title: Guatemalan Leader of Multi-Ton Cocaine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Almost 22 Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Josue Adan Lemus-Lara, aka “Fenix,” was sentenced in federal court today to 260 months in prison. His sentence follows his conviction after a week-long jury trial in November 2023 where he was convicted on all charges in a maritime cocaine trafficking conspiracy. During a multi-year wiretap investigation led by agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Josue Lemus-Lara and his brother and co-conspirator, Willian Lemus-Lara, aka “Humilde,” were identified as leaders of a transnational criminal organization. The organization moved multi-ton quantities of cocaine at sea from South America to Guatemala and ultimately over land to Mexican counterparts, including members of the Sinaloa Cartel, for importation to the United States. At trial, prosecutors presented evidence from 13 rounds of court-authorized wiretaps demonstrating that in 2017 Josue Lemus-Lara traveled from Guatemala to Colombia to oversee the Lemus-Lara Organization’s cocaine trafficking operation and to establish new cocaine supply lines. As Josue Lemus-Lara told a co-conspirator, “We either make money or we get thrown in jail or we get killed.” In January 2018, U.S. Coast Guard officers seized a vessel sent by the organization with cocaine concealed within fuel barrels. Prosecutors presented evidence at trial showing Lemus-Lara’s role as head of South American operations for the organization, including extensive wiretap transcripts, pictures Lemus-Lara sent of bespoke cocaine brands the group was procuring, and over a dozen photos of a cocaine laboratory in the Ecuadorian jungle. As prosecutors outlined at trial, in just a five-day span in May 2017, the organization dispatched four vessels, each carrying over 750 kilograms of cocaine from South America to Guatemala. Interdiction efforts by the United States Coast Guard stymied two of those loads, including 781-kilograms seized from the vessel below. Josue Lemus-Lara, a Guatemalan national, was initially apprehended by Colombian authorities in February 2019. He was extradited to the United States from Colombia on December 2, 2020, upon request by the United States government. This was a “highly sophisticated” and “spectacular conspiracy in its scope and depth,” said Chief U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw. “It’s hard to put into words how sophisticated and involved it was.” “This prosecution sends a shot across the bow to maritime traffickers moving narcotics across the Americas and into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Coordinated efforts of U.S. government agencies continue to identify, dismantle, and prosecute these operators inside our borders and beyond.” “This significant sentencing reflects HSI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and our partner law enforcement agencies’ commitment to holding international drug traffickers responsible for their illicit activity,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “This complex multi-year investigation demonstrates HSI’s ability to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and our commitment to protecting our communities and the people of the United States of America.” “Drug traffickers drive addiction and destroy communities,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul Abosamra. “As such, the DEA and its partners will continue to pursue these traffickers in every corner of the globe and bring them to justice.” “The members of the U.S. Coast Guard remain dedicated to helping dismantle the transnational criminal organizations that continue to threaten the lives within our community and country,” said Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, commander, Coast Guard District 11. “As a service, we will continue to work with our international, federal and local partners to put an end to their illegal and dangerous operations and ensure these individuals are held accountable.” This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Kevin Mokhtari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison B. Murray. DEFENDANT Case Number 18cr0390-DMS Josue Adan Lemus-Lara Age: 39 Esquipulas, Guatemala SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503 and 70506(b) Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Intended for Unlawful Importation into the United States – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960 and 963 Maximum Penalties: Life in prison; $10 million fine AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) U.S. Coast Guard HSI Attaché Guatemala City, Guatemala Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S)


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft For Series of Package Thefts Near Adams Morgan

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, January 31, Rodrigo Miranda, 43, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on 35 counts of felony second-degree theft, seven counts of unlawful entry, and one count of destruction of property stemming from events occurring between July 19, 2022, and April 4, 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Miranda was arraigned on, February 8, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. According to the government’s evidence, between July 19, 2022, and April 4, 2023, Miranda took packages from several locations in the Adams Morgan area. In doing so, Miranda unlawfully entered areas he was not legally allowed to be in and destroyed property to gain access. Miranda was later located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department. Miranda has more than two prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted. Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 21 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Readout of Disruptive Technology Strike Force One-Year Summit

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: On Feb. 7 and 8, the Justice Department’s National Security Division hosted a summit in Phoenix, Arizona, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the launch of its Disruptive Technology Strike Force – an interagency law enforcement effort aimed at preventing critical technologies from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Strike Force co-leads Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), were joined in Phoenix by U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco delivered virtual remarks to commemorate the one-year anniversary and highlighted all the progress that has been made since she first announced the creation of the Strike Force a year ago. The two-day event began with a law enforcement-only day focused on case studies, best investigative practices, briefings on cutting-edge technologies, and one-year reports from all 15 of the local cells. On the second day, the Strike Force was joined by private sector and academia representatives from across the country for sessions describing the work of the Strike Force across multiple subject areas, corporate compliance, best practices for building trade compliance programs, and law enforcement outreach efforts. Along with U.S. government officials, the summit consisted of presenters from the private sector and academia, including officials from Arizona State University, which hosted the event at its Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Members of the Ukrainian government attended the summit as honored guests to present on the use of advanced technology by Russia in its unlawful and full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, and how the work of the Strike Force can assist Ukraine’s war efforts. Yuriy Bielousov, the Head of the War Crimes Department in the Office of the Prosecutor General; Dr. Nataliia Nestor, the Deputy Director of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise in the Ministry of Justice; and Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an advisor on sanctions in the Office of the President of Ukraine represented Ukraine at the summit. The three were among the Ukrainian officials with whom AAG Olsen and Assistant Secretary Axelrod met during their trip to Kyiv in late 2023. The Strike Force is grateful for its close partnership with the Ukrainian government. During the event, AAG Olsen and Assistant Secretary Axelrod announced the expansion of the Strike Force to three new metropolitan areas and formally recognized the Defense Department’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) as a partner in the Strike Force. All five agencies that make up the Strike Force—the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the Commerce Department’s BIS, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and DCIS—were represented at the one-year summit. In addition to the co-leads of the Strike Force, attendees included Ryan Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; Jill Steinberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia; Markenzy Lapointe, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Alamdar Hamdani, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas; Ismail Ramsey, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California; Joshua Levy, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts; Raj Parekh, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Grant Fleming, the Deputy Director for Investigative Operations at DCIS; and James Mancuso, the Assistant Director for HSI.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Recovers More Than $90 Million in Fiscal Year 2023 for Crime Victims and the United States Government

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts recovered more that $90 million in Fiscal Year 2023, including $42,233,999 in criminal actions and $25,730,882 in civil actions. The Office recovered another $22,451,124 in criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings in Fiscal Year 2023. Through work that involved other U.S. Attorney’s Offices, components of the Department of Justice and whistleblowers, the District of Massachusetts collected an additional $918,412,292. Of this amount, the Office collected $29,621 in criminal actions and $918,382,671 in civil actions. “Our Office is committed to restoring funds to victims of crime and depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains. Our civil and criminal prosecutors work in close coordination from the outset of an investigation to identify, trace and seize assets to accomplish those important goals. In addition, we have a long history of success in recovering taxpayer dollars in False Claims Act cases. These cases protect the public and root out fraud against the United States in health care, government contracting, grants and other government expenditures. We will continue to make these important collection efforts a very high priority,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Levy. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Asset Recovery Unit was responsible for the collection of over $41 million in restitution for crime victims. The Unit also recovered nearly $1 million in criminal fines and special assessments, as well as forfeiture of over $22 million in criminal proceeds or other property involved in crimes. In addition to monetary recoveries, the Asset Recovery Unit: led the effort to return a stolen manuscript from 1527 signed by Hernando Cortez to the Mexican National Archives; returned stolen marksmanship medals to the Springfield Armory; and filed five civil complaints to forfeit cryptocurrency traceable to fraud schemes involving Massachusetts victims. The Asset Recovery Unit locates, seizes and forfeits proceeds of crime, including health care fraud, securities fraud, mail and wire fraud and drug trafficking, as well as money and property involved in money laundering. The Unit pursues forfeiture of ill-gotten gains both domestically and abroad and works closely with units across the Office and its law enforcement partners to ensure that crime doesn’t pay, and that assets are returned to victims. The Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit recovers government money lost to fraud or other offenses. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Unit entered into settlements with defendants totaling approximately $30 million. Among these recoveries, in January 2023, Johnson & Johnson, DePuy Synthes, Inc. and DePuy Synthes Sales, Inc. agreed to pay $9.75 million to resolve Anti-Kickback Statute violations; in June 2023, Injured Workers Pharmacy agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations of improper drug dispensing and submitting false claims; and in May 2023 Massachusetts Eye and Ear paid over $5.7 million to resolve false claims allegations. Also in 2023, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit filed suit against Bournewood Health Systems and First Psychiatric Planners for allegedly paying kickbacks to induce patients to choose Bournewood and FPP over other treatment facilities. The Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division also recovered $425,000 for victims of sexual harassment in housing. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Justice Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.


title: Federal Way, Washington man indicted for abusive sexual contact on a flight from San Diego to Seattle

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 25-year-old Federal Way, Washington resident will appear today on an indictment returned last year for Abusive Sexual Contact, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Desmond D. Bostick was located by law enforcement and arrested on February 9, 2024. The indictment was returned under seal September 27, 2023. According to records in the case, Bostick was seated in the last row of the plane on an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Seattle. Bostick was in the aisle seat and the victim, who was a stranger to Bostick, was seated in the middle seat. Bostick allegedly repeatedly touched the victim on the thigh and grabbed her buttocks when she stood to allow the passenger in the window seat to exit the row. Bostick allegedly used a blanket he brought on the plane to hide his conduct. After the plane touched down, the victim reported the conduct to the flight crew and law enforcement began its investigation. Bostick had left the airport and his location was unknown. The FBI located and arrested him. In June 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported an alarming increase of sexual misconduct on aircraft. Since highlighting the issue, three additional cases have been filed or adjudicated. This case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Port of Seattle Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite.


title: Associate of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – An associate of the violent Boston gang Cameron Street pleaded guilty yesterday to drug trafficking charges in federal court in Boston. Michael Lopes, a/k/a “Meech,” 35, of Pawtucket, R.I., pleaded guilty to a one-count Superseding Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. During a two-year long investigation into Cameron Street, it was determined that Lopes allegedly conspired with his cousin Anthony Centeio – the alleged leader of Cameron Street – and others to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine. Lopes and, allegedly, Centeio made several sales of cocaine and cocaine base to a cooperating witness in Boston, Braintree and Pawtucket, R.I. A search of Lopes’ Rhode Island residence in April 2022 resulted in the recovery of approximately 174 grams of cocaine base, 215 grams of cocaine and 180 grams of methamphetamine, packaging materials and $2,342 in cash. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine provides for up to 20 years in prison, supervised release of at least three years and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from Macy’s

body_text: WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, January 31, Antoine Harvell, 36, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft and unlawful entry stemming from events occurring on January 24, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Harvell is to be arraigned on February 15, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. According to the government’s evidence, on January 24, 2024, Harvell went into Macy’s—having previously been barred from the store—and concealed store merchandise before walking out of the store past all points of sale without paying. Harvell was then arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department. Harvell has more than two prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for the count of theft for which he is indicted. Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 21 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Retail Theft

body_text: WASHINGTON – This week, Leon Johnson, 50, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on January 6, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. Johnson is to be arraigned on February 15, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge. According to the government’s evidence, on January 6, 2024, Johnson went into a CVS in Northwest Washington, D.C., took merchandise from the store shelves, and walked out of the store past all points of sale without paying. Johnson was arrested soon thereafter by the Metropolitan Police Department. Johnson has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for the count of theft for which he is indicted. Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 21 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Connor Mulvey. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. ##


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 23 Years on Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - South Dakota

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 Methamphetamine and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2024. Sam Boyd, 35, was sentenced to 23 1/3 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Boyd was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a federal grand jury in February of 2022. He was convicted at a federal jury trial in November of 2023. In the fall of 2020, Boyd began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The methamphetamine was both mailed or transported to western South Dakota on multiple occasions by Boyd and his co-conspirators. Boyd then distributed the methamphetamine to others for use and to further distribute. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is a local drug task force 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. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime . Boyd was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Receives 11 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on February 6, 2024. Burton Dave Chief, Jr., 35, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Chief will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Chief was indicted for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023. Chief was arrested as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple chats and sexually explicit text messages with a person Chief believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Chief proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. 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 Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case. Chief was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: St. Francis Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on February 1, 2024. Meteo Running Enemy, age 19, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Running Enemy was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 8, 2023. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in May of 2023 in St. Francis, wherein Running Enemy engaged in a sexual act with a minor who had attained the age of 12 years but had not attained the age of 16 years. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. 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 matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. Running Enemy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: U.S. Attorney Charges New Rochelle Man With Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging CHARUDET SMITH, a/k/a “Charles Smith,” with sexual exploitation of a minor. SMITH was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Resnik this afternoon in White Plains federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Charudet Smith allegedly constructed an elaborate web of lies and fabricated multiple identities in order to gain the trust of an unsuspecting minor. Today’s arrest underscores the urgent need to protect children from the dangers posed by predators who use social media to prey on children both online and in person.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] From at least on or about December 21, 2019, up to and including at least on or about February 13, 2020, SMITH impersonated various individuals and created and used a series of Instagram accounts, emails, and phone numbers in order to deceive a 17-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) into creating and sending sexually explicit videos and images to SMITH and agreeing to meet SMITH to engage in sexual activity in Seattle, Washington. SMITH posed as an established freelance photographer for a well-known international camera company (“Company-1”) and told Victim-1, an aspiring teenage photographer, that he had numerous contacts within the media industry and could act as Victim-1’s mentor. SMITH then posed as multiple employees of Company-1 who purported to offer Victim-1 a position in a sought-after youth professional development program. In fact, SMITH was never an employee of Company-1 and had never been paid by Company-1 for any services or any employment. Anyone who may have encountered CHARUDET SMITH, a/k/a “Charles Smith,” or whose child may have had any communications with SMITH is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). * * * SMITH, 31, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, the Sherriff’s Office in Washington, Vermont, the Massachusetts State Police, the New Rochelle Police Department, and the Westchester County Police Department in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: February Federal Grand Jury 2023-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the February Federal Grand Jury 2023-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Nathan Dewayne Burks. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country ; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of Ammunition (superseding). Nathan Dwayne Burks, 32, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is further charged with possessing ammunition after being convicted of 3 felonies in Muscogee (Creek) Nation District Court. The FBI and Sand Springs Police Department are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Cyran is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-312 Juan Cervando Cervantes Sepulveda. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Cervantes Sepulveda, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Jun. 2022, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-038 Nicholas Kyle Dietzel. Attempted Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age; Attempted Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Person Under 18 Years of Age; Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Attempted Distribution of Child Pornography to a Minor; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Dietzel, 43, of Tulsa, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with attempting to cross State lines to entice a minor under 12 years old to engage in a sexual act. He allegedly attempted to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Dietzel also attempted to distribute videos depicting the sexual abuse of children to a minor. He is further charged with knowingly receiving, possessing, and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Homeland Security Investigations – Tulsa, Homeland Security Investigations – Phoenix, Tulsa International Airport Police Department, Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sherriff’s Office, Creek County Sherriff’s Office, and Collinsville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-30 Mark Alfred Foreman. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country (Counts 1 and 2); Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country (Count 3); Third Degree Burglary in Indian Country (Counts 4 through 7). Foreman, 37, of Tulsa, a Sac and Fox Nation member, is charged with breaking into the home of three separate individuals in Nov. 2023. He is further charged with breaking into the vehicles of four separate individuals in Nov. 2023. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Flynn is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-044 Freddie Dewayne Gaskey. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of an Unregistered Weapon Made from a Shotgun. Gaskey, 46, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after he had previously been convicted of several felonies in various Oklahoma District Courts. He is further charged with possessing an unregistered shotgun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-039 Christin Brianna Kelley. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Kelley, 33, of Sapulpa, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation member, is charged with killing Isaac Smith in Jan. 2024. She is further charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of three felonies in Tulsa County District Court. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Sand Springs Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric O. Johnston and Stephen J. Flynn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-040 Timothy Don Major, Jr. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Major, 34, of Tulsa, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with persuading and enticing a minor child under 18 years old. He is further charged with knowingly receiving and possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-033 Victor Adrian Medina-Beltran. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Medlina-Beltran, 37, a Honduran national, is charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing over 5 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration – Tulsa and El Paso Division, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-032 Cavin Tyler Morgan. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 1 through 3); Making a Materially False, Fictitious, and Fraudulent Statement (Counts 4 and 5); Tampering with Evidence by Corrupt Persuasion (Count 6). Morgan, 27, of Welch, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with assaulting three individuals with a dangerous weapon. He is further charged with making false statements to law enforcement and persuading someone to conceal evidence in Jan. 2024. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Craig County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen N. Scaife and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-041 Robert Ivan Nading. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of an Unregistered Weapon Made from a Shotgun Having a Barrel of Less Than 18 Inches in Length; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (superseding). Nading, 55, of Welch, a Cherokee Nation member, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of felonies in Kansas and Ohio. He allegedly possessed an unregistered shotgun, with intent to do bodily harm to two individuals while discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. He is further charged with intent to do bodily harm to a third individual while brandishing a firearm in Apr. 2023. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Craig County Sherriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-250 Jovin Roque-Avila. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Roque-Avile, 26, a Honduras national, is charged with knowing he was an illegal alien and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition in Dec. 2023. The Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-042 Ronald Dale Sanders. Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country; Tampering with Evidence by Corrupt Persuasion; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography (superseding). Ronald Dale Sanders, 55, of Belton, Missouri, is charged with traveling to engage in a sexual act with an Indian child under the age of 16, from Aug. 2023 through Oct. 2023. He allegedly attempted to destroy or conceal evidence as well as coercing and enticing the child. He is further charged with enticing a minor for the purpose of producing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The FBI, Ottawa County Sherriff’s Office, Miami Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-354 Luis Gerardo Trejo-Zambrano; Luis Antonio Soria; Bryan Ulysses Martinez; Darmel Dashun Batemon Jr. Conspiracy and Attempt to Traffick Firearms (Counts 1 and 3); Kidnapping (Count 2); Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 4); Possession of an Unregistered Silencer (Count 5); Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony (Count 6); Transporting Firearms in Interstate Commerce While Under Indictment (Counts 7 and 8). Trejo-Zambrano, 22, of Watts, Soria, 21, of Siloam Springs, AR, Martinez, 18, of Springdale, AR, and are charged with conspiring to dispose of one or more firearms. Trejo-Zambrano, Soria, and Martinez knowingly kidnapped a victim. Batemon, 21, of North Little Rock, AR, Trejo-Zambrano, and Soria are also charged with transporting firearms while under indictment. Trejo-Zambrano is further charged with allegedly conspiring to dispose of a firearm and possessing an unregistered silencer. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore and John Brasher are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-045


title: Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Jessie Warren, 44 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Warren was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in December 2022, Warren possessed over 220 grams of methamphetamine. When police found him, he was alone in a car with the controlled substance, a firearm and a digital scale located in the trunk. Warren also had approximately $2,000 cash in his possession. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department and the Indiana State Police Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome McKeever and Joel Gabrielse. 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: Justice Department Secures Agreement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Wisconsin Landlords

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Richard and Mary Donahue, landlords who own more than 100 residential rental units in and around Janesville, Wisconsin, have agreed to pay $500,000 in monetary damages and a $123,965 civil penalty to the government to resolve a Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit concerning Richard Donahue’s sexual harassment of female tenants over more than 20 years. “A home should be one’s sanctuary, not a place where you are subjected to dehumanizing and prolonged periods of sexual harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When landlords sexually harass their tenants, they deprive them of the ability to feel safe and secure in their own homes. This agreement sends a strong message that the Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure all tenants are protected from unlawful discrimination.” “The lengthy course of sexual harassment and retaliation against female tenants in this case is disturbing and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “Our office remains committed to holding landlords accountable for violations of the Fair Housing Act.” Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, which still must be approved by the court, Richard and Mary Donahue will pay $500,000 in monetary damages to 13 female tenants harmed by Richard Donahue. The defendants are also required to seek to vacate any retaliatory eviction judgments obtained against these tenants and to take steps to correct the tenants’ credit histories. The defendants are also permanently enjoined from managing residential rental properties in the future and must retain an independent property manager to manage their rental properties for the duration of the decree. Finally, the defendants must pay a $123,695 civil penalty to the government, the maximum civil penalty allowed under the FHA. The lawsuit alleged that, since at least 2000, Richard Donahue harassed female tenants by making repeated and unwelcome sexual comments, touching tenants’ bodies without their consent, demanding sexual activity in exchange for rent and housing-related benefits and taking adverse actions against tenants who resisted his sexual advances or complained about the harassment. The suit was filed in May 2022. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin handled the case. The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the department’s initiative is to address, deter and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 38 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered more than $11.8 million for victims of such harassment. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, along with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online . Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online .


title: Michigan Man Who Orchestrated International Computer Fraud Scheme and Online Drug Distribution Scheme Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to organizing separate multi-year schemes that defrauded internet users via scam virus alerts and distributed controlled substances online. Doyal Kalita, 36, of Redford, Mich., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024. Kalita was arrested in August 2022 . “Mr. Kalita exploited people’s fears about cyber security by convincing them that their computers had viruses and selling them unnecessary services. Simultaneously, he lined his pockets by distributing deadly opioids into Massachusetts,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This type of criminal behavior and victimization will not be tolerated. We will continue to be vigilant and hold those accountable that hide behind a keyboard to victimize others and pump dangerous drugs into our communities.” “Doyal Kalita not only cheated unsuspecting victims around the world and here at home out of their hard-earned money by scaring them into paying for unnecessary and useless computer repair services, but he peddled deadly opioids into our communities too,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Fortunately, the FBI and our partners are experts at untangling such frauds, to ensure criminals like him are brought to justice to answer for their crimes.” “The disruption of international criminal syndicates is a top priority for IRS Criminal Investigation” said Harry T. Chavis Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. “As a result of today’s guilty plea, we have successfully disrupted a complex network of international actors praying on the American people through their call center schemes and illegal narcotics distribution networks.” In 2015, Kalita and co-conspirators organized a scheme to defraud internet users through the use of deceptive pop-up screens that falsely told victims that their computers were infected with viruses (or were otherwise damaged) and directed the victims to call for technical support. In fact, the victims were connected to Kalita’s call centers in India and in Michigan and were scared or deceived into buying products and services that they did not need. Contemporaneously, Kalita and his co-conspirators launched an online drug distribution scheme that sold controlled substances, including opioids, that were shipped from suppliers in India and Europe to individuals in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States. Kalita and his co-conspirators facilitated online sales from multiple foreign drug suppliers and received controlled substances from abroad before repackaging and distributing them throughout the United States. To conceal the nature of the transactions, Kalita and his co-conspirators used PayPal and merchant accounts that purported to belong to non-existent consulting companies, health supplement stores, auto parts suppliers and travel agencies. In some instances, Kalita and his co-conspirators created fake travel itineraries and receipts to deceive credit card processors in the United States in order to keep the drug business from being detected. Two of Kalita’s co-conspirators remain fugitives. In January 2023 , Manish Kumar – a partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug companies and one of Kalita’s suppliers – was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 87 months in prison, three months of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to import controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and IRS-CI SAC Chavis made the announcement today. The United States Food & Drug Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs & Border Protection; United States Marshals Service in Boston; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Man Extradited From Spain Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Abuse

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced that on February 8, 2024, Kristian Ignacio Feliz, age 24, of Connecticut, pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Feliz was indicted in March 2023, and extradited from Spain last November to face federal charges. Sentencing is scheduled to proceed on May 29, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Jane M. Beckering. Feliz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, up to a maximum of 30 years. “My office is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens from child exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “I appreciate the Government of Spain, FBI, and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety for their persistent and successful efforts to bring Mr. Feliz to justice.” As part of his plea, Feliz admitted that from October 2022 through January 2023, he used Discord, an internet-based messaging platform, to coerce a minor in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to create and distribute child pornography of herself. Then, from January 3-5, 2023, Feliz traveled to Kalamazoo and made videos of himself having sex with the same minor. Feliz also had at least one of those videos sent to his Discord account. "Those who dare to victimize innocent children will face the full force of the law," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . "The FBI is relentless in its commitment to safeguarding children from dangerous predators and will leave no stone unturned in pursuing criminals, no matter where they hide. We extend our gratitude to our law enforcement partners, especially the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the dedicated staff of the FBI's West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), for their unwavering efforts in protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. The FBI urges the public to report alleged crimes of child sexual and physical abuse by calling 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324), contacting your Legal Attaché Office, or submitting tips online to tips.fbi.gov." “The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety recognizes that these types of crimes are complex and difficult to investigate at the local level,” said KDPS Chief David Boysen . “Only due to the continued partnerships and support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, the FBI, and the Task Force Officer’s position, we were able to see a successful outcome in this investigation.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) to prepare and submit a request to the Government of Spain for Kristian Ignacio Feliz’s provisional arrest, followed by a formal request for his extradition. U.S. Attorney Totten and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Michigan Cheyvoryea Gibson extend their appreciation and thanks to the Government of Spain. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Castle, and investigated by the FBI, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State provided critical assistance in securing Feliz’s arrest and extradition. ###


title: Local woman imprisoned for threatening to harm federal judge

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 50-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for using interstate communications to threat, kidnap or injure, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Tiffani Shea Gish aka Evelyn Salt pleaded guilty Nov. 9, 2023. U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Gish to serve 37 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about mental health problems and that Gish had previously left threatening messages for various government agencies. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner noted that he was concerned for the safety of the public and protecting the judiciary. “Upholding the rule of law is one of the main priorities of the Department of Justice, and that means protecting public servants from violence,” said Hamdani. “Holding Tiffani Gish accountable for her threats to assassinate a federal judge sends a strong message that we have no tolerance for those – who often hide behind a far-off keyboard or phone line – seeking to undermine our democratic institutions by threatening the safety of the people who help those same institutions thrive.” On Sept. 1, 2022, Gish left three threatening voicemails on the chamber’s telephone of a U.S. district judge from Florida. In the messages, Gish claimed to be a member of several military combat units, trained and familiar with weapons of war. In the first message, she said the victim was marked for assassination and would get a bullet in the head. Gish then reiterated the same threat in two subsequent messages and used expletives when adding that she had ordered snipers and a bomb to the victim’s house and would to throw a bullet to the victim’s head. Gish will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel prosecuted the case.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The sentencing took place on January 29, 2024. Nathan James Thompson, 40, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thompson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (Felon) by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2023. According to court documents, Thompson was a driving a vehicle in Sioux Falls on December 25, 2022, and was arrested following a traffic violation. Law enforcement found a firearm in Thompson’s pocket. Thompson had previously been convicted of a felony for Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, so was aware he was not allowed to possess firearms. 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 Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert prosecuted the case. Thompson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Vale Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Vale, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 5, 2024. Timothy Scott White, 43, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the Sexual Exploitation charge, 45 years in federal prison for the Attempted Enticement of a Minor charge, and 20 years in federal prison on the Receipt of Child Pornography charge, all to run concurrent. Additionally, White was sentenced to 10 years of supervised released, and order to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $28,000 in restitution. White will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. White was indicted for Production of Child Pornography by a Parent by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2023. The convictions stem from White producing child pornography of his minor daughter between January of 2020 and December of 2021. Evidence showed White also distributed hundreds of images of child pornography of other victims, as well as received thousands of images and videos. 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 Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case. White was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Federal Judge Sentences Man to 20 Years in Prison for Detonating Pipe Bomb at Suburban Chicago Train Station

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for detonating a pipe bomb at a suburban Chicago train station. On Sept. 1, 2006, THOMAS JAMES ZAJAC placed a pipe bomb in a trash can at the BNSF Railway station in Hinsdale, Ill. The device exploded during the morning commute, injuring a station agent. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the sentence during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Judge Kennelly ordered that the sentence must be served after the completion of a federal sentence that Zajac is currently serving for bombing a public library in Salt Lake City, Utah , in 2006. Today’s sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hinsdale Police Department, DuPage County, Ill., Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the BNSF Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. David Rojas, Brian Kerwin, and Andréa L. Campbell. Evidence at Zajac’s federal trial in Chicago last year revealed that Zajac felt disrespected when a family member was arrested by Hinsdale Police in the year before the bombing. About a month after the bombing, Zajac sent an anonymous letter to the Hinsdale Police Department, stating that the police had “[expletive] with” the wrong person and that the writer had “fired a warning shot” last month. The letter indicated that police actions would “likely eventually lead to the death” of at least one person in Hinsdale, and that the writer wanted to see whether the department was “bright enough or possess[ed] the character to stop this death.” Zajac, 70, formerly of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., was convicted on all three counts against him, including one count of attempting to damage property with an explosive, one count of possessing an unregistered destructive device, and one count of willfully making a threat through the mail to kill or injure a person with an explosive.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Charge

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 5, 2024. James W. Williams, 28, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Williams will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Williams was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in May of 2021. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2023. Williams was federally indicted following a Cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children in relation to suspected child pornography on Instagram. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce traced the account back to Williams and interviewed Williams. Williams ultimately admitted to receiving the child pornography via Instagram. A forensic examination of Williams’ phone revealed images and videos of child sexual abuse material that Williams received between November of 2019 and December of 2020. 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 Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case. Williams was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Tallahassee Man Sentenced To 13 Years In Federal Prison For Receiving Methamphetamine Through The United States Mail

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Chason Michael Miles Johnson, 30, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness and collaborative efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners, to identify and intercept shipments of illegal substances via the United States Mail,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Moreover, the sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would use the United States Postal Service to conduct illegal activities.” Court documents reflect upon Johnson’s release from state prison in March 2022, he began receiving methamphetamine via the United States Postal Service from a source in Arizona. The United States Postal Inspection Service uncovered the plot after flagging one of the packages destined to Johnson, obtaining a search warrant, and discovering that it contained approximately half a pound of methamphetamine. A second package destined for Johnson was likewise intercepted, a search warrant obtained, and it was found to contain approximately a pound of methamphetamine. On August 24, 2022, a federal search warrant was executed at Johnson’s home, and officers found a .22 caliber pistol and ammunition, over an ounce of methamphetamine, and various other drugs. “Many lives in America have been poisoned by the illicit drugs distributed by criminals such as Johnson,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not stop targeting, disrupting, and dismantling every level of these drug trafficking organizations, which are poisoning the American people.” “Deadly, dangerous, and highly addictive, methamphetamine has caused destruction in many communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This investigation highlights DEA Miami Field Division’s commitment to working with our local, state, and federal partners to track down those who bring this poison into our communities and hold them accountable for their actions.” Johnson was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, having been recently released from 5-year state prison sentence for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and trafficking in methamphetamine. Johnson’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. This prosecution resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Charges, Including a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation, for Threatening a Reproductive Health Services Clinic

body_text: An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally interfering with or intimidating any person because that person is providing reproductive health services. Mohamed Waes, 33, of Columbus, also pleaded guilty to felony charges of communicating interstate threats and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2022, Waes intentionally interfered with and intimidated employees of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio by threatening over the phone to burn down their building because they were providing reproductive health services. “Threatening to burn down facilities that provide reproductive health services is not just unlawful, it’s conduct that frightens and obstructs patients and providers of reproductive services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the FACE Act to protect all patients who seek reproductive health services and to protect all staff and facilities that provide these services.” “We will hold accountable individuals who make threats of force against health service providers and institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will do our part in charging those who break federal laws. As a society, we must handle our disagreements in a more civil way than threats of violence and intimidation.” “Mohamed Waes made a credible threat to commit violence and harm others,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue civil rights violations and work with our partners to keep the community safe.” “Waes played a crucial role in a business email compromise scheme by attempting to launder nearly $2 million in fraud proceeds,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) Cincinnati Field Office. “IRS:CI remains committed to following the money and bringing those who launder illegal proceeds to justice.” According to court documents, Waes also conspired with others from on or about March 21, 2019, through on or about March 4, 2020, to launder funds using business email compromise (BEC) fraud schemes. As part of this conspiracy, scammers created fake email domains which mimicked legitimate email domains and then sent emails to various companies impersonating vendors and asking that payments be made on actual invoices to bank accounts controlled by Waes and others. Waes attempted to launder a total of $1,972,792.84 in BEC proceeds, of which he successfully laundered $273,982.08. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Cincinnati Field Office and IRS:CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rausch and Peter Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Manatee County Man Convicted Of Producing And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material And Transporting Minor Victims With Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Roger Lee Caldwell, Jr. (40, Bradenton) guilty of producing child sexual abuse material, two counts of transporting minors with intent to engage in sexual activity, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Caldwell faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15, 2024. Caldwell was indicted on May 17, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Caldwell sexually abused both victims for approximately five years, beginning at the age of eight. Caldwell also produced an image of one of the victims at the age of nine, while forcing her to engage in a sex act. The image, recovered from Caldwell’s cellphone, depicted Caldwell wearing a uniquely designed belt, the same belt worn by Caldwell at the time of his arrest. In March 2022, Caldwell traveled alone with both victims to Ohio, where he sexually abused them multiple times during the trip. Upon their return home, both victims disclosed the sexual abuse to law enforcement. One of the victims retained a pair of underwear worn after the last time Caldwell had sexually assaulted her during the road trip. A DNA analysis of the underwear confirmed the presence of Caldwell’s semen. Caldwell also had a collection of child sexual abuse material on a computer seized during a search of his home. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradenton Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacie Harris, Courtney Derry, and Abigail King. It is another case brought 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Assault While Armed for Shooting Two Minor Victims in Northwest D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eric Lemus, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of assault with intent to kill while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in shooting two minor victims on March 22, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela A. Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). U.S. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan set a sentencing date of June 7, 2024. Lemus faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years for assault with intent to kill while armed, and up to 15 years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The prison term will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. According to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2023 at approximately 5:00 p.m., Lemus encountered the two minor victims, ages 15 and 17, at Park Road Park in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest D.C. Lemus then produced a handgun and opened fire on the two victims, who were both struck and later treated for gunshot wounds. After firing multiple rounds at the two victims until the magazine was empty, Lemus attempted to flee the scene but was immediately apprehended by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department. The handgun that Lemus used to commit the shooting was located inside of his sweatshirt pocket when he was stopped, and the crime was captured on video by a bystander who had witnessed the incident. Lemus has been in custody since March 22, 2023, where he will remain until sentencing. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Coates Huether and Carlos A. Valdivia.


title: Parmelee Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Firearm,  Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and Assault on a Federal Officer

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted following two separate jury trials of Possession of Unregistered Firearm, Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person, and Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencings took place on February 1, 2024. Jeremy Duane Young, age 29, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $300. Young was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023 on the firearm offenses and in April of 2023 on the assault offense. The firearm conviction stemmed from an incident in May of 2022 in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation. Young, a previously convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a short-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, which was found after Young came into contact with law enforcement following a traffic stop. The short shotgun was not registered to Young in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. As part of the investigation, Young admitted to law enforcement that he and another individual were on their way to Sioux Falls on a drug run to pick up methamphetamine. The assault conviction stemmed from an incident in March of 2023, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, when Young assaulted a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officer. The officer had been called to the community over a concern of a running vehicle blocking the roadway, and determined Young was passed out in the driver’s seat. When the officer contacted Young to get out of the vehicle, Young refused to exit, became argumentative, combative, and engaged in a physical struggle with the officer. Young then punched the officer in the face and fled on foot. Young was located and arrested an hour later. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Brian Murphy 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. Young was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Former Wenatchee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud Involving More than $117,000 in Pandemic Relief Funding

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jason Carnell O’Daffer, formerly of Wenatchee, Washington, pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $117,000 in COVID relief funding. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted O’Daffer’s guilty plea, and set sentencing for May 8, 2024, at 10:30 a.m., in Spokane. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to retain jobs and maintain payroll during the pandemic. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low-interest bridge funding for small businesses placed at risk during the pandemic. In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, Department of Homeland Security OIG, and others. Cases investigated and prosecuted by the Strike Force have resulted in numerous indictments, criminal prosecutions, convictions, and civil penalties. In the plea agreement accepted by the court, and in information disclosed during court proceedings, O’Daffer admitted to fraudulently obtaining $117,400 in EIDL funding for his purported home appraisal business, Chelan Douglas Appraisal Services. When O’Daffer submitted his EIDL application, he was not licensed as an appraiser, and his business was no longer engaging in home appraisals. Rather, O’Daffer spent the loan proceeds on non-business expenses including more than $39,000 for the purchase of a personal RV. “We created the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because combatting pandemic-related fraud and holding those accountable who abused these programs is critical to protecting our small and local businesses, and the critical jobs and services that these businesses provide for the community,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I commend the superb investigative work performed on these cases by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG and the Secret Service. My office’s White Collar team will continue to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 funding.” “This investigation serves as a reminder to those who would prey on government programs, meant to help individuals in need, that they will be identified and held accountable,” said Greg Ligouri, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Spokane Office. “The Secret Service sincerely appreciates the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA and its other federal and local law enforcement partners for the collaborative effort in investigating and prosecuting these types of financial crimes.” This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force, the U.S. Secret Service, Spokane Resident Office and San Francisco Field Office, and the SBA OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Kelly, and Assistant United States Attorney Tyler H.L. Tornabene are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. A video statement from U.S. Attorney Waldref, about the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force, can be viewed here.


title: Former Palm Beach County Resident Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Not Filing Tax Returns and Naturalization Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: A former Florida woman was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for willfully failing to file tax returns and naturalization fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Lucia Andrea Gatta was an Italian citizen, born in Chile. In 2001, Gatta moved to and began residing in the United States, and in 2012 she became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Starting with tax year 2005, Gatta stopped filing tax returns or paying taxes on her income to the IRS. From 2011 to 2013, Gatta possessed millions of dollars in assets held in a foreign bank account in Switzerland that earned her hundreds of thousands in interest and dividend income every year. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to file with the U.S. Treasury Department a FinCEN Form 114 - Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) if the combined balance of all foreign accounts they own, have a financial interest in or signature authority over is more than $10,000 at any point during a calendar year. For those years, Gatta did not file an annual FBAR reporting her interest in her Swiss bank account. During her citizenship application process, Gatta falsely reported that she had not committed crimes, including her willful failure to file tax returns. Instead, Gatta lied to immigration officials about her income and claimed that her family financially supported her. She also submitted to a U.S. immigration officer false documents that purported to show she had minimal income. Once Gatta knew she was under criminal investigation, she left the United States for Italy and contested her extradition for over 18 months. But in August 2023, the Italian government ordered Gatta’s extradition to the United States to face charges for her willful failure to file tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2013 and naturalization fraud. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon ordered Gatta to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a $50,000 fine. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: New York Man Sentenced for Failing to Pay Federal Payroll Taxes

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Nanuet, New York, man convicted of Failure to Withhold, Properly Account For, and Pay Over Tax. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2024. Asher Wagh, 48, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $273,766.98 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Wagh was indicted on ten counts of Failure to Withhold, Properly Account For, and Pay Over Tax by a federal grand jury in February of 2021. He pleaded guilty on October 16, 2023. Between 2015 and 2017, Wagh was a co-owner and the sole manager of Captech International LLC, an ammunition component manufacturing company located in Rapid City, South Dakota. As the sole manager, Wagh was responsible for withholding, accounting for, and paying over federal payroll taxes, including federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. Between 2015 and 2017, Wagh withheld the payroll taxes from employees’ paychecks and then willingly failed to pay over the taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. Thereafter, Wagh used at least a portion of the withholdings for his own personal use. In total, Wagh failed to pay over to the IRS more than $273,000.00. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Wagh was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Lexington Doctor Found Guilty of Engaging in International Money Laundering Scheme, Importing Illegal Merchandise and Receipt and Delivery of a Misbranded Drug

body_text: BOSTON – A Lexington, Mass. doctor was convicted today following a 14-day jury trial in connection with an international money laundering scheme involving importing illegal, misbranded drugs. Rahim Shafa, 66, was convicted of international money laundering, illegally importing merchandise contrary to law and receiving and delivering misbranded drugs. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2024. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2020 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in June 2021 . “For roughly a decade, this defendant manipulated and exploited our healthcare system. He circumvented the FDA approval process for drugs from overseas – systems established to protect and support public health and safety,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This conduct jeopardized patient safety and undermined the very foundation of our regulatory system. Such conduct will never be tolerated.” “U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to ensure that the medications they take are safe and effective. Unlawful, misbranded medical drugs put consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillian, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ New York Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who place profits above consumers’ health.” “This defendant orchestrated a scheme that jeopardized the health of vulnerable patients seeking help with their addiction,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “As this conviction demonstrates, HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue working together to protect both public safety and our health care system.” Shafa was a psychiatrist who owned and operated Novel Psychopharmacology. From approximately January 2008 through January 2018, Shafa engaged in an international money laundering scheme to purchase naltrexone pellet implants as well as disulfiram pellet implants and injections from Hong Kong. Naltrexone and disulfiram are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in certain forms for the treatment of alcohol dependence and alcohol and opioid dependence, respectively. However, the implantable pellet form of the drug that Shafa purchased are not approved by the FDA. Shafa falsified shipping documents to conceal that the packages containing the drugs were shipped from Hong Kong to Shafa in Massachusetts. For example, packages containing naltrexone pellet implants were falsely declared as ‘plastic beads in plastic tubes’ in shipping documents. Shafa sold these drugs to patients of Novel and implanted them into patients bodies, without fully understanding the risks of the drugs. Patients testified at trial regarding infections and complications they experienced from the pellet implantation procedure. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of importing merchandise contrary to law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of receiving and delivering a misbranded drug with provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $1,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FDA SAC McMillan and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Milford Police Department and the Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, Howard Locker and Kaitlin J. Brown of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.