title: U.S. Attorney’s Office staff read to young students to increase childhood literacy

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Kids who read at grade level in the fourth grade are much more likely to remain in school and get higher grades on standardized tests. According to Begin to Read statistics, 78 percent of children who do not read proficiently by fourth grade usually never catch up. Staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida realize the importance of reaching children early. They read throughout South Florida, most recently reading at elementary schools in Opa-Locka, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Liberty City and Pompano Beach. The locations change weekly, but the message remains the same—foster a love of reading in pre-K students. Students are always excited to see the readers. In many cases, they want to hear the same books over and over. And when it comes to their favorite books to read, “Pete the Cat” reigns supreme. “Good morning, everyone,” said Community Outreach Specialist Corey Mackay, LEC/COS, to a group of pre-K students at Cypress Elementary School in Pompano Beach. “I have a good Pete the Cat book but you need to help me sing. Can you do that?” The children enthusiastically agreed, got quiet, and listened. “They definitely enjoy when you guys come,” said a local pre-K teacher. “It’s a breath of fresh air to have someone else read to them. The kids love it.” Giving children a love of reading is the reason for this program. LEC/COS staff also give books to the students to help build their personal libraries at home. “We’ve been doing these readings for at least seven years,” said LEC/COS Chief J.D. Smith. “We go to nearly 30 elementary schools throughout the district each month, from Homestead to Fort Pierce. We believe in this program, and I absolutely feel it makes a difference in their lives.” Research shows that children who fall behind in literacy are four times more likely to drop out of school. LEC/COS staff organize these readings at schools in areas considered to be book deserts. “For many children, it’s tough to get access to printed books,” said Smith. “Underserved areas can lack community libraries. That’s why we bring books with us. Every little bit helps. If we can get one child to love reading, then it’s worth it.” Anyone interested in donating children’s books to the reading program may do so by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violence Reduction Partnership at (305) 961-9134. Community Outreach Specialist Corey Mackay, Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, reads books to pre-K students at Holmes Elementary School in Liberty City in an effort to foster a love of reading. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. ###


title: Two Henderson, Kentucky Men Charged in a Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Sean McKinney of the Henderson Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Elijah J. Roberts , 25, and Jeremy J. Frey , 49, were each charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute, and distributing, over 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture between April 2023 and August 31, 2023, in Henderson County, Kentucky. Roberts made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky on March 8, 2024. Frey made his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky on March 21, 2024. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI Owensboro Satellite Office, the Kentucky State Police, and the Henderson Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. xxx


title: District Man Sentenced to 17 Year Prison Term for Daytime Shooting in Apartment Building

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Raekwon Sutton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Thursday, March 21, 2024, to 17 years in prison for a shooting that took place in Southeast Washington on March 19, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Sutton was found guilty of multiple assault and firearms-related offenses following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz. Sutton was found guilty following a jury trial on October 3, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, Sutton went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment armed with a handgun. In a fit of rage, he fired ten rounds at the front door of the apartment while two family members were inside. A few hours before the shooting, Sutton sent multiple text messages and voice messages threatening to shoot at the apartment. Shortly after the shooting, Sutton sent additional messages threatening to return to the apartment and fire additional shots. 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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Platt, Paralegal Specialists Nancy Murillo and Tiffany Fogle, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yasmin Emrani and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Fabricating Millions in Business Income to Obtain Pandemic Relief

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Massachusetts businesswoman pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking COVID-19 relief. Vanessa Nixon, 45, of Framingham, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024. Nixon was charged in February 2024. Nixon was the owner and operator of multiple businesses in Massachusetts, including Mass Homes Investments LLC, Nixon Homes LTD and Alpha Auto Body, Inc. Between April 2020 and November 2022, Nixon submitted multiple fraudulent loan applications in the names of her various businesses to banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program that fabricated millions in business income. Nixon also created fake tax documents that she submitted with the loan applications to substantiate the fabricated business income. In total, Nixon received more than $450,000 in loans that were subsequently forgiven by banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Career Offender Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to firearms and drug offenses. Ricardo Colon, 34, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024. On March 21, 2022, Colon was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution as well as firearms and ammunition: a .22 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, multiple gun magazines and 140 rounds of ammunition. Colon is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous felony convictions. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg Hudon Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Las Vegas Resident Sentenced To Prison For COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge James C. Mahan to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently seeking over $1 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. According to court documents, from April 2020 to July 2020, Karen Chapon, aka Karen Hannafious, made multiple false statements about her companies’ respective business operations and payroll expenses, and submitted false documents to support six fraudulent PPP loan applications, including false federal tax filings. As part of the fraudulent loan applications, Chapon falsely stated that she had not been convicted of a felony in the past five years, but in fact, she pleaded guilty to felony fraud offenses in 2016. She received four loans totaling approximately $596,931. Chapon used fraudulently obtained funds for her own benefit, including the purchase of a Mercedes Benz SUV. In August 2023, Chapon pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In addition to the prison term, Chapon was ordered to pay $589,484.13 in restitution. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the loan towards payroll expenses. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI; Acting Inspector General Heather M. Hill for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Western Region made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI, TIGTA, and SBA OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Oliva and Trial Attorneys Lucy Jennings and Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . # # #


title: KC Man Charged After Officers Seize 59 Firearms, Including Machine Guns, and Illegal Drugs from Residence

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court today after law enforcement officers found 59 firearms, including machine guns, along with illegal drugs during a search of his residence. Roberto Rosales Gonzales, 23, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Gonzales remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing. On Thursday, March 21, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gonzales’s residence. During the search of the residence, officers found 59 firearms of various calibers, including two machine guns, assorted ammunition, a firearm silencer, and an inert hand grenade. Officers also found approximately 114.1 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, approximately 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 31.4 grams of suspected heroin, and more than $22,000 in cash. The two machine guns, which were loaded, were identified as a Glock .40-caliber pistol and a Glock 17 9x19mm pistol, each of which contained a switch to convert it into a machine gun. According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an undercover law enforcement operation made several purchases of illegal drugs and firearms from Gonzales prior to the execution of the search warrant. Following the transactions, the affidavit says, investigators learned that a pistol and a rifle sold by Gonzales had been reported stolen. A National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) evaluation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives indicates that the rifle was a match to shell casings recovered from two shootings. Today’s criminal complaint charges Gonzales with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms, including machine guns, in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of illegally possessing machine guns. The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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. National Integrated Ballistic Information Network This investigation involved leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine that had been delivered in packages to various locations, including the Harvard University campus. Lennon Carrasco, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2024. Carrasco was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with co-conspirator Dorian Rojas. In June 2019, law enforcement recovered a FedEx package that had been delivered to a biology lab on the campus of Harvard University. The package was found to contain approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and one kilogram of cocaine. A subsequent investigation revealed that Rojas, who was a former FedEx delivery driver, asked Carrasco, who was working as a FedEx delivery driver, to retrieve the package and deliver it to Rojas. In August 2019, Carrasco was observed retrieving another package and delivering it to Rojas. Shortly after, Rojas was arrested, and the package was found to contain almost one kilogram of heroin. It was ultimately determined that Carrasco had diverted more than 20 FedEx packages for Rojas from November 2017 to June 2019. In October 2022 , Rojas was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. The charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harvard University Police Chief Victor Clay; Christine Elow, Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Ohio Felon Convicted of Carrying Out Series of Armed Pharmacy Robberies Throughout Western Pennsylvania

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for approximately two and a half hours, on March 21, 2024, a federal jury found Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea guilty of seven crimes: one count each of conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, three counts of armed pharmacy robbery, and two counts of pharmacy robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Jamea, 26, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, was tried before United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab in Pittsburgh. Evidence introduced during the four-day trial, through 19 witnesses, established that the defendant participated in a conspiracy to rob pharmacies of Schedule II controlled substances—that is, highly addictive opioids and stimulants—between September 2018 and July 2019. This conspiracy included the robberies of pharmacies in Beaver, Bridgeville, Edinboro, Erie, and the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During three of the robberies, Jamea and his co-conspirators brandished a firearm to threaten the lives of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and to intimidate them into opening the locked safes where the controlled substances were kept. Evidence also established that the defendant went on to distribute these stolen narcotics in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2024. The maximum penalty for the most serious offense of conviction is 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Jamea is currently serving a prison sentence of more than 40 years following his earlier conviction in Ohio state court for multiple counts of felonious assault with a firearm. He remains in custody pending his sentencing in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara K. Doolittle and Michael R. Ball prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Erie Police Department, Edinboro Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Bridgeville Police Department, and Ohio Highway Patrol all participated in the investigation leading to the conviction of Jamea.


title: Springfield Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Springfield for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Robbie Delgado, 25, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Delgado will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield later today. According to the indictment, on Feb. 8, 2024, Delgado allegedly possessed a Baretta .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun after being convicted of a felony. The charge of possession of the firearm by a previously convicted felon provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian A. Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Harrison County Man Charged with Firearms and Fentanyl Offenses

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Martin Lynn Queen, age 61, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted on federal firearms and fentanyl charges. Queen is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, investigators conducted multiple vehicle and property searches, uncovering fentanyl stamps, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and other controlled substances, as well as several firearms. Queen is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior firearms conviction in the Northern District of West Virginia. Queen faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the firearms charge and faces up to 20 years for the drug charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Parsons is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Logan County Felon for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 13, 2024, charging a Logan County man with methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement. According to the indictment, on February 15, 2024, in Warren County, Kentucky, Joshua O. Duncan, 39, possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture and 400 grams or more of fentanyl mixture. Duncan is also charged with possessing a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver in furtherance of his drug trafficking. In addition to the revolver, Duncan also possessed a Springfield Armory .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol, and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Duncan was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On August 21, 2018, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, greater than 2 grams of methamphetamine. On August 27, 2012, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine. On March 11, 2010, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine. On March 21, 2024, Duncan made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this 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. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: South Louisiana Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identify Theft

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Joshua Dunbar , 24, of St. Martinville, Louisiana , and Jaqualyne Etienne , 24, of Lafayette, have both been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph for aggravated identity theft. Dunbar was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Etienne was previously sentenced on February 27, 2024, to two years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Dunbar and Etienne each pleaded guilty to one count of committing aggravated identify theft. A federal investigation revealed that Dunbar and Etienne were involved in a scheme to use the personal identifying information (PII) of individuals to obtain the credit card accounts maintained by Synchrony Bank. Dunbar and Etienne used the PII of those individuals to request that a new credit card be issued for each of those accounts and sent to addresses in St. Martinville and New Iberia. Dunbar and Etienne then used those credit cards to make several fraudulent purchases. Dunbar admitted at his guilty plea hearing that as a result of this fraudulent activity, he charged $66,421.43 using credit cards issued by Synchrony Bank and Etienne fraudulently charged $164,437.66 to those credit cards. Both defendants admitted to using the same method to acquire numerous credit cards from Synchrony Bank in the names of other real individuals and in each case, made fraudulent purchases. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon. # # #


title: Jury Convicts KC Man of Heroin Conspiracy, Illegal Firearms

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in federal court today of his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and of illegally possessing firearms. Edgar A. Mejia, 49, was found guilty by a jury of one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. On Oct. 10, 2022, law enforcement officers searched a 2000 Coachman recreational vehicle that belonged to Mejia. At the time of the search, Mejia was in custody in Oklahoma following his arrest for drug trafficking. Investigators in Oklahoma received information that Mejia had additional drugs and firearms hidden in his Coachman RV, and notified local authorities. Officers located Mejia’s RV parked next to an abandoned residence in the 2300 block of Drury Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Investigators searched the RV and found, hidden behind a wall in the kitchen, 541 grams of heroin, a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic handgun, an American Tactical AR-15-style rifle, and ammunition. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately three and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Wednesday, March 20. Mejia previously pleaded guilty to one count of possessing the heroin inside the RV with the intent to distribute it and one count of being a felon in possession of the firearms recovered from the RV. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mejia has two prior state felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior federal felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Under federal statutes, Mejia is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum sentence the court could impose is life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Robert M. Smith and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force; the District Attorney’s Task Force for the 13th Judicial District in Ottawa and Delaware Counties, Oklahoma; Wyandotte Nation Tribal Police Department, Wyandotte, Oklahoma; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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: Former Beverly Hills-Based Marriage and Family Therapist Indicted for Allegedly Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former Beverly Hills-based licensed marriage and family therapist has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material, the Justice Department announced today. Ron Gad, 49, of the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, was charged Thursday with one count of distribution of child pornography. Gad, whose marriage and family therapist license expired in November 2023, is free on $250,000 bond. He is expected to be arraigned on May 3 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to the indictment, on December 2, 2021, Gad knowingly distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving a pre-teen via the internet and which had been shipped in interstate commerce. Court documents previously filed in this case state that in the fall of 2022, law enforcement became aware that Gad, who maintained a Beverly Hills office for his therapy practice, had engaged in sexually explicit online chats with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, but who in fact was an undercover law enforcement officer. In October 2022, Gad allegedly drove more than 180 miles from Beverly Hills to San Luis Obispo to a public park, an arranged meeting site where he believed he was to meet the “girl.” Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, arrested Gad and seized several digital devices, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this matter. A search of Gad’s digital devices pursuant to a search warrant led to evidence of Gad’s distribution of CSAM, as well as communications with suspected minors and internet searches related to sex with minors, the affidavit alleges. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office previously charged Gad in state court. That case was dismissed so Gad could be charged in federal court. An indictment and a complaint contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Gad would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Anyone who may have additional information concerning this case is encouraged to call HSI's tip line at (866) 347-2423. Assistant United States Attorneys Damaris Diaz of the Violent and Organized Crimes Section and Angela C. Makabali of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: South Carolina Man Facing Federal Charges for Murder of NMSP Officer

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Jaremy Smith has been charged by federal prosecutors for the murder of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare. Smith, 33, of South Carolina, made his initial appearance today in federal court, where a detention hearing was scheduled for March 26, 2024. Charges were announced at a press conference today. U.S. Attorney Uballez and Attorney General Torrez were joined by New Mexico Department of Safety Cabinet Secretary Jason R. Bowie, New Mexico State Police Deputy Chief Carolyn Huynh and Deputy Chief Matt Broom, Bernalillo County Undersheriff Johan Jareno and 2 nd Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman. “We are one community, and the loss of one is a loss to us all,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Never forget that this tragedy was bookended by hope—by strangers doing the right thing for people they’ve never met. Thank you to New Mexico State Police, Quay County Sherriff’s Office, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and all our local partners for their tireless work this week. Your partners in federal law enforcement stand with you today and always.” "We stand side-by-side with our federal and law enforcement partners to bring the fullest measure of justice to Officer Hare and his family,” said AG Torrez. “We will commit every resource available to this prosecution and hold Mr. Jaremy Smith accountable for his reprehensible actions." The federal criminal complaint charges Smith with carjacking resulting in death and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of the current charges, Smith faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison for the firearms offense. The more-serious charge of carjacking resulting in death carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, in the early morning of March 15, 2024, New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare stopped to assist a disabled motorist. The motorist (later identified as Smith ) exited the driver’s side of the car and approached the passenger window of Hare’s patrol car. Hare did not exit the patrol vehicle as he talked to Smith . After a short discussion, Hare asked Smith to walk to the front of the patrol vehicle. Instead, Smith shot Hare, who slumped to the right in the driver’s seat. Smith then moved to the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle and shot Hare two additional times. SMITH then drove away with Hare still inside the vehicle. At some point, the vehicles distress system was activated and in response backup units were activated. Responding officers subsequently located Hare’s patrol vehicle near mile marker 304 on the north frontage road of I-40. Hare was found nearby with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and neck. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Local and federal enforcement immediately launched a large, coordinated effort across multiple jurisdictions to locate Smith, and his name and photograph were widely disseminated by media news outlets. On March 17, 2024, Smith went to a gas station in Albuquerque. The clerk checked Smith’s identification card and recognized the distinct spelling of his name. The clerk contacted law enforcement, and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies and NMSP officers responded to the area to investigate. Officers located Smith, and he attempted to flee on foot. BCSO deputies pursued Smith , who reached for his waistband as officers closed in. At that point, BCSO officers fired their duty weapons, striking Smith , who was subsequently taken into custody and rendered medical aid. Officers later determined that Smith had stolen a white flat-bed truck from the area of Cuervo, New Mexico. “I am grateful for all the assistance and support my agency has received from our local and federal law enforcement partners in bringing the man accused of killing Officer Justin Hare to justice”, said Troy Weisler, Chief of the New Mexico State Police. “With the help of the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Attorney General, we will work together to see this case through. Our hearts continue to go out to the family and friends of Officer Hare, and we hope that the capture and prosecution of Smith will bring them closer to peace and closure.” The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police investigated this case with assistance from the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. States Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jack Burkhead are prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Lake County Woman Arrested For COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Nicole Harding (38, Clermont) on an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to court records, between March 28 and April 14, 2021, Harding devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. PPP loans were one of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Harding, however, provided false representations in her PPP application to secure the loan. The loan proceeds ($19,965) were later electronically transferred into her bank account. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.


title: Cameroonian National Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for a Business Email Compromise Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Njuh Valentine Fombe, a/k/a “Valentine”, age 37, a Cameroonian citizen, formerly residing in Beltsville, Maryland, today to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and for aggravated identity theft, in connection with a business email compromise fraud scheme with intended losses of more than $2 million. Based on court documents and evidence presented during Fombe’s sentencing, the Court also found that Fombe engaged in a pandemic-related unemployment fraud scheme while he was a fugitive residing in the United Kingdom. In addition to prison time, Judge Chasanow ordered Fombe to pay restitution of $325,856.12 and to forfeit $547,310.23. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department. According to court documents and evidence presented at today’s sentencing hearing, from at least September 2016 to August 2018, Fombe conspired with others to commit wire fraud by conducting business email compromise (“BEC”) schemes in which Fombe‘s co-conspirators gained unauthorized access to email accounts, personal identifying information, and bank accounts by sending false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts. Fombe and his co-conspirators then used the illegally obtained personal information to obtain counterfeit checks in the name and information of the victims’ bank accounts. Victims of the BEC scheme were from California, Tennessee, Michigan, Hawaii and Illinois. Fombe and his co-conspirators also registered fraudulent shell entities to facilitate the scheme, opening and managing bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent shell entities’, as well as their own names and aliases, to direct and receive proceeds of the BEC and check schemes. After Fombe’s indictment in 2019, Fombe fled the United States on a fraudulently obtained Honduran passport, ultimately residing in the United Kingdom until his arrest there on June 16, 2022 and subsequent extradition to the United States. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, DOL-OIG, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O. Hayes, Christopher M. Sarma, and Bijon Mostoufi, who prosecuted the 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: Iowa City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison related to Overdose Death

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin Resulting in Death and Distribution of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin Resulting in Death. According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 23, 2021, Iowa City Police Officers were dispatched to a residence related to a suspected overdose. After investigation, Lugene Shipp, 43, and Dione Dante Mobley, 43, were arrested related to the conspiracy to distribute and distribution of heroin. Shipp and Mobley were both convicted after a trial last fall. This week, Shipp was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment, Shipp will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Mobley is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2024. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the Johnson County Drug Taskforce.


title: Nebraska Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Pilger, Nebraska man was sentenced March 19, 2024, to 63 months in prison for Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition. According to public court documents, Nathaniel Lewis Kreikemeier, 32, was charged in a two-count Indictment, and on November 2, 2023, he pled guilty to Count Two, Prohibited Person in Possession of Ammunition. Kreikemeier fled from an Iowa State Patrol traffic stop. After a chase that included Kreikemeier ramming through a fence gate and driving into oncoming interstate traffic, law enforcement officers were able to complete the stop. Kreikemeier attempted to flee on foot and was caught and placed in custody. A subsequent search of the vehicle located a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, and illegal drugs. Kreikemeier had been previously convicted of a felony and knew he was prohibited from possession of firearms and ammunition. After completing his term of imprisonment, Kreikemeier will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol and Council Bluffs Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Bellevue, Nebraska Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charges

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Bellevue, Nebraska man was sentenced March 19, 2024, to 24 months in prison for Possession of Child Pornography. According to public court documents, Ernest Ray Roberts Jr., 53, pled guilty to a one-count Indictment charging him with Possession of Child Pornography. In August 2021, an employee with Prairie Flower Casino discovered a Samsung cellular phone on the floor of the casino. While attempting to identify the owner of the cellular phone, child sexual abuse material was discovered to have been saved from the internet to the cellular telephone. The owner of the cellular phone was determined to be Roberts. After completing his term of imprisonment, Roberts is required to serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Carter Lake Police Department and Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.


title: Physician pays $1.8M to settle False Claims Act liability

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A Houston-area doctor and his diagnostic facilities have agreed to pay to resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations regarding the submission of claims to Medicare and Medicaid that were medically unnecessary and in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law (aka Stark Law), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. From July 22, 2014, through July 10, 2017, Dr. Mohammad Athari, 80, Houston, and United Neurology P.A. allegedly engaged in a pattern and practice of falsely billing Medicare Part B. The claims were for services that were not reasonable or medically necessary because the patients’ diagnoses or medical records did not support them or unlicensed and untrained technicians had incorrectly or inadequately rendered them. This settlement also resolves allegations that from Jan. 7, 2014, through Jan. 8, 2021, Athari submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare by billing for diagnostic imaging procedures in violation of the Stark Law. Athari allegedly referred his neurology patients to diagnostic centers he owns (Universal MRI Baytown, Universal MRI Humble and Universal MRI Conroe) in violation of the Stark Law. The Stark Law seeks to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program by prohibiting physicians from referring patients to receive “designated health services” Medicare pays from entities with which the physician has a financial relationship. “The Stark Law was enacted to ensure that a physician’s clinical judgment is not corrupted by improper financial incentives,” said Hamdani. “Similarly, physicians that bill government healthcare programs must ensure they are billing for medically necessary services and not just maximizing their own income. Our office will continue to pursue cases that will protect the integrity of government healthcare programs and safeguard taxpayer dollars while ensuring that patients receive consistent and quality care.” “Personal financial incentives corrupt the medical decision-making process, leading to harm for patients and depletion of funds from federally funded health care programs. Physicians who fraudulently submit medically unnecessary claims prioritize profit over their duty to patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows with the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG). “DHHS-OIG remains steadfast in holding accountable those who prioritize personal gain over delivering legitimate medical services.” The settlement stems from a qui tam or whistleblower complaint filed under the FCA which permits a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is United States ex rel. Lisa Parker v. Mohammad Athari M.D., et al. (4:20-cv-02056). The whistleblowers will receive 18% of the proceeds from the settlement with Athari. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Texas Attorney General’s Office – Civil Medicaid Fraud Division conducted the investigation with assistance from DHHS - OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Green handled the matter. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Discovery Zone Learning Center to Make Changes to Comply with ADA

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the government and the Discovery Zone Learning Center (“Discovery Zone”), a private childcare center with locations in Columbia, Hebron, and Marlborough, Connecticut, have entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that Discovery Zone staff discriminated against a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”). This matter was initiated by a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a child with Autism. Based on its investigation, the government found that Discovery Zone failed to reasonable modify its programs to accommodate the child, which resulted in Discovery Zone excluding the child from its childcare programs. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Discovery Zone has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future, will implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA, and will provide training to its staff on the ADA. Discovery Zone has also agreed to pay $1,500 to the complainant. “No family should have to worry that their child will be excluded from group childcare because the child is disabled,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I want to commend the Discovery Zone Learning Center for doing the right thing by cooperating with our investigation and agreeing to comply with the ADA going forward.” The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: District Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for the 2019 Shooting of a Man in Northwest D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Dominic Copeland, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A jury found him guilty on September 21, 2023. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered Copeland to serve five years of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at trial, on April 26, 2019, the victim drove to a local fast-food restaurant after work to meet Copeland. After he was directed to follow Copeland’s car to the area of N Street and First Street NW and park, the victim entered the back seat of the car Copeland occupied and handed him money. Copeland took the victim’s money and, afterwards, a dispute occurred between them. The victim exited and returned to his own car and got in the driver’s seat. Copeland then exited the car he was in, pulled out a handgun, and shot at the victim multiple times. The victim began to drive away but was hit twice in the upper back and crashed into multiple parked cars before finally coming to rest on the side of the street. MPD officers immediately responded to the scene and found that the victim was unable to physically move because he was temporarily paralyzed by one of the bullets. The victim promptly identified his shooter to police as “Dominic,” whom he knew from work and, up to that point, had considered a friend. Police recovered six fired cartridge casings from the scene. Two bullets entered the victim’s upper back, with one puncturing his lung causing a severe medical emergency. The treating physician declared that bullet would have resulted in the victim’s death had he not received prompt medical care. Doctors left the bullets inside the victim’s body after determining that it would cause even more injury to attempt to remove them. 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 expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and acknowledged the efforts of all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman, Seth Gilmore, Gregory Kimak, and Paul Courtney, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saman Danai and Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Possession of Machinegun, Additional Firearm, and Ammunition

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 19, 2024, JUNIOR ALEXANDER MONCADA-VARGAS , age 34, of Honduras, pleaded guilty to a four-count federal indictment. Count One charged MONCADA-VARGAS with possession and transfer of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), and Counts Two through Four charged him with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, on or about July 21, 2023, August 2, 2023 and September 18, 2023, respectively, MONCADA-VARGAS , sold to undercover agents, a Glock Model 22 Gen 5, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, with a Glock auto-sear, and approximately twenty-two (22) rounds of ammunition, a Kalashnikov USA Model KR103, 7.62 x 39 milli-meter semi-automatic rifle and approximately thirty (30) rounds of ammunition, and a Norinco Model SKS, 7.62 x 39 milli-meter semi-automatic rifle, and approximately thirty (30) rounds of ammunition. On September 18, 2023, MONCADA-VARGAS was arrested by federal agents. Following his arrest, he admitted that he was an illegal alien and unlawfully in the United States. At sentencing, MONCADA-VARGUS , faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count One, possession and transfer of a machinegun. He faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for each of the charges described in Counts Two through Four, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. MONCADA-VARGUS also faces a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.) and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Former employee of online car sales company pleads guilty to wire fraud for $2+million theft

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 41-year-old California man, who previously resided in Tacoma, Washington pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to wire fraud, for his scheme to steal more than $2 million from his employer, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. John Whisenant was arrested in July 2023. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for July 3, 2024. According to records filed in the case, Whisenant worked in a variety of roles at the online used car sales company beginning in October 2018. About a year after he began with the company, Whisenant was promoted into a role where he had access to the company bank accounts and accounting software. Beginning in about June 2019 and continuing until November 2021, Whisenant used his access to make 57 wire transfers totaling over $2 million into accounts he controlled. Whisenant disguised the transfers as legitimate business expenses in the company’s accounting software with a variety of false entries. Whisenant defrauded the company of $2,084,799. Whisenant then transferred the money to others and mixed it with other funds making it difficult to trace. According to records in the case, Whisenant used some of the money for a lavish lifestyle. He bought luxury automobiles such as Porches and Mercedes. He spent $123,096 for a 2022 Audi E-Tron and bought a $98,100 Tesla. He rented luxury homes in Southern California and purchased two airline tickets to Paris at a cost of nearly $23,000 each. The fraud on the company accounts was discovered when a bookkeeper began a more comprehensive review of the company’s financials in January 2022. Whisenant resigned abruptly in February 2022. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a seven-year prison sentence. Judge King is not bound by that recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Whisenant has agreed to make full restitution of $2,084,779. The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.


title: Former privacy consultant convicted of cyberstalking campaign against former roommate, her family members, boyfriend, police and prosecutors

body_text: Seattle – A Seattle man previously employed as a privacy consultant was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of conspiracy to engage in cyberstalking, three counts of cyberstalking in violation of a criminal order, and three counts of cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sumit Garg, 34, was Indicted in March 2021. He has been in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since that time. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2024. According to records in the case and testimony at trial, in 2020, Garg began an extensive campaign of threats and sexually explicit messaging and posts about a woman who used to share an apartment with Garg’s wife. Using personal information Garg accessed after he moved into the apartment with his spouse, Garg threatened and tormented the former roommate. In April 2020, the victim reported the harassment to police. Following this, Garg and his wife tried to make it appear that they too were harassment victims and made false police reports. Garg also used his computer skills to threaten multiple people in the former roommate’s life, including her uncle who represented her in obtaining a civil protection order; her boyfriend; the Seattle Police Detective who investigated the threats; and even the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney who prosecuted Garg for his illegal stalking conduct. Garg used his computer skills to try to hide who was sending the threats or making the posts. The stalking campaign also grew increasingly violent, ultimately coming to include gruesome threats of rape, torture, and death. Over time, Garg’s stalking campaign involved thousands of emails sent from scores of accounts set up for the purpose of stalking. At one point in his scheme, Garg was videotaped in the lobby of the victim’s new apartment building at the same time photos were taken and sent of that location to frighten the victim. Garg enlisted his wife in the scheme – instructing her to send harassing emails to herself and others while he was jailed to make it appear someone else was doing the harassment campaign. He told his wife to destroy clothes he wore when he was in the lobby of the ex-roommate’s apartment building. His wife did send emails but did not destroy the clothes and ultimately cooperated with investigators. In her trial testimony, Garg’s wife said she finally felt free to tell the truth when he was booked on federal charges and would not be returning to their home to abuse her verbally and physically. In closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury, “The victims were terrified. They were worried for themselves, and they were worried for their families…the victims all suffered substantial emotional distress.” Conspiracy to engage in cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison. Cyberstalking in violation of criminal order is punishable by a mandatory minimum of one year and a maximum of five years in prison. Cyberstalking is punishable by up to five years in prison. The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service with assistance from the Seattle Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Friedman and Senior Trial Attorney Anthony V. Teelucksingh of DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.


title: Jury Finds Romance Scammer Guilty on All Counts

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal jury convicted Clinton Chukwudi Uchendu, 26, of Dunwoody, GA, today for his involvement in a romance scam that cost victims more than $600,000. In a five day trial, Uchendu was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of mail fraud, and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to evidence presented at trial, from February 2018 through October 2018, Uchendu participated in a money laundering conspiracy that involved receiving and transmitting funds from victims of romance scams. The object of the conspiracy was accomplished though social manipulators, referred to as “Yahoo Boys” who set up fake profiles online, developed relationships with their victims, gained the victims trust and then asked the victims for money using a variety of false pretenses. “Yahoo Boys” usually operate overseas, in this case, Nigeria, pretending to be United States soldiers, international businessmen, or celebrities. “Yahoo Boys” rely on their coconspirators in the United States, who have U.S. bank accounts to assist them. These individuals are referred to as “pickers.” As a “picker,” Uchendu provided accounts to collect funds from the victims and to add layers to conceal the source and destination of the funds, to avoid being flagged by banks. Uchendu collected money into bank accounts and then laundered the funds to Nigeria or other destinations. At trial, the jury was presented with evidence that, Uchendu also participated in mail fraud and aided the operations of an unlicensed money transmitter. Several victims testified to losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition to these victims’ testimony, evidence showed Mr. Uchendu received money from dozens of people from around the United States, whom he did not know, which he transmitted to Nigeria after retaining a portion of the money. Uchendu is scheduled to be sentenced June 7, 2024, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. LeSueur and Stewart Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.


title: Utah Auto Shop Owner Accused of Drug and Gun Crimes Indicted

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Murray, Utah, auto shop owner, accused of drug and gun crimes, was released from custody today by a United States Magistrate Judge after he was arrested earlier this month and indicted by a federal grand jury. According to court documents, on March 6, 2024, search warrants were executed on the home, vehicle, and business, 5 Speed Auto, of Muayad Kareem, 47, of Sandy, Utah. In Kareem’s Mercedes, law enforcement agents recovered an HP laptop bag in the backseat. Inside the bag, agents recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special firearm and three bags containing a white powdery substance that field tested positive for synthetic cathinones, α-PVP, known as “bath salts,” worth $11,200. Agents also seized a cell phone inside Kareem’s vehicle. At Kareem’s home, agents seized a flip style cell phone and a fake saltshaker full of small plastic baggies that are used for distribution. During his arrest, agents also recovered a prescription bottle with 366 30 mg Oxycontin pills, another cellphone and $1,600. Pursuant to the search of the 5 Speed Auto repair shop in Murray, agents seized approximately 948 blue tablets with “A-51” and “M-30 stamped on them. Agents identified the pills as Oxycodone. From a mini fridge, agents seized approximately 1,067 white oval shaped tablets stamped with “M367” and “M366,” which were identified as hydrocodone and 643 white oval shaped tablets stamped with “G037,” which were identified as Lortabs. From a safe, agents seized $40,000 in cash. Kareem is charged with possession of a Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PVP) with intent to distribute and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. He was indicted on March 13, 2024 and his initial court appearance was March 22, 2024. A two-day jury trial date is scheduled for May 28, 2024, in courtroom 8.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelsy Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Finds Shakopee Man Guilty of Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Shakopee man guilty of possession and distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Following a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank, Saul Rodriguez Pineda, 40, was convicted today on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement executed a series of controlled buys of methamphetamine from Rodriguez Pineda on three separate occasions between September and October 2022. On October 12, 2022, law enforcement searched the residence where Rodriguez Pineda was staying in Shakopee, Minnesota, and found 31 pounds of methamphetamine in Rodriguez Pineda’s yard as well as a liquid methamphetamine conversion lab. Law enforcement also found numerous items related to drug trafficking inside the residence. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, and the Shakopee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen A. Slaughter and Raphael B. Coburn tried the case.


title: Wister Resident Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Drunk Driving Accident That Seriously Injured Two

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kevin Dale Luman, age 38, of Wister, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of Causing Accident Resulting in Great Bodily Injury while under the influence of Alcohol and Intoxicating Substances in Indian Country. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office. On April 11, 2023, Luman pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 23, 2019, Luman was driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.189% when he crossed the center line of U.S. Highway 271 in Wister, Oklahoma, and collided into an oncoming Jeep. Both the driver and the passenger of the Jeep sustained significant injuries in the crash. The crime occurred in LeFlore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Luman was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.


title: Norton Man Sentenced For Possessing Multiple Explosive Devices

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Norton, Virginia man who possessed multiple explosive devices at his home was sentenced last week to 69 months in federal prison. Jordan Patrick Adams, 38, pled guilty in November 2023 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of knowingly possessing an unregistered destructive device. According to court documents, in August 2022, police received information that Adams may be in possession of explosive devices and booby traps at his home. As a result, officers with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police Bomb Squad executed a search warrant at Adams’ home and discovered, among other items, four suspected explosive devices, three of which were determined to be destructive devices. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and the Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Hall prosecuted the case.


title: Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison,  Ordered to Pay Over $200,000

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison for conspiring with others to use a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number issued to another person. Randall was also ordered to pay $205,000 in fines and forfeiture. Wendell Lewis Randall, 71, of Millers Creek, N.C., pled guilty in November 2023 to conspiring to use, in the course of dispensing and distributing controlled substances, a DEA registration number issued to another person. DEA registration numbers are unique identifiers issued to medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions and to ensure only qualified providers prescribe controlled substances. According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Randall—a medical doctor who operated his own practice in North Carolina—was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, an LLC which was doing business as Pain Care Center, a line of pain clinics operating in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Randall was nominally assigned to the Woodlawn clinic, but he was only occasionally ever on-site. He was also absent from the Christiansburg and Madison Heights clinics, but Randall allowed other, unqualified medical providers to use his DEA registration number to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) in his name, even though he had never actually seen the patients who received the drugs. Court documents, including text messages, show L5 paid Randall in exchange for being able to use his DEA registration number. Randall acknowledged in these messages that he was not seeing patients at L5’s clinics and that he was aware his arrangement with L5 was illegal. Court documents also revealed Randall’s colleagues repeatedly warned him that his prescribing practices for Schedule II opioids were improper. Randall received over $300,000 in exchange for renting out his DEA credentials and for his supposed supervision of nurses who, in truth, Randall failed to supervise. In announcing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon found that Randall’s conduct endangered patients over several years and that imprisonment was needed to punish Randall and to deter others from committing similar crimes. Randall is the third defendant sentenced in connection with L5’s operation of pain clinics in western Virginia. Charles Wilson Adams, Jr., is currently serving a two-year prison sentence, and former nurse practitioner Debra Kay Shaffer was sentenced to a term of imprisonment and a fine. Three other defendants—L5 owner Greg Barnes, former doctor Duane Dixon, and L5 itself—have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. A seventh defendant has pled not guilty to drug conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud, and false statement charges and is awaiting trial. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget of the DEA’s Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Colonel Gary Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.


title: Seattle Man Found Guilty At Trial of Indecent Exposure On An Aircraft

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge found Evan Thomas Carter, 46, of Seattle, Washington, guilty of indecent exposure on an aircraft following a bench trial yesterday, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez presided over the trial. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on August 27, 2020, Carter was traveling on American Airlines Flight 560 from Seattle to Charlotte. Trial evidence established that, over the course of the flight, Carter exposed his genitalia to the passengers seated in his row and was rubbing himself. Trial evidence showed that Carter would hide his genitalia when people walked down the aisle and was exposed for at least 20 minutes until the passengers in his row were moved. Carter was convicted of one count of indecent exposure on an aircraft, a misdemeanor offense punishable by no more than 90 days in prison and a $500 fine. A sentencing date has not been set. The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Gangster Disciples and Sisters of the Struggle Members Sentenced for Gang-Related Murders

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples and a leader of its parallel female organization, the Sisters of the Struggle (SOS), were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a murder conspiracy stemming from gang-related retribution that resulted in the shooting deaths of three men. Philmon Deshawn Chambers, also known as Dolla Phil, 35, of Atlanta, was sentenced to serve two consecutive life terms in prison plus 10 years in prison. Andrea Paige Browner, also known as Drea, 29, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two concurrent sentences of 30 years in prison. According to court documents, Chambers held a “Position of Authority” within the national Gangster Disciples criminal organization, which included overseeing members of the “Enforcement Team.” Enforcement teams within the Gangster Disciples are directed to discipline gang members for violations of gang rules through physical assault or murder. Co-defendant Lesley Chappell Green, also known as Grip, 35, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was a member of the Enforcement Team and held the title of “Assistant Chief Enforcer.” On Dec. 10, 2018, a Gangster Disciples member was murdered in Athens. Chambers and Browner sought retaliation for the member’s death and believed three unnamed Athens residents were responsible. On Dec. 14, 2018, Browner met an individual at a downtown Athens motel and learned that he was related to one of the individuals she believed killed the Gangster Disciples member. Browner sent text messages directing Chambers to travel to the motel, which he did. Chambers then followed the individual home and shot and killed him. Browner notified a Gangster Disciples associate that she and Chambers would be leaving town because the police would be looking for them. On Dec. 15, 2018, Browner was taken into custody in Mt. Enterprise, Texas; however, Chambers, who had been in the vehicle with Browner, fled from law enforcement. Chambers was suspicious that someone was cooperating with law enforcement, and incorrectly concluded that two individuals were “snitches.” Chambers directed Green to carry out the murders of those two individuals. The two individuals were lured by Green, as directed by Chambers, to drive from Athens to Lawrenceville, Georgia, to break into storage sheds and steal items to send to Chambers as “aid and assistance” as he was hiding out from law enforcement in a Gangster Disciple “safe house” in Killeen, Texas. On Dec. 19, 2018, the two individuals were murdered and their bodies were concealed in the storage unit. Chambers and Green, along with Robert Maurice Carlisle, also known as Different, 37, of Lithonia, Georgia, and Shabazz Larry Guidry, also known as Lil Larry, 29, of Decatur, Georgia, conspired to dispose of the victims’ bodies, which included potentially burning the bodies or dumping the bodies in a landfill. A federal jury convicted Chambers in August 2023 of racketeer influenced and corruption organization (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, carry and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing the death of a person using a firearm. Browner was also convicted in August 2023 of RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and causing the death of a person using a firearm. Carlisle and Guidry both pleaded guilty on June 8, 2023, to RICO conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on March 22. Green was sentenced on Feb. 20 to life in prison after a federal jury convicted him on Aug. 17, 2023, of RICO conspiracy. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia; Supervisory Senior Special Agent Robert Gibbs of FBI Atlanta Field Office; and Chief Jerry Saulters of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department made the announcement. The FBI Athens Resident Agency Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Kenneth Kaplan, formerly of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Walker for the Middle District of Georgia. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department, joined by 16 other state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on, and withholding critical access points from, developers. Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability, and lower costs for consumers and developers. Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others. Through this monopolization lawsuit, the Justice Department and state Attorneys General are seeking relief to restore competition to these vital markets on behalf of the American public. “Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly. The Justice Department will vigorously enforce antitrust laws that protect consumers from higher prices and fewer choices. That is the Justice Department’s legal obligation and what the American people expect and deserve.” “No matter how powerful, no matter how prominent, no matter how popular — no company is above the law,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Through today’s action, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to that principle.” “When corporations engage in anticompetitive conduct, the American people and our economy suffer,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today’s action against Apple sends a strong signal to those seeking to box out competitors and stifle innovation — that the Justice Department is committed to using every tool available to advance economic justice and root out anticompetitive practices, wherever they arise.” “For years, Apple responded to competitive threats by imposing a series of “Whac-A-Mole” contractual rules and restrictions that have allowed Apple to extract higher prices from consumers, impose higher fees on developers and creators, and to throttle competitive alternatives from rival technologies,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s lawsuit seeks to hold Apple accountable and ensure it cannot deploy the same, unlawful playbook in other vital markets.” As alleged in the complaint, Apple has monopoly power in the smartphone and performance smartphones markets, and it uses its control over the iPhone to engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct. This anticompetitive behavior is designed to maintain Apple’s monopoly power while extracting as much revenue as possible. The complaint alleges that Apple’s anticompetitive course of conduct has taken several forms, many of which continue to evolve today, including: Blocking Innovative Super Apps. Apple has disrupted the growth of apps with broad functionality that would make it easier for consumers to switch between competing smartphone platforms. Suppressing Mobile Cloud Streaming Services. Apple has blocked the development of cloud-streaming apps and services that would allow consumers to enjoy high-quality video games and other cloud-based applications without having to pay for expensive smartphone hardware. Excluding Cross-Platform Messaging Apps. Apple has made the quality of cross-platform messaging worse, less innovative, and less secure for users so that its customers have to keep buying iPhones. Diminishing the Functionality of Non-Apple Smartwatches. Apple has limited the functionality of third-party smartwatches so that users who purchase the Apple Watch face substantial out-of-pocket costs if they do not keep buying iPhones. Limiting Third Party Digital Wallets. Apple has prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, inhibiting the creation of cross-platform third-party digital wallets. The complaint also alleges that Apple’s conduct extends beyond these examples, affecting web browsers, video communication, news subscriptions, entertainment, automotive services, advertising, location services, and more. Apple has every incentive to extend and expand its course of conduct to acquire and maintain power over next-frontier devices and technologies. For over a century, the Department has enforced the antitrust laws against illegal monopolies, deploying the Sherman Act to unfetter markets and restore competition. As alleged in the complaint, the Department is seeking equitable relief on behalf of the American public to redress Apple’s long-running, pervasive anticompetitive conduct. Apple Inc. is a publicly traded company incorporated in California and headquartered in Cupertino, California. In fiscal year 2023, Apple generated annual net revenues of $383 billion and net income of $97 billion. Apple’s net income exceeds any other company in the Fortune 500 and the gross domestic products of more than 100 countries. apple_file_stamped_complaint_3.21.24.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe Appointed to Serve on the AG Advisory Committee

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appointed U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). “I’m deeply honored to be selected by Attorney General Garland to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the opportunity to learn from and serve alongside my fellow AGAC members as we work to advise the Attorney General and the Department of Justice’s leadership.” The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Justice Department policies. With U.S. Attorney Crowe’s appointment, the Southern District of Illinois is represented on the AGAC for the first time since the committee’s conception. Crowe was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois on June 21, 2022. As U.S. Attorney, Crowe is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Southern District of Illinois.