title: China-Based Hacker Charged for Conspiring to Develop and Deploy Malware That Exploited Tens of Thousands of Firewalls Worldwide

body_text: Note : View the indictment here and FBI Wanted Poster here . A federal court in Hammond, Indiana, unsealed an indictment today charging Guan Tianfeng, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for his involvement in a conspiracy to hack indiscriminately into firewall devices worldwide in 2020. Guan and his co-conspirators worked at the offices of Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co. Ltd. to discover and exploit a previously-unknown vulnerability (an “0-day” vulnerability) in certain firewalls sold by U.K.-based Sophos Ltd. (Sophos) – an information technology company that develops and markets cybersecurity products. The malware that exploited the vulnerability discovered by Guan was designed to steal information from infected computers and to encrypt files on them if a victim attempted to remediate the infection. In total, Guan and his co-conspirators infected approximately 81,000 firewall devices worldwide, including a firewall device used by an agency of the United States. “The defendant and his co-conspirators exploited a vulnerability in tens of thousands of network security devices, infecting them with malware designed to steal information from victims around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s indictment reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to working with partners across government and across the globe to detect and hold accountable malicious cyber actors based in China or elsewhere who pose a threat to global cybersecurity.” “The defendant and his conspirators compromised tens of thousands of firewalls and then continued to hold at risk these devices, which protect computers in the United States and around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who contribute to the dangerous ecosystem of China-based enabling companies that carry out indiscriminate hacks on behalf of their sponsors and undermine global cybersecurity.” “Our law enforcement actions, technical expertise, and enduring partnerships with private companies, like Sophos, demonstrate the reputation of the FBI as being a reliable and effective partner for stopping this malicious activity,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Complementary actions prevented further victimization of U.S. businesses and individuals while contributing to the safety of U.S. citizens as they use the internet.” “Today’s indictment underscores our commitment to protecting the public from malicious actors who use security research as a cover to identify vulnerabilities in widely used systems and exploit them,” said U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana. “Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators placed thousands of computer networks, including a network in the Northern District of Indiana, at risk by conducting this attack.” “The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators found and exploited affected firewalls owned by businesses across the United States, including in Indiana,” said Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “If Sophos had not rapidly identified the vulnerability and deployed a comprehensive response, the damage could have been far more severe. Sophos’s efforts combined with the dedication and expertise of our cyber squad formed a powerful partnership resulting in the mitigation of this threat.” The Conspiracy to Exploit Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) 2020-12271 As alleged in the indictment, in 2020, Guan and his co-conspirators developed, tested, and deployed malware that targeted approximately 81,000 Sophos firewalls using a 0-day vulnerability that existed on those devices. The 81,000 Sophos firewalls were located throughout the world, including within victim organizations located in the Northern District of Indiana. The vulnerability was later designated CVE 2020-12271. Guan and his co-conspirators designed the malware to steal information from firewalls. To better hide their activity, Guan and his co-conspirators registered and used domains designed to look like they were controlled by Sophos, such as sophosfirewallupdate.com. Sophos discovered the intrusion and remediated its customers’ firewalls in approximately two days, which caused the co-conspirators to modify their malware. As modified, the malware was designed to deploy encryption software from a ransomware variant in the event the victims attempted to remove the malware. Their encryption efforts did not succeed, but demonstrated the conspirators’ disregard for the harm that they would cause to victims. Guan Tianfeng’s Employment and Sichuan Silence’s Relationship with the PRC Government According to court documents, Guan worked for Sichuan Silence, a PRC-based private company that has provided services to the PRC Ministry of Public Security, among other PRC organizations. According to Sichuan Silence’s website, it developed a product line which could be used to scan and detect overseas network targets in order to obtain valuable intelligence information. In October, Sophos released a number of articles chronicling its separate long-running investigation, “ Pacific Rim .” Sophos detailed PRC-based advanced persistent threat groups targeting its networking appliances for over five years, which it described as “unusually knowledgeable about the internal architecture of the device firmware.” One of the attacks described in the Pacific Rim report involved CVE-2020-12271. Soon after the Sophos announcements in October, the FBI issued a call for information regarding computer intrusions into Sophos edge devices. The FBI continues to solicit information on PRC-sponsored malicious actors targeting edge devices and network security appliances. The U.S. Department of State also announced rewards today of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of Guan or any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also announced sanctions on Sichuan Silence and Guan today. Trial Attorneys Jacques Singer-Emery and George Brown of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Lupa for the Northern District of Indiana are prosecuting the case. The FBI continues to investigate Sichuan Silence’s hacking activities and intrusions into various edge devices. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Readout of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee Meeting

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee met yesterday to discuss the significant efforts undertaken by the Department to combat violent crime and the result of those efforts. The Steering Committee is chaired by Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller and composed of leadership and representatives from across the Department, including law enforcement, prosecutorial, and grantmaking components. After PADAG Miller called the meeting to order, the committee was briefed on the latest violent-crime statistics. Preliminary data from 85 cities showed that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024, including a 17.5% decline in murder, 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault, and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year. “Over the past two years, we have turned the tide against the violent crime that spiked during the pandemic,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Additional data from 85 cities released today indicates that between January and September of this year, violent crime again declined, and murders dropped 17.5%. This builds on last year’s historic drop in homicides nationwide and one of the lowest levels of violent crime in 50 years. I am extremely grateful to the Justice Department’s law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and grantmaking experts, as well as our state and local law enforcement and community partners, for their difficult and life-saving work to combat violent crime.” The committee received an update from the Criminal Division on the continued success of its Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which works with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and federal, state, and local law enforcement in Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis; and Memphis, Tennessee, and surged federal law enforcement resources to Washington, D.C. The briefing specifically highlighted VCI achievements in Houston and Memphis, where crime rates have fallen significantly since the launch of the VCI initiative in those cities. The committee received updates from the co-chairs of the Department’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices (ANTI-MCD) Committee; U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Assistant Director Timothy Jones, on the efforts of the ANTI-MCD Committee to address the proliferation of MCDs, including the development of district-specific initiatives targeting MCDs in every federal district across the nation, as well as additional trainings and resources for prosecutors, law enforcement agents, and officers. The committee also heard from ATF representatives regarding ATF’s recent tracking efforts using e-Trace — an internet-based system that allows authorized law enforcement agencies to submit and receive firearm traces to the ATF National Tracing Center — and ATF’s ongoing intelligence and technology outreach efforts. Finally, the committee heard from FBI regarding the establishment and implementation of carjacking task forces in districts around the country. At the conclusion of the meeting, PADAG Miller indicated that the Steering Committee will report to Department leadership on developments from the Department’s violent crime reduction initiatives and provide recommendations regarding additional policy and enforcement strategies.


title: Richmond County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding pandemic relief program

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSA, GA: A Richmond County woman has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding a COVID-19 small business relief program. Kameka Bausley , 43, of Augusta, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Bausley to pay $71,933 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Congress provided more than $600 billion in funding to help small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Unfortunately, that level of funding also attracted scam artists. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to hold accountable those who illegally profit from safety net programs.” As described in court documents and at sentencing, Bausley, was a U.S. Postal Service employee and collecting workers’ compensation benefits when she defrauded the Small Business Administration by using fabricated revenue and expense information about her catering business to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program funding, ultimately receiving deposits totaling $71,933 through the two Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Programs. “This sentencing underlines our dedication to holding people accountable who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain,” said Jonathan Ulrich, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “As proven in this case, our criminal investigators and the legal teams at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will diligently pursue anyone who attempts to commit COVID-19 fraud and exploit programs created to help legitimate people and businesses affected by the global pandemic.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III. 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 .


title: The Honorable William J. Baer to Receive Justice Department’s 2024 John Sherman Award

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division will present the Honorable William J. Baer with the John Sherman Award for his lifetime contributions to the substantive development of antitrust law and the preservation of economic liberty. The John Sherman Award is the division’s highest honor. Mr. Baer will deliver remarks and receive the award during a ceremony at 3:30 pm on Dec. 12 in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. The ceremony will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the John Sherman Award. The public is invited to watch the ceremony livestream at www.justice.gov/live . “Few living Americans have contributed more meaningfully or substantially to the life and enforcement mission of our federal antitrust agencies than Bill Baer,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “His storied career was characterized by a deep sense of professionalism, sharp intellect and kindness that propelled Bill to reshape competition law enforcement to better serve the American people, and we are all the beneficiaries. Bill is a generational talent and visionary who could not be more deserving of the John Sherman Award.” Mr. Baer is the only individual to have served as the top antitrust enforcer at both U.S. antitrust agencies — first as the Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1995 to 1999 and later as the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division from 2013 to 2016. During his tenure as Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Baer promoted robust antitrust enforcement by successfully prosecuting civil and criminal violations of the antitrust laws, including by dusting off long-dormant theories of harm and investing in the division’s litigation prowess. Under his leadership, the division halted anticompetitive mergers in a variety of markets, including health insurance and beverages, and secured an unprecedented number of fines from companies engaging in illegal cartel activity. He also served as Acting Associate Attorney General, where he oversaw the work of the department’s civil litigating and grant-making components. In that role, he successfully led the effort to hold financial institutions accountable in the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities crisis, securing record penalties and consumer redress. Mr. Baer’s storied antitrust career began in 1975 as a Trial Attorney in the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. He later served as Attorney Advisor to the Chair and Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Relations. After a successful stint in private practice, he returned to the FTC to serve as Director of the Bureau of Competition from 1995 and 1999. During this time, Mr. Baer led the Commission to an unprecedented string of litigation victories and set records for the number of mergers reviewed and challenged. The FTC honored Mr. Baer with the Miles W. Kirkpatrick Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. When not in public service, he practiced at Arnold & Porter where for many years he headed the antitrust group. Mr. Baer is currently a visiting fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. Mr. Baer received his B.A. from Lawrence University, which would later award him its Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as senior article editor of the Stanford Law Review . Created in 1994, the John Sherman Award is presented by the department's Antitrust Division to a person or persons for outstanding contributions to the field of antitrust law, the protection of American consumers and the preservation of economic liberty. It is named for Senator John Sherman of Ohio, the author of the Sherman Act of 1890, the nation’s first and foremost antitrust law. Sherman, a former congressman and senator, also served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1877 to 1881 and as Secretary of State from 1897 to 1898. Previous recipients include Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg (2020), Judge Diane P. Wood (2015), James F. Rill (2012), Robert Pitofsky (2010), Herbert Hovenkamp (2008), Robert H. Bork (2005), Judge Richard A. Posner (2003), Milton Handler (1998), Thomas Kauper and William Baxter (1996), Phillip Areeda (1995) and Howard Metzenbaum (1994).


title: Two Biotech CEOs Convicted in Securities Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury in Maryland convicted two men yesterday for their roles in a scheme to lie to investors in CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company based in Vancouver, Washington. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, engaged in a scheme to deceive investors about CytoDyn’s development of an investigational drug to artificially inflate and maintain the price of CytoDyn’s stock and to attract new investors. Between 2018 and 2021, CytoDyn sought approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV and COVID-19. Pourhassan was the chief executive officer of CytoDyn, and Kazempour was the chief executive officer of Amarex Clinical Research LLC, a Germantown, Maryland-based contract research organization that had been hired to conduct Cytodyn’s clinical trials and was serving as the company’s representative with the FDA. Pourhassan and Kazempour diverted proceeds of the scheme for their own benefit, including by selling personal shares of CytoDyn stock at artificially inflated prices. “With false promises of FDA approval, the defendants enriched themselves by the millions while investors lost,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “White collar criminals cause irreparable harm to the public, and we will continue to bring them to justice without fear or favor.” “The defendants lied to investors and the public — including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — about a drug that purportedly treated HIV and COVID-19 in order to artificially inflate CytoDyn’s stock price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the investing public from criminals who would exploit public health crises for personal profit. These convictions confirm the department’s commitment, together with our law enforcement partners, to hold corrupt C-suite executives who abuse their positions and engage in securities fraud accountable for their actions.” Pourhassan and Kazempour made false and misleading statements about the timeline and status of CytoDyn’s regulatory submissions to the FDA. In spring 2020, the pair falsely stated that the drug had been submitted for approval to treat HIV, when they knew that the submitted application was incomplete and that the FDA would therefore refuse to review it. Immediately after the announcement, Pourhassan sold more than 4.8 million shares of Cytodyn. Around the same time, Pourhassan engaged in a scheme to misrepresent the status of CytoDyn’s investigation and development of leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19, including the results of clinical trials and the likelihood of approval from the FDA. Pourhassan knew that leronlimab’s clinical studies had failed and that the FDA had not approved the drug for use as a treatment for COVID-19 and had expressed concerns that the submitted data was misleading. During the scheme, CytoDyn raised approximately $300 million from investors, of which more than $22 million was paid to Kazempour’s company. In addition, Pourhassan received $4.4 million and Kazempour received more than $340,000 from their sales of CytoDyn stock. “These convictions highlight the serious consequences of defrauding investors and manipulating stock prices,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “This case reinforces the FBI’s commitment to proving that no scheme, no matter how elaborate, is beyond the reach of the law. We will continue to pursue those who put personal profit above public trust.” “These convictions demonstrate that those who make misleading statements about clinical trial results to the public — including to healthcare providers and patients — will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The agency will continue to work with other agencies to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.” “These defendants took advantage of two public health crises when they devised a scheme to swindle investors out of millions of dollars to pad their pockets by lying about the results of clinical trials and approvals from the FDA on an HIV and COVID-19 drug,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors will continue the work of keeping financial systems and the investing public safe from fraudsters.” Pourhassan was convicted of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of insider trading. Kazempour was convicted of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud related to his submission of the application for approval from the FDA and attempt to trade Cytodyn shares the following day. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of securities fraud, wire fraud, and insider trading. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. FBI, FDA-OCI, and USPIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly and Senior Litigation Counsel Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided assistance.


body_text: A federal jury in Maryland convicted two men yesterday for their roles in a scheme to lie to investors in CytoDyn Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company based in Vancouver, Washington. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nader Pourhassan, 61, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Kazem Kazempour, 71, of Potomac, Maryland, engaged in a scheme to deceive investors about CytoDyn’s development of an investigational drug to artificially inflate and maintain the price of CytoDyn’s stock and to attract new investors. Between 2018 and 2021, CytoDyn sought approval for the drug from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV and COVID-19. Pourhassan was the chief executive officer of CytoDyn, and Kazempour was the chief executive officer of Amarex Clinical Research LLC, a Germantown, Maryland-based contract research organization that had been hired to conduct Cytodyn’s clinical trials and was serving as the company’s representative with the FDA. Pourhassan and Kazempour diverted proceeds of the scheme for their own benefit, including by selling personal shares of CytoDyn stock at artificially inflated prices. “The defendants lied to investors and the public — including during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — about a drug that purportedly treated HIV and COVID-19 in order to artificially inflate CytoDyn’s stock price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the investing public from criminals who would exploit public health crises for personal profit. These convictions confirm the department’s commitment, together with our law enforcement partners, to hold corrupt C-suite executives who abuse their positions and engage in securities fraud accountable for their actions.” “With false promises of FDA approval, the defendants enriched themselves by the millions while investors lost,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “White collar criminals cause irreparable harm to the public, and we will continue to bring them to justice without fear or favor.” Pourhassan and Kazempour made false and misleading statements about the timeline and status of CytoDyn’s regulatory submissions to the FDA. In spring 2020, the pair falsely stated that the drug had been submitted for approval to treat HIV, when they knew that the submitted application was incomplete and that the FDA would therefore refuse to review it. Immediately after the announcement, Pourhassan sold more than 4.8 million shares of Cytodyn. Around the same time, Pourhassan engaged in a scheme to misrepresent the status of CytoDyn’s investigation and development of leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19, including the results of clinical trials and the likelihood of approval from the FDA. Pourhassan knew that leronlimab’s clinical studies had failed and that the FDA had not approved the drug for use as a treatment for COVID-19 and had expressed concerns that the submitted data was misleading. During the scheme, CytoDyn raised approximately $300 million from investors, of which more than $22 million was paid to Kazempour’s company. In addition, Pourhassan received $4.4 million and Kazempour received more than $340,000 from their sales of CytoDyn stock. “These convictions highlight the serious consequences of defrauding investors and manipulating stock prices,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This case reinforces the FBI’s commitment to proving that no scheme, no matter how elaborate, is beyond the reach of the law. We will continue to pursue those who put personal profit above public trust.” “These convictions demonstrate that those who make misleading statements about clinical trial results to the public — including to healthcare providers and patients — will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The agency will continue to work with other agencies to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.” “These defendants took advantage of two public health crises when they devised a scheme to swindle investors out of millions of dollars to pad their pockets by lying about the results of clinical trials and approvals from the FDA on an HIV and COVID-19 drug,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors will continue the work of keeping financial systems and the investing public safe from fraudsters.” Pourhassan was convicted of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of insider trading. Kazempour was convicted of one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud related to his submission of the application for approval from the FDA and attempt to trade Cytodyn shares the following day. They are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, and they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of securities fraud, wire fraud, and insider trading. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, FDA-OCI, and USPIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly and Senior Litigation Counsel Vasanth Sridharan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided assistance.


title: Multiple defendants indicted on federal firearms charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include charges alleging felons illegally possessed firearms, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. “Illegally possessed firearms increase the likelihood of violent crime in our communities,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners in holding accountable individuals who violate firearms laws.” The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns. Those indicted in December include: Antonio Perez Allen , 35, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Jamaughnee Duncan , 25, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and, Jakeem Bryant , 29, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include: Desirae Heinsler, 38, of Eastman, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. After officers from the Rochester (NY) Police Department recovered multiple illegally possessed firearms, the investigation determined the guns originally were purchased in Georgia by Heinsler, who provided false information to a licensed dealer in Jeff Davis County to buy the guns. Jordan Richardson , 24, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Richardson fired multiple shots into the vehicle of a Savannah grocery store employee who was taking the day’s receipts to a bank, hitting the driver and a bystander before fleeing with the deposit bag. Richardson, who faces a sentence of up to life in prison, previously was convicted of felonies including illegal gun possession. Jordan Beverly Howard , 37, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, while a co-defendant, Joshua Robert Ward , 45, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Ward was on parole on state drug trafficking charges when Richmond County sheriff’s investigators searched the residence Howard and Ward shared and found drugs and two pistols. O’kere Shields , 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Shields’ residence while investigating a report of gunfire. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: Nashville Auto Parts Seller Agrees to Settlement for Selling Emissions Defeat Devices

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that a Nashville automotive aftermarket parts distributor has agreed to pay $320,000 in civil penalties for selling illegal “defeat devices” designed to render automobile emission controls inoperative, in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Under the terms of the consent decree, Diesel Performance Parts Inc. (DPPI) has also agreed to send notices to dealers and customers notifying them about the settlement. Additionally, DPPI will remove all marketing material related to defeat devices. “Defeat devices violate the Clean Air Act and cause a vehicle to contribute significantly higher amounts of pollutants into the air,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Excess emissions tangibly worsen the air we breathe. We are committed to upholding the rule of law.” “Defeat devices significantly increase air pollution from motor vehicles and EPA will use all of its enforcement tools to hold sellers of defeat devices like DPPI accountable until these illegal practices stop” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle for Region 4. “These illegal practices contribute to harmful air pollution and impede federal, state, and local efforts to implement air quality standards that protect public health. Emissions from mobile sources play an important role in EPA’s Southeastern region, and the use of these defeat devices hampers our ability to maintain compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.” Since September 2018, DPPI sold at least 6,858 aftermarket defeat devices that bypassed, defeated or rendered inoperative emissions control systems that were installed in motor vehicles or in motor vehicle engines in compliance with the CAA for motor vehicles equipped with diesel engines. A vehicle’s emission controls reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted and their harmful effects, but aftermarket defeat devices negate those controls. One EPA study found that known sales of defeat devices for certain diesel trucks between 2009 and 2020 resulted in excess emissions of more than 570,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 5,000 tons of particulate matter over the lifetime of the trucks. The resulting health conditions include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer. Stopping aftermarket defeat devices for vehicles and engines is a top priority for EPA. Visit EPA’s website to learn more about its efforts to stop the sale of illegal defeat devices. The consent decree was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. There is a 30-day public comment period. Additional information about the agreement can be found at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA investigated the case. Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.


title: INTERPOL WASHINGTON’S KEITH HOOD HONORED AS 2024 GLOBAL MVP BY HOMELAND SECURITY TODAY

component: Interpol Washington

body_text: INTERPOL Washington proudly announces that Keith Hood, Deputy Assistant Director of the Border Security Division, has been awarded the prestigious Global Most Valuable Player Award by Homeland Security Today at the 2024 Homeland Security Holiday Hero Awards Gala on December 5. This award recognizes Hood’s extraordinary leadership in strengthening international border security through innovative strategies, including his work advancing Project TERMINUS . "This recognition is a testament to the incredible team I have the privilege of leading,” said Hood. “Their unwavering commitment and innovative spirit have made it possible to deliver tangible, impactful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing security challenges. I share this honor with each of them.” Project TERMINUS, spearheaded by Hood, identifies and closes information-sharing gaps that hinder global law enforcement efforts to detect and deter the illicit travel of foreign terrorist fighters and transnational criminals. It has also fortified partnerships with nations worldwide, integrated INTERPOL’s critical data into select countries’ law enforcement systems and fostered global collaboration for safer borders. “Keith’s work has bolstered the abilities of key partner countries to stop threats at their borders - and before they reach ours,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey A. Grimming. "His leadership exemplifies the highest standards of excellence in public service. His vision and tireless efforts have not only strengthened international partnerships but also made the world a safer place.” Hood’s accomplishments under Project TERMINUS include guiding Nigeria to become the first African nation to automate reporting stolen and lost travel documents to INTERPOL’s global database, overseeing transformative system implementations in Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia, and significantly increasing database records in Panama. These efforts have enhanced the security capabilities of partner nations and set new benchmarks for international law enforcement collaboration.


title: Shelby County Man Sentenced for Theft of Government Benefits

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Shelbyville man, Jeremy Wayne Harrell, 43, was sentenced on Monday to 6 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for theft of government benefits. According to evidence at his trial, Harrell intentionally stole money from the United States, namely U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Individual Unemployability (IU) disability payments that he was not entitled to receive. Specifically, the evidence presented at trial indicated that Harrell was initially awarded IU benefits in 2011. In 2019, Harrell then founded Veterans Club, Inc., and he served as the Founder and CEO of the organization. The evidence showed that Harrell had a high level of work activity for Veterans Club, from 2019 through 2023. This included working 40-60 hours per week, actively running the organization, organizing events, managing over $400,000 in assets and approximately 6,000 volunteers, engaging in news media interviews, appearing on podcasts, appearing and speaking at community events, meeting with business and political leaders, teaching classes, accepting donations, among other work. This evidence confirmed that Harrell, as the active and successful Founder and CEO of Veterans Club, could maintain substantial gainful employment, rendering him ineligible to receive the IU benefits that he received from 2019 through 2023. Additionally, the evidence showed that Harrell made numerous false statements to the government about his daily life and work activities, depicting himself as withdrawn, without the ability to perform work, leading a highly restricted life, and rarely leaving his home; when in truth, he was an active and successful CEO of a vibrant organization. The evidence confirmed Harrell made these false representations to the government to depict himself as unemployable, conceal his active role as CEO of an organization, and attempt to continue to receive IU benefits. In total, Harrell wrongfully received more than $128,000 in IU benefits. Upon his release from prison, Harrell will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year, six months of which will be spent on home detention. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Raleigh Woman Sentenced to 15 Months for Social Security Fraud

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh woman was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding the Social Security Administration. On June 26, 2024, Mary Elizabeth Workman pled guilty to one count of theft of government funds. “Stealing from the system is stealing from those who truly need it,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “By fraudulently collecting over $200,000 in disability benefits while running a successful business, this case highlights the lengths some go to exploit taxpayer funded programs. We remain committed to exposing fraud and protecting resources for the deserving.” “This 15-month prison sentence holds Mary Elizabeth Workman accountable for theft of government funds. While working in her own business, she continually received disability benefits she was not entitled to receive. My office will continue to aggressively pursue those who defraud the Social Security Administration,” said Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Acting Inspector General for Social Security. “I appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh for prosecuting this case.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Workman, 51, received over $200,000 in Social Security benefits that she was not entitled to. From 2008 through 2023, Workman received monthly disability benefits based on her claim that she was unable to work due to several medical conditions. However, while Workman was collecting these benefits, she owned and operated a successful tax refund business. Workman never disclosed this business income to the Social Security Administration, and instead continued to collect monthly disability benefits knowing that she did not qualify financially. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00195-BO-BM.


title: Laredo professor charged with distribution and production of child pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Laredo resident has been charged with producing videos involving the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Carlos Jobany Castaneda Lechuga is expected to appear for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos at 10 a.m. The complaint, filed Dec. 2, alleges authorities learned of videos that appeared to be produced in the United States and distributed on the dark web. The videos allegedly include an adult male seen with what appears to be different minor children in at least three different videos. The charges allege law enforcement identified the male as Lechuga. He had been a private teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, and a professor in Laredo. The investigation also revealed Lechuga offers private music lessons targeted toward minors, according to the charges. On Dec. 1, the FBI executed a search warrant on Lechuga’s residence in Laredo. The charges allege a person familiar with the house had identified Lechuga’s residence as the location where at least one of the videos was produced. If convicted, Lechuga faces up to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography as well as a maximum of 20 years for each count of distributing it. All charges also carry as possible penalty a $250,000 maximum fine. The FBI conducted the investigation. If you have any information about possible victims or believe you have been victimized, please contact the FBI at 210-225-6741. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tory Sailer and Michael Makens are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 . A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Chinese National and U.S. Legal Permanent Resident Charged for Illegal Scheme to Export Controlled Data and Defraud the Department of Defense

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: A four-count indictment was unsealed today charging Hang Sun, also known as Cody Sun, with conspiracy, wire fraud, smuggling, and a violation of the Arms Export Control Act for his role in an illegal scheme to send export-controlled defense-related technical data to China and to unlawfully supply the Department of Defense (DOD) with Chinese-origin rare earth magnets for aviation systems and military items. The indictment alleges that between January 2012 and December 2018, the defendant conspired to send approximately 70 drawings containing export-controlled technical data to a company located in China without a license from the U.S. government, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The technical data drawings were the property of two U.S. companies and related to end-use items for aviation, submarine, radar, tank, mortars, missiles, infrared and thermal imaging targeting systems, and fire control systems for DOD. The indictment further alleges that Quadrant Magnetics imported rare earth magnets that were smelted and magnetized by a company in China. Quadrant then sold these magnets to two U.S. companies which included them in components sold to DOD for use in the F-16, the F-18, and other defense assets in violation of the Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DFARS). Under the DFARS specialty metal clause, rare earth magnets sold to DOD must be produced in the United States or an approved country. China is not an approved country. Quadrant Magnetics and three of its employees were separately charged in a superseding indictment filed in the Western District of Kentucky on Dec. 5, 2023. If convicted, Sun faces statutory maximum penalties of up to five years in prison for conspiracy; 20 years in prison for wire fraud; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data without a license; and 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Director Kelly P. Mayo of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud made the announcement . The DCIS, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Christopher Tieke for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorneys Alexander Wharton and Leslie Esbrook with the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. XXX


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on December 5, 2024. Charles Martinez-Olson, 33, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution to his victims, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeit his cellular phone. Martinez-Olson will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. A federal grand jury indicted Martinez-Olson in October 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2024. Between December 2020 and March 2023, Martinez-Olson used Snapchat to entice two female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct so Martinez-Olson could record videos of their conduct. Both girls were unmistakably under the age of 12. Martinez-Olson routinely masturbated during these Snapchat video chats while the two female minors exposed their genitals. His Snapchat account contained several videos of the same two girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct at his direction and encouragement. Martinez-Olson also possessed 54 images and 22 videos of other children being sexually abused, including a video of a disabled boy being sexually assaulted. 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 the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Martinez-Olson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on December 6, 2024. Derrick Patton, 42, was sentenced to serve four years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 in special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. A federal grand jury indicted Patton in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 16, 2024. On March 13, 2024, the Rapid City Police Department were called to do a welfare check on Patton, who was reportedly passed out in a running vehicle for several hours. When officers woke Patton and identified him, they learned he had a felony arrest warrant and had absconded from parole. Patton was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and ammunition. The gun had been reported stolen out of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Patton also possessed multiple baggies of methamphetamine. Patton is prohibited from possession firearms as a result of a prior felony conviction. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Rapid City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Patton was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Travis Orr, age 35, was sentenced to 19 ½ years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Orr was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024. Between the Fall of 2021 and November of 2022, Orr was part of a drug conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota. Orr obtained the methamphetamine from co-conspirators on multiple occasions and distributed it to others in South Dakota. The group moved approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine during Orr’s involvement. Orr was also involved in trading firearms for methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. Orr was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.


title: North Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Providence man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Mark Peterson, 46, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by 15 years of federal supervised release. Peterson pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024, to an indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. In February 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded information to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force regarding the online distribution of child pornography. A State Police Detective determined that someone using the IP address at Peterson’s residence had sent 114 files depicting child sexual abuse over an online messaging application. Members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Peterson’s residence on April 5, 2022. A review of several cell phones seized during the search revealed more than 1,300 files consisting of videos and images of child sexual abuse, including depictions of the abuse of pre-pubescent children, infants, sadomasochism, and bestiality. Investigators also located screen recordings in which Peterson falsely portrayed himself as 15 years old. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Klein and John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts State Police. 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 The Rhode Island ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Middletown Police Department, and Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations. ###


title: Ashland Man Sentenced for  Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland man, Walter Sherman Thomas, 43, was sentenced on Monday, to 240 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for distribution of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, a cyber tip led law enforcement to a Reddit account that was reported for uploading child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement searched the Reddit account and found several sexually explicit images of minors. Additionally, a Reddit chat, that detailed the user’s employment, lead law enforcement to identify Thomas as the owner of the account. Law enforcement interviewed Thomas and searched his phones, which contained 205 sexually explicit images and 87 sexually explicit videos of minors. Under federal law, Thomas must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief William Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Ashland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. – END –


title: Ashland Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

body_text: ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland man, Dennis Hall, 49, was sentenced on Monday, to 130 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for distribution of 50 gram or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on March 4, 2024, law enforcement observed a vehicle speeding and executed a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and the passenger, Hall, also had a warrant for his arrest. A search of the vehicle revealed a bag of 71.5 grams of methamphetamine located between Hall’s legs. Additionally, officers located a loaded firearm between the passenger seat and center console. Hall admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Hall had previously been convicted of burglary second degree in Greenup Circuit Court in 2012. Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief William Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Ashland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. – END –


title: Former Naval Weapons Instructor Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Possessing Silencers And A Short-Barrel Rifle

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rocco Joseph Frakes (50, Middleburg) has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing unregistered silencers and an unregistered short-barrel rifle. Frakes faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on July 25, 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant at Frakes’s home and located a .22 caliber rifle with a threaded barrel, three silencers, a rifle with a 7 ½ inch long barrel, and a .45 caliber machinegun in Frakes’s bedroom. Contrary to federal law, none of these devices were registered to Frakes in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record—a database maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Frakes is retired from the United States Navy, where his primary duty was as a weapons instructor for Atlantic Fleet squadrons. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams. 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: United States Postal Employee Pleads Guilty To Stealing Mail

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jesse L. Anderson (43, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to theft by a postal employee. Anderson faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, in May 2023, the United States Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) received a complaint regarding stolen mail, which included a credit card and Social Security card. In October 2023, USPS-OIG received another complaint from the same individual regarding a second credit card missing from the mail. Through investigation, it was determined that Anderson used the individual’s credit card after stealing it on his assigned postal route. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Claire Favorit and Abigail K. King.


title: Wagoner County Resident Pleads Guilty To Distributing Child Sexual Exploitation Material

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sovana Xiong, age 32, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The Indictment alleged that beginning on October 15, 2023, and continuing until April 11, 2024, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Xiong knowingly distributed visual depictions on the internet of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The charge arose from an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department — Special Investigations Division. The Honorable Edward C. Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Xiong will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak Cohen represented the United States.


title: Woman Picking Up Package of Meth as Part of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Stacey Bentley, 53, of Blacksburg, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Evidence presented to the court showed that Bentley was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy when she was caught attempting to pick up a package of three kilograms of methamphetamine from a U.S. Post Office in April of 2023. United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Stacey Bentley to 40 months imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. The court also ordered $400,000 in forfeiture against Bentley. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, and Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.


title: Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Snow Jr., 24, of Durham, North Carolina, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with destruction of federal property. The complaint alleges that, on July 24, 2024, Snow destroyed an American flag by setting it on fire as a crowd surrounded him chanting “Burn that sh--.”. Moments before, two other individuals took down the flag, which was flying on one of the flagpoles at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP). Snow will make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of North Carolina. He is charged federally with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States. “Stealing a federal flag and burning it is not speech, it’s destruction of federal property,” said US Attorney Graves. “Hundreds of thousands of people engage in lawful First Amendment protest activity every year in the District of Columbia without incident. The relatively few who chose to cross the line from protest to violence and destruction will be held accountable for the crimes they commit.” “The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” said SAC Virmani, “but the FBI will not tolerate those who commit destruction of federal property in the guise of First Amendment activity. That includes taking and burning a federal flag from a federal flagpole as Snow allegedly did.” According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest. The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated the total cost to clean up and repair the site at $11,282.23. Screen shot from a closed-circuit camera shows Snow (circled in yellow) as he grabbed the fallen American flag from the halyard. A review of open-source and U.S. Capitol Police surveillance footage show that two individuals lowered an American flag affixed to the eastern flagpole in Columbus Circle. After it was lowered, the flag fell to the ground still attached to its halyard. An individual man later identified as Snow grabbed the flag and carried it into the crowd of protesters. After throwing the flag onto the ground, the man produced a lighter and held it up to the flag in an apparent effort to light the flag on fire. The man was initially unsuccessful and yelled to the crowd: “I need a better lighter!” Individuals in the crowd surrounding the man chanted “Burn that sh--!” Another open-source video captured images of the man as he attempted to torch the flag. After the failed attempt to light the flag, someone in the crowd handed Snow a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid. Snow doused the flag with the fluid, then, along with an unidentified individual from the crowd, used lighters to set the flag ablaze. On July 25, 2024, a user on the social media platform “X” (formerly Twitter), posted pictures in an apparent effort to identify the man who torched the flag. As a result, law enforcement located a driver’s license photograph of Michael Snow, Jr., who resides in North Carolina. Snow’s identity was further confirmed when law enforcement interviewed individuals who personally know Snow, who identified him in a photo from July 24, 2024. Screenshot from open-source video shows Snow (circled in yellow) and another individual (circled in blue) lighting the flag on fire. Screenshot from open-source footage depicts Snow (circled in yellow) on the flag pedestal while the other individual (circled in blue) parades around the burning American flag. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, Raleigh Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin. A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ## 24mj287


title: Broward Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Jean Volvick Moise was sentenced today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to 36 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing false income tax returns. According to court record, to include the factual proffer in support of the defendant’s guilty plea, Moise, 39, of Fort Lauderdale, prepared false tax returns on behalf of his clients, causing his clients to get larger refunds than the refunds to which they were entitled. Moise accomplished this goal by preparing tax returns which included, among other false statements, false dependents, false Form 1099 withholdings, false educational credits, and false Schedules C business expenses, often for businesses which did not exist. Moise’s fee for his service was larger than the typical fee charged by a tax preparer. All told, Moise filed hundreds of false returns which caused the IRS to issue over $574,000 in fraudulent refunds to which the individuals were not entitled. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Hipkins of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The IRS CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani prosecuted this case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60057. ###


title: Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection With Violent Kidnapping in Chicago

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHICAGO — Three men have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in abducting a man in broad daylight and holding him for ransom in a Chicago auto body shop. In 2015, ANTONIO SALGADO, OCTAVIO ALEJANDRE JR., and ARMANDO DELGADO planned to kidnap a man suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. The kidnapping plan went awry after the abductors realized they kidnapped the wrong man. The victim of the kidnapping was a relative of the intended target. After being taken at gunpoint outside of his suburban Chicago home, the victim was blindfolded, held at gunpoint, and beaten for nearly two days in the auto body shop in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. The kidnappers contacted another of the victim’s relatives and demanded drugs or cash. Unbeknownst to the defendants, several of their phones had previously been intercepted by federal authorities who were conducting an unrelated investigation. In a recorded call between Salgado and Delgado on the day after the kidnapping, Delgado told Salgado, “There is a little situation. It’s the wrong guy because it’s his brother . . . that we’re trying to get.” Salgado replied, “Let the guy go, but beat the [expletive] out of him.” The victim was eventually released. The three kidnappers pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Salgado, 42, of Chicago, to ten and a half years in prison. On Dec. 3, 2024, Judge Wood sentenced Alejandre Jr., 41, of Chicago, to ten and a half years. On Nov. 26, 2024, Judge Wood sentenced Delgado, 44, of Chicago, to 14 years and seven months in prison. During the prosecution of the kidnapping case, Salgado failed to appear for court proceedings and became a fugitive for nearly eight months, until he was located and arrested. Salgado was charged in a separate criminal case with contempt of court. The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Berwyn, Ill. Police Department and the Chicago Police Department. “There is perhaps nothing more serious than grabbing a person off the street at gunpoint, using force and intimidation and beatings to detain them,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik K. Raman and Erika L. Csicsila argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The kidnapping involved in this case was violent, involved guns and other implements, and resulted in the detention of a victim for over 24 hours.”


title: St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who carjacked and robbed two people in St. Louis to 19 years in prison. Shortly after midnight on July 29, 2023, Bradley C. McKinney and an accomplice were both armed with handguns when they approached two people who had just gotten out of a 2015 Chevy Cruze near the intersection of 16th Street and Lucas Avenue. The robbers rummaged through the victims’ pockets and took the keys to the Cruze and other valuables. McKinney got into the Cruze with another accomplice and sped off, accompanied by some of McKinney’s associates in a white GMC Terrain. After the victims called police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) determined both vehicles had crossed into Illinois. Investigators identified the GMC Terrain and put out a “wanted” for both vehicles. The Cruze was found abandoned later that morning in East St. Louis with the key still in the ignition. The next day, the RTCC received a license plate recognition hit for the GMC Terrain, and officers used a spike strip to deflate several tires. McKinney was the driver and sole occupant. Officers spotted a black Glock handgun with an extended magazine and an auto-sear, or “switch,” installed, making it a machinegun. McKinney admitted owning the firearm, knowing that he was a convicted felon and prohibited from doing so. McKinney, 36, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a machine gun. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East St. Louis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Zachary Bluestone 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: PennEnergy Resources Agrees to Settlement to Reduce Climate- and Health-Harming Emissions in Pennsylvania

body_text: Today, the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) announced a proposed settlement with PennEnergy Resources LLC (PennEnergy) resolving alleged Clean Air Act and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act violations involving the company’s oil and gas production operations in Pennsylvania. If accepted by the court, the consent decree specifies that PennEnergy will undertake various projects to assess, modify and improve monitoring and maintenance of vapor control systems. These projects will result in a reduction of over 8,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year released as methane, similar to the number of reductions achieved by taking 1,740 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate more than 150 tons of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions annually. PennEnergy also agreed to pay a $2 million civil penalty. This amount will be shared equally by the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a co-plaintiff in this case. PennEnergy will undertake compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions at 17 of its oil and gas production facilities and partial measures at an additional 32 facilities, all located in Butler County and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. “Oil and gas producers must comply with the Clean Air Act, which is intended to control air emissions and improve air quality and our environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “By adhering to the requirements of today’s settlement, PennEnergy will significantly reduce air emissions from its operations.” “Today’s settlement continues EPA’s efforts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for illegal emissions that hamper air quality and accelerate climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Penn Energy will undertake projects to improve air quality and reduce emissions of methane at nearly 50 facilities, providing environmental and public health benefits for Pennsylvanians and demonstrating that reducing illegal pollution from oil and gas facilities is good for communities and the planet.” “When PennEnergy failed to implement an appropriate vapor control system on storage tanks at its facilities in western Pennsylvania, the company not only violated federal law, it allowed a substantial volume of volatile organic compounds to escape into the atmosphere,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Today’s settlement reflects this office’s commitment to holding corporate citizens accountable for their wrongdoing and protecting our residents and the air they breathe.” “This settlement marks a significant step toward reducing emissions and ensuring cleaner air for all residents of the Commonwealth,” said Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Every Pennsylvanian is entitled to breathe clean air, and the Shapiro Administration is dedicated to ensuring that polluters are held responsible for any harm to that right.” This settlement resolves PennEnergy’s failure to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from five of its oil and gas production facilities in Butler County, in western Pennsylvania. EPA identified the alleged violations through field investigations conducted in 2018. As a result of these violations, PennEnergy released methane and VOCs directly into the air instead of capturing and controlling the gas using specially designed equipment. Methane, a climate super pollutant, is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, which adversely affects human health. The agreement requires PennEnergy to take the necessary steps to ensure that its systems to control pollutants from atmospheric storage tanks are adequately designed and properly operated and maintained at an estimated cost of $2.4 million. These actions will significantly reduce harmful emissions from the company’s oil and gas operations. In addition, PennEnergy must undertake a project to mitigate the environmental and public health harm attributable to their violations. Specifically, by Jan. 1, 2025, PennEnergy will be required to replace no fewer than 217 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices in Butler and Lawrence counties, in western Pennsylvania. These measures are estimated to cost $1.2 million. PennEnergy is a privately-owned oil and gas company headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Its business is focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional shale resources in the Appalachian Basin, and its natural gas extraction and production operations consist of approximately 370 wells at 107 oil and gas facilities located in western Pennsylvania. The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change . This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s PennEnergy Resources LLC Settlement web page . The proposed consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and is subject to a 30-day comment period. The complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA and PADEP investigated the case. Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania are handling the case.


title: Colorado Springs Nurse Practitioner Agrees to Pay $90K to Resolve Allegations of Improper Prescribing of Controlled Substances

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Monica Preston, N.P., has agreed to pay $90,000 to resolve allegations that she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances, including dangerous opioids and drug combinations, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act. The United States alleges that Ms. Preston, while working as a Nurse Practitioner at the now-defunct Colorado Institute for Pain Management in Colorado Springs, wrote prescriptions for controlled substances that were in dosages, at frequencies, and in combinations with other controlled substances that were outside the course of her professional practice, were not reasonable and necessary, and were not for a legitimate medical purpose. The United States alleges that Ms. Preston’s conduct departed from well-established prescribing guidelines and that she also fraudulently represented to the Center for Medicare Services that improper prescriptions were reasonable and necessary. The United States alleges that this conduct violated the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. As part of the settlement, Ms. Preston agreed to pay $90,000 in damages and civil penalties. Ms. Preston also agreed to permanently forgo holding a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration, which will prevent her from prescribing any controlled substances in the future. “Nurse practitioners entrusted with prescribing authority must be careful not to ignore red flags that suggest that the opioids they prescribe are being misused or abused,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch. “When nurse practitioners do not adhere to well-established prescribing guidelines or falsely represent that improper prescriptions were reasonable and necessary, we will hold them accountable.” “The DEA is proud to relentlessly pursue practitioners not acting in their patients’ best interests,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “Our investigators – along with other federal partners – worked diligently on this case, and as a result, Ms. Preston will never again be allowed to legally prescribe opioids or other controlled substances.” “Medical providers who write prescriptions for controlled substances, including powerful opioids and dangerous drug combinations, that are outside the course of professional practice endanger the safety and wellbeing of patients and communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “This settlement highlights HHS-OIG’s commitment to work closely with our state and federal partners to protect federal health care programs and the people served by those programs.” The claims against Ms. Preston are allegations, and in agreeing to settle this matter, she did not admit to any liability. This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ross.


title: Clinton County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Receive and Distribute Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Hockersmith, age 65, of Plattsburgh, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to receive and distribute child pornography and possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). As part of his guilty plea, Hockersmith admitted that in August of 2022, he began conspiring with his co-defendant, Jack Kelly, about exchanging child pornography. Hockersmith further admitted that he and his co-defendant decided to exchange their child pornography by mailing an SD card containing the child pornography back and forth, which each of them did. Hockersmith also admitted that during a search of his residence on September 12, 2024, he still possessed the SD card he and his co-defendant used to receive and distribute child pornography via the U.S. mail, which still contained images and videos of child pornography. At sentencing, which is currently scheduled for April 9, 2025, in Albany, New York before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Hockersmith faces a term of imprisonment of at least 5 years and up to 20 years, a supervised release term of between 5 years and life, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Hockersmith will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. The case is being investigated by HSI with assistance from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting 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), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Clewiston Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Drug And Firearm Offenses

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Felix Alberto Quinones (26, Clewiston) to six years in federal prison for distributing cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Quinones pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024. According to court documents Quinones pleaded guilty to selling cocaine and a firearm to an undercover ATF agent on October 3, 2023. Quinones also pleaded guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover ATF agent on October 11, 2023. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. 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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Chinese nationals indicted for conspiracy to grow marijuana in two south Georgia locations

body_text: WAYCROSS, GA: Eight Chinese nationals have been indicted on felony charges after investigators discovered massive indoor marijuana growing operations in rural south Georgia. All eight defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on those charges carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with fines of up to $10 million and at least five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “This investigation alleges the discovery of a massive clandestine operation illegally growing marijuana on two locations hidden in plain sight,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Our exceptional law enforcement partners identified these illicit operations and are working to hold these defendants accountable.” As described in court documents and in initial court hearings, the investigation identified two large-scale indoor marijuana growing facilities on two tracts of land in Pierce and Brantley Counties. The defendants indicted in USA v. Huang et al. all are Chinese nationals, including: Hiawen Huang , 54; Yim Hung Yuen ,61; Chen Hui Shu , 35; Jen Peng Ma , 34; Zhu Sheng Bing , 64; Wei Sheng Deng , 42; Lecai Huang , 67; and, Zhi Yong Ma , 52. In addition to the conspiracy and drug possession charges, Shu, Ma, Bing, and Deng also are charged with Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Similarly, Lecai Huang and Ma are charged with a separate count of Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Hiawen Huang and Yim Hung Yuen are believed to have left the United States. The remaining defendants have made their initial appearance hearings in U.S. Magistrate Court and await further court proceedings. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was initiated by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and also investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and Darron J. Hubbard.