title: Two Orlando Men Sentenced To Federal Prison For Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Patrick Hugh Mitchell (57, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison and Kyle Jay Hunter Baronville (37, Orlando) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for their roles in distributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine. Baronville pleaded guilty on January 26, 2024, and Mitchell was convicted by a jury on June 27, 2024. According to Baronville’s plea agreement and testimony and evidence presented at Mitchell’s trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Baronville. During the first transaction, Baronville sold the confidential source 357.3 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. During the second transaction, Baronville obtained 892.5 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine from Mitchell, which they then sold to the confidential source. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.


title: Santa Ana Man Charged with Possession of Machine Guns and Hundreds of Images and Videos of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was indicted today for allegedly possessing four machine guns and hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that law enforcement recovered at his home and from a storage unit he rented. Arthit Tanjapatkul, 43, of Santa Ana, is charged with one count of possession of machineguns and three counts of possession of child pornography. Tanjapatkul, who was arrested on October 9 in this case and is free on $250,000 bond, is scheduled for arraignment in this case on November 18 in United States District Court in Santa Ana. According to an affidavit filed on October 8 with the complaint, the investigation into Tanjapatkul began with him selling a regulated military-grade laser to a buyer in March 2023. Law enforcement later learned that the laser had been initially stolen by a military officer who was charged and convicted for his crimes in federal court in North Carolina. In October 2023, law enforcement searched Tanjapatkul’s home and seized dozens of firearms, including four machine guns. During the same search, agents recovered a cellphone that contained text messages where Tanjapatkul discussed automatic weapons. Law enforcement also recovered a hard drive that contained CSAM. In July 2024, law enforcement searched a storage unit that Tanjapatkul rented in Santa Ana. In the storage unit, agents found a hard drive containing evidence of knowing possession of a machinegun and child pornography. Law enforcement also found 10 disks containing child pornography. The disks alone contained approximately 79 videos and approximately 831 images containing child sexual abuse material. The drives and disks contained, among other things, videos and images involving minors under 12 years of age. In the home and storage unit, agents also found dozens of firearms and hundreds of items of military equipment that were initially stolen by the same military officer, according to court documents. A complaint and an indictment contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Tanjapatkul would face a statutory maximum sentence of 70 years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kedar S. Bhatia of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: ‘Mayor’ of Homeless Camp Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man residing in a homeless encampment near a public school was indicted by a federal grand jury today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute near school property and for illegally possessing a firearm. Ricky Lee Myers, also known as “The Mayor,” 62, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Myers on Oct. 24, 2024. Today’s indictment alleges that Myers possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school on Oct. 23, 2024. The indictment also charges Myers with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Myers allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol on Oct. 23, 2024. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Myers’s residence, a small one-room structure built in the middle of a homeless camp on a dirt road extending from East 23rd Street, roughly between Vine Street and Highland Avenue in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 23, 2024. Myers, who was inside the residence, was arrested. Federal agents found the Taurus pistol in a jacket hanging above the bed. Agents found a fanny pack, which contained a bag with approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine, inside a bag hanging on the wall next to the jacket. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Myers has prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and distributing a controlled substance. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Springfield Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child Victims

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims. Connor Wilson Zacha, 28, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment alleges that Zacha used a minor, identified as Jane Doe 1, to produce child pornography from Nov. 1, 2022, to Nov. 15, 2023. The indictment also alleges that Zacha used another minor, identified as Jane Doe 2, to produce child pornography from Oct. 1, 2023, to April 18, 2024. The indictment also charges Zacha with one count of transporting a minor (Jane Doe 2) across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Siblings sent to prison for roles in human smuggling scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a Laredo human smuggling conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Laredo resident Carlos Alberto Gonzalez, 23, and his sister Erika Yazbett Mendoza-Gonzalez, 36, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in Laredo, both pleaded guilty July 8. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 46-month term of imprisonment for Gonzalez, while Mendoza-Gonzalez received 57 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentence, although Mendoza-Gonzalez, not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also noted Gonzalez had previously been sentenced for human smuggling and was still serving his term of supervised release when he committed this offense. The court also ordered Gonzalez to serve a consecutive 10 months for this violation. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Garcia Marmolejo commented that Gonzalez learned nothing from his last offense and that Mendoza-Gonzalez was highly involved in the smuggling organization. The court also considered the conditions inside the stash house, noting that the siblings regarded the people they harbored as “commodities” and stating, “we just don’t treat human beings like this.” “No electricity, no running water and no toilet. Human smugglers do not care,” said Hamdani. “No individual should be subjected to such inhumane conditions. This case underscores our commitment to dismantling human smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable individuals, including children.” On March 7, law enforcement observed Mendoza-Gonzalez pick up three suspected undocumented individuals near the intersection of Kearney Street and McDonnell Avenue in Laredo. Gonzalez was driving another vehicle that appeared to be traveling together with Mendoza-Gonzalez. Law enforcement followed both vehicles to a home on the 2300 block of San Leonardo Avenue where Mendoza-Gonzalez dropped off the individuals before leaving with two others. Several hours later, they observed a large group of people exiting the backyard of this address and running into a nearby creek. A foot pursuit began, and law enforcement apprehended 20 individuals, all of whom are undocumented aliens from other countries. Two were unaccompanied minors, ages 13 and 15. Upon entering the San Leonardo residence, authorities discovered deplorable living conditions. The home had no electricity or running water and large amounts of trash piled up throughout the home. They also observed large tubs of water in the home where the migrants would bathe and relieve themselves. There have been no utilities in the residence since 2022. Gonzalez was the stash house operator while Mendoza-Gonzalez was a transporter and delivered food to those harbored inside the home. On April 23, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Mendoza-Gonzalez was driving and found a female back seat passenger covered in mud, with a strong body odor, torn pants and scratch marks all over her arms. She was a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States. Mendoza-Gonzalez admitted to her involvement with the human smuggling organization and stated she expected to receive $50 per migrant she transported. Phone communications between Mendoza-Gonzalez and co-conspirators revealed that over only a seven-week period, she was also involved in coordinating the transportation and/or harboring of at least 55 additional individuals. Mendoza-Gonzalez and Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets. Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentencing in Domestic Violence Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for assaulting his intimate partner by strangling her. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, Ronnie Pernell Evans , 21, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted his intimate partner by shoving her and grabbing her by her throat until they tripped and fell to the ground. Upon his release from prison, Evans will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Images

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Louie Santiago Seja Jr., 35, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 14 years and one month in prison for receipt of visual depictions of minors being sexually abused, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The prison sentence is to be followed by 10 years of supervised release during which time Seja’s access to minors, computers, and the internet will be restricted, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in February and March 2019, Seja used a cellphone to receive more than 600 images of children being sexually abused. Some of the images depicted violence and prepubescent minors. This case was the product of an investigation by the Central Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, specifically Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Forty-Eight Defendants Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Drug Trafficking Network Linked to Sinaloa Cartel

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: EL CENTRO – Five indictments were unsealed in federal court today charging 48 alleged members of an Imperial Valley-based, Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug trafficking organization accused of distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and bulk cash smuggling. In a coordinated takedown this morning, more than 140 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 25 defendants and executed 15 search warrants in Imperial County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Stockton, as well as in Yuma, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 23 fugitives. Including seizures today and throughout this long-term investigation, authorities have seized more than 3,600 kg (about 8,000 pounds) of methamphetamine; substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin; and one firearm. Crimes charged in the indictments include drug trafficking, conspiracy, and bulk cash smuggling. According to court records, the defendants belonged to a drug trafficking organization based in the Imperial Valley and Mexicali, Mexico with ties to Los Rusos, one of the most violent and significant factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. “This investigation represents another blow to traffickers of deadly drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “With the indictment of four dozen individuals, we are not only disrupting a major drug trafficking network but also taking significant steps to protect our community from the devastation these drugs cause. We are committed to dismantling these dangerous operations and ensuring that those who fuel the crisis are held accountable.” “HSI’s challenge with investigating cases tied to the Sinaloa Cartel is to not just chase those who profit from addiction, but to dismantle the transnational network responsible for plaguing our communities and tearing families apart,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “The success of today’s takedown would not have been possible without the unwavering support and assistance from our law enforcement partners. By working together, we each bring a unique skillset to the fight against these trafficking organizations and can disrupt and dismantle cells like these.” “This successful operation underscores the pivotal role that collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies plays in safeguarding our communities,” stated Roque Caza, Area Port Director for the Calexico Port of Entry. “At U.S. Customs and Border Protection, our mission is to protect the nation’s public by preventing dangerous substances from entering the United States. This joint effort highlights our commitment to disrupting the flow of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, addressing the dangerous impacts on public health and safety. Together, we stand strong in our fight against these illicit activities and remain steadfast in protecting our borders and communities.” “The Sinaloa Cartel and any other criminal organization will fare poorly here in the Imperial Valley as we have just seen,” said El Centro Sector Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino. “With seamless coordination between HSI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and a multitude of state and local agencies, yet another set of alleged traffickers and criminals were prevented from harming the community.” According to court records, employing undercover operations and four rounds of wiretaps, agents conducted numerous controlled purchases, traffic stops of personal vehicles and several tractor trailers, and searches of houses and stash locations leading to large seizures of narcotics. In one instance on April 27, 2022, authorities seized 256 pounds of methamphetamine after intercepting phone conversations between several defendants about a big sale. Federal agents watched the transaction from afar, then conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officials located four duffel bags containing 256 pounds of methamphetamine in the cab of the truck. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Owen Roth. DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2316-WQH Adrian Garcia Age: 28 El Centro, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Distribution of Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1) Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine. DEFENDANTS Case Number 24cr2320-WQH Fausto Herrera-Lopez, AKA “Vecino”* 50 Mexicali, MX Rodolfo Ramirez-Palacios, AKA “Rudy”* 34 Mexicali, MX Tereso Ramirez-Velasquez 54 San Bernadino, CA Juan Carlos Ojeda-Saldana 35 Brawley, CA Jose David Morales-Rodriguez* 46 Brawley, CA Ernesto Morales-Rodriguez* 41 Mexicali, MX Vicente Barrera-Robles* 32 Mexicali, MX Ricardo Ruben Pinzon 24 El Centro, CA Jose Ramon Ochoa-Monteverde 31 El Centro, CA Salvador Martinez 54 Los Angeles, CA Juan Carlos Martinez* 52 Los Angeles, CA Rogelio Robledo-Valdez* 26 Mexicali, MX Maria Elena Reyes 50 Wichita, KS Gabriela Estrada* 46 Mexicali, MX Jaime Mayoral 40 El Centro, CA Marcos Arturo Barrera 28 Brawley, CA Oscar Silvas-Gamez 32 Fresno, CA Juan Ernesto Salas Villela* 37 Fontana, CA Yeiming Hernandez 34 Calexico, CA Frank Gustavo Zendejas 56 Calipatria, CA Gerardo Medina Plancencia 45 Calexico, CA Jose Andres Leyva 55 El Centro, CA Stephanie Melgoza* 21 Salinas, CA Victor Rene Herrera* 24 Los Angeles, CA Arnulfo Morfin-Moreno* 52 Pasco, WA Edgar Garcia* 24 Las Vegas, NV Roberto Valenzuela De La Torre* 27 Sonora, MX Leonardo Saldivar* 38 San Bernardino, CA Francisco Ramirez* 52 Tolleson, Arizona Luis Fernando Simental Palacios* 34 Mexicali, MX Abraham Noe Esparza-Garcia* 36 Mexicali, MX Angelica Guerrero 29 Calexico, CA Sergio Sanchez 46 Long Beach, CA Nicholas Adam Fortier 41 Portland, OR Luis Alberto Felix* 38 Pacoima, CA Elizabeth Echeverria 43 Las Vega, NV Alvaro Guerrero 46 Los Angeles, CA Pedro Estrada* 50 San Diego, CA Bernadette Lucero Vallejos* 33 Goodyear, AZ Maribel Garcia Barajas 56 El Centro, CA Jose Arturo Mendiola Porras* 57 Mexicali, MX Enrique Villalobos 43 Stockton, CA Israel Alejandro Ramirez-Velasquez 60 Perris, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances - Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1), and 846 Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine Distribution of Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1) Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1) Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 31, U.S.C., Section 5332(a) and (b) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine Conspiracy to Commit Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2318-WQH Nilda Charlenne Ledon Age: 34 El Centro, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 31, U.S.C., Section 5332(a) and (b) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2319-WQH Jasmine Santos Age: 34 Los Angeles, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 31, U.S.C., Section 5332(a) and (b) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr217-WQH Brenda Lara* Age: 32 Los Angeles, CA Romulada Contreras* Age: 75 Mexicali, MX SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine Bulk Cash Smuggling – Title 31, U.S.C., Section 5332(a) and (b) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine *Fugitives INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations, Calexico Office United States Border Patrol, El Centro Sector Intelligence Unit Customs and Border Protection, Calexico Intelligence Division Imperial County Narcotics Task Force Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County Office United States Postal Inspectors Federal Bureau of Investigations, Imperial County Office United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations United States Marshals Service Calexico Police Department Imperial County Sheriff’s Office Brawley Police Department San Bernardino Police Department Narcotics Unit California Highway Patrol El Centro Police Department The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises. This operation 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.


title: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omar Wynn, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to distribution of a controlled substance. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement. Wynn admitted to selling 1,500 fentanyl pills and 8.6 grams of cocaine base in 2023. The fentanyl pills were stamped “M30” to make them appear as if they were oxycodone. Wynn agreed to forfeit $3,000 as proceeds of his crime. At sentencing on March 11, 2025, Wynn faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison; a fine of up to $5 million; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The DEA conducted the investigation with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the case.


title: Eugene Man Indicted for Posting Violent Threats Online

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment Tuesday charging a Eugene, Oregon man with posting violent threats online, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Jeffrey Allen Voss, 31, has been charged with transmitting interstate threats and attempting to tamper with evidence. According to court documents, between September 24 and 27, 2024, Voss is alleged to have posted several videos of himself online making violent threats, including two in which he was holding a firearm. In another video, Voss discussed becoming the next Kip Kinkel, referring to a school shooter who, in 1998, first murdered his parents then opened fire at a Springfield, Oregon school, killing two of his classmates and injuring twenty-five others. Following those videos, on September 27, 2024, concerned citizens called 911 to report a Facebook Live video Voss posted wherein he allegedly claimed he was minutes from a high school and made violent threats. Acting quickly, the Eugene Police Department located and arrested Voss the same day. On October 1, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant on Voss’s residence. Agents located and seized two firearms, one replica firearm, ammunition, body armor, electronic storage media, and a handwritten note outlining his desires for vengeance and specifying individuals Voss wished to harm. The same day, upon learning his residence would be searched, Voss attempted to persuade an individual to conceal or remove evidence from his home. Voss made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Voss faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $500,000. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Jury convicts felon for possessing firearms and pipe bombs

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 35-year-old Corpus Christi resident for felon in possession of a firearm and possessing unregistered pipe bombs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Robert Spencer following a three-day trial. The jury heard that law enforcement investigated a call reporting a shooting in the area. During the investigation, authorities approached Spencer, who fled into his home while appearing to be armed. This led to a standoff lasting an hour, during which law enforcement heard two gunshots from inside the home as Spencer yelled for them to leave. Eventually, Spencer exited his home without a firearm and law enforcement arrested him. Authorities executed a search warrant for Spencer’s home and found six pipe bombs and three firearms, along with boxes of ammunition, in the attic. They also discovered another firearm next to Spencer’s home, where authorities initially spotted him. Spencer admitted to law enforcement that he personally assembled the pipe bombs and claimed ownership of the firearm found next to the house. Testing confirmed the pipe bombs were destructive devices as defined by the law. In addition, the pipe bombs were not properly registered to Spencer in the National Firearms Registration and transfer record. During the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Spencer was unaware of the firearms found in his attic and outside his home. They contended that the pipe bombs Spencer admitted to making were not destructive devices. The jury rejected these claims and found him guilty as charged. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms by federal law. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 4, 2025. At that time, Spencer faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and up to 10 years for possession of unregistered pipe bombs and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing. The Corpus Christi Police Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorneys Patrick Overman and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case with the assistance of Paralegal Rachel Gonzales.


title: Resident of Mt. Pleasant Indicted on Charges of Violating Federal Narcotic and Firearm Law

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - One resident of Mt. Pleasant, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic and firearm law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The four-count Indictment named Warren Greenleaf, 40, formerly of Mt Pleasant, PA, as the sole defendant. According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about November 1, 2023, Greenleaf possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Additionally, on or about November 14, 2023, Greenleaf, possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and carried the firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years to life in prison, a fine of not more than $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with Tarentum Borough Police Department, Harrison Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Alvaro Alferes, age 33, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Alferes to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Alferes will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release. In 2023, Alferes twice delivered fentanyl to an undercover DEA agent by leaving the pills in his Jeep in a grocery store parking lot in Omaha. The undercover agent set up the buys through a Mexico-based supplier. Each time, Alferes delivered over 1,000 pills. On August 4, 2023, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at Alferes’s residence which led to the seizure of over 1,000 more fentanyl pills and Alferes’s arrest. Investigators also found two digital scales with methamphetamine residue in a backpack in the garage. The backpack also contained heat sealed bags containing suspected drug residue. A sandwich baggie containing suspected cocaine was found in the Jeep in the driveway. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Gretna Couple Sentenced for Conducting an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kenneth Breyer, age 75, and Elaine (a.k.a. Edith) Breyer, age 74, both of Gretna, Nebraska, were sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced both Kenneth and Elaine Breyer to five years of probation. Chief Judge Rossiter also ordered the Breyers to pay $55,000 in restitution. An investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that in early 2023, an elderly victim, who resided in Louisville Kentucky, was falsely informed by an unknown individual that she had won $18.5 million in the Publisher’s Clearing House. The unknown individual directed the victim to send $100,000 to various addresses for the purported reason of pre-paying taxes and fees for her winnings to be released. The victim was instructed by the unknown individual to send $70,000 of those proceeds to the Breyers. Between February 3, 2023, and February 13, 2023, the Breyers received three separate mailings from the victim which contained payments totaling $70,000. The Breyers then transmitted $55,000 of the victim’s funds to others involved in the fraudulent scheme who were located outside of Nebraska. The remaining $15,000 was seized by law enforcement from the Breyers before the funds could be distributed. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault on a Federal Officer

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Bryson Smith, age 33, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault on a federal officer. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Smith to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In June 2023, Smith came into contact with law enforcement on the Winnebago Indian Reservation while heavily intoxicated. Smith resisted two officers’ attempts to arrest and transport him for medical care by kicking, biting, and scratching at the officers. Smith also spit into the eye of one officer, requiring the officer to seek medical treatment. This case was prosecuted in federal court because the victims were federal law enforcement officers engaged in the performance of their official duties on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska at the time of Smith’s assault. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Being a Drug User in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Emmett Walker, Jr, age 54, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for being a drug user in possession of a firearm. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Smith to 12 months and one day imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In November 2022, Walker was pulled over for a traffic violation on the Winnebago Indian Reservation. During the course of the traffic stop, Walker permitted the officer to search his car. Walker, who had recently lost his residence and many of his personal items due to a fire, had his Mossberg rifle in the trunk of the car, which he otherwise possessed legally. The officer also found a small amount of methamphetamine and Walker admitted to using meth regularly for the previous few years prior to the stop. Federal law prohibits the possession of a firearm if the possessor is also a drug user or addict. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services.


title: Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Drug Possession and Violation of Supervised Release

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tiffany Alice Wolfe, age 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and violation of supervised release. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Wolfe to a total of 174 months’ imprisonment. She received a sentence of 162 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and was ordered to serve a consecutive, (additional) 12-month prison term for violating the terms of her supervised release from a prior federal drug conviction by committing a new crime. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wolfe’s release from prison, she will begin a new 5-year term of supervised release. On April 26, 2023, Wolfe was a passenger in an SUV which was stopped by Lincoln Police officers for a traffic violation. The SUV, and its contents, including Wolfe’s purse, were searched. In her purse, officers found a shard of meth and 47 small plastic baggies, and a digital scale was found under her seat. Wolfe was taken to the Lancaster County Jail where she admitted she had additional meth on per person and provided a bag of meth to jail staff. She told officers she had just purchased it in Omaha prior to her arrest and eventually admitted she intended to sell some of it to customers in Lincoln. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab showed the bag contained at least 100 grams of actual meth. At the time of Wolfe’s arrest, she was serving a 3-year term of supervised release after completing federal prison terms for a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute meth a prior supervised release violation. Wolfe was sentenced to 123 months’ imprisonment in 2017 on the prior drug conviction and 14 months in 2022 on the prior supervised release violation. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: Niagara Falls man pleads guilty to cocaine charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Rashaun Dix, 38, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Jacovetti, who is handling the case, stated that in 2021, the DEA and Niagara Falls Police began investigating the cocaine trafficking activities of a known individual operating in the Niagara Falls area. During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered some interactions between this individual and Dix. In March 2022, law enforcement learned that Dix told the individual that he had some “nu-nu,” and he wanted to see what he could do with it. Dix wanted the individual to help him cook the cocaine into crack. In April 2022, law enforcement, after learning that Dix arranged to meet another individual to purchase $15,000 worth of narcotics, began to conduct physical surveillance on Dix. When Dix met with the other individual, they were both taken into custody and law enforcement seized $15,028. Law enforcement then learned that Dix told his girlfriend to “put everything in the washer and flush it…in the washer with bleach,” “not answer the door, and call the lawyer.” At that time, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dix’s residence, recovering approximately 355 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of crack cocaine, and a digital scale. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nick Ligammari. Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2025, before Judge Arcara. # # # #


title: Former Rochester firefighter going to prison on child pornography charges

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brett Marrapese, 32, of Irondequoit, NY, who was convicted of distribution and receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between January 2016, and June 13, 2023, Marrapese used a cell phone, laptop computer, an email account, and multiple social media and internet chat applications, including Omegle; Kik; Snapchat; and Instagram, to produce, receive, distribute, and possess child pornography. In total, Marrapese received more than 600 images of child pornography that he obtained from others via the internet. He also posed as a teenage boy causing minors to produce and send to him sexually explicit images of themselves. Some of the images that Marrapese distributed and received depicted violence against and sexual abuse of children, infants, and toddlers. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Peters, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. # # # #


title: Agreement Reached with East Providence Boys & Girls Club to Resolve Allegations of Disability Discrimination

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – Zachary A. Cunha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, announced today that the Boys & Girls Club of East Providence, Inc (“EPBGC”) resolved allegations that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) by denying children the opportunity to participate in its Kinder Camp program because of their disabilities. The settlement resolves a complaint filed by the parent of a child with autism, alleging that EPBGC refused to make reasonable accommodations so that her child could attend Kinder Camp, a free 8-week session summer camp for children registered to start kindergarten at East Providence schools. The United States’ investigation determined that during the registration process for Kinder Camp, EPBHC’s Education Director asked parents to submit a copy of their child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Six parents of registered children submitted their child’s IEP to EPBGC, and EPBGC denied admission to five of those six children. One child with an IEP was admitted to Kinder Camp, but only after the parent first explained to EPBGC’s Education Director that the child’s behaviors had improved after the IEP was written and he would not need accommodations. While there was no formal complaint process, parents of three of the children complained about the denial, and the EPBGC Associate Director reversed those denials. However, the complainant and one other guardian of a child who was denied admission were not aware of an appeal or complaint process, and as a result, their children were unable to attend Kinder Camp and had to seek alternate childcare arrangements for the summer. “Summer fun is for everyone, and when it comes to summer camp, the ADA is clear that nobody should be left out because of a disability,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “This resolution—our Office’s fourth ADA settlement with a local summer camp—should serve as a reminder that this Office will stand up to make sure that children with disabilities have access to the activities and services that the law requires.” Under the terms of the settlement agreement, EPBGC will take certain remedial measures, including: Train its staff on the ADA; Evaluate the application of each child applying to attend the camp, on a case-by-case basis, and make reasonable modifications to permit children with disabilities to attend; Adopt a non-discrimination policy; Pay $20,000 in compensation to the aggrieved parents and children; and, Report to the United States on its compliance annually for two years. This is the fourth settlement agreement that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has entered into with a camp regarding violations of the ADA. Under the ADA, summer camps, whether private or run by municipalities, must afford reasonable modifications to ensure that children with disabilities can participate fully in camp programs and activities. Camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis and train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. When a parent and a child’s physician determine that it is appropriate for a child to self-administer medication or for a trained layperson to assist a child with care, a camp or childcare program must provide this as a reasonable modification under the ADA, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the program. The United States’ case was handled by AUSA Amy Romero. For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 401-709-5010. ### settlement_agreement_.pdf


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Enticement and Sex Trafficking of a Minor

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in federal prison for enticement and sex trafficking of a minor. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service (USSS), and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Timothy Boden, 41, was sentenced to 17 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of enticement of a minor victim and one count of sex trafficking a minor victim. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the HSI, the USSS, and the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Danielle Yannelli prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Thirteen Defendants Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Oxycodone, Some Through an Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Twelve western Pennsylvania residents and one Indiana resident have been charged by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone in two separate but related Indictments—charging one count and 22 counts, respectively—announced today by United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. Each of the Indictments names six western Pennsylvania residents as defendants, with the 22-count Indictment also charging Dr. Martin J. Maassen, a resident of Lafayette, Indiana, with distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance. A complete list of the defendants is included at the bottom of this release. The charged drug conspiracies allege conduct spanning several years—from January 2019 to July 2024 (as to the 22-count Indictment) and from December 2019 to July 2024 (as to the one-count Indictment). The conspiracy charges in each Indictment allege that the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Further, as to Maassen, the 22-count Indictment also charges the physician with 21 additional counts of unlawful distribution of an amphetamine commonly known as Adderall. For the conspiracy charge, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Maassen faces an additional penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment on each of the controlled substance distribution charges. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. “The illegal distribution of addictive and deadly drugs continues to tear apart communities throughout western Pennsylvania and the rest of the country,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “What makes the conduct alleged here even more troubling is the involvement of a physician—a resident of another state, no less. Dismantling drug trafficking organizations is at the center of what our office does, and these charges should send a clear and loud message: whether you sell drugs out on the street or while wearing a white coat in a doctor’s office, law enforcement at all levels of government will work as long and as hard as it takes to hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “The allegations in these indictments are serious and deeply concerning,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Dr. Maassen stands accused of unlawfully distributing powerful painkillers such as oxycodone and amphetamines such as Adderall. Doctors such as Maassen have a legal and moral obligation to prescribe these drugs for legitimate medical purposes and within the usual course of professional practice; Maassen allegedly did neither. The unlawful distribution of oxycodone has contributed to the opioid crisis that has so adversely affected our communities.” Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration, assisted by the Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Monroeville Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Canonsburg Police Department, Clairton Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Munhall Police Department, conducted the investigations leading to the Indictments. These prosecutions are part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Indictment 1 Name Age Place of Residence Martin J. Maassen 82 Lafayette, IN William J. Kelley 64 West Mifflin, PA Jeffery A. Yates 51 Pittsburgh, PA Rhodney Yates 55 Tarrs, PA Nick Bombiani 34 Pittsburgh, PA Kahla Sweeney 31 Pittsburgh, PA Leonard Hoffman 78 Braddock, PA Indictment 2 Name Age Place of Residence Jon L. Brinson 44 Duquesne, PA Gerald B. Ragin Jr. 59 Duquesne, PA Lashawn Hardy 51 Pittsburgh, PA Kimberly Scabora 56 West Mifflin, PA Emerson L. McClelland Jr. 68 Pittsburgh, PA Phillip Reich 60 Duquesne, PA


title: U.S. Attorney Appoints Election Officer for the Western District of Kentucky

body_text: United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Raymond McGee will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for today’s general election. AUSA McGee has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Kentucky, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. United States Attorney Bennett said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). United States Attorney Bennett stated, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO McGee will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.” In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. Tips can be submitted through the FBI’s national tip line at 800-CALL-FBI or via www.tips.fbi.gov . The Louisville FBI field office can be reached by the public at 502-263-6000. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. United States Attorney Bennett said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.” Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. ###


title: Six Individuals Indicted for Conspiring to Murder Fulton County Detention Officers

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: Wayne Alford, Latasha Baker, Matthew Freeman, also known as “Coach Poker,” “Pokerface Matt,” and “Gotti Freeman,” Jaheim Arnold, also known as “Slime” and “Toppslime,” Carlos Pearson, also known as “Rico Reflection” and “Rice Rico,” and Jayden Barnes, also known as “Swipe” and “El Swiper,” have been indicted for conspiracy to murder two Fulton County Jail detention officers in exchange for payment, and for other drug and firearms offenses. “These defendants demonstrated a callous disregard for human life when allegedly plotting to murder detention officers who threatened their illegal drug and contraband activity at the Fulton County Jail,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is especially proud of the critical federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships that made this successful investigation and indictment possible. Prosecuting threats of violence against law enforcement officials during the performance of their duties is a top priority for the Department of Justice and those who engage in such offenses will be held accountable.” “No law enforcement officer should have to be fearful for their life simply because they are carrying out their sworn duties,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are extremely grateful that this plot was foiled before harm could come to either of the targeted individuals. The FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue the harshest punishment for the individuals involved in this crime.” “It is unthinkable and deplorable that one of our detention officers would conspire to have one or more of her co-workers killed,” said Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat. “This indictment underscores the serious nature of the allegations and the importance of accountability. We must ensure that those who are entrusted with public safety adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and any breach of that trust will be met with swift justice.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Wayne Alford, a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Jail - South Annex, allegedly conspired with others, both in and out of prison, to kill at least two detention officers who had interfered with his contraband and narcotics trafficking operations. Latasha Baker, a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail and Matthew Freeman, who was serving a sentence for armed robbery at Valdosta State Prison, allegedly agreed with Alford to hire and pay individuals to kill the detention officers. The conspirators communicated using contraband cell phones from inside the jail and prison. Carlos Pearson and Jayden Barnes allegedly agreed to commit the murders for $1,000 each. The plot was thwarted when the targeted detention officers detected tracking devices attached to the bottom of their vehicles. Several of the conspirators are known to be members of the GoodFellas gang. A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment on October 22, 2024, that was unsealed on November 4, 2024. The defendants were charge in the indictment as follows: Wayne Alford, 27, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Matthew Freeman, 26, of Glennville, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Latasha Baker, 38, of Hampton, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Jaheim Arnold, 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of drug trafficking conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Carlos Pearson, 33, of College Park, Georgia, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Jayden Barnes, 19, of Atlanta, Georgia was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. LaGrone and Teresa M. Stolze are prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Indictment Charges Greenwich Investment Group Operator

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 23-count indictment charging JUSTIN C. MURPHY, 49, of Stamford, with offenses stemming from an alleged investment fraud scheme. The indictment was returned on September 22, 2022. Murphy, who was extradited from Brazil, appeared on November 1, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $250,000 bond. Murphy had been detained in Brazil since his arrest on December 6, 2023. As alleged in the indictment, Murphy owned and operated Greenwich-based Mara Investment Group, LLC, also known as Mara Investment Management LP and Mara Investments Global Management LLC (“Mara”), which Murphy purported to be a hedge fund that solicited and accepted investments and used a quantitative strategy that balanced long and short positions in securities. Between approximately 2016 and September 2022, Murphy defrauded investors by pursuing a much riskier investment strategy than he told investors; diverting substantial investor funds for his own personal use and benefit; representing to investors that their invested funds were performing more favorably than was, in fact, the case, including providing investors with account statements that falsely representing their account balances; and providing investors with federal tax forms that falsely reported business income upon which investors would be required to pay tax. It is alleged that Murphy stole approximately $3.5 million in investor funds through this scheme and used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to purchase a personal stake in his relative’s startup company. The indictment charges Murphy with 15 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; five counts of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; and three counts of tax evasion, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count. Per the extradition agreement with Brazil, the government has agreed not to pursue the tax evasion charges against Murphy. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Brazilian authorities provided assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.


title: U.S. Army Research Biologist Sentenced To 51 Months Imprisonment For  Engaging In A Bribery Scheme And Ordered To Forfeit The Funds

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Jason Edmonds, age 45 of North East, Maryland was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to commit bribery at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. In addition, the Court ordered Edmonds to forfeit $111,794.83, which is equal to the value of the bribes he received. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. “Edmonds’ actions as a public official harmed government integrity. Bribery spawns distrust of government and the work we do on behalf of the taxpayers, “said U.S. Attorney Barron. “The sentence imposed today sends a clear message of intolerance to any public official who would abuse their position of trust for personal financial gain”. "Fair and free competition is essential to ensure taxpayer money is not wasted and to maintain the trust in our government contracts and programs," says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. "The FBI and our partners stand ready to root out fraudsters seeking to corrupt and falsely influence the process for their personal gain." “Our government officials are entrusted to protect and ensure a fair procurement process. Edmond’s actions violated that trust.” said DCIS Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard. “DCIS is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our tax dollars from fraud and corruption." According to the guilty plea, Edmonds was employed by the United States Army as a Research Biologist at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (“CCDC”) Chemical Biological Center (“CB Center”) located at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (“APG”). The CCDC CB Center was the nation’s principal research and development center for non-medical chemical and biological weapons defense. The CB Center developed technology in the areas of detection, protection, and decontamination. From 2012 to 2019, Edmonds accepted cash and other financial benefits from John Conigliaro, the owner and CEO of EISCO, Inc. in exchange for favorable action on CB Center contracts. For example, in July 2013, Edmonds directed a $300,000 CB Center project to EISCO. Three months later, in October 2013, Conigliaro gave Edmonds $40,000 in cash so that Edmonds could purchase two rental real estate properties. Once Edmonds purchased the rental properties, Conigliaro paid for thousands of dollars of renovations to the rental properties. Relative to the cash exchange, Edmonds and Conigliaro executed a “Promissory Note,” which was subsequently amended by Edmonds on June 14, 2014. In the amended “Promissory Note,” Edmonds credited himself $18,100 against the $40,000 in cash for past projects that Edmonds had directed to EISCO at the CB Center. Edmonds also wrote that Conigliaro would provide him an additional $25,000 in exchange for future projects that Edmonds would direct to EISCO. Between December 2016 and August 2017, Edmonds directed a series of government projects to EISCO in exchange for a stream of benefits from Conigliaro, including a kitchen remodel at Edmonds’s personal residence, the purchase of a granite countertop, a kitchen sink, and new siding to his home. In June 2020, after federal agents attempted to interview Edmonds and Conigliaro, the co-conspirators met approximately three times to discuss the investigation. During those meetings, Edmonds proposed that he and Conigliaro inform federal investigators that Edmonds had repaid Conigliaro with gold and baseball cards, knowing that it was false. At sentencing, the Court found that this behavior constituted obstruction of justice under U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1 and imposed a two-level enhancement. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the DCIS , and the Army Criminal Investigation Division for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bijon A. Mostoufi, who is prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna Huber. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Owen County Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – An Owenton, Ky., man, Tyler Leathers, 35, was sentenced to 180 months in prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Greg Van Tatenhove, following convictions for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on September 29, 2023, law enforcement served an unrelated state arrest warrant on Leathers and searched the property. Inside, they found cocaine, a ledger, multiple clear baggies, scales, and several thousand dollars. In the garage, law enforcement found methamphetamine, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, and additional drug trafficking paraphernalia. Law enforcement also found 10 firearms, throughout the residence. Leathers admitted that he possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them and that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug distribution. Under federal law, Leathers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Brent Caldwell, Owen County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Owen County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison After Serving as Getaway Driver in Enfield Convenience Store Robbery

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

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Halifax County man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for helping to rob a Speedway convenience store on January 31, 2023, in Enfield. On August 9, 2024, Khiyelle Dent pled guilty to one count of interfering with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting. He also pled to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Dent, age 21, was the getaway driver for an individual who entered the Speedway in Enfield, brandished a firearm, and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk gave cash to the robber, who then returned to the vehicle, and fled the area. Enfield Police Department Officers were able to stop the suspect vehicle shortly after the robbery. They found Dent as well as several items of clothing that matched several robberies that had occurred in the month prior in Halifax County. As police approached Dent’s vehicle, his passenger successfully fled on foot. On February 2, 2023, deputies from the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Dollar General store located near their office after employees called 911, fearing a robbery was about to occur. The suspect, identified as Dent, entered the store, looked around, and signaled to someone in the parking lot before the deputies arrived. Dent was carrying a cross-body bag, and when officers arrived, one of them frisked him and discovered a firearm. Dent is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Enfield Police Department, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Gaston Police Department, and the ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-CR-55-D-RN.


title: Florida Resident Sentenced To Five Years For Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dimitri Antoine-Zacharia Grant, age 26, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office. On May 14, 2024, Grant pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 8, 2023, a Sequoyah County deputy pulled Grant over for a traffic violation. During the stop, law enforcement discovered Grant in possession of approximately 6,900 grams—over 15 pounds—of methamphetamine packed in seven clear baggies distributed between three backpacks. The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Grant will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Orlando Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Machinegun

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jeremiah Cundiff (19, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. Cundiff faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on October 23, 2023, law enforcement apprehended Cundiff, who had an active warrant for his arrest. During the apprehension, Cundiff fled and made a stealthy movement. At the area of Cundiff’s movement, a loaded firearm with a machinegun conversion device installed (pictured below), was recovered. Cundiff’s DNA was found on the firearm. The type of machinegun conversion device in this case is commonly referred to as a “switch,” and is designed and intended, solely and exclusively, to convert a semiautomatic pistol into a machinegun, causing the pistol to fire more than one shot with the single pull of the trigger. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with valuable assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Hershey Woman Pleads Guilty To Filing False Income Tax Returns

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Connie Bott, age 74, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Court judge Jennifer P. Wilson on October 31, 2024, to a charge of filing a false federal income tax return. Bott remains free on her own recognizance. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bott was employed by Autohaus Lancaster, a car dealership and service center in Lancaster, PA. Bott was the bookkeeper and controller for the business. In 2019, the owners of the dealership suspected that Bott was potentially embezzling money from them. When interviewed Bott admitted to stealing money from her employer and, consequently, to making false declarations under penalty of perjury when she filed her federal income tax returns (mailed in Dauphin County, within the Middle District of Pennsylvania) in which she did not report the income she realized from the thefts. US Attorney Karam said the Internal Revenue Service calculated the unreported income as $76,472.74 over 4 years from 2016 through 2019, and additional income tax owed by Bott for that period to be to be $16,825. The unreported income for the sole count of the Information for tax year 2017 is $30,456.68, and the unreported tax for that count is $7,246. The following federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Manheim Township Police Department, and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe prosecuted the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is three years of imprisonment, a maximum term of supervised release of one year following imprisonment, and a $100,000 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. # # #


title: Former Taylor Employee Sentenced to Prison for Bribery Conspiracy

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT –Jeffrey Baum, 49, of Allen Park, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to accept bribes while he was the Community Development Manager for the City of Taylor, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2015, the City of Taylor created the Right of First Refusal program (ROFR). Under this program, each year the City acquired tax-delinquent homes and selected developers to rehabilitate and eventually purchase the properties. Baum was the manager of Taylor’s Community Development Department and was responsible for overseeing the ROFR program. During this time, Baum introduced Shady Awad, a real estate developer interested in acquiring ROFR properties to develop, to then-Mayor Richard Sollars. While Awad was a contractor with the City and Baum was supervising the program, Baum solicited and accepted bribes, including cash from Awad on behalf of himself and Sollars. Baum also accepted bribes from Hadir Altoon, the owner of Dominick’s Market, who was also interested in obtaining ROFR properties. Baum routinely received food and holiday gifts, including cash, from Altoon. Without the knowledge or consent of the City Council and at Sollars’s direction, Baum facilitated the transfer of nine ROFR properties to Altoon. In addition to being the Community Development Manager, Baum was also the treasurer of Sollars’s campaign fund. As treasurer, Baum was aware that Sollars stole tens of thousands of dollars from the fund. Baum assisted Sollars by giving him pre-signed, blank campaign checks that Sollars used in a fake catering scheme with Altoon. Sollars then made those checks payable to Dominick’s Market in various amounts, each purporting to represent payment for catering services provided to the campaign. At Sollars’s direction, Altoon prepared false invoices for catering services that were not actually provided. Instead, Altoon provided Sollars with some or all of the proceeds from the cashed fraudulent checks for Sollars’s personal use. Following an evidentiary hearing, the Court found that Sollars received $70,362.98 from this, and other wire fraud schemes related to his campaign account. Baum also accepted large cash campaign donations and gave them to Sollars instead of depositing them into the fund’s bank account. Baum further admitted to stealing between $10,000 and $20,000 from the fund for his personal use. “As the Manager of Community Development for the City of Taylor, Baum had a duty to represent the best interests of the citizens of Taylor. Instead, he used his position of trust and authority to extort money and other items of value from the contractors he was hired to supervise. Mr. Baum’s conviction and sentence should send a strong message to public employees that placing your own interests above those of the citizens of this district will not be tolerated,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.


title: Real Estate Developer Sentenced for Bribery Conspiracy

body_text: DETROIT – Haidir Altoon, 52, of Farmington Hills, was sentenced to one day of incarceration to be followed by two years of supervised release with the first 6 months under house arrest, a $10,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service for conspiring to commit bribery with Richard Sollars, the former Mayor of City of Taylor, and Jeffrey Baum, City of Taylor Community Development Manager, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Altoon, the owner of Dominick’s Market and a real estate developer, paid bribes to Sollars by giving him tens of thousands of dollars in cash, scratch-off lottery tickets, and other items of value in connection with the City of Taylor’s Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program. Under the ROFR program, the City of Taylor acquired tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County and selected developers to rehabilitate and eventually purchase the poperties. After meeting Sollars at his market and expressing interest in acquiring houses under the ROFR program, Sollars asked Altoon to cash fraudulent checks from his campaign fund. Sollars made campaign checks payable to Dominick’s Market in various amounts, each purporting to represent payment for catering services provided to the campaign. At Sollars’s direction, Altoon prepared false invoices for catering services that were not actually provided and gave Sollars some or all of the proceeds from the cashed fraudulent checks for Sollars’s personal use. Following an evidentiary hearing, the Court found that Sollars received $70,362.98 from this, and other wire fraud schemes related to his campaign account. It was also part of the conspiracy that Altoon gave money and other things of value to Jeffrey Baum, who, at the time, was running the ROFR program for the City. In exchange for the cash and other things of value that Altoon provided to Sollars and Baum at Sollars’s direction and without the knowledge and consent of the City Council, Baum facilitated the transfer of nine ROFR properties to Altoon. “This case should send a message to anyone who seeks to do business with local municipalities that giving into the corrupt demands of public officials does not pay. My office will aggressively prosecute and hold accountable both the bribe payer, as well as the bribe receiver, since any exchange of bribes deny the citizens of this district the honest services they expect and deserve,” said United States Attorney Ison. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.


title: Kingsport Man Sentenced To Over 17 Years For Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On November 4, 2024, Shane Douglas Stallard, 44, of Kingsport, was sentenced to 205 months in prison by the Honorable Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following imprisonment, Stallard will be on supervised release for five years. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Stallard agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of the 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1). According to filed court documents, for at least four months, Stallard sold large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl in the Kingsport area. Stallard and his partner regularly made trips to North Carolina, where they purchased one kilogram of methamphetamine and six to seven ounces of heroin/fentanyl at a time. Stallard, a convicted felon, carried a firearm with him while he sold drugs and possessed numerous firearms which he kept at his home and at a storage unit. During the investigation Stallard twice sold a substance described as heroin to a confidential informant. Lab testing showed that on both occasions, the drug Stallard sold contained heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. On April 1, 2022, Stallard was arrested following a traffic stop. A loaded firearm was found in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle where Stallard had been sitting. Another loaded firearm and approximately 80 grams of fentanyl were found in the back of the vehicle. The evidence showed that Stallard was on the way to a hotel to sell the fentanyl. A few days later, police executed a search warrant at the Kingsport residence where Stallard had been staying prior to his arrest. They also searched a storage unit that Stallard used. Police found seven firearms, ammunition, and approximately $27,000 cash at the residence. In the storage unit, they found six firearms and approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Kingsport Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Emily M. Swecker represented the United States. This case was brought as 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 communicates, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results. ###


title: Farrell Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine Near Public Housing

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for cocaine trafficking within 1,000 feet of a public housing location, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Cleo Johnson, 33, also ordering Johnson to serve six years of supervised release following his prison term. Johnson previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base within 1,000 feet of public housing on October 29, 2021. According to information presented to the Court, Johnson engaged in cocaine and fentanyl trafficking for months during 2021, including while near public housing and children. Johnson had several prior convictions, and sentences of incarceration, for drug trafficking, gun, and assault crimes throughout the 12 years preceding his 2021 trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.


title: Ann Arbor Man Charged with Making Online Threat

body_text: DETROIT – An Ann Arbor, Michigan, man was charged in a federal criminal complaint today with sending a threatening communication, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division. Charged was Isaac Sissel, 25, who is currently staying in Ann Arbor. According to court records, on November 2, 2024, the FBI National Threat Operations Center in West Virginia received an anonymous online threatening submission. The threat read in part: “I shall carry out an attack against conservative christan, (sic) filth in the event trump wins the election. I have a stolen ar15 and a target I refuse to name so I can continue to get away with my plans. Without a specific victim or ability to find the place I hid the gun, there’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack.” Sissel was arrested by the FBI this morning and will be making an appearance in federal court this afternoon. The FBI Detroit Field Office is investigating the case. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jackson, Michigan Man Charged with Threats to Political Action Committee

body_text: DETROIT - A Jackson, Michigan man was arrested today and charged with one count of making a threatening interstate communication. The charge arises out of Pierce allegedly sending threatening e-mails to a political action committee (PAC) engaged in fundraising activities related to the November 5, 2024, election, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining in the announcement was Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to court documents, on or about October 2, 2024, Christopher Pierce, 46, of Jackson, Michigan, allegedly sent two electronic communications containing threats to injure or kill individuals associated with the PAC. In apparent response to fundraising solicitation communications, Pierce communicated: “I guarantee I can find each and every one of your [expletive] organizees. And we will turn you [expletive] inside out. . . . Now you better stop or I promise you this is badly for all of you [expletive] and we won’tinvolve [sic] the law.” In a second communication shortly thereafter, Pierce stated, “You will shut down your entire organization or it will be shut down for you. 90% of the members of [named organization]… are trained killers. . . . It paints targets onyour [sic] backs and the backs of your families. Your call centers have been located. Don’t make these boys and girlsgo [sic] to work.” Pierce is charged with one count of making a threatening interstate communication. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The investigation is being conducted by FBI. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.