title: Bronx Man Charged With Early-Afternoon Shooting On Bronx Street

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today that LENNY REYES was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition during a shooting that occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2023, near the intersection of East 167th Street and Sherman Avenue in the Bronx. REYES was transferred to federal custody this morning and was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Lenny Reyes fired at a group of individuals outside a bodega in the Bronx, provoking a gunfight and endangering the lives of his intended victims and other bystanders. Thanks to the swift action of the prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the defendant is now being held accountable for his reckless actions.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Reyes recklessly endangered the lives of others when he fired a gun in the direction of another individual in the Bronx on March 8, 2023. As a previously convicted felon, Reyes was not permitted to possess ammunition, and, as today’s action demonstrates, the FBI and our NYPD partners will continue to hold accountable those who put others’ lives at risk and violate our firearms laws.” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “The alleged violent and dangerously reckless actions of this defendant will never be tolerated in New York City. Illegal guns are a grave threat to our public safety, and the NYPD works tirelessly to ensure that the people who carry and shoot them are held accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and everyone else who aided in this investigation and arrest.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: [1] On or about March 8, 2023, REYES ran toward a group of people assembled on the sidewalk near 1217 Sherman Avenue in the Bronx. Video footage from the scene shows REYES running towards the group with a handgun pointed at them. The group began to flee. REYES fired the handgun in the direction of an individual located behind a car parked on the side of Sherman Avenue. A still image of REYES firing the shot is below: REYES’s gun then appeared to malfunction, and he fled the scene as another individual fired six shots at him. A shell casing discharged by REYES’s gun was recovered from the ground at the scene of the shooting. REYES was not permitted to possess ammunition because of prior felony convictions. * * * LENNY REYES, 43, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI and NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case. The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Ross is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Reyes Complaint


title: Romanian Citizens Plead Guilty to Laundering $1.4 Million in Proceeds from Jewelry Thefts and Covid Fraud

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 20, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Eduard Ghiocel and Floarea Ghiocel, married Romanian nationals and leaders of a Romania-based transnational organized crime group, pleaded guilty today to laundering $1.4 million in proceeds from dozens of grand thefts, robberies and swindles targeting mostly elderly victims in San Diego County. According to their plea agreement, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel, along with the assistance of co-conspirators Gabriel Ghiocel, Marius Ghiocel, Larisa Ghiocel, and Argentina Alexandru, conducted a series of 17 grand thefts and robberies of jewelry in elderly communities in San Diego. Defendants and co-conspirators then pawned the stolen, expensive jewelry and watches for cash in jewelry stores in Los Angeles. In addition, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel admitted to submitting fraudulent unemployment claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and together with their co-conspirators received a total of approximately $32,250 in California unemployment insurance benefits intended to help workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel admitted to sending cash from the jewelry thefts and the stolen unemployment insurance proceeds by wire transfers to Romania via Money Service Businesses, and using the stolen proceeds to purchase gold bars, gold coins, and high-end luxury vehicles from locations in Southern California and shipping these items to Romania. In total the Ghiocel Sub-Group sent $1,367,652.02 from illicit funds to Romania, knowing the money represented the proceeds of grand thefts and robberies of jewelry, and California EDD fraud, the plea agreement said. In a forfeiture addendum, Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel also agreed to forfeit assets including a white 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a black 2020 Ferrari Portofino, two gold coins worth $4,000, and $1,896.37 worth of U.S. currency. These items were seized across Valcea County, Romania on March 14, 2023 pursuant to seven Romanian search warrants issued by the Bucharest Tribunal and executed by police officers from the Romanian National Police's Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, Service for Combatting Organized Criminal Groups, and Service for Combatting Organized Crime Valcea, assisted by FBI and IRS officers. Eduard and Floarea Ghiocel also agreed to forfeit a blue 2021 Lamborghini Urus and a BMW X4, also seized in Romania pursuant to the aforementioned warrants. After the defendants are sentenced and the forfeiture finalized, it is the intent of the U.S. Attorney to seek restoration of the forfeited properties to pay restitution to victims. The co-conspirators remain at large in Romania. “These defendants led an international crime ring that stole beloved personal items from elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “They thought that seniors would be easy marks, but the plan has backfired. Our prosecution team and agencies followed the organized crime group’s trail all the way to Romania to assist in the seizure of assets laundered from stolen jewelry and pandemic funds in California.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and agencies along with their international partners for their inexhaustible efforts to bring justice for these victims. “This scheme is egregious because it specifically targeted our most vulnerable citizens,” said FBI San Diego’s Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The FBI is allocating as many resources as possible to identify and bring to justice individuals who are preying on our older adult population.” “Too many people suffer at the hands of this type of organized crime,” said San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold these criminals and their co-conspirators accountable.” “While most people were worrying about how to stay healthy and protect their loved ones during the height of the pandemic, Eduard Ghiocel and Floarea Ghiocel were busy victimizing the elderly within our communities and targeting relief programs. They will now face the consequences of their crimes and their flagrant disregard for our communities,” said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office. “Investigating individuals and organizations that prey on vulnerable communities and exploited the CARES act is one of our top priorities. IRS-CI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners locally and internationally to locate and hold criminal organizations accountable for their crimes.” Assistance was provided by the Romanian National Police (Service for Combatting Organized Criminal Groups and Service for Combatting Organized Crime Valcea) and the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (Agency for Prosecuting Organized Crime). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance. The couple is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21 at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Larry Burns. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 23-cr-00650-LAB Eduard Ghiocel (1) Age: 47 Transient, Romanian aka Eduard Alexandru, aka “Filica” Floarea Ghiocel (2) Age: 48 Transient, Romanian aka Floarea Alexandru SUMMARY OF CHARGES Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) and Title 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) — Conspiracy to Transport Funds to Promote Unlawful Activity Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved in the transportation, transmission, or transfer, whichever is greater INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego Police Department Internal Revenue Service California Employment Development Department Investigative Division U.S. Department of Homeland Security Department of Labor Office of Investigator General


title: Jackson Man Sentenced to Serve over Four Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced to 54 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 51 months for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The two sentences will be served concurrently. According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, Deonta Miller, 36, was arrested by the Richland Police Department due to an outstanding arrest warrant. Miller led officers on a short chase which concluded with Miller crashing his vehicle into a hotel located just off Highway 80 West in Hinds County. Miller left a firearm in the car and fled on foot but was taken into custody shortly thereafter. Miller has prior convictions for carjacking and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Miller pled guilty on February 16, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Additionally, on March 11, 2022, Miller conspired with two other individuals to obtain automobile loans through fraudulent means. Miller used a false name, social security number, driver’s license, and utility bill, to obtain a loan for a car. Miller pled guilty on March 21, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Richland Police Department and the ATF investigated the firearm case. The Madison Police Department and HSI investigated the bank fraud case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the firearm case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the fraud case. The firearm case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime .


title: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Lamont Bray pled guilty to fentanyl trafficking and gun crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Bray, age 23 of Pittsburgh, pled guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. Bray pled guilty to conspiring to falsify a firearm purchase form and to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. Judge Horan ordered sentencing to occur on October 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. In support of the guilty plea, the Court was informed that, between October 2020 and February 2021, Bray and his co-defendant formed and carried out a scheme whereby the co-defendant would purchase firearms, from federally licensed firearms dealers, as if she was the actual purchaser, and as if she would be the actual possessor, of the firearms when Mr. Bray would, in fact, be the actual purchaser and actual possessor of the firearms. Bray also possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute on April 10, 2021. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.


title: New York Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced Valfonso Dewitt, a/k/a “Valentino” and “Val,” age 72, of Bronx, New York, to 121 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and for two counts of using his cellular telephone to facilitate a felony drug offense. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department. According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, from January 2019 through at least September 2019, Dewitt conspired with co-defendant James Isaac Gaston, Gaston’s wife Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, and others to distribute fentanyl. The evidence proved that in September 2019, Dewitt distributed nearly half a kilogram of pure fentanyl—enough to kill almost 250,000 people—to James Gaston just outside Memphis, Tennessee. Approximately 14 hours later, law enforcement seized the fentanyl during a traffic stop on Gaston’s car shortly after Gaston drove over the I-495 bridge from Virginia into Prince George’s County, Maryland. The jury acquitted Dewitt on three counts of using his cellular telephone to facilitate a felony drug offense. James Isaac Gaston, age 74, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in the drug distribution conspiracy. Co-defendant Jacqueline Shelton Gaston, age 52, also of Lanham, Maryland, also pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2023. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the FBI, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County Police Department and the Maryland State Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Geonard F. Butler II, who prosecuted the case and recognized Intelligence Research Specialist Angelina Thompson and Paralegal Specialists Andrew Branigan, Mark Phares, and Derek Harwerth for their assistance. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A felon who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rosnel Larose, age 32, of Dubuque, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Larose admitted that, in January 2022, he possessed a pistol after having been convicted of eleven felonies. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Larose remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Larose faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 22-1044. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Federal Jury Convicts St. Paul Felon for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Bar Shootout

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm following a shootout at a St. Paul bar, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Following a five-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Anthony Charles Deberry, 41, was convicted on one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. According to evidence presented at trial, on the afternoon of September 18, 2021, Deberry got into a verbal altercation with a man inside Born’s Bar in St. Paul and, as a result, was kicked out of the bar and prohibited from re-entering. Deberry remained in the vicinity of the bar and at times continued to antagonize the man. Later that evening, Deberry approached the bar, followed a group of men, and brandished a 9mm handgun with an activated laser site. Shortly thereafter, gunfire broke out, including one shot fired by Deberry. Deberry suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Regions Hospital. Surveillance video footage from Born’s Bar showed Deberry hide his firearm under a parked car after the shooting. Responding law enforcement officers recovered Deberry’s firearm as well as multiple discharged cartridge casings on the sidewalk. Because Deberry has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Teirab and Lindsey E. Middlecamp tried the case.


title: Newport News Man Sentenced for Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for brandishing a firearm while robbing a gas station convenience store in Henrico County. According to court documents, on January 17, 2019, Chaikim Reynolds, 22, entered a gas station convenience store in Henrico County to rob it. His co-conspirator, Darrell Pittman, 24, of Hampton, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun and trained it on the clerk while Reynolds gave commands to the clerk and removed U.S. currency from the cash register. Reynolds was identified by a member of the Hampton Police Department, who saw him in an area-wide request to identify. Less than a week after the robbery, officers attempted to stop the vehicle Reynolds was driving, with Pittman and two firearms inside, but he fled. After running two red lights, he crashed into another vehicle, killing that car’s passenger. One of the loaded firearms recovered from the vehicle was identified as the one used in the robbery. On December 2, 2022, Reynolds was found guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence by a jury. At sentencing, the Court found that Reynolds lied and obstructed justice when he testified in his own defense, including about his knowledge of the 36th Street gang that was a rival to the 44–Newsome gang to which Pittman belonged and to which Reynolds was alleged to belong. In case 4:17-cr-52, defendant Eric Nixon was previously convicted of shooting Pittman in the head in connection with his 36th Street Bang Squad activity. After pleading guilty to three armed robberies, on June 9, 2020, Pittman was sentenced to 21 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Orin Gallop, Interim Chief of Hampton Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie D. Podlesni and D. Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation of the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-39.


title: Owner of Desert Star Motel in Bakersfield Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Participation in Sex Trafficking Enterprise

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Jatinbhai Naresh Bhakta, 31, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 4 years in prison and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of over $1 million for using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in 2015, Bhakta purchased and began operating the Desert Star Motel at 516 South Union Avenue in Bakersfield. Bhakta lived in a unit at the motel. Co‑defendant Roy Gene Drees, 45, also lived at the motel and was employed as a handyman and general manager. During Bhakta’s ownership from at least 2018 to 2020, the Desert Star primarily catered to prostitutes and their actual and potential clients. Bhakta communicated with pimps by telephone and messaging applications, and would check in on prostitutes when asked to do so by the pimps. Depending on the time of day, it was not unusual to see most, if not all, of the doors to motel rooms wide open with suspected prostitutes in lingerie standing outside, waving to drivers and approaching their vehicles. Prospective customers would park directly in front of the room of the prostitute they desired, and the prostitute would either direct them into the room immediately or meet the customer outside to arrange a deal. There were approximately 20 to 25 rooms available for rent, most of which were occupied by prostitutes, with very few, if any, used for legitimate overnight residency. Bhakta routinely charged rates of $120-140 per room per night in cash. From 2018 through January 2020, Bhakta deposited over $1 million in cash into his bank accounts, at a typical rate of approximately $30,000 to $40,000 per month. In May 2019, two minor females were rescued from the property after having been trafficked by Darnell Edwards, 33, of Antioch at the Desert Star. On Jan. 22, 2021, a search warrant was executed at the Desert Star, and 15 prostitutes and three pimps were encountered. Drees and Bhakta were arrested at that time. On Nov. 10, 2022, Bhakta pleaded guilty. On May 1, 2023, Edwards was sentenced to 19 years and seven months for sex trafficking of the two minors. Charges are pending against Drees, who is scheduled for trial on March 23, 2024. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Parole Division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting 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: Henrico Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft  from Westhampton Post Office

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to mail theft. According to court documents, Stephen Allen Booker, 28, along with other accomplices, stole from the blue USPS collection boxes located at the Westhampton Post Office in Richmond. On December 19, 2022, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on the Westhampton collection boxes based on previous, known incidents of theft from the blue collection boxes earlier that month. During the surveillance, officers observed a gray GMC vehicle, bearing Virginia license plates, enter the Westhampton Post Office parking lot in front of the blue collection boxes. Two individuals exited the vehicle, opened the blue collection boxes, removed the mail matter contained within the boxes, dumped the mail in a trash bag, and drove off. Law enforcement was able to confirm that this vehicle was registered to Booker. When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Booker initially pulled over, then fled in his vehicle resulting in a high-speed chase. Law enforcement officers were unsuccessful in apprehending Booker and his passenger that day. Booker was later arrested at his residence and a lawful search was conducted. The search revealed that Booker was in possession of checks and credit cards belonging to other individuals. Booker is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Hannah M. Lauck accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-036.


title: Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. John Munson, 48, of Deptford, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to one count of the superseding indictment charging him with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His codefendant, Kevin Salmon, 26, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. Judge Hillman imposed Munson’s sentence today in Camden federal court According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Munson admitted obtaining methamphetamine from the conspiracy in order to distribute the methamphetamine to others. Salmon acted as a “runner” or “courier” for the drug-trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl. Salmon was sentenced in March 2023 to 168 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Munson to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Drug Enforcement Administration, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; FBI; Bensalem Police Department; Berlin Borough Police Department; Berlin Township Police Department; Bucks County District Attorney’s Office; Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; Clayton Police Department; Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Task Force; Deptford Township Police Department; Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office; Gloucester Township Police Department; New Jersey State Police; New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsville Police Department; and Winslow Township Police Department for their assistance. This case is part of an 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 at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.


title: New York Man Admits Assault on Airplane

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted assaulting a female passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to assault with intent to commit another felony, namely, stalking, while on an airplane. Manuella was ordered detained without bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On a flight from Denver, Colorado, to Newark, on April 16, 2021, Manuella moved to a vacant seat next to a female passenger and touched the passenger without her consent. Manuella admitted the victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats. He admitted that touching the victim caused her substantial emotional distress. The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers of the Port Authority Police Department with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae M. Thomas and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. manuella.sinformation.pdf


title: Fresno Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Identity Theft in Year-Long Scheme

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Bobbi Jo Heiss, 36, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period. For example, as part of the scheme, on April 30, 2021, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a car dealership in Fresno with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim in order to purchase a 2017 Sierra GMA. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Carbajal is prosecuting the case. Heiss is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on August 21, 2023. Heiss faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for bank fraud. She faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Defendants in Two Fresno Cases of Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Gun Possession Plead Guilty

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Two defendants pleaded guilty today to charges brought in 2021 of fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In the first case, Nicholas Solis, 28, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, an undercover officer ordered fentanyl pills from Solis using a Snap Chat account. Based on the messages, a search warrant was issued for Solis’s person, car, and residence. The same day, Solis posted a video of himself in his car counting a large sum of money with a firearm on his lap. Moments later, agents executed the search warrant and found fentanyl pills and the firearm from the video Solis had posted. In the second case Uriel Diaz-Santos , 21, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, after two juveniles overdosed on fentanyl pills, investigators interviewed witnesses and reviewed phone records, ultimately developing enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for Diaz-Santos’s residence. On Nov. 2, 2021, investigators searched Diaz-Santos’s house and found thousands of fentanyl pills and a firearm. These cases are the product of investigations by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting both cases. Diaz-Santos and Solis are both scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2023. The defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine for trafficking fentanyl. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn . This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: Bakersfield Man Sentenced for Transferring Obscene Material to a Minor

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Alexis Rudy Reyes, 29, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and fined $5,000 for transferring obscene material to a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in April and May 2017, Reyes engaged in electronic video and messaging communications with the victim in this case, who was just eight years old. In those communications Reyes threatened to kill the victim’s mother if the victim did not take off her clothes while he watched. Reyes then proceeded to have multiple video chats with the victim in which the victim took off her clothing, and Reyes then exposed himself to the victim while manipulating his private parts. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David 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: Southern California Woman Sentenced to 33 months in Prison for Knife Assault on a Camper in Sequoia National Park

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Sarah E. Meenahan, 28, of Manhattan Beach, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for assault with intent to commit a felony, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on May 16, 2022, Meenahan entered a camper van in Sequoia National Park with the intent to steal the camper van from the occupant, who was sleeping. Meenahan exited the camper van, but moments later reentered the camper and attempted to stab the occupant with a 4-inch serrated knife. The occupant was able to subdue Meenahan and eject her from the camper before she could stab him. Then Meenahan fled in a stolen car. When National Park Service rangers encountered her and tried to arrest her, she refused to comply with commands, and was only taken into custody after rangers deployed a taser. On Feb. 21, 2023, Meenahan pleaded guilty to the assault. This case was the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.


title: Gerard R. Vetter Appointed Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: Gerard R. Vetter has been appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia and for the District of Columbia (Region 4) effective July 1, the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees announced today. Vetter replaces John P. Fitzgerald III, who is retiring after 43 years of dedicated service to the department, including the last four years as the Acting U.S. Trustee in Region 4. Under 28 U.S.C. § 585(a), the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing an Acting U.S. Trustee. Vetter joined the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) in 2010 as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in charge of the Greenbelt, Maryland, office of Region 4, where he served for four years before transferring to become the Assistant U.S. Trustee in the Baltimore office. He was the Region’s Creditor Enforcement Coordinator for many years and has been involved in supporting broader USTP efforts as a member of its Private Trustee Working Group and through service on peer evaluation teams. Before joining the USTP, Vetter was a chapter 13 trustee in the District of Maryland from 2004 to 2010 and prior to that was in private practice. He received his bachelor’s degree in public and international affairs cum laude from Princeton University and his Juris Doctorate from The George Washington University School of Law. The USTP is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. The USTP has 21 regions and 90 field office locations. Region 4 has offices in Baltimore and Greenbelt, Maryland; Columbia, South Carolina; Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia; and Charleston, West Virginia.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Three Defendants of Interstate Stalking of Chinese Nationals in the United States and Two Defendants of Acting or Conspiring to Act on Behalf of the People’s Republic of China

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted three defendants on multiple counts of a superseding indictment charging them with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as illegal agents of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), without prior notification to the Attorney General. Michael McMahon, 55, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was convicted of acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking; Congying Zheng, 27, of Brooklyn, was convicted of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking; and Zhu Yong aka Jason Zhu, 66, of Queens, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to act as an illegal agent of the PRC, acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and interstate stalking. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, McMahon – a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator – and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of the PRC government officials to conduct surveillance and engage in a campaign to harass, stalk and coerce certain residents of the United States to return to the PRC as part of a global and extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Zheng engaged in interstate stalking of the same victims, leaving a threatening note at their residence. Today’s verdict follows a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen. McMahon faces up to 20 years in prison, Zhu faces up to 25 years in prison, and Zheng faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “The defendants engaged in a campaign of harassment and coercion on behalf of the PRC to force the victim’s repatriation to China from the United States, including by threatening family members,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who would help repressive regimes violate the fundamental freedoms of people in the United States.” “The jury’s verdict confirms that defendants McMahon and Zhu knowingly acted at the direction of a hostile foreign state to harass, intimidate and attempt to cause the involuntary return of a resident of the New York metropolitan area to the People’s Republic of China, and that defendant Zheng harassed and intimidated that same person and his family,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “It is particularly troubling that defendant Michael McMahon, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department, engaged in surveillance, harassment, and stalking on behalf of a foreign power for money. We will remain steadfast in exposing and undermining efforts by the Chinese government to reach across our border and perpetrate transnational repression schemes targeting victims in the United States in violation of our laws.” “The conviction of these three defendants – including a retired NYPD sergeant – is yet another powerful reminder of the Chinese government’s ongoing, pervasive, and illegal behavior here in the United States,” said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “At the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security, the defendants engaged in increasingly egregious efforts at repression, from stalking to outright threats and intimidation tactics undertaken at the victim’s family home. This will not be tolerated within our borders, plain and simple. If you or someone you know have been targeted in this manner, we urge you to contact the FBI – and to all those engaging in such repression tactics, stand forewarned.” As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants participated in an international campaign with members of the PRC government as part of “Operation Fox Hunt” to threaten, harass, surveil and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family, in order to force John Doe #1 and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC. In or around 2015, the PRC government caused the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), an inter-governmental law enforcement organization, to issue “Red Notices” for John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1, alleging that both persons were wanted by the PRC government on corruption-related charges. Zhu hired McMahon who obtained detailed information about John Doe #1, his wife, and his daughter from a law enforcement database and other government databases, then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer, what he had learned. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he had observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including co-conspirators Hu Ji, a PRC police officer with the Wuhan Public Security Bureau and Tu Lan, a PRC prosecutor with the Wuhan Procuratorate. In April 2017, Tu Lan and Hu Ji transported John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father from the PRC to the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s sister-in-law to attempt to convince John Doe #1 to return to the PRC. The testimony established that John Doe #1’s father was brought by a PRC doctor and charged co-conspirator, Li Minjun, and that while John Doe #1’s father was in the United States, his daughter was threatened with jailing in the PRC. A co-conspirator conducted surveillance of the home during the visit, wearing night-vision goggles provided by the PRC doctor and the PRC prosecutor. McMahon tailed John Doe #1 from the meeting with his elderly father, back to his home, and provided John Doe #1’s address – which was previously unknown – to the PRC operatives. In October 2016 and April 2017, McMahon emailed himself a China Daily News article titled “Interpol Launches Global Dragnet for 100 Chinese Fugitives,” which stated, “Amid the nation’s intensifying antigraft campaign, arrest warrants were issued by Interpol China for former State employees and others suspected of a wide range of corrupt practices. China Daily was authorized by the Chinese justice authorities to publish the information below.” The article provided a list of photographs and identifying information about Operation Fox Hunt targets by the PRC government, including those of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1. On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 and pounded on the front door. He and a co-conspirator attempted to force open the door to the residence, then left a note that stated “If you are willing to go back to the mainland and spend 10 years in prison, your wife and children will be all right. That’s the end of this matter!” Previously, three other defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. Zebin pleaded guilty in March 2022 to interstate stalking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Hongru Jin pleaded guilty in June 2021 to conspiring to act as an illegal agent of the PRC and interstate stalking conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. Tu Lan, Hu Ji and Li Minjun are fugitives. The FBI Newark Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Heeren, Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are in charge of the prosecution, with valuable assistance provided by Paralegal Specialist Mary Clare McMahon.


title: Owner of Car Parts Remanufacturing Company  Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crime

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Minnesota man who owned an automobile transmission business pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, Timothy J. Lundquist owned and operated Dynotec Industries, Inc., an automobile transmission remanufacturing company based in Jordan, Minnesota. Lundquist was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over to the IRS payroll taxes withheld from employees’ wages. For at least the last quarter of 2013 through 2018, Lundquist did not, however, or pay withholdings to the IRS or file required employment tax returns. In total, he caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.2 million. Lundquist faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Justice Department’s Tax Division is prosecuting the case.


title: Readout of Justice Department Convening with National Public Defense Organizations Hosted by the Office for Access to Justice

component: Office for Access to Justice

body_text: Director Rachel Rossi of the Justice Department’s Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) and staff from ATJ and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) met with national public defense organizations today at the Justice Department. The organizations discussed an array of critical topics impacting adult and youth public defenders including challenges in securing federal funding and resources; research needs and data gaps; the need to promote policies that ensure early and continuous access to counsel and concerns about increasing caseloads and workloads that can lead to the constructive denial of counsel. ATJ is charged with planning, developing and coordinating the implementation of access to justice policy initiatives of high priority to the Justice Department and the Executive Branch, including in areas of criminal indigent defense. Today’s convening was held in furtherance of the ATJ’s commitment and mandate to regularly engage with the public defense community and to support indigent defense. It is part of the department’s continuing engagement with and support for the public defense community. In March, the Justice Department celebrated 60 years since the Supreme Court decision recognizing the right to counsel in criminal cases, Gideon v. Wainwright , by launching a country-wide tour to hear from those on the ground doing the work of making the right to counsel a reality. High-level Justice Department officials joined ATJ in visits with public defenders, impacted communities and advocates across the United States to hear about barriers and announce a number of actions in response. These actions include: Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s launch of a 100-day review of access to counsel in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities; OJP and ATJ’s issuance of a “Dear Colleague” letter encouraging states to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program funding to resource public defense An ATJ partnership with the National Institute of Justice on a research project detailing the landscape of state public defender systems; and The establishment of new attorney position in ATJ, filled by Senior Counsel Nikhil Ramnaney , dedicated to supporting, collaborating with, and engaging the state and local public defense community. Director Rachel Rossi, ATJ and OJP staff with members from national public defense organizations


title: Justice Department Announces New National Security Cyber Section Within the National Security Division

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the creation of the new National Security Cyber Section – known as NatSec Cyber – within its National Security Division. The newly established litigating section has secured congressional approval and comes in response to the core findings in Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s Comprehensive Cyber Review in July of 2022. “NatSec Cyber will give us the horsepower and organizational structure we need to carry out key roles of the Department in this arena,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This new section will allow NSD to increase the scale and speed of disruption campaigns and prosecutions of nation-state threat actors, state-sponsored cybercriminals, associated money launderers, and other cyber-enabled threats to national security.” The National Security Cyber Section will increase the Justice Department’s capacity to disrupt and respond to malicious cyber activity, while promoting Department-wide and intragovernmental partnerships in tackling increasingly sophisticated and aggressive cyber threats by hostile nation-state adversaries. The Section will bolster collaboration between key partners, notably the Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the FBI’s Cyber Division and will serve as a valuable resource for prosecutors in the 94 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 56 FBI Field Offices across the country. “Responding to highly technical cyber threats often requires significant time and resources,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “NatSec Cyber will serve as an incubator, able to invest in the time-intensive and complex investigative work for early-stage cases.” Today’s announcement builds upon recent successes in identifying, addressing and eliminating national security cyber threats, including the charging of an alleged cybercriminal with ransomware attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure and disruption the Russian government’s premier cyberespionage malware tool.


title: Hastings Man Sentenced to More Than 33 Years for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Joshua Sund, 42, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of production of child pornography. Sund was sentenced to 400 months in prison and will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sund was additionally ordered to pay $3,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes. This case began on November 3, 2021, when a concerned individual reported to the Hastings Police Department that he had purchased a laptop from Joshua Sund and that he had found videos on the computer that appeared to be Sund engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent minor. Law enforcement received a search warrant for the device and performed a forensic download. Law enforcement located the videos in question from the download of the laptop computer. They identified Sund as the male in the videos. There were seven videos depicting Sund engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the prepubescent minor which occurred on five separate occasions spanning a period of approximately a year and a half. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the Hastings Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Baldwin County Woman Sentenced To Over Eleven Years Imprisonment For Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: Theresa Louise Border, of Foley, was sentenced on June 14, 2023, to one hundred and forty one months imprisonment for methamphetamine trafficking. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Callie V. Granade. Border had pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Documents filed with the guilty plea established that over approximately an eight-month period in 2020, Border had purchased over 100 ounces of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator. Border also contributed money for the purchase of one kilogram of methamphetamine by the same co-conspirator however the kilogram of methamphetamine was seized by law enforcement before Border could receive her share. After the source of supply for the one kilogram of methamphetamine was arrested, Border cultivated another source of supply for methamphetamine in Pensacola, Florida. Border dealt with this source for more than a year until her arrest in January 2022. During this one-year period Border purchased one ounce of methamphetamine per week from the source. On January 22, 2022 Border was arrested by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Deputies after purchasing 4 ounces of methamphetamine from the source of supply. On this occasion Border and three of her drug associates put their money together to purchase the 4 ounces that were seized on this date. The three friends that contributed to the purchase included a co-defendant, Heidi Norful. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello commended the outstanding work of the federal and state law enforcement agencies involved in investigating this case and presenting it for federal prosecution. Costello added that the methamphetamine trade continues to destroy communities and his office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who choose to traffic the drug. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Arapahoe Man Charged with Assault by Strangulation

body_text: Charles Edward Wallowingbull Jr., age 35, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, appeared for arraignment on June 5, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa M. McKee. Wallowingbull pleaded not guilty to assault by strangulation. A trial has been set for August 7, 2023. If convicted on all counts, Wallowingbull faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This crime is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist. An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Case No. 23-CR-00077


title: D.C. Man Sentenced for Financial Exploitation of a Family Member

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON — Tyronne Gregory Taylor, 53, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, suspended, and five years of supervised probation, on one felony count of financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult or elderly person. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas. According to information presented in court documents, Taylor admitted that from on or about July 2020, to December 2020, he gained unauthorized access to a family member’s debit card, who suffered from cognitive impairments and was hospitalized at a District of Columbia skilled nursing facility. Taylor used his family member’s ATM card for cash withdrawals and purchases at auto parts stores, hardware stores, restaurants, gas stations, liquor stores, hotels, and the purchase of a new car. Taylor also used his family member’s ATM card to make fraudulent payments to his company, TNTGreenConstruction, LLC. In total, Taylor was able to obtain more than $51,000 for his personal use, from his hospitalized family member, who was unable to make decisions for himself or to communicate meaningfully. Taylor entered his guilty plea in the U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia on February 23, 2023. In addition to his sentencing, the Honorable Errol Arthur ordered Taylor to pay $51,886.31 in restitution and pay $100 to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. This matter was originally reported to the District of Columbia’s Office of Aging and Community Living’s Adult Protective Services Division and initially investigated by the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General. In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who prosecuted the case from the Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the efforts of Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason Facci, on detail from the Office of the Inspector General, who prosecuted the case.


title: District Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Donnell Rojas, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. He was also ordered to pay $117,000 in restitution to the identified victims and serve a lifetime of supervised release. After receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), law enforcement executed a search warrant on a Yahoo account later revealed to belong to the defendant. The search warrant revealed that on April 29, 2020, the defendant sent three emails attaching numerous files constituting child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”) to and from the Yahoo account—apparently sending the attachments to himself. Several of the files depicted the violent sexual abuse of prepubescent girls and boys, including at least two “GIF” files identified as part of the widely known “Daisy’s Destruction” series. A subsequent search warrant on a Facebook account tied to the defendant revealed that he distributed three images containing CSAM to other Facebook users, asking if one user had “[a]ny kid videos?” On March 8, 2021, law enforcement executed a warrant at Rojas’s residence. During the search, Rojas admitted that the recovery email accounts linked to the Yahoo account belonged to him. Law enforcement also seized nine devices during the search warrant, including a white Apple iPhone 8 on his person bearing a phone number tied to the Yahoo account. A subsequent forensic review confirmed that five of the seized devices contained voluminous CSAM, including an encrypted hard drive containing CSAM in folders labeled “Taboo” and “Very Taboo.” Rojas was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners. He has been detained ever since. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. They acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney-Detailee Jessica Arco, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: The United States and the Netherlands Reaffirm Their Commitment to Pursuing Justice and Accountability for Russia’s Unlawful Invasion of Ukraine

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: On June 19, Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra met with U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in The Hague, where they discussed support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression that is causing death and destruction across Ukraine, and sowing instability around the world. Those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine must not go unpunished. The Ukrainian people deserve justice. The United States and the Netherlands are both deeply committed to domestic, regional, and international efforts to promote accountability and combat impunity in Ukraine. The International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) will play a critical role in the ecosystem for prosecuting atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine. Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and AG Garland . Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra and AG Garland. “Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting with Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra, in The Hague, Netherlands,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The U.S. partnership with the Netherlands is one of our oldest and closest, and our strong bilateral relationship is critically important as we confront common challenges. Ensuring accountability for Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine was at the top of our agenda. We are grateful that the Netherlands has agreed to host the ICPA, which will be based at Eurojust. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed an experienced federal prosecutor, Jessica Kim, to serve as the United States’ Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression and our representative in this important effort. We will continue to seek justice alongside, and stand with, our Ukrainian partners, for as long as it takes.” “The Netherlands is the host nation to the ICPA against Ukraine and is honored to do so,” said Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius. “We view the ICPA as the first step towards justice for the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation and its leadership. We see the commitment by the United States to appoint a Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression as very valuable and call on other states to support this endeavor to ensure justice and exclude impunity.” “The Netherlands greatly appreciates the close cooperation with the United States in supporting Ukraine, and in the fight against impunity for atrocities committed by Russia’s unjustified war of aggression,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra. “We will continue to work together to bring those responsible to justice, including through the work of the ICPA, as well as the Register of Damages Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which will also have its seat in The Hague. The Register will serve as a record of evidence and claims information on damage, loss or injury caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”


title: COSTA RICAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO  CONSPIRACY TO TRANSPORT MARIJUANA

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Luis Antonio Orellana-Orellano, 69, of Costa Rica, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to conspiracy to transport approximately 4,000 pounds of marijuana onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Magistrate Judge Henderson scheduled Orellana-Orellana’s sentencing hearing for October 21, 2023, where he faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, on November 7, 2022, the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Campbell observed a go-fast vessel while patrolling in international waters approximately 65 nautical miles South of Boca Chica, Panama. USCGC Campbell intercepted the go-fast vessel “Agamenon” which had no physical flag flown, no registration documents, nor registration number painted on its hull. Bales of contraband was visible on the deck of the vessel along with three occupants, including Orellana-Orellana. The master of the Agamenon claimed Colombian nationality for the vessel, but Colombia neither confirm nor deny nationality of the vessel. The Almamenon was therefore treated as a vessel without nationality subjecting it to the jurisdiction of the United States. A search of the vessel revealed approximately 57 bales of suspected marijuana weighting 4,104 pounds. Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory testing subsequently confirmed that the substance seized was marijuana. The remaining occupants of the Agamenon, Keyran Coto Lopez and Alonso Hernandez-Hernandez, are detained pending trial in this matter. This case was investigated by U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: ST. CROIX MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FIREARM POSSESSION

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Roniel Allembert, 22, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before U. S. Magistrate Judge Emile A, Henderson, III, to Possession of a Firearm in School Zone. Allembert’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2023, where he faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, on September 28, 2021, Virgin Islands Police Department officers discovered a fully loaded Taurus 9mm handgun in a ditch located at #21 Anna’s Hope, approximately 290 feet from the Church of God Holiness Academy. Allembert was observed at the same location but drove off at a high rate of speed when VIPD police units approach the area. Allembert later returned to the location driving slowly while looking on the side of the road where the handgun was discovered. Allembert’s DNA was later discovered on the firearm. He did not have a license to possess the firearm. This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. The investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS ST. LUCIA MAN OF  POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Trevor Stephen, 35, of St. Lucia, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute 210 kilograms of cocaine. Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy scheduled Stephen’s sentencing for October 27, 2023. According to court documents, on November 29, 2021, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircraft detected a vessel traveling from St. John to St. Thomas without lights onboard. The vessel traveled to Vessup Beach where two individuals onboard the vessel offloaded seven duffle bags to three individuals waiting at the beach, two of whom were identified as Stephens and Russell Robinson. Stephens, Robinson, and an unknown individual loaded the duffle bags into Robinson’s Toyota Tundra truck. After departing Vessup Beach, Robinson drove to a nearby home in Nazareth Bay where the three relocated the duffle bags of cocaine from the bed of the truck to the cabin. The unknown individual remained at the Nazareth Bay property, while Stephens and Robinson drove to Veteran’s Drive where agents attempted to intercept Robinson’s vehicle. Robinson refuse to stop, and agents pursued his vehicle in a high-speed chase that ended on a dead-end road in Hull Bay. The aviation aircraft maintained surveillance of Robinson and Stephens during the chase and ultimately captured footage as they began throwing the duffle bags of cocaine from the truck into the bushes. Agents blocked the exit and took Robinson and Stephens into custody as they approach the roadway. Agents later retrieved seven duffle bags containing 210 kilograms of cocaine from the area where they had been tossed by Robinson and Stephens. Trial testimony established that the seized cocaine had a street value of approximately $2.1 million. Stephens was detained pending sentencing, and Robinson remains in custody pending his trial in this matter. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Rhonda Williams-Henry. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Two Sioux Falls Men Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years and Four Years, Respectively, in Federal Prison for Roles in Fraud and Money Laundering Schemes

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced two men from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, each convicted of Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. The sentencings took place on June 12 and 15, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Antyon Hamilton Hogan, age 25, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $563,127.06 in restitution, to forfeit his interest in money and personal property, as well as to pay $100 a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Cameron Terrill Hardiman, age 43, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $563,127.06 in restitution, to forfeit his interest in money and personal property, as well as to pay $100 a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Four co-defendants were previously sentenced in this case: Marvin Antuan Williams, age 32, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison; Keyvon Hamilton Hogan, age 22, was sentenced to two years in federal prison; Emilio Herrera, age 22, was sentenced to two years of probation; and Giovanni Hamilton Hogan, age 23, was sentenced to two years of probation. In announcing these sentences U.S. Attorney Ramsdell stated, “This office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of the multiple individuals and financial institutions adversely impacted by these crimes. The sentences handed down in this case demonstrate the serious nature of these crimes and are a reflection of the hard work and cooperation of our state and federal law enforcement partners.” “The sentencings and judgments imposed today against Mr. Hogan and his co-conspirators demonstrate that individuals who engage in these types of financial crime will be held accountable,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “The hours spent by agents to ensure a successful prosecution is a testament that HSI and our law enforcement partners are closely investigating criminal schemes for illicit financial gain.” “Mr. Hogan and his co-conspirators engaged in a variety of financial crimes that included stealing checks from mailboxes and bank accounts,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “The diligent pursuit of this group of thieves by IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners disrupted the scheme and brought them to justice.” All six co-defendants were indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. According to court documents, from 2020 to April of 2022, Antyon Hamilton Hogan, Hardiman, their four co-defendants, conspired with others to commit bank fraud. The scheme impacted multiple financial institutions throughout the Sioux Falls area and elsewhere, as the defendants obtained money from those banks by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. After obtaining funds through fraud, the co-conspirators engaged in depositing, transferring, wiring, and withdrawing currency and funds at financial institutions to conceal and disguise the proceeds of the fraud scheme. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Sioux Falls Police Department; U.S. Postal Service; and South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case. Antyon Hamilton Hogan and Hardiman were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving their respective terms of imprisonment.


title: Rome jury finds Dr. Charles Adams and full circle medical center liable for False Claims Act violations

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. – A federal jury found alternative medicine physician Charles C. Adams, M.D. and his practice group, Charles C. Adams, M.D., P.C. d/b/a Full Circle Medical Center (“Full Circle”), liable for violating the False Claims Act (“FCA”) by submitting false diagnoses to Medicare for chelation therapy reimbursements. Chelation therapy involves the use of drugs to remove heavy metals from the body. “Healthcare providers who submit false claims to Medicare deplete the funds available to patients in critical need of covered medical procedures,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “On behalf of those healthcare providers who faithfully bill for medical procedures, and for their patients who rely on the safety net of Medicare, our office will continue to work vigorously with our federal agencies and law enforcement partners to pursue providers who engage in misconduct.” “When providers submit false claims to Medicare, they take valuable, taxpayer-funded resources away from patients,” said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is proud to work with our partners to hold accountable those who attempt to illegitimately profit off of federal health care programs.” “Federal Medicare funds are much needed but limited. When those funds are diverted by fraudulent means, people suffer,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure these programs are not abused.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the civil complaint, and other information presented in court: Adams and Full Circle operated a medical practice in Ringgold, Georgia. As a part of his internal medicine specialty, Adams used edetate calcium disodium (“EDTA”) to address a wide range of conditions, including atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, headaches, GI ailments, fatigue, and other generalized symptoms. But because EDTA is a procedure only recognized by the Federal Drug Administration to treat lead poisoning and lead encephalopathy, Medicare did not cover the use of EDTA for these non-indicated symptoms. As a result, to receive payment for the procedures Dr. Adams falsely claimed to Medicare that his patients suffered from heavy metal poisoning. In response, on August 27, 2018, the Government filed a civil complaint alleging that between November 2008 and September 2015, Adams and Full Circle engaged in a scheme involving the knowing submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary and “alternative” chelation therapy that Adams administered using EDTA. The complaint also alleged that in connection with this scheme, Adams and Full Circle unlawfully received approximately $1.1 million in Medicare reimbursements. Charles C. Adams’s case proceeded to a jury trial in Rome, Georgia, on June 5, 2023, before presiding U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II. On June 14, 2023, the jury found Adams and Full Circle liable for submitting more than 4,400 false claims to Medicare. The jury awarded more than $1.1 million in damages. These damages will be trebled under the FCA, which also requires a civil penalty to be imposed for each claim before the final verdict is entered. The exact amount of the judgment will not be known until the Court decides post-trial motions. The FCA is the primary authority used by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to redress fraud, waste, and abuse within federal programs, including Medicare. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony DeCinque and Akash Desai. 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: Florida Man Convicted in Maryland After Six-Day Trial for Nationwide Scheme that Defrauded Elderly Victims of More Than $2.5 Million

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Eghosasere Avboraye-Igbinedion a/k/a “Ego” and “Ghost,” age 28, of Miramar, Florida, for a federal charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and four counts of mail fraud, in connection with a scheme in which he and his co-conspirators defrauded more than 85 elderly victims of more than $2.5 million. The verdict was returned on June 15, 2023, after a six-day trial. The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. “Avboraye-Ibginedion was part of a scheme that targeted elderly victims by falsely claiming that a grandchild was in trouble and needed money and convincing the victims to send them thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “If you or someone you know is a victim of financial fraud, please report it by contacting the Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).” “Sophisticated scams like this one take advantage of a grandparent’s relationship with their loved ones,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI's Baltimore field office. “The FBI is working to educate and protect victims as we identify and bring to justice those seeking to defraud our most vulnerable community members.” According to the evidence presented at trial, from January 2018 through November 2019, Avboraye-Ibginedion was part of a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims by persuading them to send thousands of dollars in cash to members of the conspiracy, falsely stating that the money would be used to help the victims’ relatives pay legal or other expenses for crimes and other incidents that had not actually occurred. Conspirators targeted elderly victims throughout the United States, calling and posing as a police officer, lawyer, or other individual, falsely telling the victim that a relative, typically the victim’s grandchild, had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime, and needed money—often tens of thousands of dollars—for bail, legal fees, and other expenses. Witnesses testified that during the telephone calls, the conspirators directed victims to send cash to particular addresses via an overnight delivery service. The conspirators even posed as the victims’ relatives to further induce them to send the cash. Once the victims did send money, the conspirators called the victims asking for more cash, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims. To prevent the victims from sharing the information with anyone, the conspirators told the victims that a “gag order” had been placed on the case requiring secrecy, or that the situation was embarrassing for the grandchild and they didn’t want anyone else to know about it. The evidence proved that Avboraye-Ibginedion’s part in the scheme was to retrieve packages of cash sent by elderly victims and deliver the packages to a co-defendant, Medard Ulysse. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators traveled from Florida to Maryland and other states and identified residential locations where the cash should be sent, typically locations that were either vacant or for sale, so that no one would be at those locations at the time of the deliveries. Once the packages were delivered, Avboraye-Ibginedion and others retrieved the packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion and other conspirators also relayed directions to other participants in the scheme about where and when to retrieve packages of cash. Avboraye-Ibginedion then delivered the packages to Ulysse or to other conspirators. Avboraye-Ibginedion faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for mail fraud conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has not yet scheduled sentencing Avboraye-Ibginedion. Co-defendant Medard Ulysse, age 38, most recently of Miami, Florida, was sentenced earlier this year to nine years in federal prison, for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud in relation to multiple fraud schemes, including the elder fraud “grandparent” scam. Judge Bennett also ordered Ulysse to pay restitution totaling $2,485,512, of which $1,866,745 is for the elder fraud scam. Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov . Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked Canadian Sûreté du Québec for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Christine Goo, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help seniors, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/elder-justice-initiative . # # #


title: Former federal correctional officer sentenced to prison for Paycheck Protection Program fraud

body_text: ATLANTA - Harrescia Hopkins has been sentenced to five months in prison for fraudulently obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program loans while employed as a correctional officer by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Hopkins obtained the loans in the name of a business that did not exist and used the money on a cruise and other vacations, as well as restaurants and a new SUV. “While employed in a position of trust, Hopkins lied to steal emergency money intended for businesses suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will vigorously prosecute people who exploited these programs particularly when such fraud is committed by government employees and officials.” “Hopkins’s fraud scheme took money earmarked for those who were legitimately struggling to make ends meet during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she greedily used those funds for personal entertainment and luxury purchases. This sentencing should send a clear message to fraudsters everywhere: you will be brought to justice,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. “OIG will identify and bring to justice wrongdoers who sought personal gain by theft of taxpayers’ funds,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in or about March 2020 that was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief that the CARES Act provided was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for payroll, mortgage interest, rent/lease, and utilities through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Congress has since authorized additional PPP funding. Hopkins, while a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer, applied for two PPP loans for $19,100 each in August 2020 and January 2021. The PPP loan applications were purportedly to help a business named Hopkins Towing and Storage, which she claimed had a gross income of $100,525 in 2019. In reality, Hopkins Towing and Storage was not a real and functioning business. Hopkins also obtained a $4,000 loan from the United States Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Hopkins caused the loan proceeds to be deposited into her personal checking account. Hopkins then spent the money on personal expenses – including a Caribbean cruise and other travel, a new Chevrolet Blazer, landscaping for her house, restaurant meals, and retail goods. Harrescia Hopkins, 34, of Conley, Georgia, was sentenced on June 8, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty to five months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. As part of her sentence, Hopkins was ordered to repay all three loans in full in the amount of $46,004.04. Hopkins pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 20, 2022. This case was investigated by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford, Chief of the Public Integrity & Civil Rights Section, prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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 .