title: United States Files Complaint Against Dave Inc. and CEO Jason Wilk  Alleging Deceptive Practices in Violation of Federal Law

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against Dave Inc. (Dave) and its co-founder, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jason Wilk, for alleged violations of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). Dave is a financial technology company that offers consumers short-term cash advances through its mobile app. The government’s lawsuit alleges that the defendants misled consumers by deceptively advertising Dave’s cash advances, charging hidden fees, misrepresenting how Dave uses customers’ tips and charging recurring monthly fees without providing a simple mechanism to cancel them. According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Dave and Wilk market their app as instantly providing consumers “up to $500” without any hidden fees. The complaint alleges that the defendants actually very rarely offer consumers anywhere near the advertised $500, often do not offer any cash advance at all, and charge an “express fee” to get cash advances instantly that they do not clearly disclose before consumers give the app access to their bank accounts. The lawsuit further alleges that the defendants induce app users to pay a sizeable “tip” on Dave’s cash advances by using a deceptive interface that does not offer a clear way to avoid tipping. According to the complaint, Dave’s app falsely represents to consumers that the company will purchase or pay for a certain number of meals for needy children based on the size of a customer’s tip, while in reality Dave keeps the vast majority of tips for itself and donates only a nominal sum to charity that is insufficient to purchase the stated number of meals. Finally, the complaint alleges that the defendants have violated ROSCA by enrolling their customers in automatically recurring monthly membership fees without clearly and conspicuously disclosing material transaction terms and without providing a simple mechanism for consumers to cancel those recurring fees. This complaint, filed by the Justice Department, seeks unspecified amounts of consumer redress and monetary civil penalties from the defendants and a permanent injunction to prohibit them from engaging in future violations. It amends and replaces an earlier complaint that FTC filed, which named only Dave as a defendant and did not seek any civil penalties. “The Justice Department is committed to stopping companies and their executives from preying on financially vulnerable consumers with deceptive advertisements, hidden fees and subscriptions that are difficult to cancel,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to enforce the FTC Act, ROSCA and other statutes that protect consumers from such misconduct.” Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams, Trial Attorneys Sean Z. Saper and John F. Schifalacqua and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case, in coordination with staff at the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov . A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.


title: Phoenix Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Assault of a Federal Officer and Alien Smuggling Charges

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Leroy Witt, 56, of Phoenix, was sentenced on December 17, 2024, by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 120 months in prison. On July 11, 2024, Witt was convicted at trial of Assault on a Federal Officer Causing Bodily Injury, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On February 20, 2023, a U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped Witt near Sonoita, on suspicion that Witt was transporting undocumented noncitizens. After Witt stopped and tried to wave the agent past him, the agent approached the driver’s side window and told Witt to turn off the vehicle. Witt did not comply with the agent’s instruction and the agent attempted to turn off the engine. Witt then proceeded to hit the gas pedal while the agent was still hanging onto the car window. The acceleration caused the agent to be dragged alongside the vehicle as it veered into the oncoming lane of traffic. The agent was able to turn the vehicle off and bring it to a stop on the opposite side of the road. In the backseat of the vehicle, Witt had concealed two undocumented noncitizens who were being illegally transported further into the United States. Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer H. Berman and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00389-JCH_EJM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-182_Witt # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson Announces Resignation

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson is resigning on January 17, 2025. He has served in the position since May 2022. Mr. Frierson was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on November 15, 2021, and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 27, 2022. He is the first African American to hold the position in the District of Nevada. Mr. Frierson leads a team of over 100 prosecutors and staff professionals with offices located in Las Vegas and Reno. In addition to his duties as United States Attorney, he served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Subcommittees on Voting Rights and Native American Issues. Statement from United States Attorney Frierson: “It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Nevada. I thank President Biden for nominating me and am grateful to Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto and Senator Jacky Rosen for their support and confidence in me to lead our team of dedicated public servants to carry out the Justice Department’s mission. Every day, I held each team member to the highest standards to gain the trust of the public we serve, and of our partners in law enforcement. As a team, we have valued integrity, respect and compassion, and excellence in all that we do to make Nevada a safer place. I am also grateful to have been able to work alongside local, state, tribal, and federal partners to build effective relationships that advance the cause of doing the right thing. Together, we prioritized taking guns off the streets, fighting drug trafficking, and reducing violent crime. I have been especially fortunate to be the face of the Office in the community we serve, increasing our presence in the District and fostering strong relationships with local organizations and law enforcement leadership. I look forward to seeing the continued success and courageous work ahead for the Office.” ###


title: United States Reaches Agreement With Clark County To Ensure Polling Place Accessibility For Voters With Disabilities

body_text: LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada has entered into an agreement with the Clark County Election Department to resolve a compliance review that identified numerous physical barriers at polling sites. The agreement resolves the United States’ investigation into Clark County’s compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by a state or local government in any of its programs or services. The agreement will be in place through the 2026 and 2028 election cycles. “Voting is a fundamental right and the ADA guarantees that every person with a disability has an equal opportunity to exercise that right and cast their ballot in person and independently,” said Sue Fahami, First Assistant United States Attorney, District of Nevada. “We commend Clark County for its willingness to work collaboratively with the United States Attorney’s Office to achieve this goal.” On June 11, 2024, during Nevada’s primary election, the United States made a compliance review of eight Clark County polling sites by conducting physical surveys. During the surveys, the United States found numerous physical barriers including missing van accessible parking and signage, steep ramps, abrupt level changes at walkways and entrance doors. In advance of the 2024 General Election, Clark County reviewed and made temporary adjustments to remedy the identified concerns. Under the agreement, Clark County will engage the technical assistance of an accessibility expert and use an evaluation form for each current and prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The Clark County Election Department will also survey polling locations for accessibility throughout the term of the agreement. Additionally, when selecting future polling sites, Clark County will ensure that new locations are ADA accessible. The United States Attorney’s Office will monitor the agreement and provide technical assistance. Clark County will train poll workers on the County’s obligations under the ADA. The Clark County investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s ADA Voting Initiative, which focuses on protecting the voting rights of individuals with disabilities across the country. A hallmark of the ADA Voting Initiative is its collaboration with jurisdictions to increase accessibility at polling places. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ednin D. Martinez. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov . If you believe you have been discriminated against based on disability, please submit a report www.civilrights.justice.gov . ### voluntary_compliance_agreement_between_the_u.s.a._and_clark_county_nv_dj_no._204-46-181_0.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris Announces Departure

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory K. Harris announced today that he has submitted his resignation to President Joseph R. Biden, to be effective mid-day on January 2, 2025. Harris, a longtime federal prosecutor who has litigated both criminal and civil matters for the government, plans to retire on the same day. Harris thanked Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin for their support in recommending him as a nominee to President Biden. Harris was nominated in October 2021, confirmed by the United States Senate in December 2021, and sworn in by the federal judiciary that same month. He is the first Black individual to serve as U.S. Attorney in the District. In February of 2022, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Harris to the Attorney General’s Advisory Commission, where Harris was one of 13 U.S. Attorneys to represent the nationwide community of 93 U.S. Attorneys. “Serving as United States Attorney after more than thirty years with the office has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Harris. “Words cannot express my gratitude to the public servants in law enforcement who have dedicated their careers to protecting our community and to the prosecutors and staff in my office who work tirelessly every day in pursuit of justice.” During Harris’s tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted defendants in a wide range of cases involving, gun violence, financial fraud, drug trafficking, civil rights violations, and public corruption, among others. Those cases included the prosecutions of Illinois correctional officers for conspiracy to deprive civil rights and civil rights deprivations resulting in the death of Larry Earvin, an inmate at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling, Illinois. The Office also prosecuted former Illinois State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Sam McCann for fraudulent use of campaign funds, money laundering, and tax evasion. And the Office prosecuted a California man for wire fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering in connection with an investment fraud scheme that netted more than $22,000,000 from victims across the country, including more than fifty residing in the Central District of Illinois. Harris, who received the Department of Justice’s prestigious Director’s Award in 2018 for his assistance in creating the Central Illinois Human Trafficking Task Force, also focused on that issue during his time as U.S. Attorney. Under his leadership, the Office successfully prosecuted several defendants for kidnapping, forced labor, and conspiracy to commit forced labor in a case where multiple victims – including two children – were compelled to work as domestic servants, hotel maids, and factory laborers and were subjected to physical and sexual abuse. One of those defendants received the first sentence of life imprisonment that had been imposed in over a decade in a forced labor case under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Additional cases that were prosecuted during Harris’s tenure and are pending sentencing include the conviction of a Danville, Illinois, man for carjacking and murder, among other crimes; the weeks-long trial and convictions of two Quad Cities, Illinois, men for a violent string of armed robberies in that area that involved shootings, pistol whippings, and assaults; and the conviction of two Decatur, Illinois, siblings for the kidnapping of a local businessman. The Office is also presently prosecuting cases against a Springfield man and others allegedly involving area prostitution businesses fronting as massage parlors. Under Harris’s leadership, the Office recovered millions of taxpayer dollars through civil fraud actions, including a $12.5 million settlement with a Southern Illinois hospital that had overbilled federal healthcare programs. The Office also obtained restitution on behalf of crime victims, achieved access to public accommodations on behalf of disabled individuals, and recovered taxpayer dollars fraudulently obtained from pandemic-era programs. “Every day individuals in our Office go to work to make the Central District of Illinois safer,” Harris said. “Members of our community deserve to live in a place where they are not subject to gun violence, where they are free from the far-reaching tentacles of financial fraudsters, where purveyors of opiates and other addictive substances are unable to prey on society’s most vulnerable, and where children are protected from the trauma of sexual abuse and exploitation. During my time as the U.S. Attorney, we prosecuted a number of cases in pursuit of these aims. It is my hope that these prosecutions have had direct, positive effects on the community.” During his investiture, Harris also had stated that his goal was to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office with compassion, firmness, strength, and community support. “Looking back on my time with the Office, I believe we achieved that goal,” Harris said. Prior to his nomination as U.S. Attorney, Harris served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Office for more than thirty years. He held various leadership positions, including Chief of the Criminal Division. He also handled over thirty-five jury trials and several other bench trials involving offenses such as guns, drugs, counterfeiting, armed bank robbery, fraud, child exploitation, political corruption, extortion, and racketeering. Harris won convictions in all but one of his trials. Harris received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly known as The John Marshall Law School) in 1976 and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a minor in Economics, from Howard University in 1971. After law school, Harris moved to Springfield, Illinois, in 1976, where he worked for the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender as an Assistant Deputy Defender representing indigent defendants on appeal. In 1979, Harris left the State Appellate Defender’s Office and was chosen as Legal Counsel for the Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development in Springfield, which later became the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. In 1980, Harris opened his own law firm. Harris was a solo practitioner until June of 1980. In June of 1980, Harris was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Springfield, where he worked for approximately eight years as a federal prosecutor in the criminal division. In 1988, Harris left the U.S. Attorney’s Office and entered private practice at the law firm Giffin, Winning, Cohen and Bodewes as an associate. Four years later, Harris became an equity partner in the firm, making him the first Black individual to become a partner at a major Springfield law firm. Harris specialized in employment litigation and criminal defense work. Harris left the law firm in 2001 to return to the U.S. Attorney’s Office where he served in the Civil Division as its health care fraud attorney representing the government against hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians charged with defrauding the United States. Shortly thereafter, Harris was promoted to the dual positions of Chief of the Criminal Division and Supervisor of the Springfield headquarters office. As the Chief of the Criminal Division, Harris supervised all of the criminal prosecutions within the district. Harris is married to Hirut Fisseha and has two daughters, Maya and Leah Harris, and a son, Fanuel Harris, who passed away in 2022. The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois serves as the chief law enforcement officer for the 46 counties across the mid-section of the state. The district’s headquarters office is in Springfield with district offices in Peoria, Moline, and Urbana, Illinois. The office is responsible for conducting federal criminal prosecutions and protecting the interests of the United States by pursuing and defending against claims in civil litigation.


title: Court Sentences New Orleans Man to Five Years  Imprisonment for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On December 20, 2024, United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Terrell Jermaine Perkins of New Orleans, Louisiana, to 60 months imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Documents filed with the court established that on March 30, 2022, a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a stop of a black 2020 Dodge Journey Van with a Tennessee license plate for a traffic violation on Interstate 10 eastbound near the McDonald Road exit. As the deputy moved closer to the passenger side window and made contact with the driver, he detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from within the van. Perkins, the driver, was then ordered out of the vehicle. Due to the odor of marijuana from the vehicle, law enforcement conducted a probable cause search of the van. During the search deputies located a black fanny pack on the front passenger's seat. Inside the fanny pack, officers found a plastic bag that contained several small brownish rocks that appeared to be heroin and twelve pills. Perkins admitted to knowing possession of the narcotics. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of heroin and fentanyl in the brown rocks with a total weight of 40.75 grams. The 12 pills were tested and found to contain 2.2 grams of methamphetamine. Perkins possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Chinese Nationals Sentenced to Serve 20 Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Illegally Trafficking Black-Market Marijuana from Oklahoma Grow Operation

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – JEFF WENG , 47, of China and Brooklyn, New York, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Weng and co-defendant Tong Lin , 29, with conspiracy to possess marijuana plants with intent to distribute. On January 18, 2024, after a two-day trial, a federal jury deliberated about an hour before it found Weng and Lin guilty of drug conspiracy. Between December 2022 and May 2023, evidence at trial indicated that Weng managed a marijuana grow in Wetumka, Oklahoma, and licensed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Evidence showed that Lin managed matters when Weng was not present. One witness testified that, as part of their participation in the drug conspiracy, they drove delivery vans disguised as commercial vehicles, including one disguised as an “Amazon” delivery van, to the Wetumka Grow 10 to 15 times between December 2022 and March 31, 2023. The witness further testified that they picked up between 150 and 200 pounds of marijuana each time from the Wetumka Grow, and that Lin helped load the fake “Amazon” delivery van with marijuana. The witness testified they transported the marijuana to a stash house in Oklahoma City. Every Friday, the witness transported the marijuana from the stash house to a warehouse in Oklahoma City. There, they loaded more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana at a time into a semi-truck trailer, which transported the marijuana from Oklahoma to the East Coast. Over approximately seven months, the witness shipped upwards of 56,000 pounds of marijuana out of Oklahoma via semi-truck. Evidence also showed that law enforcement searched the Wetumka Grow in May 2023 and located 19,661 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, more than $100,000 of vacuum-sealed cash hidden in Weng’s closet attic space, and a firearm. At the sentencing hearing on December 19, 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Weng to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Palk noted the role Weng played in a “significant” illegal marijuana operation, and the need for deterrence. On June 17, 2024, Lin was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, along with assistance from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. It is also a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry and David Nichols, Jr. prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Cardiology Clinic and Physician Pay $270,000 to Settle Allegations of Submitting False Claims to Medicare and TRICARE

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Cardiovascular Specialists, Inc., (“Cardiovascular Specialists”) and Stewart Katz, MD (“Dr. Katz”), paid $270,000 to settle civil claims stemming from allegations that Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz submitted false claims to Medicare and TRICARE, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. Cardiovascular Specialists is an Oklahoma corporation which operated a cardiology clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, (“Clinic”). Dr. Katz is a cardiologist who owned and practiced at the Clinic. The United States alleges that from January 1, 2016, through February 28, 2020, Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz engaged in improper “incident-to” billing. Specifically, Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz submitted or caused the submission of claims to Medicare for the payment of evaluation and management (“E&M”) services under Dr. Katz’ National Provider Identification number that were performed by nurse practitioners when Dr. Katz was not in the Clinic supervising them. The United States also alleges that from January 1, 2015, through June 16, 2022, Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz submitted or caused the submission of claims to Medicare and TRICARE for E&M services that should have been billed at a lower reimbursement level. To resolve the claims, Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz agreed to pay $270,000 to the United States. The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by a whistleblower who formerly worked for Cardiovascular Specialists. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Oklahoma City under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act (the “Act”), which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene in the lawsuit, which it did in this case. The allegations raised in the lawsuit will be dismissed as part of the settlement. In reaching this settlement, Cardiovascular Specialists and Dr. Katz did not admit liability, and the United States did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case. Investigative assistance was provided by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and HHS-OIG Office of Audit Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gallegos and Amanda R. Johnson prosecuted the case.


title: Man Indicted and Arrested for Firearms Violations

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 12, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Ángel Javier Avilés-Monzón, a.k.a. “Chimi/Yovngchimi” with two counts for firearms violations. FBI special agents arrested Avilés-Monzón today at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. According to court documents, on or about June 4, 2023, and on or about August 25, 2024, Ángel Javier Avilés-Monzón knowingly possessed a machinegun, that is, a pistol of unknown make and model, modified to fire automatically more than one shot without manually reloading by a single function of the trigger. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico, and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Juan Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Alberto López-Rocafort, Chief of the Gang Section, and AUSA Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case. 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: Ohio Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of Jail Inmate

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland, Ohio, has returned an indictment charging an Ohio man for sexual abuse of a person being held in police custody. According to the indictment, Damon K. Perry, 52, of Youngstown, sexually abused a female inmate under federal detention at the Mahoning County Jail on two dates in November 2023. The correctional facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, serves under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees at their direction as needed. The first incident allegedly occurred when the inmate was under Perry’s charge and supervision as she was being held in custody on Nov. 9, 2023. Court documents indicate that the investigation also found a second incident on Nov. 30, 2023, when Perry again engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with the same federal detainee placed under his authority. “A prison sentence should never include sexual abuse, and certainly not sexual abuse committed by someone to whom we have entrusted a prisoner’s care and custody,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Correction officers have significant power over the inmates they supervise—they are to use their authority to keep prisoners safe, not abuse it and violate a prisoner’s basic rights.” This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General and being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Joyce and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Justice Department Issues Final Rule Addressing Threat Posed by Foreign Adversaries’ Access to Americans’ Sensitive Personal Data

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Note : View the fact sheet here . WASHINGTON – Today, the Justice Department issued a comprehensive final rule carrying out Executive Order (E.O.) 14117 “Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern.” The E.O. charged the Justice Department with establishing and implementing a new regulatory program to address the urgent and extraordinary national security threat posed by the continuing efforts of countries of concern (and covered persons that they can leverage) to access and exploit Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data and certain U.S. Government-related data. The Final Rule will take effect 90 days from the date of the Final Rule’s publication, with certain affirmative due diligence, reporting, and auditing requirements taking effect 270 days after publication. “This final rule is a crucial step forward in addressing the extraordinary national security threat posed of our adversaries exploiting Americans' most sensitive personal data,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This powerful new national-security program is designed to ensure that Americans' personal data is no longer permitted to be sold to hostile foreign powers, whether through outright purchase or other means of commercial access.” The Final Rule implements the E.O. by promulgating generally applicable rules for certain categories of data transactions that pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. As described in the E.O., countries of concern and covered persons can use their access to this data to engage in malicious cyber-enabled activities and malign foreign influence activities, bolster their military capabilities, and track and build profiles on U.S. persons (including members of the military and U.S. Intelligence Community, as well as other Federal employees and contractors) for illicit purposes such as blackmail, coercion, and espionage, and to bolster their military capabilities. Countries of concern and covered persons can also exploit this data to collect information on activists, academics, journalists, dissidents, political opponents, or members of nongovernmental organizations or marginalized communities to intimidate them; curb political opposition; limit freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, or association; or enable other forms of suppression of civil liberties. The Final Rule reflects the risk highlighted in the E.O. that the vulnerability of Americans’ bulk sensitive data is exacerbated because countries of concern are increasingly using bulk sensitive personal data to develop and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and algorithms that, in turn, enable the use of large datasets in increasingly sophisticated and effective ways to the detriment of U.S. national security. Countries of concern can use AI in conjunction with multiple unrelated data sets, for example, to identify U.S. persons whose links to the federal government would be otherwise obscured in a single dataset and who can then be targeted for espionage or blackmail. Among other things, the Final Rule identifies countries of concern and covered persons to whom the Final Rule applies, and designates classes of prohibited, restricted, and exempt transactions. The Final Rule establishes bulk thresholds for certain sensitive personal data, including human ‘omic data, biometric identifiers, precise geolocation data, personal health data, personal financial data, and certain covered personal identifiers. The Final Rule also prescribes processes to obtain licenses authorizing otherwise prohibited or restricted transactions; protocols for the designation of covered persons; and provides advisory opinions, and recordkeeping, reporting, and other due diligence obligations for covered transactions. The Final Rule is consistent with the United States’ commitment to promoting an open, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet; protecting human rights online and offline; supporting a vibrant, global economy by promoting cross-border data flows that are required to enable international commerce and trade; and facilitating open investment. Notably, the Final Rule does not impose generalized data localization requirements regarding the physical or electronic storage of Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data or U.S. Government-related data, nor does it require locating computing facilities within the United States to process such data. The Final Rule does not prohibit U.S. persons from conducting medical, scientific, or other research in countries of concern, or from partnering or collaborating with covered persons to share data to conduct researching, if that activity does not involve the exchange of payment or other consideration as part of a covered data transaction. The Final Rule also does not broadly prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in commercial transactions, including exchanging financial and other data as part of the sale of commercial goods and services with countries of concern or covered persons, or impose measures aimed at a broader decoupling of the substantial consumer, economic, scientific, and trade relationships that the United States has with other countries. The Final Rule further exempts several classes of data transactions from the scope of its prohibitions and restrictions, including personal communications and certain financial services transactions, corporate group transactions, transactions authorized by Federal law and international agreements, investment agreements subject to a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) action, telecommunication services, biological product and medical device authorizations, clinical investigations, and others. The Final Rule’s prohibitions and restrictions are consistent with other access restrictions on sensitive personal data that have been imposed in other contexts, including transactions reviewed by the CFIUS and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector (Team Telecom). Lastly, under the Final Rule, parties engaging in vendor agreements, employment agreements, and investment agreements involving access by countries of concern or covered persons to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data or U.S. Government-related data would be restricted transactions that must comply with the separate security requirements that have been developed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in coordination with the Justice Department. These security requirements include organizational and system-level requirements (such as ensuring that basic organizational cybersecurity policies, practices, and controls are in place), and data-level requirements (such as data minimization and masking, encryption, and privacy-enhancing techniques). These critical requirements will be published separately by CISA through the Federal Register and on CISA’s website . In connection with the Final Rule, the Justice Department will publish compliance, enforcement, and other guidance, which will be located at www.justice.gov/nsd/data-security . The Department will also continue to engage with industry and other stakeholders to determine whether any wind-down licenses are appropriate as this program goes into effect. The Department also anticipates publishing information regarding the application process to seek an advisory opinion or a license for an otherwise prohibited or restricted transaction, as described generally in the Final Rule at Subpart H.


title: Two New York Men Indicted For Wire Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sun Tong Lin, age 37, and Xueliang Chen, age 36, both of Staten Island, New York, were indicted on December 17, 2024, by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and conspiracy charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that, in June and July of 2024, Sun Tong Lin and Xueliang Chen were part of a scheme to defraud victims by convincing them that their online accounts or bank accounts were not secure. The conspirators would convince the victim to withdraw a large sum of cash and hand it over to an agent for safekeeping, when, in reality, they were stealing the money. Many of the victims were elderly. In total, the indictment alleges that the defendants stole approximately $288,000 from at least nine victims and attempted to steal another $50,000 from one victim in Tioga County. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case. The maximum total penalty under federal law for these offenses is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Monroe County Couple Charged With Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted In Three Overdose Deaths

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James P. Cullen V, age 30, and Michelle L. Ferranti, age 31, both of Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on various fentanyl and heroin trafficking charges, including for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the deaths of three individuals. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to distribute fentanyl and heroin between April 2021 and February 27, 2023. Cullen and Ferranti specifically were charged with distributing in excess of 400 grams of fentanyl, which is the equivalent of approximately 16,000 potentially lethal individual doses of fentanyl. The indictment also alleges that Cullen and Ferranti obtained fentanyl and heroin from other coconspirators located in New Jersey, marketed the narcotics on the Darkweb, and then used fabricated names to distribute the narcotics. Cullen and Ferranti allegedly mailed fentanyl and heroin to nearly every state in the United States, and to several foreign countries. As a result, it is alleged that three different individuals located in Vermont, Georgia, and Alaska overdosed and died from the fentanyl between October 2022 and February 2023. The individual in Alaska was a juvenile. In addition, Cullen and Ferranti are charged with distributing fentanyl and heroin on four other occasions between November 2022 and February 2023. The indictment remained under seal until both defendants were arrested. Cullen and Ferranti remain in custody pending their trial. “These indictments are a testament to the power of the interagency cooperation between HSI, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward Owens. “The agents and officers have removed two dangerous drug traffickers from our streets, who were responsible for three overdose deaths across the United States. The dismantlement of this drug trafficking organization ensures the safety of the general public. I commend HSI, their law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Pennsylvania for their tireless work on this case.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Customs and Border Patrol, and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Law enforcement agencies from Vermont, Georgia, Alaska, and French Customs also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa H. Berti 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. This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The penalties under federal law for the most serious, overdose death charges are a minimum of 20 years and maximum life term of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Lieutenant Convicted of Violating Inmate’s Civil Rights

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Daniel Mitchell, a former lieutenant at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP), pleaded guilty this week to one charge of conspiring to violate civil rights. “The defendant’s actions were an unacceptable breach of his responsibilities as a law enforcement officer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “FBOP officers cannot take the law into their own hands, and the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute federal and local law enforcement officials who use physical force to punish inmates.” “Corrections Officers work in dangerous environments with limited resources and deserve our respect and gratitude,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “But officers acting outside the law to injure an inmate erodes the rule of law, violates civil rights and puts other officers’ lives in jeopardy. We won’t tolerate misconduct in our prisons, by inmates or guards, and will take every measure to keep our institutions safe.” “Rather than following the normal disciplinary process, Mitchell devised a plan to violently retaliate against an inmate,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy C. Edmiston of the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region. “This coordinated attack violated the civil rights of a defenseless inmate and broke every tenet that FBOP employees swear an oath to uphold. The Justice Department OIG is committed to protecting the civil rights of inmates and will pursue any DOJ employee who abuses their power.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, on Dec. 8, 2021, Mitchell was on duty as a lieutenant supervising the special housing unit (SHU) at Federal Correctional Institute Butner Medium II. Victim K.G. was an inmate housed in the SHU under Mitchell’s supervision. That morning, a female officer reported to Mitchell that she had been doing rounds in the SHU when inmate K.G. exposed himself and engaged in a sexual act within her view. After the female officer left, Mitchell called another corrections officer, co-conspirator 1, into his office to discuss how to handle K.G.’s alleged misconduct. The normal disciplinary process at FBOP involved a formal write-up of the alleged misconduct. Mitchell and co-conspirator 1 decided that the formal disciplinary was not sufficient. Instead, Mitchell directed co-conspirator 1 to take inmate K.G. from his cell to a holding cell to teach him a lesson by “tuning him up.” After receiving Mitchell’s instructions, co-conspirator 1 asked some fellow officers to help move inmate K.G. to a holding cell. Once they were alone in the cell, co-conspirator 1 struck and kicked inmate K.G. several times, and knocked him to the ground. Other officers intervened and pulled co-conspirator 1 away from K.G. K.G. sustained minor injuries and later called a medical emergency to his room because the incident aggravated a preexisting back condition and caused spasms. The Justice Department’s Officer of Inspector General initiated an investigation into the matter after an officer witness raised concerns. In interviews, multiple officer witnesses described officer co-conspirator 1’s unprovoked assault on inmate K.G. Officers also described seeing co-conspirator 1 meet with Mitchell just prior to when co-conspirator 1 asked for their assistance moving inmate K.G. to the holding cell. In later interviews, Mitchell and co-conspirator 1 both described meeting in Mitchell’s office and admitted that they agreed that officer co-conspirator 1 would assault K.G. as punishment. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 31, 2025. Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


component: Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Daniel Mitchell, a former lieutenant at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP), pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to violate civil rights. “The defendant’s actions were an unacceptable breach of his responsibilities as a law enforcement officer,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “FBOP officers cannot take the law into their own hands, and the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute federal and local law enforcement officials who use physical force to punish inmates.” “Corrections Officers work in dangerous environments with limited resources and deserve our respect and gratitude,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “But officers acting outside the law to injure an inmate erodes the rule of law, violates civil rights and puts other officers’ lives in jeopardy. We won’t tolerate misconduct in our prisons, by inmates or guards, and will take every measure to keep our institutions safe.” “Rather than following the normal disciplinary process, Mitchell devised a plan to violently retaliate against an inmate,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy C. Edmiston of the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region. “This coordinated attack violated the civil rights of a defenseless inmate and broke every tenet that FBOP employees swear an oath to uphold. The Justice Department OIG is committed to protecting the civil rights of inmates and will pursue any DOJ employee who abuses their power.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, on Dec. 8, 2021, Mitchell was on duty as a lieutenant supervising the special housing unit (SHU) at Federal Correctional Institute Butner Medium II. Victim K.G. was an inmate housed in the SHU under Mitchell’s supervision. That morning, a female officer reported to Mitchell that she had been doing rounds in the SHU when inmate K.G. exposed himself and engaged in a sexual act within her view. After the female officer left, Mitchell called another corrections officer, co-conspirator 1, into his office to discuss how to handle K.G.’s alleged misconduct. The normal disciplinary process at FBOP involved a formal write-up of the alleged misconduct. Mitchell and co-conspirator 1 decided that the formal disciplinary was not sufficient. Instead, Mitchell directed co-conspirator 1 to take inmate K.G. from his cell to a holding cell to teach him a lesson by “tuning him up.” After receiving Mitchell’s instructions, co-conspirator 1 asked some fellow officers to help move inmate K.G. to a holding cell. Once they were alone in the cell, co-conspirator 1 struck and kicked inmate K.G. several times, and knocked him to the ground. Other officers intervened and pulled co-conspirator 1 away from K.G. K.G. sustained minor injuries and later called a medical emergency to his room because the incident aggravated a preexisting back condition and caused spasms. The Justice Department’s Officer of Inspector General initiated an investigation into the matter after an officer witness raised concerns. In interviews, multiple officer witnesses described officer co-conspirator 1’s unprovoked assault on inmate K.G. Officers also described seeing co-conspirator 1 meet with Mitchell just prior to when co-conspirator 1 asked for their assistance moving inmate K.G. to the holding cell. In later interviews, Mitchell and co-conspirator 1 both described meeting in Mitchell’s office and admitted that they agreed that officer co-conspirator 1 would assault K.G. as punishment. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 31, 2025. Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes the Contributions of State, Local, and Federal Law Enforcement Partners to the Mission of the U.S. Department of Justice

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Eastern District of California Law Enforcement Awards. These awards are presented annually to law enforcement agencies and investigators in the District’s Sacramento and Fresno divisions to recognize outstanding collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement in addressing public safety issues in this region. “Congratulations to all of our award recipients on being chosen and for their efforts to address dangerous crimes that threaten the residents of the Eastern District of California,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We owe a debt of gratitude to these agencies, detectives, and agents who conduct extensive investigations to seek justice for victims and for the public. It is a privilege for our office to work alongside them to keep our communities safe.” Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency Awards The Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency Award is presented to a local or state law enforcement agency that has demonstrated outstanding professionalism, commitment to public safety partnerships, and strong support for the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s initiatives. The Fresno Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) is the 2023 recipient of the Eastern District of California Law Enforcement Award for Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency in the Fresno Division. MAGEC received the award for two investigations. The first led to the arrest and charging of more than 25 Norteño gang members in Parlier and surrounding communities for murder, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, and witness and victim intimidation. The second led to the charging of 10 members of the MS-13 gang for six different murders committed in and around the Mendota area. MAGEC is composed of personnel from the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno Police Department, the Kerman Police Department, the Kingsburg Police Department. the Parlier Police Department, the Sanger Police Department, the Selma Police Department. the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, working in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Fresno County Probation, the California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, and FBI. MAGEC demonstrates our shared commitment to keeping our communities safe from violent criminal gangs through teamwork among federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The Sacramento Hi-Tech Crimes / Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is the 2023 recipient of Eastern District of California Law Enforcement Award for Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency in the Sacramento Division. The ICAC Task Force received the award for investigations that led to the successful charging and prosecution of some of the Sacramento region’s most serious sexual offenders in 2023, including multiple defendants who produced child pornography and sexually abused minors. Those defendants included a physician, a nurse practitioner, and an adoptive and foster father who sought to sexually exploit young children. The ICAC Task Force is composed of personnel from the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Citrus Heights Police Department, the Elk Grove Police Department, the Folsom Police Department, the Rocklin Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. The ICAC Task Force exemplifies commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our community by thoroughly investigating internet-facilitated crimes against children. Outstanding Individual Awards The Outstanding Investigator and Outstanding Federal Agent awards are presented to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have demonstrated outstanding professionalism; timely, thorough, quality investigations; exceptional knowledge and investigative skill; energy and commitment to public safety; and commitment to law enforcement partnerships and teamwork. The Outstanding Investigator award for the Sacramento Division was given to Yuba County Sheriff’s Office Peace Officer Sixto Torres for his work as a DEA Task Force Officer on Operation Splazh Down, an investigation into a large-scale, poly-drug distribution organization in the Sacramento Area. During Operation Splazh Down, TFO Torres identified the leadership structure of a drug trafficking organization. As a result of his efforts and that of his team, DEA seized more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine and large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, heroine, and firearms. Torres dedicates exceptional energy to his investigations and consistently exemplifies professionalism and service before self. The Outstanding Investigator award for the Fresno Division was given to Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Scott Schwamb for his work with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. One case where Schwamb was the lead investigator culminated in a 21‑year prison sentence for the defendant. That case began when Schwamb received information that hidden cameras were recording a minor in her bedroom and bathroom. Despite having already worked a full shift, Schwamb reviewed the evidence and assembled an investigative team that evening and applied for a search warrant. By early the next morning, evidence had been collected at the suspect’s home and work and the suspect had been interviewed. Schwamb continued to work on the case by preparing for trial and was the prosecution’s key law enforcement witness at trial. While working on the Task Force, Schwamb has assisted in the investigation of hundreds of leads involving child sexual exploitation, and as a result, dozens of cases have been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. The Outstanding Federal Agent award for the Sacramento Division was given to FBI Special Agent Jessi Groff for her work as a member of FBI’s international terrorism squad. She has led the investigations into some of the most important cases in the District, using her unique ability to master details of a case while never losing sight of the big picture. Her work is often unheralded and tedious, yet Special Agent Groff maintains a positive demeanor and attitude. Throughout her years of service, she has become a bedrock of federal law enforcement. The Outstanding Federal Agent award for the Fresno Division was given to Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jackie Lovato for his work on the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (FORT). Agent Lovato has spearheaded the investigation into dozens of fentanyl traffickers in the Central Valley, including some who caused overdose injuries and deaths. One of his cases led to charges against 20 fentanyl and cocaine traffickers, including the self‑proclaimed counterfeit M-30 fentanyl “King of Fresno.” Special Agent Lovato has also offered support to overdose victims and their families and played a key role in educating the public about the dangers of fentanyl in schools, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations.


title: Postal Employee Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Stealing 47 U.S. Treasury Checks

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Zerion Marcos Franklin was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after stealing over $750,000 in treasury checks. Franklin was also ordered to pay restitution to the United States Treasury. “Our American postal service is a public trust, staffed with civil servants bound to prioritize the public’s interests above personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “Most postal employees honor their oath, faithfully delivering billions of parcels every year. This postal employee is the rare exception, stealing three quarters of a million dollars in U.S. Treasury funds, including tax refunds, from the mail and robbing hardworking American taxpayers in the process. The consequence is clear: steal mail, face prison.” “We appreciate the outstanding effort by both our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice,” said Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The vast majority of Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would not violate the public’s trust in this manner. An employee who decides otherwise, will be aggressively investigated by OIG Special Agents. This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between our federal and state law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Franklin was a United States Postal Service employee at the mail processing annex in Fayetteville. In June 2024, the Fayetteville Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Franklin’s vehicle. After observing drug paraphernalia in plain view, officers conducted a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers located 47 U.S. Treasury checks made payable to entities and individuals other than the defendant. The checks, which were dated between April and May of 2023, included federal tax refunds, VA benefits, and social security disability benefits. Officers also located marijuana packaged for sale, a loaded 9mm handgun, and over $22,000 in U.S. currency. Shortly after the traffic stop, an elderly victim in New Hanover County reported the theft of her tax refund check. It was later revealed that the check was stolen from the mail stream, altered to reflect Franklin’s name as the payee, and cashed at a Walmart in Fayetteville on or about May 3, 2023. In total, investigators determined that Franklin stole U.S. Treasury checks totaling over $750,000. Michael F. Easley, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing by United States District James C. Dever III. The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-105-D.


title: Former Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Ohms Retires from the Department of Justice After More Than Thirty Years of Federal Service

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Today marks the final day of service for one of Eastern Washington’s longest-tenured federal prosecutors. Over the past thirty-three years, Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Timothy J. Ohms has served with distinction as a trial attorney and mentor within the United States Attorney’s Office. He is an expert in complex cases involving mental illness, international affairs/extradition, natural and cultural resource crimes, and violent crime. He was also one of the very first Assistant United States Attorneys in Eastern Washington to file cyberstalking charges. AUSA Ohms prosecuted several significant drug trafficking cases as well as violent crime cases arising in Eastern Washington. He also was at the forefront of prosecuting cases involving wildlife and Native American artifacts. Over the course of his career, AUSA Ohms tried more than forty cases to a verdict and argued eighty-six cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Below are some highlights from AUSA’s tenure in the Eastern District of Washington: In 1992, AUSA Ohms and former AUSA Rolf Tangvald successfully prosecuted Barbara Fraley and Phil W. Champagne in connection with federal counterfeiting charges. Through the investigation into Fraley, authorities learned that Champagne had staged his death in the Olympia area in the early 1980s to collect on a $1.5 million insurance policy. After Champagne’s family collected on the insurance payout, he assumed the identity of Harold Richard Stegeman until his true identity was discovered during the investigation, prosecution, and trial of Fraley. The investigation began with the passing of a single counterfeit federal reserve note by Fraley at what was then a Perkins Restaurant in Ritzville. The case was the subject of a 1995 book by Burl Barer. In 1995, AUSA Ohms was a member of the prosecutorial team in United States v. Antero Carreno . The case was part of a larger investigation of organized drug trafficking in Northcentral Washington. Carreno ultimately pled guilty and stipulated to responsibility for smuggling 100 kilograms of cocaine into Canada. In 2001, AUSA Ohms was the trial attorney in United States v. John Calvert. Based on the evidence presented at trial, Calvert had been hired to retaliate against an elderly resident of Spokane who had testified in another federal case. In June of 1998, Calvert traveled to Spokane from Port Angeles with a co-conspirator. The co-conspirator entered the victim’s home and bound the victim and victim’s wife. The victim was able to break free, access a handgun, and shoot and kill the co-conspirator. The victim was shot and injured in the exchange. Calvert was convicted on all counts charged against him and received a lengthy prison sentence. In 2002, AUSA Ohms led an investigation of crack cocaine distribution by members of the Rolling 20s Crips street gang in the Browne’s Addition neighborhood of Spokane. Members of the gang had taken over a large number of units at what was then the Casa Grande apartment complex. The drug distribution fueled a large amount of collateral criminal conduct in the area. The investigation involved the simultaneous service of 23 search warrants at the apartment complex and led to the conviction of 15 people involved in the criminal enterprise. In 2010, AUSA Ohms led the prosecution team in United States v. Clarence Stensgar , wherein Stensgar was convicted of raping two women on the Colville Indian Reservation. For this pattern of sexual abuse, Stensgar was sentence to more than 10 years in federal prison. In 2011, AUSA Ohms and his trial partner, AUSA Tyler Tornabene, obtained a guilty verdict against Ricky S. Wahchumwah and Victoria Jim, who were convicted at trial for selling bald and golden eagle parts in violation of the Lacey Act. Wahchumwah, Jim, and other co-defendants had been illegally poaching bald and golden eagles by using horse and deer carcasses for bait. The tail feathers, flight feathers, and plumes were removed from the eagles and offered for sale. Evidence in the case revealed that the total number of eagles killed as part of the criminal activity exceeded fifty. AUSA Ohms prosecuted the “Twisp Trio” in 2012, for violating the Endangered Species Act. The charges related to the unlawful killing of endangered gray wolves near Twisp, Washington. The investigation began when a resident of the area attempted to ship a fresh wolf hide to Canada using a false description of the shipment and a false name. The shipper refused the package because it was draining blood. In April 2014, AUSA Ohms prevailed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Gillenwater , a case involving the transmission of threatening communications through the United States mail. AUSA Ohms argued the case before retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was sitting by designation on the case. Justice O’Connor wrote the opinion affirming the government’s position on appeal. In 2015, AUSA Ohms was the trial attorney in United States v. Cardenas , involving the possession of methamphetamine in conjunction with the unlawful possession of a firearm and an explosive device by a felon and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The case stemmed from an incident on the lower South Hill in Spokane on April 26, 2012, in which Cardenas was shot during an exchange of gunfire with an unidentified person. The stolen firearm used by Cardenas was found on a woman who was attempting to drive Cardenas to the hospital. The evidence included bullets that were lodged in a neighboring home. Cardenas was convicted on all counts and sentenced to over 20 years in custody. AUSA Ohms led the prosecution team in the 2015 trial of Jason C. Youker, who orchestrated a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from a private compound located on Gold Mountain near Republic, Washington. Evidence at trial established that Youker used the compound to cut and package heroin and methamphetamine and then buried these drugs on the compound. Youker would disclose the locations of heroin and methamphetamine to subordinates or customers by text message. Youker was found guilty of more than thirty criminal counts that included the unlawful possession of firearms and the use of a communication facility in the commission of a drug felony. Youker was later sentenced to twenty years in federal prison. In 2018, AUSA Ohms and then law clerk Emily Sauvageau won the case of United States v. Odell Kinard. Just over a month prior, AUSA Ohms had volunteered to take over the drug-trafficking conspiracy case, which arose out of a Title III wiretap investigation. The jury stayed out less than two hours before returning verdicts of guilty on all 12 counts. AUSA Ohms and his co-counsel, Russell E. Smoot obtained a conviction against Rio A. Mirabal for the 2021 arson of St. Charles Parrish and School in Spokane, Washington. Mirabal also was ordered to pay nearly $5 million in restitution for the damage caused by the fire. In 2023, AUSA Ohms served on the trial team with AUSA Michael J. Ellis in United States vs. Tainewasher . The case involved a toddler on the Yakama Indian Reservation who died from exposure to fentanyl. AUSA Ohms, who also served as a Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Stevens County, played a critical role in bringing first-degree murder charges against Charles Lloyd Tatom in connection with the 1997 deaths of Marlene and Cassie Emmerson. For approximately two decades, AUSA Ohms and AUSA Earl Hicks worked together on a parallel conspiracy investigation involving an outlaw motorcycle club community in the Colville area. Charges in the case were filed just over a week ago. During his time with the Department of Justice, AUSA Ohms served on a detail to Romania as a Resident Legal Advisor. During his time overseas, AUSA Ohms represented DOJ’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, working with the Romanian Minister of Justice, judges, prosecutors, and other members of the criminal justice on matters of international priority, including human trafficking, counter terrorism, internal corruption, and transnational organized crime. During his four years in Romania, AUSA Ohms worked tirelessly to assist Romanian authorities to improve the efficiency and fairness of the criminal justice system. Throughout his career, AUSA Ohms served as a mentor to younger AUSAs – helping them navigate the courtroom and teaching them how to present a federal case. Ohms also played a key role in the office’s law student intern program, investing countless hours in the interview process and mentoring the interns accepted into the program. AUSA Ohm’s involvement and dedication to mentoring during his DOJ tenure has been invaluable both for the Eastern District of Washington and nationwide. Many of the more than 100 law clerks AUSA Ohms mentored have become prosecutors, including several who serve as Assistant United States Attorneys and DOJ Trial Attorneys across the United States. “Tim’s advocacy on behalf of the people of Eastern Washington is second-to-none. Whenever there is a sensitive, high-profile, complex, or challenging case, Tim is the one to handle it,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Tim did not shy away from hard cases. He has a passion and talent for telling the story of the victim by ensuring their voice is heard and understood in the courtroom. While we will miss Tim, his legacy will live on through the lives that he has touched over his storied 33-year career.” First Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Barker, stated, “Tim played a key role in recruiting me to the Eastern District of Washington, and he served as my mentor after I joined the office. I will forever be grateful for his example of what it means to be an AUSA – to always seek justice, to protect our community, and to make the right decisions, even when no one is looking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is a better place because of Tim Ohm’s Service.” “Tim Ohms is an exceptional lawyer, and it has been my honor and privilege to serve with him for the past thirty-three years,” stated AUSA Earl A. Hicks. “He is one of our most seasoned prosecutors. Whenever he was in trial, I would become entranced by Tim’s incredible opening statements.” AUSA Ohms graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in English and Classical Greek. He received his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law in 1985 and a Masters of Fine Arts from Eastern Washington University in 2003 while also serving as an AUSA. After graduating from law school, AUSA Ohms worked in private practice in Clarkson before becoming a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Asotin County, Washington. In 1988, Ohms was appointed the Asotin County Prosecutor, where he served until joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in October of 1991.


title: Federal jury convicts Pharaoh’s owner of multiple charges, including bribery, sex trafficking conspiracy and witness tampering

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury has convicted Peter Gerace, 57, of Clarence, NY, of conspiracy to defraud the United States, bribery, sex trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug involved premises, narcotics conspiracy, witness tampering, and distribution of cocaine, which carry a maximum of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Tripi, Nicholas T. Cooper, and Casey L. Chalbeck, stated that between 2005, and 2019, Gerace, owner and operator of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club, conspired to defraud the United States and paid cash bribes to Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Joseph Bongiovanni. In exchange for payments he received, Bongiovanni protected Gerace and utilized his position to dissuade other members of law enforcement from conducting investigations into Gerace’s activities at Pharaoh’s. Bongiovanni was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. In addition, between 2006, through 2019, Gerace knowingly maintained Pharaoh’s Gentlemen's Club as a drug involved premises, where he and others distributed cocaine, Adderall, marijuana, and heroin. Gerace and others distributed controlled substances and used other methods to coerce Pharaoh’s dancers to engage in sex acts inside Pharaoh’s. Gerace also, acting with others, sent threatening Facebook messages to a witness in order to prevent her from testifying and providing information in an official proceeding. “Peter Gerace preyed on the most vulnerable victims, using them to grow his business and his profits,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “Peter Gerace did not want to be caught and have his crimes exposed. However, this investigative and prosecutorial team worked tirelessly, gathering the evidence, and connecting the dots and Peter Gerace now stands convicted of some of the most heinous crimes.” “This case showcased the reality of trafficking in Western New York and across the country. It revealed the interplay between drugs, human trafficking, how powerful men, like Peter Gerace, used victims’ drug addictions to coerce them into acts of commercial sex for pure profit,” stated Matthew Miraglia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “Today’s verdict is a win for victims of human trafficking and hope to those who don’t have a voice. The FBI remains committed to eradicating human trafficking and providing victims with resources. We encourage any victim to come forward. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or report online at tips.fbi.gov.” “With his conviction, Peter Gerace must face the reality that he is not above the law, nor can he escape its consequences. Homeland Security Investigations, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, is committed to safeguarding the vulnerable from those who use bribery, manipulation, and fear for their own personal gain,” said HSI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. “The welfare of the public is our highest priority, and HSI Buffalo will take every necessary measure to protect the safety and wellbeing of Western New Yorkers.” “Today, a jury found that Gerace was guilty of engaging in drug and sex trafficking, preying on vulnerable victims. He also paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration special agent Joseph Bongiovanni in an attempt to skirt the law and avoid accountability,” said Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region. “I would like to thank the jury for their time and careful consideration of the facts.” The verdict is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special-Agent-In-Charge Ryan T. Geach, Northeast Region. Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, who presided over the trial of the case. # # # #


title: THREE ECUADORIAN NATIONALS SENTENCED IN 1,261 KILOGRAM COCAINE SMUGGLING CASE

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Mario Montano Camacho, 41, and Juan Ignacio Reyes Delgado, 48, both of Ecuador, were each sentenced to 78 months of incarceration by Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. A third defendant, Edison Quijije Cuzme, 35, also of Ecuador, was sentenced to 78 months earlier this month following his guilty plea to the same charge. All three defendants are subject to deportation after serving their prison sentences. According to court documents, on December 22, 2023, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Resolute intercepted a go-fast vessel approximately 110 nautical miles west of Ecuador. The vessel was in international waters traveling at a high rate of speed with no flag being flown and displaying no indicia of nationality. Coast Guard officials further observed that, while pursuing the vessel, the occupants were throwing packages overboard. The go-fact vessel was subdued and treated as one without nationality after the Ecuadorian government could neither confirm nor deny its nationality. Several packages containing approximately 1,261 kilograms of cocaine were later recovered from the ocean. This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasir Sadat. 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: United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam Announces Resignation

body_text: SCRANTON – United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Gerard M. Karam announced today that he has submitted his resignation to President Biden effective January 10, 2025. The Middle District of Pennsylvania consists of 33 counties in northeastern and central Pennsylvania and is home to over 3.1 million people. There are offices in Scranton, Harrisburg, and Williamsport. Mr. Karam was nominated by Senators Robert Casey and Patrick Toomey, appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 13, 2022, and sworn into office on June 21, 2022. “As a son of a police officer, being appointed United States Attorney in my home district has been an honor of a lifetime. I am grateful to President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senator Robert Casey, and former Senator Patrick Toomey for the opportunity to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.” “I am equally thankful for the career attorneys, professional staff and the dedicated law enforcement officers who work honestly, diligently and with the utmost good faith to keep our citizens safe, apply the rule of law equally and to protect the civil rights of our citizens. It has been a true privilege to serve alongside these impressive and committed individuals. Together we have had many proud accomplishments.” In addition to being United States Attorney, Karam also served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Subcommittees on White Collar Crime, Civil Rights and Controlled Substances. The office and its law enforcement partners have had many achievements during Karam’s tenure: Public Safety As part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, the office working hand in hand with Federal, local, and state partners indicted and convicted numerous defendants on drug trafficking, drug delivery resulting in death, firearms offenses, sex trafficking and exploitation of minors and murder. Some notable cases include: Three consecutive life sentences for a man who participated in the murder of three people including a federal witness. A sentence of 70 years for a man convicted of torture and illegally exporting weapon parts and related service to Iraq. It was only the second time a United States citizen has been convicted on torture charges in our country’s history. The indictment of seven individuals dubbed as the Fentanyl Robbery Gang for conspiracy resulting in the deaths of four victims. Health Care United States Attorney Karam prioritized fighting fraud, waste, and abuse in the health care industry. His office held health care systems and providers accountable both civilly and criminally. Notable cases include: Holding a multi-hospital health system accountable for submitting claims to Medicare for Annual Wellness Visit services that violated Medicare rules and regulations. The health system paid $11,712,336.00 to resolve civil liability. Holding a corporation responsible to pay $2,700,000.00 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to provide adequate cybersecurity to protect health care information. Doctor sentenced to 22 years imprisonment after convictions for unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. Seven defendants indicted on health care fraud kickback scheme involving over One Million Dollars in kickbacks. Fraud/Theft Karam also emphasized fighting fraud and theft. His effort resulted in the prosecution of unique and significant cases that include: Nine defendants indicted on a decades-long scheme to steal major artworks and sports memorabilia. Indictment and guilty pleas of individuals in a multi-state scheme to steal and sell human body parts. Four defendants indicted in a $120 Million disadvantaged business fraud scheme. Three defendants indicted in a multi-state money laundering and unemployment fraud scheme involving over $60 Million with $35 Million transferred to bank accounts in China. Indictment and guilty plea of individual charged with committing $11.5 Million in Covid-19 Pandemic Fraud. Indictment of Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court Judge for fraud, tampering with a witness and obstruction of justice. Civil Rights United States Attorney Karam took a comprehensive approach to protecting the civil rights of Pennsylvanians through enforcement efforts, community outreach and a strong partnership with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. These efforts include: Presentation of a United Against Hate program at high schools throughout the district; Holding corporations accountable for violations of the Fair Housing Act; The indictment of three police officers for police brutality involving 22 different arrests; and Holding governmental entities accountable for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Administrative During Karam’s time, the Financial Litigation Unit collected nearly $20 million in civil actions brought by the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Over $12 million was collected in criminal matters and over $9 million in forfeitures. The Administrative division led the hiring and onboarding of 15 new Assistant United States Attorneys. The division’s efforts allowed the district to be one of the most productive medium sized offices in the nation. Karam also led the creation of the district’s first appellate and E-litigation units. Upon Mr. Karam’s departure, First Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus will assume the position of Acting United States Attorney pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act. ###


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Unemployment Insurance and Bank Fraud

body_text: CLEVELAND – Darmani Hawkins, 21, of Aurora, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud; conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and mail theft, as part of schemes to fraudulently obtain coronavirus disease (COVID)-era state unemployment benefits and, separately, to steal checks from the mail, alter them, and deposit them. He was also ordered to pay $681,114.14 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, from 2020 through 2021, Hawkins conspired to fraudulently obtain COVID pandemic unemployment insurance benefits by submitting fake claims, and in 2023, he conspired to steal checks out of the United States mail, deposit them, and keep the proceeds. In the COVID fraud scheme, Hawkins and his co-conspirators exploited the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security), which had been established to assist people who were out of work because of the COVID-related shutdown. They submitted false unemployment applications to multiple states, making it appear as if they were eligible to receive benefits when, in fact, they were not. Once a state’s unemployment agency approved the applications, the state mailed the unemployment benefits to Hawkins and his co-conspirators in the form of debit cards, which they used to withdraw cash for their personal benefit. In the bank fraud and mail theft scheme, Hawkins used a social media platform to recruit postal workers to steal checks from the U.S. Postal Service in exchange for a fee. Hawkins also offered to pay people to use their established bank accounts to deposit the checks stolen from the mail. Those who agreed to participate in mail theft deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts that Hawkins had paid others to allow him to access. Hawkins then withdrew or received the stolen deposited funds. “Mr. Hawkins shamelessly exploited federal resources intended to help those who became unemployed as a result of an uncontrollable, life-changing world event. His deceitful actions were selfish and heartless, diverting much-needed funds away from those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “He also manipulated others to steal checks and misuse our banking system in a greedy effort to make easy money. Those, like Mr. Hawkins, who seek to capitalize on the misfortune of others by abusing federal safety nets established to protect the needy, and who steal from the U.S. taxpayer and private citizens, will be held to account and brought to justice.” “The sentencing of Mr. Hawkins should send a strong message to anyone who believes they can deceive government programs designed to help the American public in times of need. As part of our mission, postal inspectors will aggressively work to protect the public and prevent criminal misuse of the mail,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Pittsburgh Division. “We value our relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the law enforcement partners involved in bringing Mr. Hawkins to justice.” During the investigation, officials determined that Hawkins had caused a loss of approximately $425,000 in the COVID fraud scheme and more than $700,000 in the stolen check scheme. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica Barnhill for the Northern District of Ohio. To report fraud, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/unemployment-insurance-payment-accuracy/UIFraudReporting or https://www.uspis.gov/report .


title: Missouri Man Indicted for Federal Hate Crime for Racially Motivated Threats Targeting St. Louis NAACP

body_text: A federal indictment was unsealed charging a Missouri man with threatening the St. Louis office of the NAACP. Darryl Jaspering, 62, of Warrenton, was indicted for one count of transmitting threatening communications and one count of interference with federally protected activities. According to the indictment, Jaspering wrote a message on the NAACP’s contact page “in which he used racially charged threats to physically harm the recipients of his message.” Jaspering, the indictment says, “intimidated and interfered with and attempted to intimidate and interfere with” NAACP employees “because of their race and color” and threatened the use of a dangerous weapon. Jaspering faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine for the charge of transmitting threatening communications. He also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine for the charge of interference with federally protected activities. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri and Special Agent in Charge Ashley T. Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office made the announcement. The FBI St. Louis Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug for the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. For more information and resources on the department’s efforts to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Three Members of Violent National Gang Sentenced

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Three members of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation (“AVLN”) were sentenced in federal court this week after a jury convicted them of RICO conspiracy, murder, drug trafficking, and weapons charges on April 23 of this year, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Evidence presented at trial, before United States District Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey, proved the Almighty Vice Lord Nation (AVLN) was a vast criminal enterprise which committed acts of violence, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and other crimes across the country. The AVLN are divided into different branches, each with their own leadership that answers to a “board” in Chicago. The trial involved members of the Traveling Vice Lords in Detroit, Michigan. The jury convicted: • Terry Douglas, 44, of Detroit, who held the title of “Chief” and was the Michigan leader of the Traveling Vice Lords. Douglas was sentenced to 60 years in prison. • Schuyler Belew, 31, of Detroit, who held the title of “Universal Elite” and was the Detroit leader of the Traveling Vice Lords. Belew was sentenced to 60 years in prison. • Devun Baskerville, 34, of Detroit, who held the title of “Chief Enforcer” for the Traveling Vice Lords. Baskerville was sentenced to 70 years in prison. The evidence at trial showed that these members of the AVLN worked together to further the AVLN, which involved AVLN members committing racketeering acts such as murder, narcotics trafficking, and witness intimidation. The jury heard testimony concerning a brazen shooting that took place in broad daylight at a Detroit park. In that shooting, Baskerville, acting upon orders from Douglas and Belew, murdered an individual suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and attempted to murder his girlfriend when he shot several times into her vehicle as she tried to flee. Also in the vehicle were her two young children, who miraculously, were not harmed. The girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, suffered gunshot wounds but survived. The jury also convicted Lawon Carter of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Carter’s sentencing is set for April 28, 2025. “The sentences handed down in this case should send a clear message to violent offenders who terrorize our neighborhoods: we won’t stop until you are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “It is my sincere hope that these sentences bring some closure to the victim’s family.” “The sentencing of three more members of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation (AVLN) is proof that ATF and its partners have zero tolerance for gang members who use illegal firearms to intimidate and murder our community members. This case was a complete reckoning of this gang and should serve as a wake-up call for gang members across Michigan. These three defendants represent the worst of the worst in our community. Greed bought them a one-way ticket straight into federal prison. It should be common knowledge throughout Michigan: violent gang activity will not be tolerated and will be disrupted; if you pack an illegal firearm to threaten and intimidate people in our community – pack a bag. You’re going to go to federal prison,” said, Special Agent in Charge James Deir. This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Also instrumental in the investigation and prosecution of this case was the Detroit Police Department, and the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) investigation staff.