title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – Seth Hoover, age 39, of Republic, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after being found guilty at a jury trial of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper observed Hoover make a traffic violation on U.S. Route 250 in Ashland County. During the traffic stop, Hoover presented fake identification. A search of his vehicle revealed a loaded pistol, approximately 1.8 kilograms of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and items associated with drug trafficking. The investigation determined the street value of the fentanyl to be approximately $120,000. This case was investigated by the DEA-Cleveland District Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol . The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Two Gang Members Charged with Armed Carjacking in Garden City

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, Abdoul Azika and Jaquell Blackwell were arrested in connection with a complaint charging them with armed carjacking. The defendants were arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl on the complaint and ordered detained. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges. “For more than a year, Azika and Blackwell terrorized and traumatized innocent members of our community through a pattern of violent, armed carjackings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work diligently to protect our communities from such violence.” Mr. Peace thanked the Garden City Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. “Abdoul Azika and Jaquell Blackwell, two Blood Hounds Brims gang members, allegedly demonstrated a pattern of violence and intimidation by forcing residents to surrender their vehicles at weapon-point. This alleged series of armed robberies incites fear and jeopardizes public safety. The FBI will continue to apprehend gang members who utilize violence to embolden their criminal activities and terrorize our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. As alleged in court filings, Azika and Blackwell were members of the violent “5zzly” crew of the Bronx-based Blood Hounds Brims gang that has engaged in a string of armed carjackings and robberies across New York City and Long Island. One such incident, as charged in the complaint, took place in the early morning hours of March 19, 2023, when Azika and Blackwell snuck up on and opened the doors of a vehicle parked in a residential neighborhood in Garden City, pointed a knife and a gun at the driver’s face, and told him to “get the f*** out of the car,” before driving off with the vehicle. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Kamil R. Ammari are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman. The Defendants : ABDOUL AZIKA Age: 20 Bronx, New York JAQUELL BLACKWELL Age: 19 Bronx, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-MJ-598


title: Drug Trafficker from California Who Provided Bulk Quantities of Fentanyl to DC Is Sentenced to 164 Months

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Paul Alejandro Felix, 25, of Glendale, California, was sentenced yesterday to 164 months in prison for participating in a wide-spread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills purchased in Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia. Felix was one of approximately 24 co-defendants arrested and charged over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Felix pleaded guilty on July 1, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 164-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Felix to serve five years of supervised release. According to court documents, Felix served as an upstream Los Angeles-based supplier of fentanyl-laced pills to other Los Angeles-based fentanyl traffickers, including a bulk supplier of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to D.C.-based fentanyl traffickers. Felix sold pills by the thousands, often at prices below a dollar per pill. Communications evidence, as well as physical seizures, indicate that Felix participated in the transfer of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to downstream traffickers. On November 16, 2023, law enforcement arrested Felix at his residence in Glendale, California. During a search of the home, officers recovered a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition, as well as dozens of rounds of ammunition of various calibers and firearm magazines in various calibers. Felix admitted that he possessed the weapon and stated that he kept the firearm for protection. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained numerous photos of firearms, as well as bulk cash, from Felix’s Instagram account. . The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section. 23cr73


title: Member of Violent Gang Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Racketeering Involving Attempted Murder

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston area man was sentenced yesterday for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang. Eric Correia, aka “Bubba,” 26, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2024, Correia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly known as RICO conspiracy, and distribution of marijuana. Correia was identified as a member Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation. Cameron Street members use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. Correia pleaded guilty to committing a March 2019 attempted murder with a firearm of a rival gang member in Dorchester. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. In addition to this attempted murder, Correia admitted to his role in an armed robbery with a firearm of a drug customer and admitted that he distributed $1,400 worth of marijuana to a cooperating witness. While he wore a mask during the drug deal, Correia was identified through a “C” tattoo on his hand. Cameron Street members often have tattoos or wear sports jerseys that employ the letter “C.” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting 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 prosecuted 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 remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: GEORGIA WOMAN SENTENCED TO 63 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON  FOR EMBEZZLING MORE THAN $1.6 MILLION FROM LOCAL BUSINESS  AND LAUNDERING THE FRAUDULENT PROCEEDS

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Thanh Hoa Thi Bui, also known as Xena Bui, age 42, a resident of Valdosta, Georgia, to 63 months in federal prison following her convictions for wire fraud and making unlawful monetary transactions. The Court further sentenced Bui to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $1,694,095.59 in restitution. According to admissions made as part of her guilty pleas, between 2017 and 2020, Bui lived in Denham Springs, Louisiana. She worked at a small business located on North Sherwood Forest Drive in Baton Rouge, which has been in business for more than a decade, and where Bui was trusted to assist with the company’s bookkeeping and accounting, among other tasks. Beginning in or about September 2017 and continuing through November 2020, however, Bui embezzled more than $1.6 million from the business by using the company’s bank account to make hundreds of fraudulent transactions and concealing the scheme from her employer. Bui accomplished the scheme in several different ways. On more than 100 different occasions, she used her access to the victim’s bank account to generate checks that were payable to herself and then used fraudulent pretenses to induce her employer to sign the checks, which she would then deposit into one of her personal bank accounts. Bui also used the victim’s bank account to pay the electricity and gas for a large chicken farm that she maintained in Mississippi and to make payments to a company in Covington, Louisiana, to which she owed money for real estate that she and another individual had purchased. In total, as the Court found at today’s sentencing, Bui embezzled $1,694,095.59 from the victim and caused the victim a substantial financial hardship. Bui took extensive steps to conceal her scheme, including by providing her employer with altered copies of the company’s bank statements and by using her access to the company’s accounting program to disguise the fraudulent transactions as payments to the company’s regular vendors and suppliers. Finally, as Bui obtained proceeds from the scheme, she would quickly move the proceeds through her bank accounts, withdraw the funds in cash, and make other transactions. For instance, on October 6, 2020, she fraudulently obtained a check in the amount of $56,252.52, payable to herself, which she deposited into one of her personal bank accounts. She immediately withdrew $50,000 from the account and then, beginning later that day and continuing through the following day, she purchased more than $50,000 in chips at a local casino. In July 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Bui with the criminal conduct described above, and the Court issued a warrant for her arrest. Her location was unknown, however, and she remained a fugitive until October 2023, when agents located her in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested her. This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.


title: Two Charlotte Men Are Sentenced To Prison For Bank Robbery And Third Defendant Has Pleaded Guilty

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte men were sentenced to prison today on bank robbery charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sherrod Davidson, Jr., 33, was sentenced to 139 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Rashad Jackson, 44, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. A third individual, Dominique Duggins, 33, has pleaded guilty for his role in the robbery and is awaiting sentencing. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 9, 2020, two Garda World Cash Services employees were servicing a Bank of America ATM machine in Charlotte. Davidson, Jackson, and Duggins were sitting in a parked vehicle on a hill overlooking the ATM. Duggins and Davidson exited the vehicle while Jackson stayed behind as the getaway driver. Surveillance video recovered during the investigation shows Duggins approach the first employee who was standing at the ATM machine servicing it. Duggins put a gun to the employee’s back and forced him to the ground, while Davidson approached the Garda van where the other employee was refilling the ATM cassettes with cash. Davidson pointed a gun at the second employee and grabbed multiple bags of cash. Duggins and Davidson returned to the getaway vehicle and fled the scene. Over the course of the investigation, Duggins was identified as one of the three suspects. Duggins had worked from June to July 2020 at Garda World Cash Services before he was fired. Investigators later identified Davidson and Jackson as the other two accomplices. On April 29, 2022, Duggins pleaded guilty to bank robbery. On June 28, 2024, Davidson pleaded guilty to bank robbery and aiding and abetting, and Jackson pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence. Davidson and Jackson are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. A sentencing date for Duggins has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Denver Couple Sentenced For Scheme That Defrauded Department of Defense Contractor

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Kimberly Ann Tew, 43, Denver, Colorado was sentenced to 48 months in prison, and Michael Tew, 45, Denver, Colorado was sentenced to 42 months for their roles in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded National Air Cargo, a logistics company and contractor for the Department of Defense. A federal jury in Denver returned guilty verdicts against both defendants on February 15, 2024. Ms. Tew was ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of over $5 million, restitution in the same amount, and a $35,000 fine. Mr. Tew shares in the money judgement, restitution, and a $100,000 fine. According to the facts established at trial, beginning in 2018, Michael Tew and Kimberly Tew conspired to defraud National Air Cargo through the submission of dozens of false invoices for services and items that were never provided. Over the course of two years, with the help of a co-conspirator, the Tews defrauded the business of five million dollars. Testimony at trial demonstrated the Tews gambled away much of the money and spent $2.4 million buying cryptocurrencies at cryptocurrency ATMs across the Denver area. Michael Tew also failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2019, on both his earned income and funds obtained from the fraud scheme. “The Tews enriched themselves by exploiting the trust of an employer, and they deserve every day of these sentences," said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “We are grateful to our partners at IRS-CI and the FBI for their help in bringing them to justice.” “Michael and Kimberly Tew’s greed and desire for a lavish lifestyle led to the judgement handed down today,” said Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “These two sentences are an example of the impressive work of our special agents and law enforcement partners and reinforces the fact that financial crimes carry with them significant penalties.” “This audacious and greedy scheme defrauded a defense contractor of $5 million over several years. These criminal acts fully warrant the penalties imposed,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI remains committed to working with IRS-CI to target and bring to justice individuals engaged in such unlawful behavior.” Kimberly Tew was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico on August 8, 2024. Michael Tew was sentenced by Judge Domenico on November 12, 2024. IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI Denver Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Sarah Weiss and former Assistant United States Attorney Hetal Doshi handled the prosecution. Case Number: 20-cr-00305-DDD


title: Jackson County volunteer fire chief sentenced to year in prison for mail fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The chief of the Coalton volunteer fire department was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 12 months in prison for using more than $200,000 in fire department funds for personal expenses. Johnny Baker, 38, of Wellston, Ohio, used his position as manager of the fire department’s finances to build up cash via pull tab sales. Baker raised funds from the local community through the legal form of gambling, which he initially implemented as a fundraiser. Several local businesses sold pull tabs to the community and sent the proceeds to Baker. Initially, Baker used proceeds to buy needed supplies for the department, but eventually supplemented his own income and spent money on cruises, resorts, sporting events, an ATV, firearms and more. Baker began working for the volunteer fire department in 2009, filling various roles over the years including secretary/treasurer, assistant fire chief, and as of January 2023, fire chief. He pleaded guilty in April to one count of mail fraud for the embezzlement, which included using fire department money to have items for his personal use shipped to his house via UPS. As part of his sentence, Baker will pay approximately $226,000 in restitution. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Fayetteville Man Who Stole Identity of Elderly Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. - A Fayetteville man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for impersonating an elderly man to steal his federal benefits and commit fraud. On August 19, 2024, Brandon Scott Grimble pled guilty to aggravated identity theft, bank fraud, and wire fraud. “Fraudsters like Grimble are targeting our elders, hoping to steal pensions and social security, and ruining their credit,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We won’t stand by and watch this happen. Grimble and those like him will face hard time for their callous crimes.” According to court documents, Grimble, age 43, gained access to the personal identifying information of the victim, an elderly man who was in poor physical and mental health. From early 2021 through 2022, Grimble, along with his co-defendant, impersonated the victim to steal his Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Social Security benefits, open bank accounts, purchase vehicles, and take out life insurance policies all in the victim’s name. After the victim died in June 2022, Grimble impersonated the victim to apply for additional life insurance policies and lines of credit on the victim’s home. “PBGC OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with Federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the financial safety of the aging population” said Inspector General Nicholas J. Novak of the PBGC OIG. “I commend the diligence of the PBGC OIG investigatory team for bringing detailed aspects of this case to light, and the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure accountability and justice.” Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The United States Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Office of Investigation investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00112-FL.


title: East Hartford Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID QUINTANA, 36, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March and April 2023, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from David Quintana, and his brother, Edgar Quintana. David and Edgar Quintana were arrested on April 17, 2023. On that date, a search of David Quintana’s residence revealed two .40 caliber handguns that had been reported stolen, one 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number, and 250 rounds of ammunition. A search of Edgar Quintana’s residence revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. David Quintana’s criminal history includes felony convictions for narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On December 27, 2023, David Quintana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms by a felon. David Quintana, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 3. Edgar Quintana pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe and Robert S. Dearington.


title: Luzerne County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking Offense

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Verbitsky, age 37, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for a drug trafficking offense. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on April 4, 2024, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Verbitsky distributed 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Kingston Police Department, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting 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. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is imprisonment for forty years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Knife-Wielding Felon Convicted for Assaulting a U.S. Marshal

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on Preston James Campbell for Assaulting a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Campbell, 41, was previously convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. After being released from prison in 2024, Campbell violated his supervised release after testing positive for methamphetamine, failing to report at drug treatment, and failing to report to the U.S. Probation office, resulting in two federal warrants issued for his arrest. On July 1, 2024, the U.S. Marshals received a tip leading to Campbell’s location. Body camera video presented to the jury showed that when Marshals attempted to arrest Campbell, he ran towards a Deputy with a knife in his hand. The Deputy was able to block and deflect the knife, preventing serious injuries. Campbell further resisted and escaped into a wooded area. He was ultimately detained three weeks later. Campbell is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He will remain detained while awaiting sentencing for assaulting the Deputy U.S. Marshal and the two pending revocation proceedings for his supervised release violations. The U.S. Marshals, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police, Bristow Police Department, and Kellyville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Elliot Anderson prosecuted the case.


title: Monroe County Man Charged With Firearm And Drug Trafficking Offenses

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Stull, age 46, of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Stull possessed with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, over 500 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marihuana on September 12, 2024, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that on the same date, Stull possessed multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses, and that he possessed one firearm with an obliterated serial number. The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting 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. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: New Bern Bloods Gang Member Sentenced for Illegal Firearm

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. - A New Bern man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. On August 15, 2024, Kevin Martell Johnson a/k/a “Stoney J”, age 28, pled guilty to the charge. According to court documents and other information presented in court, on March 17, 2023, officers with the New Bern Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Johnson was a passenger after it ran a stop sign. The vehicle pulled into the Wells Fargo parking lot, and Johnson fled on foot. As Johnson was fleeing, he dropped a .40 caliber handgun. Officers discovered approximately five grams of crack cocaine stuffed in the trigger guard of the firearm. Johnson was eventually apprehended, and during a search of his person, officers found marijuana and eight oxycodone pills. Officers swabbed the firearm to obtain a DNA sample from Johnson, which was then sent to the lab for comparison. The lab confirmed that Johnson’s DNA was present on the firearm. Johnson is identified as an active member of the Bloods street gang in New Bern. “The New Bern Police Department is proud to be part of a partnership dedicated to addressing violent street gangs, felony drug offenses, and other acts of violence. Collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and other local and state law enforcement agencies, we have combined personnel, technology, and resources to hold offenders accountable for these serious crimes. We remain committed to creating a safe, crime- and drug-free community where everyone can live without fear,” said New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher. The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The FBI and New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-20-FL.


title: California Teenager Pleads Guilty in Florida to Making Hundreds of ‘Swatting’ Calls Across the United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Alan W. Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, pleaded guilty today to four counts of making interstate threats to injure the person of another. Filion faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. “This prosecution and today’s guilty plea reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to using all tools to hold accountable every individual who endangers our communities through swatting and hoax threats,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “For well over a year, Alan Filion targeted religious institutions, schools, government officials, and other innocent victims with hundreds of false threats of imminent mass shootings, bombings and other violent crimes. He caused profound fear and chaos and will now face the consequences of his actions.” “Alan Filion not only intended to cause as much harm as possible, but he also attempted to profit from these criminal activities by offering swatting-for-a-fee services,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Swatting poses severe danger to first responders and victims, wastes significant time and resources, and creates fear in communities. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who engages in these activities." According to the plea agreement, from approximately August 2022 to January 2024, Filion made more than 375 swatting and threat calls, including calls in which he claimed to have planted bombs in the targeted locations or threatened to detonate bombs and/or conduct mass shootings at those locations. He targeted religious institutions, high schools, colleges and universities, government officials, and numerous individuals across the United States. Filion was 16 at the time he placed the majority of the calls. Filion intended for his calls to cause large-scale deployment of police and emergency-services units to the targeted locations. During these calls, he provided information to law enforcement and emergency services agencies that he knew to be false, such as false names, false claims that he and others had placed explosives in particular locations, false claims that he and others possessed dangerous weapons, including firearms and explosives, and false claims that he and/or other individuals had committed, or intended to imminently commit, violent crimes. During the time that dispatchers spent on the phone with Filion, they were unavailable to respond to other emergencies. Additionally, in response to many of his calls, armed law enforcement officers were dispatched to the targeted addresses, and likewise were made unavailable to respond to other emergencies. In some instances, armed law enforcement officers approached and entered targeted residences with their weapons drawn and detained individuals who occupied the residences. In a post on Jan. 20, 2023, Filion claimed that when he swats someone, he “usually get[s] the cops to drag the victim and their families out of the house, cuff them and search the house for dead bodies.” According to court documents, Filion became a serial swatter for both profit and recreation. He claimed in a Jan. 19, 2023, online post that his “first” swatting was like “2 to 3 years ago” and that “6-9 months ago [he] decided to turn it into a business. . .” On several occasions, Filion placed posts on social-media channels advertising his services and swatting-for-a-fee structure. On Jan. 18, Filion, then 17-years-old, was arrested in California on Florida state charges arising from a May 2023 threat he made to a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In that threat, he claimed to have an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs, and Molotov cocktails. He said that he was going to imminently “commit a mass shooting” and “kill everyone” he saw. Filion pleaded guilty today in federal court to making that threat. Filion’s federal charges were brought under the Federal Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JDA). As noted in the criminal information filed on Oct. 21, Filion was 17 when the instant charges were filed against him. Filion has remained in custody since his arrest on state charges in January. Filion also pleaded guilty to making three other threatening calls – an October 2022 call to a public high school in the Western District of Washington, in which he threatened to commit a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs throughout the school; a May 2023 call to a Historically Black College & University in the Northern District of Florida, in which he claimed to have placed bombs in the walls and ceilings of campus housing that would detonate in about an hour; and a July 2023 call to a local police-department dispatch number in the Western District of Texas, in which he falsely identified himself as a senior federal law enforcement officer, provided the officer’s residential address to the dispatcher, claimed to have killed his (federal officer’s) mother, and threatened to kill any responding police officers. The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; the Anacortes (Washington) Police Department; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the California Department of Justice; the Los Angeles County (California) Sheriff’s Office; and the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cherie L. Krigsman and Kara Wick for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, Florida, 18th Judicial Circuit, and the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Western District of Washington, Northern District of Florida, Western District of Texas, and District of Columbia.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Preparing false Tax Returns

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis, Missouri tax preparer to 46 months in prison for filing false tax returns that caused an estimated tax loss of $2.5 million. Robert Droege, 59, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return and admitted preparing at least 34 false tax returns in his home office, Bob’s Tax Service, in the 6500 block of Morganford Road in St. Louis. Droege prepared returns for clients that contained false or fraudulent information including medical expenses, charitable contributions, personal property rental expenses, non-business bad debt and other deductions. The government alleged that Droege caused a total loss to the Internal Revenue Service of an estimated $2.5 million. “Return preparer fraud is such an egregious crime because of the trust taxpayers place in those they choose to prepare their tax returns,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Steenson, St. Louis Field Office. “We always hope that the possibility of prison time will be a deterrent to those thinking of playing games with the nation’s tax system.” Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.


title: Maryland Store Owner Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – A Maryland man who owns a retail store pleaded guilty to evading his income taxes by not reporting cash taken from his business. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. According to court documents and statements made in court, for over twenty years, William M. Bundy of District Heights owned and operated Bab’s Inc., a store located in District Heights, Maryland, that only accepted cash payments. From 2017 through 2021, Bundy received wages from Bab’s but also took cash from the business without reporting that cash as income on his tax returns. He used the cash for personal expenditures, including gambling. Over a five-year period, Bundy gambled and lost over $3 million at two Maryland-area casinos, funded in part by $2.2 million in cash from Bab’s. In total, for the years 2017 through 2021, Bundy owes federal income taxes of $672,558. Bundy is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2025. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the IRS Criminal Investigation for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao and Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Vice President of Product Development Admits Theft of Trade Secrets from New Jersey-Based Producer of Oil Products and Proprietary Flavors

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former vice president of product development at a New Jersey-based producer of oil products and proprietary flavors admitted possessing and conspiring to possess stolen trade secrets, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Andrew Blum, 63, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court on Nov. 12, 2024, to an information charging him conspiracy to possess stolen trade secrets and possession of stolen trade secrets. “A company’s intellectual property – its proprietary materials and trade secrets – have enormous value to the companies that develop them, sometimes constituting their most valuable assets. Stealing them is a crime. This defendant admitted stealing trade secrets, including a secret formula used in one of the most recognizable names in the global soft drink industry. Our office will prosecute cases like this with the same vigor as any other theft.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Blum admits he stole his employer's trade secrets and hoped to use the information so he could get a job across the street,” FBI – Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “Protecting the proverbial keys to the castle is essential for companies to remain in business and stay competitive. It’s even common for corporations to house formulas and recipes in literal vaults to keep them from being stolen. One of the FBI’s priorities is protecting companies from these types of crimes and holding accountable anyone who tries to sneak out the back door.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2013 to Dec. 12, 2018, Blum was the vice president of product development for a company that is a subsidiary of a New Jersey-based corporation that maintained its principal place of business in Northern New Jersey. The company’s parent corporation was one of the world’s largest producers of oils, juices, peel and byproducts, as well as a leading manufacturer of proprietary flavors sold to, among others, the world’s largest beverage companies. The company’s entire business was predicated on the development of formulas used in the production of flavors and as such, the intellectual property represented in formulas is one of the company’s most important assets. In December 2018, the company’s information technology team discovered that another employee from company used a personal email account to forward 82 files, each of which contained proprietary and trade secret information, to Blum on his personal email account. The list of 82 files included virtually all of the formulas used in the department where Blum worked. The company later learned that Blum and the other employee accessed other sensitive formulas belonging to the company that Blum and the employee were not working on and should not have accessed, including a secret formula used in one of the most recognizable names in the global soft drink industry. Other email communication between non-company accounts showed that Blum and the other employee were planning to leave the company to work for competitor companies. Law enforcement later recovered other trade secret information from Blum’s residence and from one of Blum’s cloud-based storage accounts, including handwritten notes for a product that the company produces that is sold by one of the world’s largest soda companies in a country in Asia. The counts of conspiracy to possess stolen trade secrets and possession of stolen trade secrets each carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark, with assistance from the National Security Unit. blum.information.pdf


title: Yukon Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing from Nonprofit

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – DEBRA KAYE LYONS , 65, of Yukon, has pleaded guilty to federal program theft, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On October 21, 2024, Lyons was charged by Amended Information with federal program theft. From 2007 to January 2023, Lyons worked for an Oklahoma City nonprofit organization receiving federal funds, where she coordinated the purchase of cell phones and cell phone plans for the nonprofit. According to the Amended Information, from January 13, 2022, through January 13, 2023, through her role with the nonprofit, Lyons used the nonprofit’s corporate account to purchase cell phones, which she then resold for personal financial gain. The Amended Information alleges that the illegally purchased and stolen cell phones led to a loss of at least $5,000 for the nonprofit. On November 12, 2024, Lyons pleaded guilty, and admitted she stole property from the nonprofit by using its corporate account to purchase cell phones, which she then resold for her own personal financial gain. At sentencing, Lyons faces up to 10 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Johnson County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Hagerhill, Ky., man, Gary Warick, 58, was sentenced to 120 months in prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, following convictions for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to evidence presented at his trial, on April 26, 2022 and again on May 3, 2022, law enforcement in Johnson County made two controlled purchases of methamphetamine involving Warick. Thereafter, on May 4, 2022, execution of a search warrant on Warick’s residence uncovered additional methamphetamine. Collectively, the purchases and search resulted in the seizure of more than 130 grams of methamphetamine. Warick had previously been convicted of felony trafficking in a controlled substance, in 2010. Under federal law, Warick must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Drug, Firearms and Money Laundering Charges

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to fentanyl, cocaine, firearms and money laundering charges. Joseph Correa, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and other controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2025. Correa was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 along with 20 co-conspirators. Correa was the target of a long-term investigation into a network of fentanyl and cocaine distributors based in and around Lawrence. Correa obtained fentanyl from local suppliers and he and co-defendants and brothers, Jose Martinez and Luis Martinez, regularly traveled to Puerto Rico to purchase wholesale quantities of cocaine, which they mailed to addresses in New England for redistribution in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Correa employed co-defendants, and an uncharged co-conspirator, to store and process drugs at their residences and distribute drugs on his behalf. Correa was regularly intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and obtaining, possessing and using firearms. He and co-defendant Mayi Rosario conspired to launder drug proceeds via various financial transactions and purchases. During the course of the investigation, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine and drug proceeds were seized from Correa and his associates and from packages mailed by or for Correa. On Dec. 15, 2021, Correa was arrested in Caguas, Puerto Rico. At the time of his arrest, Correa was holding a loaded firearm that had a Glock slide and a privately manufactured grip, and that had been converted into a fully automatic weapon. In May 2024, Jose Martinez was sentenced to 90 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Luis Martinez pleaded guilty in August 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2025. Rosario was sentenced to 30 months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention and 26 months of supervised release. The drug conspiracy charge provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a life term in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a life term of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of up at least five years and up to life in prison, to run consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug conspiracy count, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The cocaine possession and money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by supervised release of at least three years and up to life on the drug charge and maximum of three years on the money laundering charge and fines of up to $1 million on the drug charge and up to $500,000 or twice the value of the funds laundered on the money laundering charge. 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit 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 .


title: Harlan County Man Sentenced for His Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Lynch, Ky., man, Steven Wayne Williams, 41, was sentenced to 180 months in prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, from December 2021 to August 31, 2022, Williams conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Specifically, Williams was part of a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation or multiple kilos of a mixture of methamphetamine from Georgia, into Harlan County and other counties in Kentucky. Williams served as the “point man” for the source of supply in Georgia, and arranged for his co-conspirator Lawrence Lucas to travel to Georgia and return with several kilos of the drugs for distribution in Kentucky. Under federal law, Williams must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Driver In High-Speed Chase Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Transporting Two Kilograms Of Fentanyl Pills And A Loaded Firearm

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Jonathan Nicola (23, Sanford) to 15 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute two kilograms of fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Nicola entered a guilty plea on April 30, 2024. According to court documents, a DEA investigation in the St. Cloud area focused on a package delivered to an address in St. Cloud. On January 11, 2024, at around 2:10 p.m., law enforcement observed Nicola get out of a vehicle and retrieve that package. When they attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Nicola accelerated and entered the Florida Turnpike traveling north. An ensuing pursuit, lasting over approximately 14 miles, involved multiple car accidents, driving on the shoulder and into oncoming traffic, running red lights, and endangering traffic. At one point, pursuing officers estimated that the vehicle was traveling more than 100 mph in a 45-mph zone. Nicola crashed and disabled the vehicle at the corner of Washington Woods Lane and Landstar Boulevard in Orlando. A search of the vehicle revealed a digital scale and numerous plastic bags in the driver’s door, and a 9 mm Springfield Hellcat handgun loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found a parcel addressed to the address in St. Cloud where they had conducted surveillance earlier that day. The box was sealed with tape, glue, and insulating foam. It contained a silver metal box containing a vacuum sealed bag of blue pills – sometimes known as fenta-pills – that weighed approximately 4.4 pounds. DEA laboratory tests later revealed that the package with pills contained 2 kilograms of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the St. Cloud Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Maryland Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: A Maryland man who owns a retail store pleaded guilty today to evading his income taxes by not reporting cash taken from his business. According to court documents and statements made in court, for over 20 years, William M. Bundy of District Heights owned and operated Bab’s Inc., a store located in District Heights, that only accepted cash payments. From 2017 through 2021, Bundy received wages from Bab’s but also took cash from the business without reporting that cash as income on his tax returns. He used the cash for personal expenditures, including gambling. Over a five-year period, Bundy gambled and lost over $3 million at two Maryland-area casinos, funded in part by $2.2 million in cash from Bab’s. In total, for the years 2017 through 2021, Bundy had additional taxes due of $672,558. Bundy is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.


title: Dunklin County Woman Admits Aiding $565,000 Fraud

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A woman from Dunklin County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted acting as a money mule in the theft of $565,000 from a Bank of America account. Sheri L. Reeves, 55, of Kennett, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of aiding and abetting bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. She admitted to acting as a money courier or “money mule,” transferring money obtained by fraud to co-conspirators. On June 9, 2020, Reeves opened an account at a Bank of America branch in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Sometime before Oct. 21, 2020, Reeves added the name of the fraud victim to the account. Reeves’ co-conspirators used fraudulently obtained account information to access the victim’s account and transfer a total of $565,000 to Reeves’ account in three separate electronic transfers. Reeves then sent the fraud proceeds to others using cashier’s checks obtained in Tennessee and Arkansas and via a CoinFlip cryptocurrency ATM in Dunklin County. She also sent her account information to others and withdrew or attempted to withdraw the proceeds in cash or by check, her plea agreement says. Reeves is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 13, 2025. The bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. The conspiracy and wire fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn is prosecuting the case. If you believe you are participating in a money mule scheme or a victim of one, please contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaints Center at ic3.gov or contact your local FBI office.


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

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Todd Painter, 40, of Clendenin, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 15, 2023 through June 24, 2023, Painter received 11 packages containing methamphetamine sent by a co-conspirator from New York to Painter’s residence in Clendenin. Painter kept some of the methamphetamine for himself and held the rest for the co-conspirator to pick up. The co-conspirator occasionally directed Painter to deliver methamphetamine to other individuals in the Kanawha County area. On July 15, 2023, the co-conspirator shipped a package through the United States Postal Service from New York to Painter’s residence in Clendenin. Law enforcement intercepted the package and discovered that it contained approximately 4.2 kilograms of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-182. ###


title: Judge Hands Man 10 Year Prison Term for November 2021 Carjacking, Robbery, and Burglary

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kenneth Phillips, 24, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to a total of 120 months in prison for a carjacking and subsequent burglary that took place in Northeast Washington in November of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Phillips was found guilty by a jury of carjacking, robbery, assault, burglary, first degree theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and driving without a permit on July 26, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, on November 12, 2024, the Honorable Robert A. Salerno sentenced Phillips to three years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, on November 15, 2021, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Phillips was in the 2000 block of Fourth Street NE when he approached the victim from behind, striking him in the back of the head and taking his car and house keys. Phillips crossed the street with the victim’s keys before returning to the victim, striking the victim in the face and fish-hooking him in the mouth. Phillips then fled the area in the victim’s Toyota Sienna van. On November 16, 2021, at approximately 4:00 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department located the defendant in the 700 block of K Street NE. Phillips was sitting in the driver’s seat of the victim’s Toyota van wearing a jacket that belonged to one of the victim’s family members. Police also recovered a key fob and a college graduation ring from the defendant’s pockets. The key fob belonged to the victim of the carjacking and the college graduation ring was later determined to have been stolen from the victim’s house. In the trunk of the victim’s Toyota van, police recovered a television in an unopened box that had been taken from the victim’s home. At 7:00 a.m., on November 16, 2021, the victim’s family reported to police that their home had been burglarized. Specifically, the front and rear doors had been left open and unlocked, interior lights and doors were on, and bedrooms had been ransacked. Several of the belongings reported missing by the victim’s family were found by police on Phillips’s person and in the car he was driving at the time of his arrest. Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance video from the area around the carjacking that captured the suspect before and during the carjacking. At the time of Phillips’s arrest, he was wearing clothing that matched that worn by the carjacking suspect in the surveillance video. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin DeRiso, who investigated the case; Paralegal Specialists Antoinette Sakamsa and Crystal Waddy; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Guisela Castillo and Basizette Stribling; Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling; and IT Specialist Sigourney Jackson. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Sara Matar, who prosecuted the case.


title: Leader Of Large Scale Drug Trafficking Operation  Sentenced To 60 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY – A Detroit man was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison today for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation in the Saginaw-Bay region, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office. The 720-month sentence imposed on Ricardo Delgado, II, 51, by United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington, followed a week-long trial in June in which the jury found Delgado guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl; possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a machinegun; felon in possession of a firearm; possession of an unregistered silencer; and, use of communication facility to commit a drug offense. Evidence at trial established that Delgado was the leader of a large-scale drug conspiracy that involved the importation of numerous kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico for distribution in the Saginaw-Bay region. During the course of the investigation, FBI agents learned from a court-authorized wiretap that Delgado was seeking retaliation for the theft of his drugs from a subordinate and that he ordered that subordinate to exact revenge. However, this plan was thwarted by authorities. In addition, following Delgado’s arrest, law enforcement officers seized 13 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, 12 firearms, including two machineguns, two silencers, and over $200,000 in cash from Delgado’s residence. “This defendant endangered countless individuals by trafficking in large quantities of deadly fentanyl and cocaine. He also sought to use violence to protect his trade in illicit drugs,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “This sentence should serve as a stark warning that our office will zealously pursue those who seek to bring illegal drugs and violence into our community.” "Today's sentencing of Ricardo Delgado, a notorious drug trafficker, marks a critical milestone in our ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and protect the public from its devastating effects," stated Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "The FBI Michigan remains firmly committed to addressing the dual threats of illegal firearms trafficking and drug distribution that endanger the safety of our communities. Through collaborative efforts with our local and state law enforcement partners, we continue dismantling criminal networks and disrupting the flow of harmful substances. I sincerely thank the dedicated professionals at FBI Michigan, the Bay City Department of Public Safety, the Saginaw Police Department, the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Michigan State Police. Our collective determination to safeguard Michigan residents and uphold justice remains unwavering as we work to hold those who threaten public safety accountable." This investigation was conducted by special agents of the FBI Detroit Division (Bay City Office), special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive (ATF), and law enforcement officials from Michigan State Police, Midland Police Department, Saginaw Police Department, Saginaw Township Police Department, Bridgeport Police Department, the Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET), and the Strike Team Investigative Narcotics Group (STING). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Turkelson and Will Orr.


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Social Media Drug Sale and Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Booker Henley, 30, of Columbia, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after being found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Evidence presented at trial showed that on March 10, 2023, a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Henley’s vehicle in northeast Columbia. Henley fled from the deputy but crashed his vehicle moments later. Members of the public reported the crash and multiple RCSD deputies responded to the crash site believing the vehicle was the same vehicle that had escaped earlier. Henley ran from the crash before deputies arrived. The vehicle smelled of marijuana, and when deputies searched the vehicle, they found a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, a bag containing 252 grams of marijuana, and a bill of sale for another vehicle in Henley’s name. Prior to the crash, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), observed Henley’s social media accounts where he posted pictures of himself and marijuana that he advertised for sale using the deceptive hashtag #notforsale. ATF obtained surveillance footage from the crash site which showed Henley running from the vehicle wearing unique clothing. Henley had previously posted pictures of himself wearing the same unique clothing on social media. Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for his social media account which confirmed that he was using social media to advertise and sell drugs in the days before and after the crash. Notably, social media messages revealed that he had completed a drug sale in Columbia approximately 45 minutes before the chase with law enforcement. The search warrant revealed that he messaged someone four days after the crash admitting to wrecking his “skat” which is a term used to reference certain models of Dodge Chargers. Lastly, Henley’s DNA was found on both the firearm and the extended magazine. Henley has prior convictions for pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, breaking into a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen pistol, and failure to stop for a blue light. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Henley to a total 144 months imprisonment consisting of concurrent sentences of 84 months and 60 months for the felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana convictions followed by a consecutive sentence of 60 months for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense conviction. The sentence of incarceration will be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall and Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.


title: Two Former Employees of New Jersey Mortgage Lending Business Indicted for Roles in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two men were arraigned today on charges related to their roles in a large-scale mortgage fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Christopher J. Gallo, 44, of Old Tappan, New Jersey, and Mehmet Ali Elmas, 32, a U.S. citizen who resided in Turkey until the time of his arrest, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 24, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, eight counts of false statements to a financial institution; and one count of aggravated identity theft. They appeared today before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court and each pleaded not guilty. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Gallo and Elmas were previously employed by a New Jersey-based, privately owned licensed residential mortgage lending business. Gallo was a senior loan officer and Elmas was a mortgage loan officer and Gallo’s assistant. From 2018 through October 2023, Gallo and Elmas used their positions to conspire and engage in a fraudulent scheme to falsify loan origination documents sent to mortgage lenders in New Jersey and elsewhere, including their former employer, to fraudulently obtain mortgage loans. Gallo and Elmas routinely mislead mortgage lenders about the intended use of properties to fraudulently secure lower mortgage interest rates. Gallo and Elmas often submitted loan applications falsely stating that the listed borrowers were the primary residents of certain proprieties when, in fact, those properties were intended to be used as rental or investment properties. By fraudulently misleading lenders about the true intended use of the properties, Gallo and Elmas secured and profited from mortgage loans that were approved at lower interest rates. The conspiracy also included falsifying property records, including building safety and financial information of prospective borrowers to facilitate mortgage loan approval. Between 2018 through October 2023, Gallo originated more than approximately $3 billion in loans. The charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and false statements to a financial institution each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft charge carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the indictment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. galloelmas.indictment.pdf


title: Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Defendant and co-Conspirators submitted at least 150 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications. Baltimore , Maryland – Tiia Woods, 46, Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an unemployment insurance scheme. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, beginning in June 2020 through approximately May 2021, Woods and her co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent Unemployment Insurance (UI) applications that contained the identity unsuspecting victims’ contact information, addresses, employment status, work history, occupation, and eligibility for benefits. Woods’ fraud was facilitated by email and other internet communications when she applied for UI benefits, modified UI claims within the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) system, and checked the status of claims. In response, MD-DOL disbursed UI benefits via Bank of America (BOA) prepaid debit cards. Woods also engaged in ATM withdrawals, point-of-sale transactions, and other financial transactions, such as transfers to CashApp. In total, Woods and her co-conspirators submitted at least 150 fraudulent applications in the names of purported claimants and identity theft victims. Through Woods’ actions, in the course of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, the United States, MD-DOL, BOA, and multiple individuals lost at least $3,296,725. Through the CARES Act, small businesses are offered financial assistance — including forgivable loans for job retention and certain other expenses — through the Paycheck Protection Program, which is administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offers an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance does not have to be repaid, and small businesses can receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount is $10,000. Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act also includes expanded eligibility for UI benefits and increased UI benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP). On Count 1, conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, Woods faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On Count 2, aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, Woods faces a minimum two-year consecutive prison term, followed by one year of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the DOL-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Cusson and Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the federal case. U.S. Attorney Barron also thanked Bank of America - Detection and Complex Investigations Fraud Rings and Analytics for their assistance with this matter. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts that use prosecutor-led and data-analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Okfuskee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Child Neglect

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joanna Lee Higgins, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that between January 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, Higgins willfully and maliciously failed to provide two children adequate nurturance, food, clothing, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, and supervision while responsible for their health, safety, and welfare. The crime occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Higgins was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in Passport Application and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to falsely claiming to be a United States citizen in a passport application. Ruben Dario Guerrero, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a passport application and one count of aggravated identity theft. Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2025. On Aug. 25, 2023, Guerrero submitted an application for a U.S. passport at a post office in Lawrence, Mass. Guerrero used the name, date of birth and social security number of a U.S. citizen who died in Puerto Rico in 1997, and signed the application under an attestation in which he declared under penalty of perjury that he was a United States citizen. In fact, however, identity documents from the Dominican Republic show Guerrero to be a Dominican citizen. The charge of making a false statement in a passport application provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison that must run consecutive to any other sentence, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today.


title: Executive of Louisiana Compounding Pharmacy Admits Defrauding State Health Benefits Programs

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – The former vice president of sales of a Louisiana compounding pharmacy today admitted conspiring to use the Louisiana pharmacy to defraud New Jersey and military health benefits programs, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Christopher Casseri, 56, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud. Casseri was previously charged with Christopher Kyle Johnston, 45, of Mandeville, Louisiana, Trent Brockmeier, 62, of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in a 24-count indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and a second conspiracy to commit identity theft by using individuals’ personal identifying information without their consent. Johnston and Brockmeier were charged with additional charges of conspiring to commit money laundering and substantive counts of money laundering for transactions involving the over $43 million in illicit profits they realized from the scheme. The charges against Johnston and Brockmeier remain pending and they are scheduled to proceed to trial in January 2025. According to court documents and statements made in Court: Central Rexall was a retail pharmacy in Louisiana that prepared compounded medications, which are supposed to be specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. In 2013, Johnston and Brockmeier entered into an agreement with Central Rexall Chief Executive Officer Hayley Taff, who pleaded guilty on Aug. 12, 2020, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, to take over the management of the pharmacy and expand the compounding business in exchange for 90 percent of the profits. Brockmeier became chief operating officer of Central Rexall and Johnston became general counsel. They hired Casseri as vice president of sales to manage Central Rexall’s outside sales force. Johnston, Brockmeier, and Casseri learned that certain insurance plans administered by an entity referred to in the indictment as the “Pharmacy Benefits Administrator” would reimburse thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain compounded medications – including pain, scar, and antifungal creams, as well as vitamin combinations. The health plans for New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, had this insurance coverage, as did TRICARE, which insures current and former members of the armed forces and their families. The three conspirators designed compounded medications and manipulated the ingredients in the medications in order to obtain high insurance reimbursements rather than serve the medical needs of patients. To determine which ingredients and combinations resulted in the highest insurance reimbursements, Johnston, Brockmeier, and Casseri had Central Rexall employees send the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator false prescription claims to test out different combinations of ingredients, but the prescriptions did not exist. By trial and error, Johnston, Brockmeier, and Casseri designed compounded medications with combinations of ingredients that were chosen solely based on the amount of money that insurance would pay rather than on the medications’ ability to serve the medical needs of patients. At their direction, Central Rexall sent compounded medications to patients based solely on financial gain, without any research or testing showing that the combination of ingredients was effective. When the Pharmacy Benefits Administrator would stop covering one combination, the conspirators would develop a compounded medication with a different combination of ingredients based solely on the insurance reimbursement and without considering the medical necessity or effectiveness of the new combination. Central Rexall then would send that new compounded medication to patients, even though the new combination of ingredients was not medically equivalent to the combination originally prescribed for the patients and without telling the patients or their doctor about the differences. The outside sales force retained and directed by Johnston, Brockmeier, and Casseri used various methods to get doctors to prescribe these medications and patients to accept them, including having prescriptions signed without the patient seeing a doctor or knowing about the medications, having medications or refills ordered with the patients’ knowledge, and paying patients to accept the medications and paying doctors to prescribe them. Casseri and his conspirators caused over $46 million in fraudulent insurance claims for compounded medications that were not medically necessary. Casseri faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2025. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The charges and allegations against Johnston and Brockmeier are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the Criminal Division in Camden. casseri.sinformation.pdf


title: Tax Attorneys And Insurance Agent Sentenced To Prison In Tax Shelter Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two tax attorneys and an insurance agent were sentenced today to a combined 16 years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns, based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Michael Elliott Kohn, an attorney, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, also an attorney, was sentenced to four years in prison. David Shane Simmons, an insurance agent and broker, was sentenced to five years in prison. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS CI), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. “The defendants are tax professionals that conspired to promote a fraudulent tax scheme based on deceit and fabrications to impede and impair our nation’s tax laws and cheat our tax system,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My office is committed to uncovering schemes that undermine the integrity of our tax system and bringing tax offenders to justice.” “The use of tax schemes by the defendants were clearly intended to conceal income from the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Today’s sentencing reinforces IRS-CI’s commitment to the American taxpayer to identify and help bring to prosecution people who promote illegal schemes designed to avoid the payment of taxes.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2011 to November 2022, Kohn and Chollet, both of St. Louis, and Simmons, who is based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, promoted, marketed and sold to clients the Gain Elimination Plan, a fraudulent tax scheme. The defendants designed the plan to conceal clients’ income from the IRS by inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious fees were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charity. In reality, Kohn and Chollet fabricated the fees. Kohn and Chollet advised clients that the plan’s limited partnership was required to obtain insurance on the life of the clients to cover the income that was allocated to the charitable organization. The death benefit was directly tied to the anticipated profitability of the clients’ businesses and how much of the clients’ taxable income was intended to be sheltered. Simmons earned more than $2.3 million in commissions for selling the insurance policies, splitting the commissions with Kohn and Chollet. Kohn and Chollet received more than $1 million from Simmons. Simmons also filed false personal tax returns that underreported his business income and inflated his business expenses, resulting in a tax loss of more than $480,000. In total, the defendants caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $22 million. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell for the Western District of North Carolina ordered each defendant to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $22,515,615 in restitution to the United States. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, and Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Pleasants County Man Admits to Sex Offender Registry Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Michael Wickey, age 46, of Saint Marys, West Virginia, admitted today to failing to update his sex offender registration. According to court documents, Wickey was living and working in Pleasants County but hadn’t updated his sex offender registration. Wickey is required to register as a sex offender for life because of two prior child molestation convictions in Indiana. Wickey faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.