month and one day in prison. LIN and ZHAO also forfeited over $1.3 million representing proceeds derived from their prostitution scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: "Hong Ru Lin and Kena Zhao operated an extensive prostitution business, using massage parlors as cover for their illegal activities. Today’s sentences hold them accountable for their actions. This Office will continue to investigate those who sponsor illegal prostitution, even if their criminal activities take place behind the closed doors of supposedly legitimate businesses.” According to the charging documents, public court filings, and statements made in court: Between at least September 2020 and September 2023, LIN and ZHAO operated a prostitution business out of multiple massage parlors that they owned in Putnam, Westchester, New York and Queens County. LIN and ZHAO managed a roster of women who worked at the massage parlors and performed sexual acts for the customers of LIN and ZHAO. LIN and ZHAO communicated by cellphone and private chatroom to manage and operate their prostitution business. Among other things, LIN and ZHAO used cellphones to communicate with potential customers, assign particular employees to customers, monitor the income of their prostitution business, and set performance goals for the women who worked in the massage parlors. In addition, on at least one occasion, ZHAO personally participated in a massage during which a sexual act was offered to a customer. * * * In addition to the prison terms, LIN, 51, and ZHAO, 46, of Putnam Valley, New York, were both sentenced to two years of supervised release and agreed to forfeit the massage parlors’ bank accounts, various assets and cash proceeds derived from the massage parlors, and a $1.3 million money judgment. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Kim also thanked the Town of Carmel Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division and the White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Jamie Bagliebter, and Margaret N. Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Armed Bank Robberies

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Sacramento, Calif., resident was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for committing two armed robberies of financial institutions. Devon Jones, 32, pleaded guilty to one-count each of interference with commerce by robbery, bank robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to court documents and admissions made by Jones, on January 24, 2022, he robbed a money lending business in Reno. During the robbery, he pointed a semi-automatic 9mm pistol at an employee and demanded money. Jones then fired a round and fled the scene with cash. Later, on January 27, 2022, Jones robbed a bank in Carson City. After he entered the bank, he started yelling and fired a shot. Then, he approached a teller and demanded money. Jones fired another shot after noticing alarm lights flashing. He ordered all the employees to the ground and fired another shot before leaving the bank with the stolen cash. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Rachow prosecuted the case. ###


title: Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in Indian Country

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Circuit Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Benny Benson, age 22, was sentenced on January 3, 2025, to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Benson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023, and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2024. Benson’s conviction stemmed from his involvement in a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine distribution operation on the Pine Ridge Reservation. During the conspiracy Benson distributed over 900 grams of fentanyl and approximately 210 grams of cocaine on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was a supervisor of the conspiracy and possessed a firearm during his involvement. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Benson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his sentencing.


title: Kyle Man Indicted for Assault and Sexual Abuse

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Kyle, South Dakota, man for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner, Sexual Abuse, and Aggravated Sexual Abuse. Vinnie Sonny Makes Good, age 36, was indicted in December 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann on January 8, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charges relate to Makes Good assaulting his intimate dating partner on three sperate occasions between March 23 and October 12, 2023. These assaults resulted in the victim sustaining serious bodily injury. On February 4, 2024, Makes Good sexually assaulted a different female who was incapable of declining participation in or engaging in sexual intercourse. The charges are merely accusations and Makes Good is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen is prosecuting the case. Makes Good was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for March 18, 2025.


title: Guatemala Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Over 10 Years for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a Child

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Guatemala man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child. The charge of attempted enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Gerber David Santos-Gonzalez, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He was found guilty following a jury trial in October 2024. On January 13, 2025, Santos-Gonzalez was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Santos-Gonzalez is required to register as a sex offender once released from federal prison. The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 12, 2024, when Santos-Gonzalez used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to convince a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him in exchange for $100. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos-Gonzalez was arrested when he attempted to meet up with the girl in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Santos-Gonzalez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: United States Files Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Lettire Construction Corp. And Related Entities For Failure To Construct Apartments With Features Accessible To Persons With Disabilities

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the U.S. has filed a federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) lawsuit against LETTIRE CONSTRUCTION CORP. (“LETTIRE”) relating to its failure to design and construct new apartment buildings to be accessible to persons with physical disabilities. The lawsuit also names other entities related to LETTIRE that participated in the design or construction of these residential complexes. Upon filing suit, the U.S. also submitted to the Court proposed consent decrees with LETTIRE , EAST 124 TH STREET LLC , and other entities related to LETTIRE which participated in the design and construction of such buildings. These settlements are subject to the review and approval of the U.S. District Judge assigned to the case. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Today’s filing is the 20th suit that this Office has brought to remedy the failure of real estate developers to comply with the Fair Housing Act. We appreciate Lettire’s and East 124 th Street LLC’s cooperation in taking responsibility for their actions so that more properties are rendered accessible to more people. This Office will remain vigilant in ensuring that developers, construction managers, and architects comply with the FHA and remedy inaccessible housing in this District.” The FHA’s accessible design and construction provisions require multifamily housing complexes constructed after January 1991 to have basic features accessible to persons with disabilities. According to the allegations in the Complaint : The inaccessible conditions at buildings that LETTIRE constructed include excessively high thresholds at building entrances and entrances to common use areas, and bathrooms in individual apartments that lack sufficient clear floor space for people who use wheelchairs. These features in the common use areas of buildings that LETTIRE constructed, as well as in the buildings’ apartment interiors, did not meet the standards set forth in the Fair Housing Act. The Complaint identifies inaccessible conditions at the following three properties: The Tapestry, at 245 East 124 th Street in Manhattan. In addition to LETTIRE, the Complaint names as defendants LETTIRE 124 th STREET LLC as a co-developer of the Tapestry, and EAST 124 th STREET LLC (with whom, as noted above, the Government has reached an agreement subject to Court approval) as the owner and managing member of the Tapestry. Chestnut Commons, at 3269 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. In addition to LETTIRE, the Complaint names as defendants UBC CHESTNUT COMMONS LLC as a co-developer of Chestnut Commons, CHESTNUT COMMONS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND CORP. as the owner of Chestnut Commons, and MHANY MANAGEMENT INC. as the managing member of Chestnut Commons. The Government’s claims relating to Chestnut Commons have not yet been resolved. The Atrium, at 57 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Brooklyn. However, by the time that the Atrium opened in 2024, LETTIRE had retained an accessibility consultant, and the identified inaccessible conditions were in the process of being substantially remediated in consultation with the Government. The Atrium has been included in the lawsuit in order to ensure that remaining retrofits are completed. Due to the inaccessible conditions at the buildings LETTIRE designed and constructed, LETTIRE engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the FHA and denied such rights to people with disabilities. The Complaint seeks a court order directing LETTIRE to retrofit individual apartments as well as the public and common use areas of the buildings so that they are accessible, to adopt policies and procedures to ensure FHA compliance in future constructions, and to compensate individuals who suffered discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions. Under the settlement with LETTIRE and other related entities, LETTIRE agreed to complete necessary retrofits at the Atrium, establish procedures to ensure FHA compliance at future development projects, and to institute policies and training to ensure that its employees and agents will comply with the FHA’s accessibility requirements. LETTIRE agreed to pay a civil penalty of $20,000, and the related entities agreed to pay a civil penalty of $10,000 each, commensurate with their role in designing and/or constructing the Tapestry and Chestnut Commons. Under the settlement with EAST 124 TH STREET LLC, EAST 124 TH STREET LLC agreed to complete necessary retrofits at the Tapestry, establish procedures to ensure FHA compliance at future development projects, and to institute policies and training to ensure that its employees and agents will comply with the FHA’s accessibility requirements. EAST 124 TH STREET LLC also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $10,000, commensurate with its role in designing and/or constructing the Tapestry. Further, the settlement requires EAST 124 th STREET LLC to provide $20,000 to compensate aggrieved persons with respect to the Tapestry. Aggrieved individuals may include those who: Were discouraged from living at the Tapestry because of the lack of accessible features; Have been hurt in any way by the lack of accessible features at the Tapestry; Paid to have an apartment at the Tapestry made more accessible to persons with disabilities; or Otherwise were discriminated against on the basis of disability at the Tapestry as a result of inaccessible design and construction. People who believe they may have experienced discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions at the above-named buildings developed by LETTIRE may contact the Civil Rights Complaint account at USANYS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov , use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/civilrights.html , or send a written report to: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York 86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor New York, New York 10007 Attention: Chief, Civil Rights Unit * * * Mr. Kim thanked HUD for its assistance on the investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Lee and Danielle J. Marryshow are in charge of the case.


title: Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the Orange County, California, Sheriff’s Department to Protect Against the Misuse of Custodial Informants

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on the use of custodial informants by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in California. The agreement, together with an earlier agreement with the Orange County District Attorney, fully resolves the department’s civil investigation into custodial informant activity at the Orange County Jails from 2007 through 2016 that violated criminal defendants’ right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment and right to due process of law under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The agreement with the Orange County Sheriff will ensure that reforms put in place by the sheriff since suspending the use of custodial informants in 2016 provide appropriate protections against future violations. Under the agreement, the sheriff agrees to maintain changes to policies, training, document and information systems and audits in a manner that permits effective oversight of the custodial informant practices at the Orange County jails. The sheriff also agrees to solicit feedback on additional improvements from members of the criminal justice system in Orange County and to publish information about its reform efforts. The department will have full and direct access to independently validate that the Sheriff’s Department has sustained the reforms. “We applaud the sheriff for his proactive efforts instituting key improvements to prevent the misuse of custodial informants at the Orange County Jails and to assist prosecutors in meeting their fundamental disclosure obligations while pursuing justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The robust and transparent validation measures in today’s agreement will strengthen the public’s trust in the sheriff’s Department and uphold the constitutional rights of criminal defendants in custody. The sheriff’s cooperation and adoption of reforms have helped narrow the scope and expected duration of the out-of-court agreement and, together with a related agreement reached with the Orange County District Attorney, will provide for continuation of the necessary collaboration and information sharing.” The department opened its investigation into the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in 2016. The evidence uncovered by the department revealed that custodial informants in the Orange County Jail system acted as agents of law enforcement to elicit incriminating statements from defendants represented by counsel, and that for years Orange County sheriff deputies maintained and concealed systems to track, manage and reward those custodial informants. The evidence also revealed that Orange County prosecutors failed to seek out and disclose exculpatory information regarding custodial informants to defense counsel. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section conducted the investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601. The statute prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. Since January 2021, the Civil Rights Division has opened 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies. The section is enforcing 15 agreements with law enforcement agencies and two post-judgment orders. The department also reached a court enforceable agreement with Louisville, Kentucky , and Minneapolis, Minnesota to resolve its findings. Both are pending review by the court. The memorandum of agreement between the department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department can be found here , and the department’s investigative findings from October 2022 can be found here . Information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker On Federal Supervised Release Is Sentenced To Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Russell Javon Linney, 34, of Statesville, N.C. was sentenced today to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, in January 2023, the ATF initiated an investigation into Linney’s drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, court documents show that undercover ATF agents purchased methamphetamine from Linney multiple times. During one of the drug buys, Linney sold nearly a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover ATF agent in South Carolina. At the time, Linney was on federal supervised release for a firearms conviction in the Western District of North Carolina. On August 8, 2024, Linney pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited the ATF for the investigation of the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman prosecuted the cases. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and the United


title: Mexican National Extradited to the United States for Involvement in an International Human Smuggling Operation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of a human smuggler who allegedly participated in an international human smuggling conspiracy. Monica Hernandez-Palma, also known as Moni, 32, a Mexican national, was arrested in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. request for her extradition and surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities yesterday to face charges previously filed in the Western District of Texas. Hernandez-Palma made her initial appearance today in the Western District of Texas, where an indictment against her was unsealed. According to the indictment, beginning in November 2020 and continuing through September 2023, Hernandez-Palma conspired with others to bring and attempt to bring migrants to the United States illegally for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Hernandez-Palma is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring a migrant to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry and three counts of bringing a migrant to the United States without authorization and for purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio made the announcement. The Office of the Assistant Special Agent in Charge HSI Del Rio investigated this case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector, HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center. Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Pavlinski for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting and extraditing Hernandez-Palma. The investigation and prosecution of Hernandez-Palma is being coordinated through the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations that have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant human smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. In June, the initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP and supported by the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; OIA; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. This investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or raise grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Attorney Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – Former Rhode Island personal injury attorney Peter P.D. Leach has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison and ordered to repay clients that he defrauded when he conducted a Ponzi scheme with their settlement funds, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. At the time of his guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion, Leach admitted that he forged client signatures and deposited client settlement checks into his attorney IOLTA account, using those funds to pay personal expenses and to repay earlier clients whose funds he had embezzled. To prolong his scheme, Leach repeatedly made false representations to clients about the status of their cases and told them that he would pay their medical expenses and other bills with settlement funds he had received. Leach also admitted that from 2014-2019, he took multiple steps to conceal his gains from the IRS, including by making false statements on IRS forms regarding his assets; making false statements to IRS Revenue officers about his ability and willingness to pay his taxes and about his withdrawal of over $540,000 of cash from his IOLTA accounts for payment of personal expenses; and by transferring money from his client account to the account of family members to make personal payments. “Peter Leach egregiously abused the core responsibility of any lawyer- the trust of his clients – to help himself to money that belonged to victims of accidents and tragedies, and then tried to cheat on his taxes into the bargain” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “Today’s sentence provides not just accountability, but hopefully a chance for his victims to recover some of the funds that he stole from them, and it serves notice of this Office’s continued determination to tireless pursue the perpetrators of financial crimes against vulnerable victims.” “While it is the expectation that a person can trust their attorney, Leach used his position to take advantage of his clients. He used their money and personal information to line his pockets, telling lie after lie to get what he wanted. Now, there is no lie that he can tell to hide the fact that he will spend the next few years in prison for his criminal acts. It’s time for him to face the truth,” said Thomas E. Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Boston. On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin sentenced Leach to 33 months of incarceration to be followed by two years of federal supervised release. Additionally, Leach was ordered to pay restitution to his victims totaling $299,774.41. In a separate restitution matter, the court is expected to enter an order that Leach pay $320,622.76 to the IRS, representing taxes he failed to pay to the agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Denise M. Barton. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. ###


title: Gang Member Admits To Racketeering Charge

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang admitted to his role in a racketeering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Jason Franklin, a/k/a “Freak,” (“Franklin”), 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) conspiracy. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From at least in or around 2015 through on or about September 22, 2022, Franklin was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. Franklin held a leadership role within the enterprise and ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to commit several acts of violence. Specifically, on or about March 20, 2019, in Irvington, New Jersey, Franklin ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to murder another person, in retaliation for the murder of a member and associate of the Rollin’ 60s. In or around early April 2021, Franklin ordered other members and associates of the enterprise to retaliate against rival gang members, resulting in the April 5, 2021 attempted murder of another person, who sustained serious bodily injury as a result of being shot. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Discroll Jr., the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Amir D. Jones’s direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud Unit. Defense Counsels: Anthony Iacullo, Esq. Michael Koribanics, Esq. franklin.superseding_indictment.pdf


title: Winona Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, Mississippi – A Winona man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for drug trafficking. According to court documents, Michael Fleming, 37, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration. U.S. District Court Judge Glen Davidson sentenced Fleming today to 84 months of incarceration followed by four years of supervised release. Fleming was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing. “This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal partners to hold accountable those individuals who seek to profit from selling dangerous drugs in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “If you choose to make money by selling poison to others, find a new profession or face prison.” “This sentencing is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between all levels of law enforcement with the North Mississippi U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Through dedication and teamwork, we are making our communities safer and sending a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our state.” This case was investigated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims.


title: Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former CIA analyst pled guilty today to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024. According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI). “Asif Rahman is pleading guilty in federal court three months to the day that he disclosed top secret American documents in violation of his oath, his responsibility, and the law,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This District, in partnership with federal law enforcement and the intelligence community, exemplified dedication, skill, and speed to bring him to justice expeditiously. Mr. Rahman’s actions placed lives at risk, undermined U.S. foreign relations, and compromised our ability to collect vital intelligence in the future.” “Mr. Rahman betrayed the trust of the American people by unlawfully sharing classified national defense information he swore an oath to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the Justice Department will spare no effort to swiftly find and aggressively prosecute those who harm the United States by illegally disclosing our national security secrets.” “With today's plea, Asif Rahman acknowledges he betrayed the trust of his country by sharing classified information in spite of the risk to the United States and our allies,” said Robert Wells, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's National Security Branch. “Government employees who are granted security clearances and given access to our nation's classified information must promise to protect it. Rahman blatantly violated that pledge and took multiple steps to hide his actions. The FBI will use all our resources to investigate and hold accountable those who illegally transmit classified information and endanger the national security interests of our country.” “Today’s plea demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to deploy the necessary tools and authorities to identify, locate, and bring to justice a government clearance holder who violated the oath he took to support and defend the U.S. Constitution,” said Assistant Director David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “This is a good reminder to all clearance holders that the FBI and our Intelligence Community partners will spare no resource to immediately find and hold accountable those who violate the law and disclose classified information without authorization, no matter where in the world they are located.” According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings. After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman deleted and edited journal entries and written work product on his personal electronic devices to conceal his personal opinions on U.S. policy and drafted entries to construct a false narrative regarding his activity. Rahman also destroyed multiple electronic devices, including a personal mobile device and an internet router he used to transmit classified information and photographs of classified documents, and discarded the destroyed devices in public trash receptacles in an effort to thwart potential investigations into him and his unlawful conduct. Beginning in the spring of 2024 and continuing through November 2024, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret level, to take them to his residence. There, Rahman reproduced the documents and, while doing so, altered them in an effort to conceal their source and his activity. Rahman then communicated Top Secret information that he learned in the course of his employment to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it. Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. He has remained in custody since his arrest. Rahman pled guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. He faces up to 10 years in prison for both counts in the plea agreement. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-CR-249.


title: Fort Towson Resident Sentenced For Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country. Phillips was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are set to be served consecutively. The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On October 25, 2023, Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, on the evening of December 19, 2020, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight. One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene. The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.” The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Phillips will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Federal Jury Finds Repeat Offender Guilty of Receipt, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL Minn. — A federal jury convicted a Ramsey County man for receipt and possession of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peter Michael Guevara, 56, was on “intensive supervised release” (ISR) for a previous conviction in 2014 of possession of child sexual abuse material in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Law enforcement agents received a tip the defendant was using an unauthorized smart phone. On November 12, 2020, agents conducted a surprise search of Guevara’s property, and found an Apple iPhone in the defendant’s pocket. Officers confirmed that it was an unauthorized device and arrested Guevara. Shortly afterwards, the defendant was recorded on jail calls instructing family members on how to remotely lock and erase the contents of his confiscated iPhone. A forensic examination of the iPhone later found more than 4,000 images and videos of prepubescent minors under the age of 18 engaged in illegal sexual activity. A federal jury found Guevara guilty yesterday after a three-day trial on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell and DOJ Trial Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.


title: Orlando Man Arrested For Transportation Of Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Matthew A. Inman (39, Orlando) with transportation of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Inman faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. According to the complaint, between August and October of 2024, Inman received and saved several videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to his phone. These videos depicted adults sexually assaulting young children. In October 2024, Inman traveled to Las Vegas and began talking online with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy. During this conversation, Inman expressed interest in meeting and sexually assaulting the purported child. He also sent CSAM videos to the undercover officer. The FBI obtained a search warrant for Inman’s electronic devices and residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Inman attempted to delete the evidence from his phone and hide in the attic of his house. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Felon Sentenced for Committing Pandemic Relief Fraud While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Boeroepae Jordan has been sentenced to a new term in prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program of more than $323,000, less than a year after being released from federal prison for firearms and drug crimes. “Jordan quickly returned to his criminal activity after his release from prison, this time committing fraud to obtain money intended to help individuals and businesses who were suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This case demonstrates our continuing resolve to identify and prosecute individuals who wrongfully exploited the pandemic relief programs.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On September 9, 2019, Jordan completed a 72-month federal prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and began a six-year term of supervised release. On April 5, 2020, Jordan applied to the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for an EIDL advance of $5,000, claiming he owned a business named A/E Multi-Diamond Entertainment Incorporated which had five employees. In reality, the business existed in name only and had no employees. Jordan requested the funds be deposited into a business bank account that he arranged for a family member to open, claiming that the family member owned the business. The SBA then deposited the $5,000 into the bank account. The following month, Jordan applied for an SBA-guaranteed PPP loan of $291,250 for the same fake business. Jordan claimed he had 18 employees and needed the loan to continue providing payroll during the pandemic. Jordan supported the application by providing fake IRS documents and altered bank statements. Jordan received the loan into his bank account on May 20, 2020, and immediately began withdrawing cash and spending large amounts of the money at restaurants, retail stores, nail salons, and furniture stores. By July 31, 2020, less than $5,000 of the loan funds was left in the account. Jordan caused an overall loss to the SBA of $323,433.31. Boeroepae Jordan, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the amount of $323,433.31. Jordan was convicted on October 10, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Tampa Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking Two Minors And Production Of Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Dontae Dajuan Burton (40, Tampa) guilty of two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of production of child sex abuse material. Burton faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Burton was indicted on November 12, 2024. According to the evidence presented at trial, Burton arranged commercial sexual activity for two minors, ages 16 and 17, by creating and posting ads for them on adult escort websites. Burton handled all communications with clients, scheduled dates, determined the amount of money to be paid for the sex acts, and transported the victims to and from the dates. Burton managed the money and kept approximately half of what the clients had paid for the sex acts. Burton also recorded and edited a video of one of the victims performing a sex act on him. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.


title: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Real Estate and Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Virginia man pleaded guilty yesterday to real estate and tax fraud related to his scheme to obtain title to a $1.3 million home in Roanoke County. Specifically, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and filing false claims against the United States. According to court documents and statements made in court, Herman Estes filed a false amended income tax return for 2021 claiming he was entitled to a tax refund of $18.3 million. In March 2023, Estes made a $1.3 million cash offer for a property on Old Mill Plantation Road in Roanoke County. To legitimize this offer, Estes provided the parties to the transaction with a proof of funds letter that Estes created using an online form. Estes also provided the real estate agent with a number for his co-conspirator who he claimed was his trust manager with authority to approve the offer. The co-conspirator purported to approve Estes’ use of his trust funds for the real estate transaction. As payment for the property, Estes tendered a fraudulent cashier’s check that he had signed in the amount of $1,307,199.43 purportedly drawn on the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Funds in that amount were debited to the settlement company’s trust account before the check was identified as fraudulent. In March 2023, Estes filed another false tax return claiming he was entitled to a $2.9 million refund. Estes will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud counts, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false claims counts, plus additional potential penalties related to the commission of these offenses while released on bond. Estes also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett for the Western District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Johnson for the Western District of Virginia assisted in the investigation and prosecution.