title: Kentucky Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting a Minor Across State Lines and Engaging in Sex Acts

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson announced the sentencing of a Lexington, Kentucky man for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity. On August 28, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 44-year-old Glendon Arnold Carpenter, Jr., serve 240 months in prison. The judge also ordered that Carpenter remain on supervised release for life following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. According to court records, in 2023, Carpenter began communicating with a 14-year-old girl in Lee County, Alabama through an online messaging application. After establishing a relationship with the minor, Carpenter convinced her to leave home. In July of 2023, Carpenter traveled to Alabama to pick up the 14-year-old and take her back to Kentucky where the two engaged in sexual activity. The victim’s parents reported her missing and law enforcement immediately began searching for her. Agents located Carpenter and the victim in Kentucky within two days. A federal grand jury indicted Carpenter for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines in August of 2023. On February 12, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to the charge. The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Richmond, Kentucky Police Department, and the FBI Louisville Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case.


title: Three Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics in Prison Following the Death of USP Atwater Staff

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: indictment.pdf FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury has indicted three individuals for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and introducing a controlled substance into prison as a result of an ongoing investigation into the death of a Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between July 15, 2024, and Aug. 9, 2024, Jamar Jones, 35, an inmate at USP Atwater; Stephanie Ferreira, 35, of Evansville, Indiana; and Jermen Rudd III, 37, of Wentzville, Missouri, conspired to introduce narcotics into USP Atwater for Jones to sell. As part of that scheme, Jones and Ferreira had Rudd mail a letter laced with narcotics to Jones that was fraudulently labeled as legal mail. On Aug. 9, 2024, two correctional workers at USP Atwater opened the letter and minutes later began to feel ill. After evaluation by medical staff, the Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist was subsequently taken to the hospital where he passed away. The other staff member, a Correctional Systems Officer, recovered. The indictment charges that the narcotics in the letter consisted of two varieties of synthetic cannabinoids sold under the street name “Spice.” Synthetic cannabinoids are lab created chemicals that can be distributed in liquid form and are designed to produce a psychoactive effect. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California also received assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Missouri and the Southern District of Indiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case. Following an initial appearance in the Southern District of Indiana, Ferreira remains in custody and is pending transfer to the Fresno. Following an initial appearance in the Eastern District of Missouri, Rudd is also in custody and pending transfer to Fresno. Jones will appear Thursday in Fresno for his initial appearance. If convicted of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, Jones and Rudd face a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. If Jones is convicted of being an inmate obtaining or attempting to obtain narcotic drug, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Ferreira, if convicted of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted of providing or attempting to provide an inmate with a narcotic drug, Ferreira and Rudd face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Attempted sex trafficking of minor girl, violation of a release condition send Billings man to prison for more than 23 years

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to a sex trafficking crime after he was accused of offering to provide a minor girl alcohol in exchange for sex and to violating a release condition in a separate case was sentenced today to a total of 23 years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Joshua Allen Morgan, 40, pleaded guilty in May to attempted sex trafficking of a minor. In a separate case, Morgan also admitted to violating a condition of supervised release for a separate 2012 conviction for receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court sentenced Morgan to 21 years and 10 months in prison for the attempted sex trafficking conviction and to a consecutive two years in prison for violating a release condition in the child pornography case. In the case involving attempted sex trafficking of a minor, the government alleged in court documents that in March 2023, law enforcement was conducting an undercover online investigation in the Billings area targeting individuals with a sexual interest in children. Morgan responded to and agreed to meet a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. Morgan was arrested and law enforcement served a search warrant on his phone. Law enforcement found Facebook communications between Morgan and a juvenile girl, identified as Jane Doe. In an interview with law enforcement, Doe disclosed that she had met Morgan when she was 15 or 16 after he began sending her messages on Facebook. Morgan provided Doe with alcohol, and they spent time together. During this period, Moran sexually assaulted Doe at his residence. In March 2023, Morgan and Doe began corresponding again and discussions involved Morgan providing Doe with alcohol in exchange for sexual conduct. Doe informed Morgan she was a juvenile, and Morgan instructed her not to disclose their relationship to anyone. Doe and Morgan did meet, but Doe left prior to engaging in sexual conduct with Morgan. At the same time Morgan was attempting to traffic Jane Doe, he also was attempting to groom other minor girls. He asked two girls to travel to Laurel with him one night and purchased alcohol for them. On another occasion, Morgan informed one of those girls that he could provide her with methamphetamine. Morgan made a habit of informing these children that he did not want to know their age. The girls were 15 and 16 years old. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . XXX


title: Wood County Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Price Javon Patterson, age 37, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 188 months for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The investigation began when Patterson was stopped for speeding and officers smelled marijuana coming from his car. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of cash and other items indicative of drug trafficking. Officers then obtained a search warrant for Patterson’s motel room and discovered a ghost gun, ammunition, and thousands of fentanyl stamps with an approximate street value of $50,000. Due to his lengthy criminal history, Patterson was classified as a career offender, with a history of assault, firearms possession, and drug trafficking. Patterson will serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bridgeport Police Department investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison After Pleading Guilty to Threatening to Kill Law Enforcement Officers

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – Aron McKillips, 30, of Sandusky, Ohio, was sentenced to 41 months in prison by Judge James G. Carr, after pleading guilty to interstate communication of threats and unlawful possession of a machine gun. McKillips pleaded guilty to the offenses in court on April 9, 2024. According to court documents, from September 2021 to July 2022, McKillips made at least five online threats to harm or kill law enforcement officers. In one such threat, he submitted a photo he took from his residence while aiming a semi-automatic rifle at an officer who was parked in a police vehicle further down the street who was there to assist residents on an unrelated matter. Additionally, McKillips unlawfully possessed a machine gun, specifically, a drop-in auto sear that could convert an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle into a fully automatic machinegun. Expert testing confirmed that the sear allowed multiple rounds to be fired with a single pull of the trigger. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division-Toledo Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio. If you witness threatening behavior toward members of law enforcement, visit tips.fbi.gov/home to submit a tip.


title: Picayune Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 13 Grams of Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Picayune man was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 13 grams of fentanyl. Brandon Lamont Myers, 41, was sentenced as a career offender as he has now been convicted of three drug trafficking offenses over the past decade. Myers was on parole with the Mississippi Department of Corrections for his last controlled substance conviction at the time of this offense. According to court records, on August 14, 2023, law enforcement officers seized $61,276 and 13 grams of fentanyl from Myers’ residence in Pearl River County, Mississippi. Agents also seized a box of clear plastic bags and several digital scales. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl . Myers was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 21, 2024, and pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance on April 24, 2024. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Picayune Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Former National Guardsman convicted in smuggling conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old man has admitted to being a scout for an alien smuggling group, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Derrick Terelle Sankey, a native of Alabama, was serving under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Rio Grande Valley in 2021. From March to September 2021, conspirators recruited Sankey into an existing alien smuggling group in which he would provide insight into counter-smuggling activities. He also scouted for vehicles he knew contained individuals who were illegally present in the United States in order to thwart law enforcement from detecting them. As part of his plea, Sankey also admitted to providing law enforcement information to an alien smuggling organization. He also worked as a scout when loads of aliens would move from Starr and Hidalgo Counties to near the Border Patrol Checkpoint in Jim Wells County. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing Nov. 12. At that time, Sankey faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. Homeland Security Investigations and DHS – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. is prosecuting the case.


title: Harahan Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DOMINICK ANTHONY VALOTTA (“ VALOTTA” ) , age 38, a resident of Harahan, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 200 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). VALOTTA was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. VALOTTA must register as a sex offender. Judge Zainey scheduled a restitution hearing in this matter for November 5, 2024. According to court documents, based on a 2022 complaint by a minor resident in Rhode Island, law enforcement authorities executed search warrants on social media accounts, electronic devices, and a residence in Harahan, Louisiana, belonging to VALOTTA . A review of the items seized revealed that throughout 2022 and early 2023, VALOTTA met at least three (3) minor females on social media applications on which VALOTTA created a false persona. When chatting with the minors, VALOTTA typically engaged in sexually charged correspondence. His pattern included, and culminated in, VALOTTA requesting sexually explicit images, videos and depictions from minors. VALOTTA often offered to take and transmit sexually explicit pictures of himself to the minors to encourage them to do the same for him. VALOTTA also sent messages to the minors seeking to arrange in-person sexual liaisons. VALOTTA’s victims included a North Carolina resident born in August 2007 (Victim 1), an Ohio resident born in July 2008 (Victim 2), and a North Carolina resident born in March 2008 (Victim 3). This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MAURICE FLORANT (“FLORANT”) , age 36, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty today, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). FLORANT faces up to15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Judge Barbier scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2024. Court documents reveal that on September 9, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (“JPSO”) deputies responded to a stolen vehicle alert and saw FLORANT at a gas station, seated in the stolen vehicle. When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, FLORANT fled, triggering a high-speed and dangerous chase. FLORANT struck a JPSO police vehicle before crashing into the exterior air conditioning unit of an apartment complex. The defendant fled on foot and was eventually arrested. Deputies searched the vehicle and found two firearms; a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15, .556 - millimeter pistol, located on the rear driver's side floorboard, and a CZ Scorpion Model EVO 3 S1, nine- millimeter pistol, located on the front passenger side floorboard. Court documents also revealed that FLORANT had been previously convicted of Manslaughter in Orleans Parish District Criminal Court. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.


title: Houston-area residents charged for narcotics and firearms trafficking in ongoing crime initiative

body_text: HOUSTON– A total of 20 people are now in custody in the newest charges brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative. A federal grand jury returned six separate, but related indictments at varying times between July 31-Aug. 22. Of the 17 arrested this week, all have made initial appearances with detention hearings set for Sept. 3 and 4 before U.S. Magistrate Judges Christina Bryan and Yvonne Ho, respectively. The remaining three had previously been in custody on related charges and are expected to make initial appearances before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future. The charges allegedly encompass over 30 firearms, meth and more than 15 kilograms of cocaine, collectively. In connection with this week’s arrests, law enforcement executed search warrants that resulted in the seizure of 10 firearms, $26,000 in cash as well as cocaine and crack cocaine. A total of 15 are charged in two of the indictments with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances as well as multiple substantive counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Some are also charged with illegal possession of firearms and/or criminal possession of a machine gun - a firearm altered with a machine gun conversion device aka switch to fire automatically with one pull of the trigger. One faces a charge of maintaining drug premises. These indictments are the latest of 23 charging 77 people as a result of the Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative, first announced in September 2022. This joint effort includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local, state and federal law enforcement addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members in the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime, such as narcotics trafficking. The Office of Justice Programs provides some of the funding for this effort. If convicted in the drug conspiracies, 15 face up to life in prison as well as varying terms for the substantive counts up to life. Being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a possible 15-year-term of imprisonment, while possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime could result in a consecutive term of at least five years and up to life in prison. The FBI, Houston Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of Inspector General; police departments in Sugar Land, Missouri City, Pasadena and Pearland; Texas Anti-Gang Center; Texas Highway Patrol; Virginia State Police and departments in Newport News (Virginia), Cincinnati (Ohio) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Sheriff’s Offices in Brazoria, Walker, Madison, Harris, Ft. Bend and Boyd (Kentucky) Counties; District Attorney’s Offices in Harris and Ft. Bend counties; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Anh-Khoa Tran of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Amy L. Schwartz, George Meggali and Shriram Harid of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. SDTX AUSA John Ganz and Trial Attorney Adam Tisdall of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section also provided assistance. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Guns and Drugs Lead to 86-Month Sentence

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a felon caught with fentanyl and methamphetamine and twice with guns to 86 months in prison. Davion Dixon, of Ferguson, Missouri, and others were in a stolen BMW on Oct. 31, 2022, when the vehicle crashed in Richmond Heights, Missouri after a shooting. Dixon had an AR-style pistol, which he discarded as he fled from the crash. He was arrested in a nearby backyard. Dixon was arrested again on March 23, 2023, this time by the St. Louis County Police Department on a warrant from St. Louis County Circuit Court. Officers spotted Dixon with an AR-style pistol before the arrest, and found the gun inside his home, along with a 60-round magazine and an “auto sear” that would have made the gun fully automatic if installed. The auto sear, even if it has not been attached to a firearm, is defined as a machine gun under federal law. Officers also found 16.67 grams of meth, 56 capsules containing fentanyl and 2.078 grams of cocaine base. Dixon, now 22, pleaded guilty in May to five felonies: possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a machine gun and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The St. Louis County Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Mother and Son Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JERAD M. BARRETT (“BARRETT”), age 40, and JENNIE L. JAMES (“JAMES”) , age 67, both of New Orleans, pled guilty on August 28, 2024, before United States District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle. Specifically, BARRETT pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fifty (50) kilograms or more of marijuana, two counts of possession with intent to distribute, fifty (50) kilograms or more of marijuana, and maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 846, and 856(a)(1). JAMES pled guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856(a)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. After receiving information regarding BARRETT’s narcotics distribution activity and conducting an investigation, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, recovered approximately 940 kilograms of marijuana in both his residence and multiple storage units. Agents also uncovered communications between JAMES and BARRETT related to distribution, packaging, and relocation of narcotics within the Eastern District of Louisiana. BARRETT and JAMES are scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2024. For conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, BARRETT faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least five (3) years of supervised release. For maintaining a drug-involved premises, BARRETT and JAMES each face up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each charge, both BARRETT and JAMES face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: LADERRICK JONES, also known as “Lexus,” 32, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 192 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Waterbury street gang. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Jones and 15 other 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses. On March 7, 2024, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, and admitted that he trafficked narcotics in furtherance of the 960 enterprise, and that he was aware that 960 members were engaged in violent activity and committed murders and attempted murders. On October 11, 2018, 960 members Gabriel Pulliam and Julian Scott shot into a crowd of people, killing an innocent bystander, 30-year-old Fransua Guzman, and paralyzing a second victim. Jones was in one of two cars 960 members drove to the scene of the shooting. Guzman was the mother of four children. Jones has been detained since his arrest on June 27, 2019. Pulliam and Scott were found guilty of related offenses and await sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn . OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Ohio Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Burglarizing Southern Illinois Pharmacies of Controlled Substances

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced two Columbus, Ohio, men to federal prison for burglarizing several pharmacies of oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine pills with intent to illegally distribute the controlled substances. George H. Cunningham, 42, was sentenced to 100 months’ and Tarvin M. Hamler, III, 43, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances: oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine, conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances and burglary involving controlled substances. “Targeting, disrupting and burglarizing locally-owned pharmacies that provide vital healthcare services impair rural communities, and controlled substances must be lawfully distributed by medical professionals to help prevent misuse and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I commend the DEA agents for their efforts to piece together this investigation in order to seek justice for the pharmacists, pharmacy employees and patrons.” According to court documents, the pair targeted and entered pharmacies in McLeansboro, Illinois; Irvington, Illinois; Carthage, Missouri; St. James, Missouri; Hillsboro, Missouri; Ladue, Missouri; North Vernon, Indiana; and Reidsville, North Carolina, by breaking glass windows, prying open locked doors and stealing bulk quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine from March 2018 through February 2020. “Criminals that target community-based pharmacies rip at the core of health and safety for many whom rely upon these much needed services,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of Drug Enforcement Administration investigations in southern Illinois. “DEA will remain steadfast in its commitment to the citizens of southern, Illinois and beyond. DEA and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate anyone who puts greed ahead of patient care and is committed to preventing the diversion of controlled substances.” In a similar case, McKindley V. Allen, 32, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to federal charges Wednesday for conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempted burglary involving controlled substances. According to court documents, Allen and others unlawfully entered a pharmacy in Casey, Illinois, with intent to steal controlled substances in December 2023 by using a Sawzall to cut through the exterior wall. In January, Allen and others burglarized a pharmacy in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and took more than 16,000 pills. After burglarizing the pharmacies, Allen admitted to conspiring with others to distribute the stolen oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine. Allen’s sentencing is scheduled at the federal courthouse in Benton at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 11. Allen’s alleged co-conspirator Deleon J. Fontennet, 27, of Houston, is facing the same three federal charges. In addition to involvement in the two other pharmacy burglaries, the charging document alleges Fontennet also burglarized a pharmacy in Murphysboro, Illinois. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Benton on Sept. 10. An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. DEA St. Louis is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Hudson and John Trippi are prosecuting the cases.


title: Three Men Sentenced To Federal Prison For Conspiring To Distribute Cocaine Using The United States Mail

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentences of three defendants who were convicted for their participation in conspiring to distribute cocaine: • Omar Josue Morales-Rodriguez, 45, of Freeport, Florida was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. • Marcos Aguilar Gonzalez, 50, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Edmar Agustin Gonzalez, 34, of Crestview, Florida, were each sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Aguilar Gonzalez also pled guilty to an additional count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Each will also be required to serve a term of supervised release following their prison sentence. “This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness and collaborative efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners, to identify and intercept shipments of illegal substances via the United States Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We remain committed to support their efforts through the investigation and prosecution of criminals bringing drugs into North Florida. The imposed sentences illustrate the significant consequences of harming our citizens through their illicit drug trafficking activities.” A multi-agency investigation led by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office revealed that between October 2019, and June 13, 2023, the three defendants conspired together and with others to ship cocaine via the United States Mail from Puerto Rico to addresses in Okaloosa and Walton County. The United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted five packages, three of which contained one kilogram of cocaine each, and one of which contained 125 grams of cocaine. The fifth package, which was shipped from Walton County to Puerto Rico, contained $10,000. In addition to the drugs and cash, law enforcement seized four firearms and several rounds of ammunition that belonged to Morales-Rodriguez who was previously convicted in federal court in Puerto Rico and served three years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. At sentencing, Morales-Rodriguez was found to be the leader and organizer of the conspiracy and held accountable for causing 20 United States Mail packages containing a total of at least 14 kilograms of cocaine to be shipped via the United States Mail from Puerto Rico to Okaloosa and Walton County. “When people choose to distribute illicit drugs in the U.S. Mail, they should know the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, will actively pursue those responsible, and bring them to justice,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector In Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The outcome of this case should serve as a significant deterrent for anyone else considering the distribution of illicit drugs through the U.S. Mail. I want to thank our partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration." "The duration of this investigation highlights our commitment to fighting illegal drug activity in Walton County," said Captain Dustin Cosson of the Walton County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Bureau. "This case represents countless hours of work dedicated to holding traffickers accountable. The diligence of our narcotics investigators coupled with our strong partnerships with the DEA and the U.S. States Postal Service should send a clear message to anyone involved in similar activities." The case resulted from a joint investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Claremore Man Sentenced After Offering to Pay a  Minor Victim to Perform Sex Acts

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced David Leon Strickland, 46, for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Russell ordered Strickland to 162 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Strickland will also be required to register as a sex offender. “Child predators like Strickland target unsuspecting children through social media and gaming sites,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “With the increase of online access, child exploitation is at an all-time high. Take the time today to know who your children are talking to online.” Beginning in November 2017, Strickland admitted to using meth daily and knowingly began contacting a minor under 18 years old. Via text, Strickland repeatedly requested the minor victim to engage in sex. If the minor victim complied, Strickland offered to pay the minor. Strickland will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, Verdigris Police Department, and Claremore Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly prosecuted the case. If you believe sexually explicit photos or videos of you were posted online, Take It Down can help. Take It Down is a free online website hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. You can anonymously request help to remove or stop the sharing of sexually explicit content. Take It Down also provides services for victims, survivors, siblings and caregivers looking for mental health and peer support. Further, if you are being threatened by image sharing or other forms of online exploitation, you can submit a report online . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Former youth pastor sentenced on child pornography charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nathan L. Rogers, 40, of East Aurora, NY, who was convicted of attempted receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who handled the case, stated that in July 2019, at Darien Lake Park in Genesee County, NY, Rogers, a church youth pastor, set up iPhones in his camper to surreptitiously record, for the purposes of his own sexual gratification, nude images of a minor victim. Shortly after setting up the phones, Rogers invited the minor victim to change out of her bathing suit in his camper. She agreed and, as she changed, the iPhones recorded nude images. After changing, the minor victim noticed the phones recording her, she attempted to delete the videos, and then reported the incident to authorities. Responding law enforcement officers detained and questioned Rogers. Subsequently, nude images of the minor victim were located on the phones. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. # # # #


title: Ocean Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute over 6,000 Grams of Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – An Ocean Springs man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 6,208 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Eric Donte Pittman, 51, traveled to California with a co-conspirator to pick up a package of methamphetamine to bring back to Jackson County, Mississippi. When returning to Mississippi on August 28, 2023, Pittman and his co-conspirator encountered a Rankin County Sheriff’s Deputy during a traffic stop on Highway 49. The Deputy observed a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two small bags of marijuana and a black garbage bag containing several packages of methamphetamine. The total amount of methamphetamine was 6,208 grams with 98 percent purity. Pittman is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2024, and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team, Rankin and Jackson County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: Newton Man Charged in Scheme to Conceal Bomb Making

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Newton, Mass. man has been charged with allegedly engaging in a scheme to conceal his efforts to develop bomb making skills after he triggered an explosion in his dormitory room at the University of Chicago. He is also charged with making false statements to federal officials at Logan International Airport after his bags set off alarms for explosives. Aram Brunson, 21, is charged in a criminal complaint with falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device and making false statements to federal officials. Brunson is believed to be living in Yerevan, Armenia and attending the American University there. According to the charging documents Brunson’s bomb-making activities were linked to his desire to take militant action against Azerbaijanis and others who pose a threat to ethnic Armenians living in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is alleged that Brunson came to the attention of law enforcement officials in Chicago in January 2023, after he trigged and explosion in his dormitory room at the University of Chicago. Law enforcement allegedly discovered that Brunson was constructing a large black powder device when he accidentally set it off, burning his room and causing the evacuation of the dormitory. At the time, he allegedly told law enforcement that he was just mimicking a prank he had seen on the internet. A subsequent investigation allegedly revealed that Brunson sought to engage in what he described as revolutionary direct action and terrorism in support of Armenian causes. It is further alleged that Brunson made videos of himself teaching others how to make explosive devices and rig doors and desks with grenades. His internet searches also allegedly suggested that he planned to take action against foreign diplomatic facilities in the United States. According to court documents, in August 2023, as Brunson was departing Boston to travel to Armenia, his bags set off explosive alarms for an unusual and highly volatile explosive. He allegedly told Customs and Border Protection officials that he had no idea how or why traces of the explosive material came to be on and in his bags. It is alleged that, during a subsequent search of his Newton home, a detailed recipe for making that explosive was found and a bomb dog detected three locations in the bedroom. “It is alleged that Mr. Brunson crossed the line between political expression and mobilization, by taking affirmative steps to carry out unlawful acts. While radical political views may be offensive, they are constitutionally protected. However, experimenting with extremely dangerous explosives in support of those views and then engaging in false statements about your conduct is crossing the line. We will investigate and prosecute anyone who crosses that line in order to keep our communities safe,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “What Arum Brunson is accused of is alarming. We believe he engaged in a calculated scheme to conceal his efforts to develop bomb making skills and construct an explosive device in support of his violent extremist activity,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division. “This case highlights how FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force takes its mission to thwart political violence, wherever it may occur, seriously.” “The men and women of CBP work diligently alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone intending to inflict harm is held accountable and brought to justice,” stated Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office. Each of the charges provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy; FBI SAC Jody Cohen; and CBP Director De La O made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the Newton Police Department, the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice National Security Division and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of the National Security Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Prior felon arrested on new child pornography charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Cameron Gelsomino, 22, of Burt, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor after a prior conviction related to possession of child pornography, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in October 2023, Gelsomino was sentenced to serve 30 days of incarceration and 10 years’ probation after being convicted of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child in Niagara County Court. Gelsomino was also designated as a level two sex offender and subjected to the New York State Sex Offender Registry. On May 9, 2024, Niagara County Probation Officers conducted a routine visit at Gelsomino’s residence, during which they found him to be in possession of a cell phone, which he did not have approval to possess. A preliminary review of the phone showed that Gelsomino was active on social media, including asking a fellow Discord user, “Do you have any CP links?” Gelsomino and the other user went on to discuss ages and the cost to purchase child pornography. Further review of the phone recovered approximately 56 image files and two video files of child pornography. The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the Niagara County Probation Department, under the direction of Director Deborah M LaRock. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Four defendants charged following Niagara Falls drug raids

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that four Niagara Falls men were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints for their roles in a drug trafficking ring operating in Niagara Falls, NY. Paul Fields, 39, and Edward Rollie, 49, are charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $5,000,000 fine. Rashawn Salmon, 39, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $10,000,000 fine. Jermaine McQueen, 46, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, on August 28, 2024, search warrants were executed at multiple residences associated with all four defendants. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, over a kilogram of cocaine, three firearms, and $25,000 in U.S. currency. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The complaints are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Nick Ligammari, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Strangulation assault on Blackfeet Indian Reservation sends Browning man to prison for more than three years

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted strangling his dating partner on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, despite a no-contact order, was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Alphonse Trevon Bird IV, 20, pleaded guilty in March to assault of a dating partner by strangulation and suffocation. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. In court documents, the government alleged that Bird and the victim, Jane Doe, were in a dating relationship. On Dec. 27, 2023, Bird, Doe and two others were in a vehicle when Bird and Doe got into an argument and pulled over to the side of the road. Doe got out of the vehicle and Bird tried to pull her back. Doe tried to run away, but Bird chased her down, got on top of her stomach and put her in a chokehold. Bird assaulted and strangled Doe. At the time of the assault, Bird had been ordered by a court to have no contact with Doe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. XXX


title: Former MPD Sergeant Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Fatally Shooting a D.C. Motorist

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Enis Jevric, 42, a former Sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today in federal court to 60 months in prison for the August 2021 shooting death of 27-year-old An’Twan Gilmore, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office. Jevric pleaded guilty February 23, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to violating Mr. Gilmore’s constitutional rights by using deadly excessive force. Jevric also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter under D.C. law. In addition to the prison term, Jevric was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. According to documents filed with the court, Jevric willfully used unconstitutionally excessive and unreasonable force by shooting Mr. Gilmore. Specifically, shortly before 3 a.m. on August 25, 2021, Jevric and 17 other MPD officers responded to the intersection of New York Ave. and Florida Ave., N.E. for a report of a man asleep in the driver’s seat of a car stopped at the intersection. Officers approached the car and noticed that the sleeping driver, later identified as Mr. Gilmore, had a handgun in his waistband. After officers had been on scene for about 10 minutes and had cleared the avenues of civilian pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Jevric approached the car and directed another officer to knock on its windows to rouse Mr. Gilmore. When Mr. Gilmore awoke, the car moved forward several feet, stopped briefly, and then moved forward again. As it did so, Jevric fired his MPD-issued firearm at the car four times. The car then rolled down New York Avenue, and Jevric fired at it six more times. Three of Jevric’s shots struck Mr. Gilmore, who died a short time later from his wounds. No other officer fired at Mr. Gilmore. When officers pulled the bleeding, unresponsive, and unconscious Gilmore out of the car after it came to a rest, Gilmore’s gun was in the same spot it had been observed, tucked into his waistband, underneath his buckled seatbelt. As part of his guilty plea, Jevric admitted that his conduct constituted unconstitutional, unreasonable force, and that he acted willfully, in reckless disregard of Mr. Gilmore’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from excessive force by police. He also admitted that his conduct created an extreme risk of death to Mr. Gilmore and was a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with extensive assistance from the FBI Laboratory including the Laboratory Shooting Reconstruction Team. It is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: U.S. Attorney launches monthly podcast

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today the launch of “Feds Demystified,” a monthly podcast produced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York. U.S. Attorney Ross stated, “The purpose of the podcast is to help the public better understand just how the federal justice system works and the differences between the federal and state justice systems.” “In addition, it’s important to provide transparency about the federal justice system and federal law enforcement agencies.” Episode 1 of “Feds Demystified” pulls back the curtain and introduces the public to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and how it operates. Future episodes of the monthly podcast will feature guests from investigative law enforcement agencies and the community. You can access “Feds Demystified” at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6OxUcP80E&t=6s. # # # #


title: Wolf Point woman sentenced to prison for meth trafficking on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman who admitted to selling methamphetamine on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced on Aug. 26 to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Talayne Killeen Demarrias, 31, pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute meth. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that Demarrias worked as an intermediary for a meth distributor in Wolf Point. Between January and March of 2023, Demarrias was distributing meth, and on Feb. 7, 2023, a confidential source purchased approximately 76 grams of meth from Demarrias in a monitored purchase. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Valley County Sheriff’s Office and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Five gang members plead guilty in murder near Yorktown

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Five members of the Black P. Stone Nation gang pled guilty to federal charges relating to an abduction of the victim in Richmond and her ultimate murder in York County. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 6, 2023, Hezekiah Carney, 25, of Norfolk, Jamica Langley, 25, of Richmond, Donnisha Goodman, 27, of Portsmouth, and Acacia Jackson, 19, of New York, traveled to the victim’s residence on Bethel Street in Richmond, Virginia, to conduct a physical beating of the victim for a gang infraction. The group left the apartment after beating the victim. Around an hour later, Goodman, Jackson, Carney, and Langley returned to the victim’s apartment, this time with an additional co-conspirator and fellow gang member, Jayquan Jones, 21, of Richmond. Some of them were armed and wearing masks. The group attacked the victim again before taking her from her residence. The group drove the victim in a Hyundai Sonata approximately an hour east of Richmond to a remote area off Old Williamsburg Road in York County, where they removed her from the car and executed her. The Medical Examiner found eight gunshot wounds to the head, abdomen, back, buttocks, and legs. Upon returning to Portsmouth after the murder, Carney instructed Goodman, Jackson, and Langley on ways to evade law enforcement, including burning their clothing, and told them to stay together and not to speak with law enforcement. At approximately 6:30 a.m., deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office found the victim’s body, along with numerous shell casings with an "S&B” headstamp. On May 7, 2023, the Norfolk Police Department located and stopped the Sonata. Jackson, Goodman, and Langley were in the vehicle at the time. Investigators recovered a 9mm cartridge from the vehicle with the same “S&B" headstamp from casings found at the scene of the murder. Carney, Goodman, and Jones pled guilty to using a firearm causing death. Under the terms of their plea agreements, each faces a minimum of 35 years in prison and up to 45 years in prison. Carney and Jones are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025. Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025. Jackson and Langley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and each faces up to life in prison. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 31. Langley is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ronald Montgomery, York County Sheriff, made the announcement. The Richmond Area Violent Enterprise (RAVE) Task Force provided significant assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Mack Coleman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance provided by the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 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. 4:24-cr-1.


title: Springfield Restaurant Owner Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for His Role in Submitting Fraudulent Loan Applications

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Omar Hernandez-Lopez, 39, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment for concealment of a felony in connection with wire fraud and false statements on loan applications. Following his prison sentence, he will serve a 12-month term of supervised release. At Hernandez-Lopez’s sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, found that starting around June 2018 and continuing until at least June 2019, Hernandez-Lopez was aware of and acted to conceal the fraudulent nature of several falsified documents that were submitted to loan providers. Two fraudulent loan packages were submitted in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a business loan for Hernandez-Lopez’s Springfield restaurant, La Fiesta Grande. The other two fraudulent loan packages were submitted in a successful attempt to obtain a home mortgage loan. Hernandez-Lopez was aware of the submission of fraudulent documents and took steps to conceal their fraudulent nature from the loan companies and law enforcement. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence showing that Hernandez-Lopez’s name is on the deed of the house for the fraudulently obtained mortgage and he operated the restaurant. The sentencing follows Hernandez-Lopez’s guilty plea in April 2024. The statutory penalties for misprision of a felony are up to three years’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges were investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Chicago Region. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sierra Senor-Moore and Tanner Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Rensselaer County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Frye, age 29, of Rensselaer County, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. When Frye pled guilty, he admitted that he had been convicted in 2017 in New York State court of promoting the sexual performance of a child. He also admitted that, while being required to register as a sex offender due to that conviction, he took several sexually explicit photographs of an approximately 5-year-old child in fall 2019. The images that Frye created included depictions of the child’s genitals and of the child’s hand on Frye’s penis. On the same day he created those images, Frye sent them to another person on social media with whom he had been discussing the sexual abuse of children. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci imposed the sentence. Frye will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fall River Man Arrested for Selling Drugs and Machineguns on Telegram App

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River man was arrested yesterday and charged with selling drugs and machineguns that he advertised on the Telegram app. Benjamin Hunt, 26, was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of distribution of controlled substances and one count of transferring machineguns. Hunt was arrested yesterday morning, and following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 5, 2024. As described in court documents, Hunt allegedly advertised drugs, firearms and other contraband on Telegram, a cloud-based application. Hunt would then allegedly use the U.S. mail to ship drugs, firearms and other contraband around the country in exchange for payment via Bitcoin. Specifically, Hunt allegedly used Telegram to advertise various types of controlled substances, including counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl and other drugs. It is alleged that he also used Telegram to sell firearms and firearm parts including privately made firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” According to court documents, ghost guns are firearms assembled or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer, typically without a serial number, as well as machinegun conversion devices, commonly referred to as “switches,” which are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons. On two separate occasions in February and May 2024, Hunt allegedly used Telegram to sell 100 and 500 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, respectively, to undercover law enforcement in exchange for Bitcoin. In both instances, Hunt allegedly shipped the narcotics via U.S. mail after receiving Bitcoin payment. It is further alleged that, in June 2024, law enforcement made another undercover purchase from Hunt via Telegram, this time of a Glock-type privately made firearm without a serial number, two switches or machinegun conversion devices, 110 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, an extended magazine and 3D printed brass knuckles. According to court documents, earlier this week, Hunt allegedly mailed another package containing 1,600 counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl to undercover law enforcement in exchange for Bitcoin. Law enforcement also intercepted multiple packages allegedly being sent to or from Hunt, including one package sent by him that contained a smoke grenade and one package sent to an address associated with him that contained 13 switches or machinegun conversion devices. As further described in court documents, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants that led to the seizure of significant quantities and types of drugs, in addition to the seizure of an arsenal of firearms. Among other things, a large quantity suspected fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, morphine codeine, and mushrooms; approximately 10 firearms; several machine gun conversion devices; several silencers; several extended magazines, including with a large capacity drum; significant amounts of ammunition; many privately made firearm parts and accessories; and 3D printers capable of producing the seized privately made firearms were seized during the search. “This arrest underscores our commitment to dismantling dangerous networks that use technology to facilitate the illegal distribution of deadly drugs and highly dangerous and illegal firearms. As alleged, Mr. Hunt exploited encrypted messaging platforms and the anonymity of cryptocurrency to peddle lethal narcotics and untraceable weapons, endangering communities across the country. The sheer volume of drugs and firearms seized during this investigation highlights the significant threat posed by these activities. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from the scourge of illegal drugs and violent crime,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “These crimes rob the neighborhoods of safety and hold law abiding citizens of Massachusetts hostage to drug fueled lawlessness. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to investigating anyone that commits these crimes.” “ATF is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle the sources of illegal drugs in our communities,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “Drugs are often found alongside guns, so we are also taking decisive action to prevent the illegal sale and use of machine gun conversion devices.” “Hunt’s arrest should give fair warning that trafficking in narcotics and firearms on encrypted applications does not give anonymity. Working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, investigations like this highlight our ever-evolving abilities to identify and locate suspects engaged in similar conduct. The use of the U.S. Mail to distribute illicit substances and illegal firearms will not be tolerated and Postal Inspectors here in Massachusetts, and across the country are aggressively investigating these types of cases,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. The charges of distribution of controlled substances each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of transfer of machineguns provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA Acting SAC Belleau, ATF SAC Ferguson and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Attleboro, Fairhaven, Fall River, New Bedford, Norton, Scituate and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Kunal Pasricha of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Binghamton Woman Pleads Guilty to Escaping Federal Custody and Possessing with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jade A. Pittsley, age 34, of Binghamton, New York, pled guilty today to escaping from federal custody, and possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office; and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement. Pittsley admitted that in November 2023, while she was serving a federal term of imprisonment for a drug offense involving methamphetamine, she was under the supervision of a halfway house. Pittsley was directed to return to the halfway house but never did. Days later, law enforcement found Pittsley carrying methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in her purse. At sentencing, scheduled for December 30, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino, Pittsley faces a minimum term of 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The case was investigated by HSI and the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikayla Espinosa and Kristen Grabowski are prosecuting this case.


title: Amsterdam Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years for Distributing Crack Cocaine, Money Laundering and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Angelo Dalmau, age 54, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 93 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for drug, money laundering, and firearm offenses. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Dalmau admitted to selling cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) to another person on five occasions between September 2021 and March 2022; the total amount sold was approximately 250 grams. Dalmau further admitted to delivering $149,500 in drug money to another individual in January 2022 for the purpose of laundering those funds. When investigators searched Dalmau’s residence pursuant to a warrant on April 14, 2022, they recovered approximately 100 grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, $191,843 in cash, and a pistol loaded with ammunition. Dalmau was arrested on that date has remained in custody since that time. The DEA, IRS and Amsterdam Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case.


title: Indictment Charges New Haven Man with Firearm Offense

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging BRANDEN HARPER, also known as “Olie” and “Ollie,” 30, of New Haven, with the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment was returned on August 20, 2024. Harper appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Harper has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on March 27, 2024. The indictment alleges that between approximately November 2 and November 16, 2023, Harper unlawfully possessed a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm with an extended magazine. As alleged in court documents, the firearm, which was affixed with a “Glock switch” that converted it to a fully automatic weapon, was used in a shooting in New Haven on November 12, 2023. The indictment further alleges that, in 2015, Harper was convicted in state court of manslaughter in the first degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Guevremont through Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case is also being pursued through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Billings woman sentenced to more than seven years in prison for armed carjacking

body_text: BILLINGS —A Billings woman who admitted carjacking a vehicle while armed was sentenced today to seven years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Talena Florence Boyiddle, 20, pleaded guilty in May to carjacking and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 23, 2023, the victim, identified as John Doe 1, reported to the Billings Police Department that he had been carjacked. The victim told law enforcement that he had met a woman he knew as “Nicole” online and that at 1 a.m. on Jan. 23, 2023, she arranged for him to pick her up. When the victim arrived, the woman got into the front seat and two unknown males got into the back seat. The three individuals instructed the victim to drive to an alley behind a laundromat. There, the woman pulled out a Glock pistol, racked it twice and pointed it at John Doe 1. All three individuals made statements that they intended to rob the victim. The victim got out of the car and ran away, and the three individuals took his car, a 2003 Honda Civic. An officer found the car with switched plates later the same day and had it towed. A few days after the car was returned to the victim, it was stolen again. In February 2023, police found Boyiddle in the victim’s car and in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun. Investigators determined through a Facebook photo that “Nicole” was Boyiddle. The government further alleged that Boyiddle and her associates were able to steal the car a second time by using keys they had obtained from the carjacking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Jury Convicts Colorado Man for Kidnapping Employee from Michael Bloomberg’s Ranch

body_text: CHEYENNE - A federal jury convicted a Colorado man yesterday for kidnapping a woman from Michael Bloomberg’s ranch in February 2022. Joseph Beecher, 51, of Craig, was convicted of kidnapping, carjacking, using/carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and transportation of stolen firearms. According to evidence presented at trial, Beecher lived and worked at an apartment complex in Craig. In the early morning hours of Feb. 2, 2022, Beecher was informed by his employer that his services were no longer needed. Beecher broke into his employer’s home and stole two firearms, including a Bushmaster AR-style rifle. Beecher then drove to a ranch in Colorado owned by Michael Bloomberg, intent on killing Mr. Bloomberg, but finding only a female employee present on the property. Beecher took the woman hostage at gunpoint and forced her to drive him to various locations in an effort to locate and kill another media mogul in Colorado. Unable to find his second target, Beecher eventually forced the woman at gunpoint to drive him to the Stage Coach Motel in Cheyenne, where Beecher could rest and figure out his next criminal act. In the early morning hours of February 3, 2022, SWAT officers with the Cheyenne Police Department rescued the woman and arrested Beecher at the motel. The woman was physically unharmed. The trial was held before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson in Cheyenne. Beecher was indicted on March 17, 2022, and pleaded not guilty on March 21, 2022. Sentencing has been set for November 18. Beecher faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen prosecuted the case. The FBI, Cheyenne Police Department, Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the Craig Police Department investigated the case. Case No. 22-CR-00028 This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN ###


title: Houston-Area Residents Charged for Narcotics and Firearms Trafficking in Ongoing Crime Initiative

body_text: A total of 17 people were arrested this week in connection with firearms and drug crimes as part of the Justice Department’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative. Of the 17 defendants arrested this week, all have made initial appearances, and detention hearings are set for Sept. 3 and 4 before U.S. Magistrate Judges Christina Bryan and Yvonne Ho, respectively. Three additional defendants were already in custody on related charges and are expected to make initial appearances before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future. According to court documents, between July 31 and Aug. 22, a federal grand jury returned six separate, but related, indictments charging 16 people with crimes related to drug distribution. Two defendants were indicted for illegal possession of a machine gun. One defendant faces a charge of maintaining drug premises. The charges allege conduct involving over 30 firearms, over 150 grams of methamphetamine, and more than 15 kilograms of cocaine, collectively. In connection with the arrests, law enforcement executed search warrants that resulted in the seizure of 10 firearms, $26,000 in cash, as well as cocaine and crack cocaine. Sixteen of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances as well as multiple substantive counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Eight of the defendants are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the felon in possession of a firearm offense and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime offense. 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 Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office; and Chief J. Noe Diaz of the Houston Police Department made the announcement. The FBI, Houston Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and Pearland, Texas, Police Department. The investigation was also assisted by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Office of Inspector General and state and local law enforcement agencies in Texas, Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Trial Attorney Amy L. Schwartz, George Meggali, and Shriram Harid of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anh-Khoa Tran for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Adam Tisdall of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section also provided assistance. These indictments represent the latest of 23 indictments charging 77 defendants as part of the Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative, first announced in September 2022. This joint effort by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and local, state, and federal law enforcement addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime, such as narcotics trafficking. The Department’s Office of Justice Programs provides some of the funding related to this effort. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.