title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Former Louisville Man for Possessing and Trafficking Machine Guns

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned a two-count indictment on March 22, 2023, charging a Louisville man with possession of and trafficking in machine guns. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville made the announcement. According to the indictment, Colin H. Billups, 20, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, a Glock switch, and one count of trafficking in a firearm, a Glock switch. A Glock Switch device allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic and is defined as a machine gun under federal law. The defendant made his initial court appearance on March 31, 2023, before a U. S. Magistrate Judge of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in Louisville. If convicted, Billups faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by ATF and HSI with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Shively Police Department, and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ####


title: West Haven Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Scheme to Steal City’s COVID Relief Funds

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN TRASACCO, 50, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy and fraud offenses related to a scheme to steal COVID-19 relief funds from the City of West Haven. According to the evidence presented during a trial in this matter, Michael DiMassa was a Connecticut State Representative who was also employed by the City of West Haven, most recently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the City Council. In April 2020, the State of Connecticut was allocated money by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (“CRF”), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) for the purpose of helping local governments pay costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1,150,257 in financial assistance from this fund. DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided. The investigation revealed that DiMassa conspired with Trasacco through the submission of fraudulent invoices from L & H Company and JIL Sanitation Services, two companies controlled by Trasacco, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years. Trasacco’s companies received approximately $431,982 through this scheme. On December 2, 2022, a jury found Trasacco guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Judge Williams ordered Trasacco to pay $143,994 in restitution. Trasacco, who had been released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding. On November 1, 2022, DiMassa pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is awaiting sentencing and has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541.80. On June 14, 2022, John Bernardo, a West Haven city employee who with Michael DiMassa formed a company that they used to bill the city for fraudulent COVID-related consulting services, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On March 22, 2023, he was sentenced to 13 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $58,927.25 in restitution. On July 14, 2022, Michal DiMassa’s wife, Lauren DiMassa, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On March 23, 2023, she was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $147,776 in restitution. This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Miller and David Sheldon. Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Boston Man Convicted of Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A federal jury convicted a Boston man on March 30, 2023 for his role in a money laundering conspiracy. Mark Anthony Figueroa, 49, was convicted following a three-day trial of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, 2023. Figueroa was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021. Evidence at trial established that Figueroa used clandestine deliveries of cash to currency couriers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. Between February 2019 and May 2020, Figueroa conducted or attempted to conduct six money laundering transactions totaling more than $580,000 in cash. Once the couriers received the laundered cash from Figueroa, the organization Figueroa was working with transferred the funds via the U.S. banking system to Mexican accounts and exchange it for pesos which could be used by cartels to pay for narcotics sold in the United States. The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit and Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: California Man Charged in $23 Million Fraudulent Investment Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A California man has been charged with wire fraud in federal court in Chicago for defrauding multiple investors out of more than $23 million dollars as part of a fake investment scheme. Per the information, from February 2021 through December 2022, SEAN GRUSD, 31, of California, is alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme to defraud investors in Dylan Ventures LLC, November Acquisitions SPV LLC, and December Acquisitions SPV LLC (collectively, "the Grusd Entities") out of more than $23 million dollars. Grusd falsely represented that the victims’ money would be used to make investments in privately owned businesses. Instead of making those investments, Grusd misappropriated the victims’ funds, using the money to pay personal expenses and purchase luxury items, including expensive cars, vacations, and real estate. As part of his scheme, Grusd provided victims with false and forged documents, including fraudulent stock certificates that showed November Acquisitions had paid $50 million for shares in Company A; and that December Acquisitions had paid $100 million for shares in Company B; when, in fact, neither of those Grusd Entities purchased shares in either of those companies. Additionally, Grusd provided one victim with a fabricated bank statement for December Acquisitions that he knew falsely reflected a balance of $133 million, when, in fact, the balance in that account was zero. The charge is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein. The public is reminded that an information contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge of wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Possession of loaded weapons and multi-kilos of meth lands local in prison for three decades

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Houstonian has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to distribute meth during a drug transaction that occurred in an IKEA parking lot, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Josue Daniel Casco pleaded guilty July 6, 2021. Today, US District Judge Andrew Hanen sentenced Casco to a total of 360 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence represents enhancements to include attempting to evade arrest and putting authorities at risk. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the three and ammunition law enforcement had seized upon his arrest. "This drug dealer showed no regard for human life when he brought 15 kilos of meth and three loaded guns to a local IKEA parking lot while local residents shopped,” said Hamdani. “He and his AR-15 holding partner in crime exposed our community to an extremely potent drug and could have caused more harm in a flagrant attempt to flee. Thanks to the quick and brave action of law enforcement and the subsequent prosecution, two dangerous criminals, along with their guns and meth, are off the streets.” The undercover investigation began in September 2020, when authorities learned of a potential narcotics transaction via a Mexican phone number. Continued communication led to Casco, in Houston, agreeing to sell 15 kilograms of crystal meth for more than $100,000. On Oct. 8, 2020, Casco drove a while Chevy Malibu to the IKEA on Katy Freeway in Houston. Co-defendant – Dante Nava, 39, Houston – was holding a loaded AR-15 style weapon in one hand as he leaned against a brown cardboard box which housed the drugs. Authorities quickly moved to arrest both men. However, instead of complying with commands, Casco immediately accelerated and rammed into undercover law enforcement vehicles. No one was injured. At the time of the arrests, authorities found a loaded Glock 30 SF in the Nava’s waistband and another Glock 30 SF with fully loaded magazine on the front passenger seat. In total, they seized three weapons a total of 62 rounds of ammunition. Nava also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced. Both men have been and will remain in custody. The Drug Enforcement Administration, police departments in Pasadena and Houston and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Shelley J. Sullivan and former AUSA Ed Gallagher Sullivan prosecuted the case.


title: Department of Justice Applies More Than Five Million Dollars from Forfeited Property to Reimburse Fraud Loss of the North Carolina Medicaid Program

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Department of Justice recently secured $5,245,640.02 in restitution to the North Carolina Medicaid system, which provides access to health care services for millions of North Carolina, United States Attorney Sandra Hairston announced today. The restitution resulted from a 2018 case involving a Greensboro medical transportation provider convicted of defrauding Medicaid. According to court records, the Greensboro-based medical transport company Gate City Transportation, Inc., misrepresented their services on reimbursement applications from November 2010 until February 2015, stealing over five million dollars from the Medicaid program. The investigation revealed that Gate City Transportation deliberately submitted false claims in order to receive higher reimbursements than were appropriate by coding their services as if they were an ambulance provider despite not being authorized to do so. Gate City Transportation pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud in September 2018, and was sentenced on August 15, 2019, and ordered to pay restitution. A total of $5,553,486.62 will be paid to the victim which includes principal of $5,245,640.02 plus interest of $307,846.60. The funds were obtained through seizure and forfeiture of Gate City Transportation assets. “Securing this restitution means that millions across the state of North Carolina will be able to get the healthcare they need,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston. “I am very happy that we are able to return the money that was stolen and thankful to the agencies that worked so hard to secure justice in this case.” The 2018 criminal case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit. ###


title: Essex County Postal Employee Admits Mail Theft

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man today admitted stealing credit cards and checks from the mail while employed as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Parrish Brookins, 30, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count of mail theft by a U.S. Postal Service officer or employee. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2021 to September 2021, Brookins was employed as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier with delivery routes in Montclair and Verona, New Jersey. Certain credit cards addressed to third-party victims and mailed to addresses in Verona and Montclair were stolen on numerous dates from routes worked by Brookins. These credit cards subsequently were activated and used to make and attempt to make fraudulent purchases in New Jersey and elsewhere. Numerous stimulus checks issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury also addressed to third-party victims and mailed to addresses in Verona covered by Brookins were also stolen along these same postal routes. Brookins admitted in court that he had stolen numerous items of mail containing credit cards addressed to individuals living at residences on his postal delivery routes, activated some of these cards and attempted to make purchases with them. He admitted that he provided some of the stolen cards to other individuals in exchange for a fee. Brookins admitted stealing more than a dozen stimulus checks in March of 2021, which were being mailed to recipients along his postal delivery routes, and to providing these checks to other individuals for a fee, knowing that these checks would be fraudulently negotiated by others. The mail theft charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 15, 2023. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, for its assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. brookins.information.pdf


title: Stanislaus County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charges

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Julian Loeza, 33, of Ceres, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in 2020, a team of local and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Julian Loeza and Esmerelda Ceja-Mendez, 43, of Ceres; Sofia Cisneros-Noyola, 37, of Sacramento; and Victor Ramirez, 37, of Atwater. On March 3, 2021, Loeza sold 2 pounds of methamphetamine for $3,600. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case. Ramirez has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on May 15, 2023. Charges are pending against Ceja-Mendez and Cisneros-Noyola; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Loeza is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on July 17, 2023. Loeza faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. 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: Former Fresno Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $70,000 from Customers’ Accounts

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Lladira Hernandez, 23, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to stealing more than $70,000 from multiple customers’ accounts at a Fresno-based bank where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in April 2022, Hernandez was hired by the bank as a customer service representative. She began stealing the bank account information for customers she helped over the phone and used it to pay bills for herself and her associates. This included mortgage payments, car payments, and phone bills. In August 2022, Hernandez transferred more than $45,000 from two customers’ accounts into her own account and abruptly quit her job at the bank. She proceeded to withdraw that money from her account and was captured doing so on surveillance video. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case. Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Sept. 5, 2023. Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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: Nevada Attorney Indicted In Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas attorney made his initial appearance on March 31, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah for allegedly orchestrating a Ponzi scheme causing more than 1,000 victim-investors to part with more than $460 million. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on March 29, 2023, charging Matthew Wade Beasley (50) with five counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. A detention hearing was scheduled for April 7, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach. A jury trial was scheduled for June 6, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. According to allegations contained in the indictment, from about 2017 to March 2022, Beasley falsely represented to another person that he could find plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits who wanted to borrow money against their pending settlements and would pay high interest rates to do so. He created fake contracts to lend money to purported personal injury plaintiffs. Beasley caused others to find investors to invest in these fake contracts. The indictment further alleges that, Beasley caused victim investors to wire transfer their investments to Beasley’s IOLTA account, which is a bank account set up by an attorney to hold client monies. He used the money from the scheme to buy luxury homes, cars, and recreational vehicles. “This indictment alleges the defendant devised and orchestrated a large-scale, multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme with thousands of victims across the country,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “While the allegations are intolerable regardless of the defendant’s position, they are even more egregious when considering defendant’s position of trust as an attorney. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue, investigate, and prosecute individuals who lure victims with a false promise and take advantage for their personal benefit.” “Investment fraud can be crippling for its victims, with life savings obliterated in a flash,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI. “The defendant used fraudulent means to mislead multiple victims into believing they were investing in legitimate legal contracts. The FBI is committed to identifying and working with anyone impacted by this brazen scheme. This indictment is only one piece of an ongoing investigation. We will continue to follow the facts and pursue anyone who seeks to defraud others through deceptive and illegal practices.” If convicted, Beasley faces up to 160 years in prison and fines up to $2,750,000 or twice the value of property involved in the scheme, whichever is greater. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel R. Schiess and Eric Schmale are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Billings man admits armed robbery charges in carjacking

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man admitted to robbery and firearms crimes today after he was accused of stealing a car at gunpoint in Billings and leading law enforcement on a chase into Big Horn County, where he was arrested, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Joseph Wayne Cantrell, 29, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with Hobbs Act Robbery and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Cantrell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the robbery charge and a mandatory minimum seven years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Aug. 2. Cantrell was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on Jan. 8, 2022, the victim was sitting in his 2017 Subaru Outback in a parking lot in Billings when Cantrell approached his driver’s side door. The victim told Cantrell to go away. Cantrell then pulled out a black handgun, and the victim immediately surrendered his car to Cantrell, who drove off in it. Less than an hour later, law enforcement found Cantrell with the car. Cantrell fled and led law enforcement on a chase from Yellowstone County into Big Horn County. Law enforcement deployed spike strips to stop Cantrell and could hear gunshots coming from the car. The car wrecked a short time later and Cantrell fled with the firearm into a nearby field. The car’s passenger side window had been shot out. After a standoff lasting several hours, Cantrell threw the firearm away and was arrested. The firearm was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas K. Godfrey and Lori Harper Suek are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Lawrence Man Sentenced for Identity Theft, Social Security and Passport Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing the identity of a United States citizen to fraudulently obtain a United States passport. Arciliano Gregorio Arias Suarez, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. In November 2022, Arias Suarez pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of passport fraud. In January 2016, Arias Suarez submitted a U.S. passport application at a post office in Lawrence in the name of a United States citizen from New York. In support of the fraudulent passport application, Aris Suarez submitted copies of a Massachusetts driver’s license and a New York birth certificate, both in the victim’s name. Later, in May 2019, Aris Suarez submitted a license renewal application at the Lawrence Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in the name of the same victim and provided the RMV with a copy of a U.S. passport, a Massachusetts driver’s license and a Social Security card all in the victim’s name. Arias Suarez has two prior federal heroin related convictions in the District of Massachusetts. He was sentenced to federal prison in both of those cases. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Tampa Man Charged With Preparing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kenneth Fowler with three counts of making and filing false federal income tax returns. If convicted, Fowler faces a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment as to each count. According to the indictment, between the end of December 2013 and August 2018, Fowler, who was then working as a payroll coordinator at the Salvation Army Suncoast Adult Rehabilitation Center in St. Peterburg, engaged in a scheme to embezzle funds from the Salvation Army. Fowler falsely altered records to reflect that employees who had left the employment of the Salvation Army were still on its payroll so that Fowler could collect their paychecks and ultimately forge their signatures and deposit those checks into his own personal bank accounts. Fowler also misdirected direct deposit checks from the former employees’ bank accounts into his own personal bank account. In this manner, Fowler obtained more than $239,000 in Salvation Army funds to which he was not entitled. He then failed to include those stolen funds as income on his 2016, 2017, and 2018 Individual Income Tax Returns. By doing so, he avoided the payment of substantial taxes due and owing to the United States. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Pinellas Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for a Child Sexual Exploitation Offense

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on March 16, 2023, to 295 months in prison following his plea of guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The investigation into Brandon Scott Holmes, 43, started in 2021 after law enforcement found evidence that an IP address linked to Holmes was receiving child pornography from a peer-to-peer program. In October 2021, FBI executed a search warrant at Holmes’ residence. Forensic analysis of several seized devices identified thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Holmes also produced images and videos of child pornography. Holmes must serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.


title: Money From Debt Elimination Services Fraud Scheme Successfully Forfeited And Returned To Victim

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced the civil forfeiture and return of over $79,000 that was stolen from an individual victimized by a “debt elimination services” scam. This is the latest public action by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its ongoing efforts to combat fraudsters who seek to financially exploit vulnerable individuals. “Scams, including fraudulent promises to eliminate debt, are everywhere and can financially ruin unsuspecting victims. Be aware: if something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “Thankfully, due to the hard work of the FBI, the fraud in this case was detected quickly and all lost funds were returned to the victim. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every available tool to ensure fraudsters don’t benefit from their crimes.” Criminal organizations engage in a variety of scams with the intention of convincing unwitting victims to send money to locations or bank accounts based in the United States or overseas. One type of scam involves purported debt elimination services, where the fraudsters offer to pay off the victim’s debt obligations for an upfront fee that is considerably less than the underlying debt. The fraudsters induce the victims by paying off small increments of debt in the beginning to gain trust, and eventually, the victims pay larger upfront fees while the underlying debt remains unpaid. “The victim in this case lost more than $79,000 in a debt elimination scam, one of many types of scams criminals use to separate people from their hard-earned money,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “The return of those funds would not have been achievable without the cooperative efforts of FBI agents and federal prosecutors in the Western District of Michigan. Forfeiture of ill-gotten gains not only takes money from criminals, but it is among our most powerful tools to make victims whole.” According to allegations contained in the civil forfeiture complaint filed in U.S. District Court (attached), in September 2021, fraudsters contacted the victim by phone, offering a debt elimination service, which was a scam. Throughout the scam, the victim made upfront “fee payments” that totaled $79,760, while the victim’s underlying debt was never paid off. Following an investigation, these fraud proceeds were seized by the FBI from various bank accounts, forfeited to the United States, and ultimately returned to the victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to combat financial fraud schemes against vulnerable victims, including the elderly, by expanding efforts to investigate and promote coordination with law enforcement partners, and by seizing fraud proceeds through federal forfeiture laws. In addition to debt elimination service fraud, some well-known examples of financial scams targeting seniors and other vulnerable populations are: Lottery phone scams: fraudsters persuade victims that a large fee or tax must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings. Grandparent scams: fraudsters convince elderly victims that their grandchildren are in trouble and need money to pay rent, repair a car, or make bail. Romance scams: scammers lull victims into believing that they are in a romantic relationship and that the scammers need money to travel to the U.S. or for some other seemingly legitimate purpose. IRS or government imposter scams: fraudsters pose as IRS or other government officials that claim the victims owe the government money. Sham business opportunities: fraudsters convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or investments. To avoid falling victim to financial scams: Don’t share personal information with anyone you don’t know. Don’t send money or pay upfront fees to obtain some greater financial benefit down the road. Remember, it’s not rude to say, “No.” If you are unsure about contact you receive from a potential fraudster, take the time to talk to a trusted family member or friend before you do anything. If you have been contacted by a fraudster, or believe you have fallen victim to a scam, please file a report with the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-Fraud-11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their website or by calling 877-FTC-HELP, or the FBI, for law enforcement action, at https://tips.fbi.gov/ . ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today after a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper found more than 88 pounds (40 kilograms) of methamphetamine and a firearm during a car stop on Interstate 70 in Saline County, Mo. Jose Alfredo Renteria-Rojas, 34, who was residing in Des Plaines, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Beth Phillips to 11 years and six months in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 25, 2022, Renteria-Rojas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Renteria-Rojas was a passenger in a white 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SE being driven by his brother, co-defendant Gustavo Renteria-Rojas, 39, a citizen of Mexico residing in Evanston, Ill., on April 5, 2021. Their car was stopped by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on eastbound I-70 in Saline County, Mo. The trooper could smell the odor of burnt and raw marijuana emanating from the vehicle as he stood outside the front passenger-side window. He also noticed a marijuana blunt in the center console. When Gustavo Renteria-Rojas opened the glove box to retrieve the requested paperwork, a bag of marijuana was visible in plain view. Gustavo Renteria-Rojas was placed in the trooper’s patrol car. The trooper requested Jose Renteria-Rojas, in the rear passenger seat, to exit the vehicle for a vehicle search. As Jose Renteria-Rojas did so, air fresheners fell from the car. Jose Renteria-Rojas then collected them and put them in the door pocket, which also contained a loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun with a magazine, as well as an extra magazine. The trooper searched the vehicle and found four white cardboard boxes in the trunk that contained 36 packages with a total of 88.7 pounds of methamphetamine. The trooper also found a methamphetamine smoking pipe concealed within a roll of toilet paper on the driver’s seat where Gustavo Renteria-Rojas had been sitting. Gustavo Renteria-Rojas pleaded guilty to the same charges on Oct 13, 2022, and will be sentenced on April 6, 2023. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.


title: Man to Federal Prison for Over 11 Years for Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally possessed firearms that were stolen was sentenced on March 30, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City to over 11 years in federal prison. Logan Rhinehart, 27, from Fairfield, Iowa, pled guilty on November 16, 2022, to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Rhinehart was previously convicted of felony burglary, escape and theft. These convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm. Evidence showed that on January 13, 2022, law enforcement located a stolen .22 caliber firearm under circumstances which indicated it had been stolen by Rhinehart. On January 28, 2022, law enforcement attempted to pull Rhinehart over when they observed him driving a stolen vehicle. As law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, Rhinehart attempted to flee driving at a high rate of speed (113+ mph) and the vehicle ended up crashing into a snow drift. Rhinehart then attempted to flee on foot before apprehended by law enforcement. During the attempted flight Rhinehart threw a 40 caliber pistol, which was also stolen, out of the vehicle which was later recovered from the scene. Further evidence showed that from between January 13, 2022 and January 28, 2022, Rhinehart burglarized two separate homes and stole numerous items, including two firearms. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rhinehart was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Rhinehart remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-3008. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm After a High-Speed Pursuit with an Iowa State Trooper

body_text: Ahmed Abdullahai Khalif, 23, from Owosso, Michigan, pled guilty on March 30, 2023, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Khalif was a user of marijuana and was previously convicted of felony Illegal Sale/Use of a Financial Transaction Device in Michigan. Both prohibit a person from possessing a firearm. At the plea hearing, defendant admitted that on October 19, 2022, during a traffic stop, he possessed a 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana while being a felon. Prior to the traffic stop, an Iowa State Patrol trooper clocked the vehicle defendant was driving traveling in excess of 100 mph. After the trooper activated his emergency lights, Khalif led the trooper on a high-speed pursuit into Wright County, at times traveling toward oncoming traffic. Ultimately, the defendant hit the trooper’s vehicle, and defendant fled on foot a short distance before being apprehended. The vehicle defendant was driving was stolen in Massachusetts. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found the 9mm Taurus pistol and marijuana. In addition to the federal conviction for the firearm possession, defendant was convicted in Iowa District Court for Wright County with felony Eluding, Theft 2 nd Degree, Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations, Possession Marijuana, and Operating While Under the Influence. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Khalif remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Khalif faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 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. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DCI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-3035. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Third Circuit Vacates Child Abuse Sentences, Orders Resentencing and Reassignment

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today ruled that a former U.S. Army major and his wife, convicted for having endangered the welfare of their young, adopted children through a series of physically abusive and neglectful acts, must be resentenced before a different district court judge, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Convicted by a jury in July 2015 on multiple counts of child endangerment, Carolyn Jackson initially received 24 months in prison while her husband, John E. Jackson, formerly a major in the Army at the Picatinny Arsenal Installation in Morris County, New Jersey, received probation, plus 400 hours of community service. The government had appealed their sentences to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which found procedural error and ordered resentencing. See United States v. Jackson , 862 F.3d 365 (3d Cir. 2017). At the 2018 resentencing, the district court imposed a 40-month sentence on Carolyn Jackson and the same probationary sentence on John Jackson. The government appealed those sentences and the Third Circuit again found procedural error and remanded for resentencing. See United States v. Jackson , 819 F. App’x 97 (3d Cir. 2020). At the third sentencing hearing, in October 2021, the district court reimposed the same 40-month sentence on Carolyn Jackson and imposed a sentence of 18 months’ home confinement on John Jackson. The government appealed those sentences. Today, the Court of Appeals agreed that, in the process of imposing those sentences, the district court had failed to follow its directions to consider the children’s various injuries “holistically and in the context of the jury’s findings of guilt” in determining causation. In light of the three prior sentencing hearings in this case, the Court of Appeals concluded that the district court would have “substantial difficulty in putting out of her mind her previously expressed views of the evidence.” It ordered resentencing and directed the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to reassign this case to a different district court judge. Resentencing will occur at a later date, which has yet to be determined. A copy of the Court of Appeals’ opinion is attached. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Appeals Division in Newark. jackson.appeals.pdf 23-090


title: Winston-Salem Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

body_text: Winston-Salem, NC – JAVAR LAJUAN CLARK of Winston-Salem, NC pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and administered by the Small Business Association (“SBA”), announced United States Attorney Sandra Hairston. According to court documents, CLARK applied for an EIDL loan for a business called “Handy Works by J Clark.” The loan application falsified the business’s gross revenues and number of employees. Based on CLARK’s fraudulent representations, the SBA granted CLARK an EIDL loan of $130,500 and an advance of $10,000. Following disbursement of the loan, CLARK used the proceeds on trips to Las Vegas and New York City, jewelry, and a house. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on August 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, courtroom number two, before United States District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder. At sentencing, CLARK faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties. As part of his plea agreement, CLARK also agreed to forfeit the property purchased using the fraudulently obtained funds. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid. ###


title: Charles City Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: A man who distributed methamphetamine in the Charles City and Mason City areas was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to more than 11 years in federal prison. Brandon Glaser, age 43, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 7, 2022, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Glaser was getting pound quantities of methamphetamine in Missouri and redistributing it in and around North Central Iowa. On November 21, 2021, Glaser’s car was stopped in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, and he was found in possession of approximately 2 pounds of pure methamphetamine and over $3500 in cash. Glaser was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Glaser was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Glaser is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Department, Mason City Police, Charles City Police, Clear Lake Police, and the Iowa State Patrol. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-3009. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Committing a Drug Crime While on Supervised Release Results in Prison Sentence

body_text: A man who was found in possession of cocaine in 2022 while he was federal supervised release from a 2002 drug offense was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison. Vachon Robertson, age 48, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 3, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. At the guilty plea and during the sentencing hearing, Robertson admitted he was in possession of 364 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of cocaine base, commonly called crack cocaine, on April 25, 2022, when he was stopped by Cedar Rapids police officers. At that time, Robertson was still on supervised release from his 2002 federal drug conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine within 1000 feet of a public playground in Cedar Rapids. Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Robertson was sentenced to a total sentence of 74 months’ imprisonment comprised of 46 months’ imprisonment for the new crime and a consecutive sentence of 28 months imprisonment for the supervised release violation. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Robertson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until {he; she} can be transported to a federal prison. These cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam Vander Stoep and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number are 02-CR-00029 and 22-CR-00057. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Morris County Company Settles Matter Alleging it Received Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County public relations firm entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to which the company was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement: Coyne Public Relations LLC (Coyne) knowingly applied for and received a PPP loan totaling $2 million, even though it was ineligible for such a loan because it was a required registrant under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). Coyne thereafter sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loan. Coyne fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement Coyne agrees to pay the United States $2.24 million. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $203,183 as his share in the recovery. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Supervisory Criminal Investigator Angelo Palmeri in New York, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Dauenheimer of the Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Coyne Public Relations, LLC, 21-cv-20442 (D.N.J.). coyne.settlement.pdf


title: Sioux City Man Sent to Federal Prison for Being a Marijuana User in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm on multiple occasions and intentionally fired upon a car full of people including two young children and who negligently shot a woman in the leg was sentenced, to 3-years in federal prison. Jalond Hills, 19, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence in the case showed that on or about September 16, 2021, Jalond Hills, fired at an individual who was in a car with a woman and her two minor children. Jalond Hills was caught with the gun and confessed he was in possession of the gun and had fired it while being a user of illegal drugs. Further, on or about April 15, 2022, Jalond Hills, was at an apartment in the 2200 block of Gibson Street where he and another person began wrestling over a firearm. The other person was trying to make the weapon safe, and Hills wanted the weapon. In the end, the other person was shot in the leg while attempting to take control of the gun. After Hills contributed to this horrible accident, he cut off his location monitoring bracelet, and absconded without even stopping to check on the other person as she began to bleed out. Jalond Hills was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance as a juvenile, in the Woodbury County, Iowa District Court at Case Number SRCR112683. Jalond Hills was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand, to 36 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term and pay a $100 special assessment fee. There is no parole in the federal system. Jalond Hills is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. 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. The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-04057. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Five Men Sentenced in Conspiracy to Distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Anthony Wayne Santiago, 28, of Novi, Mich.; Jacob Dominic VanDyke, 25, of Muskegon, Mich.; Johnathan Scott Fleak, 32, of Pryor, Okla.; Aaron Ray Iuliano, 27, of Ravenna, Ohio; and Michael Paul Gianfrancesco, 39, of Livingston, Tenn., all have pled guilty and been sentenced to conspiracy to distribute child sexual abuse material and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of children under the age of 13 years. From September to October 2021, the five defendants entered and participated in a private chat room within a social networking application. Each had to distribute CSAM of children under the age of 13 to enter the chat room. These defendants all distributed and solicited CSAM and discussed the sexual abuse of children among more than 50 other individuals. The children in the images and videos were as young as 4 years old. Today, Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced the last of three defendants charged in the conspiracy. Michael Paul Gianfrancesco, who had previously distributed CSAM through multiple other social networking accounts, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. Aaron Ray Iuliano was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jacob Dominic Vandyke to 13.3 years in prison. Previously, Judge Middlebrooks sentenced Johnathan Scott Fleak, who distributed CSAM through another online message boards, to 15 years in prison. Anthony Wayne Santiago, a registered sex offender who was on a GPS monitor at the time of his arrest, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. HSI West Palm Beach Office and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case as part of a joint effort of the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Schiller and Brian Ralston prosecuted it. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80127. ###


title: False Statements During an Attempted Gun Purchase and History of Threatening Conduct Send Man to Federal Prison on Firearm Charge

body_text: A man that made false statements during an attempted purchase of a firearm was sentenced March 29, 2023, to more than 2 years in federal prison. Dean Kohler, age 56, from Remsen, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 3, 2022, guilty plea to making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Evidence in the case showed Kohler knowingly made false statements and representations to a Federal Firearms Licensee in Sioux City, Iowa, in the attempted acquisition of a rifle. Kohler represented that, 1) he had never been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution when, in fact, he had been subject to two court orders adjudicating him as mental defective; and 2) that he was not subject to a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening a child or an intimate partner or the child of such partner when, in fact, at the time of the attempted acquisition, he was then the subject of a protective order with an intimate partner. When the federal background check prevented the sale, Kohler found a private party willing to sell him a firearm. Kohler’s criminal history includes Operating While Intoxicated, Carrying Weapons, Violation of Protective Order, Disorderly Conduct, Assault With a Dangerous Weapon – where he threatened people in a Walmart parking lot with a chainsaw, and Harassment – where Kohler told a person "…time was running out for [him] and [his] stupid mother” and Kohler repeatedly drove by the victims’ home honking his horn. Kohler was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Kohler is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by USDOJ-ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4038. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Greenville Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun and Drug Crimes

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Greenville man was sentenced today to more than 5 years in prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. According to court documents, Bobby Buchanan, 44, previously pled guilty to one count of distribution of narcotics and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The narcotics charge arose out of Buchanan’s sale of 100 ecstasy pills to a confidential informant. Buchanan, who is a prior convicted felon, was found in possession of a handgun when he was arrested on drug charges. Buchanan was subsequently charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Buchanan was sentenced today by United States District Judge Glen Davidson to 67 months in prison. Buchanan will serve a three-year term of supervision upon his release from prison. Following sentencing, Buchanan was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals. “Today’s sentence is another step towards making our neighborhoods and communities safer for all,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will continue to work with the Greenville Police Department and our law enforcement partners to make sure that individuals who choose to commit gun crimes or distribute illicit drugs are held accountable for their criminal acts and the damage they do to their community.” Commenting on the sentence, Greenville Police Chief Marcus Turner remarked, “We would first like to thank the Special Operations Division, officers of the Greenville Police Department, and the U. S. Attorney’s Office for a job well done. This conviction is only a small portion of the body of work that we have ahead of us in fighting drug and gun violence in our community. As we move forward, we will continue to diligently work together to ensure the safety of all citizens.” This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department. AUSA Robert Mims prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Orange County Pharmacist Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Helping to Defraud U.S. Military’s Health Plan Out of $11.1 Million

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A licensed Orange County pharmacist was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for her role in a health care fraud scheme in which more than 1,000 bogus prescriptions for compounded medications were filled, costing Tricare, the United States military’s health care plan, more than $11 million in losses. Sandy Mai Trang Nguyen, 42, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered her to pay $11,098,756 in restitution. At the conclusion of a five-day trial in November 2022, a jury found Nguyen guilty of 21 counts of health care fraud, and one count of obstruction of a federal audit. Nguyen was the pharmacist-in-charge of the now-defunct Irvine Wellness Pharmacy (IWP) in Irvine. From late 2014 to May 2015, Nguyen and others under her supervision filled approximately 1,150 compounded prescriptions for pain, scarring and migraines that Tricare reimbursed for tens of thousands of dollars per prescription. Nearly all the prescriptions were sent to the pharmacy by so-called marketers who were paid kickbacks of upwards of 50% of the Tricare reimbursements. Compounded drugs are tailor-made products doctors may prescribe when the Food and Drug Administration-approved alternative does not meet the health needs of a patient. The beneficiaries were solicited to provide their Tricare insurance information for medications they did not seek out or need, and most were never examined by a physician. The prescriptions were electronically sent from marketers or telemedicine businesses and submitted by the pharmacy for reimbursement even though Tricare rules excluded reimbursements for claims based on telemedicine visits and would not, in any event, have authorized reimbursements for prescriptions obtained through the payment of kickbacks. Nguyen was aware that the prescriptions – purportedly tailored to individual patients’ needs – were purportedly written by physicians in states other than where the beneficiaries lived, multiple members of the same families received the same medications, and the same prescriptions were written for members of different patient populations, including a 13-year-old boy in Chicago who got the same prescription as a woman in Orange County who happened to be Nguyen’s grandmother. The pharmacy invoiced the beneficiaries to pay hundreds of dollars in required co-payments, but the beneficiaries stated that they knew nothing about co-payments and understood that the medications were fully covered by Tricare, according to trial testimony. The total co-payments due during the scheme exceeded $16,000, but the pharmacy never collected them. Nguyen also obstructed a federal audit by providing bogus, cut-and-pasted prescriptions to frustrate Tricare’s effort to validate millions of dollars paid for the same prescriptions. During Nguyen’s tenure as pharmacist-in-charge, Tricare paid $11,098,756 on the fraudulently submitted claims. “At [Nguyen’s] trial, the government proved that [Nguyen] knew that IWP was, essentially, a fraud factory that was churning out prescriptions solely to make a fast buck,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “She routinely ignored the numerous red flags that indicated that the prescriptions were fraudulent.” On March 20, Judge Wright sentenced co-defendant Marcus Orlando Armstrong, 56, of Miami, to 9½ years in federal prison for his role in the scheme to defraud Tricare. Armstrong was IWP’s director of operations when the criminal activity occurred. Co-defendants Leslie Andre Ezidore, 53, of West Los Angeles, and Alexander Michael Semenik, 51, of Las Vegas, have pleaded guilty to felony charges in this case and await sentencing. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal investigative Service; the FBI; the Amtrak Office of Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration; the California Department of Insurance; and the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark R. Aveis and Ali Moghaddas of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Westbrook Woman Sentenced for Role in Money Mule Scam, Ordered to Pay FEMA $7,340 in Restitution

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Westbrook woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for serving as a “money mule” for someone she met online. A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Cheryl White , 58, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $7,340 in restitution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). White pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022. According to court records, White met an unknown person on the internet. At their request, White purchased prepaid debit cards and provided the card numbers to the person. She was later contacted by the person and informed that the cards had been loaded with money. In October 2017, White withdrew the money from the cards and used the funds to purchase money orders which she deposited into her bank account. She withdrew the money days later and mailed most of the money to an address provided by the person she met online. The money loaded onto the prepaid cards came from FEMA, which had issued the money based on false and fraudulent claims for disaster relief filed with the agency. Although White did not file the false claims, she admitted that she knew the money came from some type of crime. Two banks had previously closed her accounts due to similar conduct, with one bank informing her that her deposits and withdrawals were part of a fraud scheme. White nonetheless continued the same conduct. The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) investigated the case with assistance from FEMA’s Fraud Prevention and Investigations Branch and the Westbrook Police Department. Money Mule Scams: Acting as a money mule is illegal and punishable even if you aren’t aware that you are committing a crime. If you are a money mule, you could be prosecuted and incarcerated as part of a criminal money laundering conspiracy. Some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises; others are unaware that they are helping criminals profit. Criminals often target students, those looking for work, or those on dating websites, but anyone can be approached to be a money mule. Learn more about money mule scams at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/money-mules . ###


title: Two Las Vegas Felons Sentenced To Prison For Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm And Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: LAS VEGAS – Two convicted felons and Las Vegas residents were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey for unlawful possession of firearms and for their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Nicholas Eddards was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Justin Chester was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Justin Chester (42) and Nicholas Eddards (36) each pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on January 3, 2019, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a car carrying Eddards and Chester. During a search of the car, the officers discovered a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and methamphetamine. Eddards has prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, ex-felon not to possess a firearm, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the District of Nevada. Chester has prior felony convictions for attempted battery with a deadly weapon and domestic battery. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The ATF investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Veronda prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv . If you have information pertaining to illegal firearms activity such as a straw purchase, please contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). Anonymous tips may also be submitted to ATF through the ReportIt mobile app. ###


title: Stanislaus County Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Money from Recipients of Social Security and Other Government Benefits

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Lorene Deanda, 64, of Ceres, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud in relation to her stealing more than $550,000 from recipients of Social Security and other government benefit funds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Deanda was employed by a charitable organization in Modesto and managed the organization’s representative payee program. This program assisted recipients of Social Security and other federal and state benefits who could not physically manage their own financial affairs. Deanda, on behalf of the charitable organization, would set up bank accounts for the beneficiaries and receive benefit funds into those accounts. Deanda’s duties included paying beneficiaries’ bills and necessities from those accounts. However, from 2003 to May 2015, Deanda stole benefit funds from the beneficiaries’ accounts and spent the money on her own personal expenses, including to pay for her personal credit card bills and residential mortgage. In total, Deanda stole over $550,000. This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Brittany M. Gunter are prosecuting the case. Deanda is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on July 24, 2023. Deanda faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 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: Former Clarksville School Nurse Sentenced To Federal Prison For Child Pornography Crimes

body_text: NASHVILLE – Leon B. Hensley, 42, a former Clarksville, Tennessee, school nurse, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 293 months in federal prison on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis. Hensley, a former nurse at Northeast High School (NEHS) in Clarksville, was charged and arrested in May 2021, following an investigation into allegations that he sent a digital image, via text message, of a nude adult female to a minor female in the Clarksville area. Hensley had been communicating with the minor female via text and asked her to help him with a photo shoot by posing for photos. The subsequent investigation resulted in a superseding indictment being returned in June 2022 charging Hensley with 25 counts of attempting to produce child pornography and enticing or coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Hensley pleaded guilty to all charges in September 2022, prior to a trial which was scheduled to begin the same day. The investigation, including a search of Hensley’s phone led to the discovery of nude images which were later identified as minor female students at NEHS. A search of Hensley’s house resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices, including a small covert video camera. The devices also contained image files depicting unidentified females in hospital rooms, airports, and tanning beds, plus video files that appeared to be upskirt videos of adult and minor females. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Secret Service; the FBI; and the Clarksville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Clinton Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for  Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Clinton man was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives (ATF). According to court documents, Stanley Cavett Jr., 35, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Clinton Police Department on November 4, 2019. Cavett has several prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Cavett to possess a firearm. Cavett pled guilty on January 6, 2023 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The ATF and the Clinton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case. This 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: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Frazier, also known as “Dae Dae,” 43, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Frazier was a passenger on the 100 block of Cedar Street in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Taurus, model G2C, 9mm pistol. Frazier admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Frazier knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in Wayne County Circuit Court on April 14, 2000, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Cabell County Circuit Court on March 2, 2018. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-222. ###


title: Deceased female leads to hostage taking investigation and subsequent sentence

body_text: VICTORIA, Texas – A 32-year-old non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in Houston has been sent to prison for conspiracy commit hostage taking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Urbino Garcia-Bahena pleaded guilty Aug. 22, 2022. Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey ordered Garcia-Bahena to serve 151 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence of how he and his co-conspirators operated the stash house in Houston using threats, intimidation and starvation to hold people there. The investigation began when authorities found a young woman discarded and deceased on the side of the road in Victoria County. In a search for those responsible for her death, law enforcement learned of Garcia-Bahena and his co-conspirators. They were holding and mistreating another undocumented person who they had illegally transported into the country. The man’s family had already paid $10,000. However, Garcia-Bahena and others were demanding and additional $3,500 for the victim’s release. The investigation revealed the group had discarded the young woman after she died in their care. Law enforcement had rescued the second victim after he had been held for five days without food and been mistreated. Garcia-Bahena has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Victoria Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.


title: Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Judy Ann Goodman, also known as Judy Ann Eplion, 32, of Chesapeake, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Goodman conspired with Western Regional Jail inmate Corey Michael Perkins during phone calls to assist the smuggling of a package of suboxone and methamphetamine into the jail. The phone calls were recorded by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Goodman admitted that she helped to pay a woman working at the jail to transport the drugs into the jail. Goodman further admitted that Perkins instructed her on what to do with the package and arranged a meeting between Goodman and the jail worker. Investigators intercepted the package when the jail worker attempted to deliver it. Goodman admitted that the package contained 126 Suboxone strips and approximately 7.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the controlled substances were buprenorphine and 6.8 grams of methamphetamine. Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. The jail worker, Bryanna Danielle Kern, 25, of Proctorville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute suboxone and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2023. The indictment remains pending against the inmate, Perkins. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Investigations Unit, the West Virginia State Police, and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chamber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-220. ###


title: Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the Government

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Maryland woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to her role in a conspiracy to defraud the government of thousands of dollars from 2014 to 2018. Chantelle Boyd, 53, of Woodsboro, Md., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations before the grand jury. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2023. Boyd was arrested and charged in July 2020 along with co-defendant Thomas Bouchard. Bouchard was the Contracting Officer in charge of the U.S. Army Natick Contracting Division, a full-service contracting organization for the Department of Defense. According to the charging documents, in 2014, Bouchard used his long-standing relationship with Evolution Enterprise, Inc., a government contractor, to have Boyd hired for a “no show” job as an assistant that specifically supported Bouchard. Boyd’s position cost the Department of Defense more than $490,000 during her time at Evolution from 2014 to 2018, during which Boyd performed little if any useful function. Bouchard and Boyd took numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. This included 31 trips to Orlando, Fla., among other locations such as Clearwater Beach, Fla., and Stafford, Va., during which Boyd allegedly performed little if any work. For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks – all during business hours. In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, Boyd made false statements to the grand jury in May 2018 in relation to these trips. The charge of conspiracy provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of theft of government funds each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of lying to a grand jury provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of 250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Scott Moreland, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Suburban Chicago Woman Charged With Filing False Income Tax Returns With the Internal Revenue Service

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — An Orland Park resident and owner of a sandwich shop in Plainfield has been charged with three counts of filing a false tax return. Per the information, HEYAM P. MALICK, 64, of Orland Park knowingly filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service between the years 2016 to 2020. Malick was the owner and sole employee of Smiley’s Gyros and Beef, located in Plainfield. As charged in the information, Malick is accused of under reporting her income from the business by more than $725,000 over three years. The charge is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Peabody. The public is reminded that an information contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge of tax fraud carries a possible sentence of up to three years in federal prison on each count. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Las Vegas Woman Sentenced To Prison For Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 65 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine. Adeline Coronel (31) pleaded guilty in December 2022 to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance – methamphetamine. According to court documents, in September and October 2021, Coronel conspired with co-defendant Melinda Rodriguez and others to sell and possess with the intent to sell 2.1 kilograms of methamphetamine. Coronel arranged and negotiated the sale of drugs, and on one occasion she drove from California to Las Vegas to sell about three pounds of methamphetamine. Additionally, she admitted to working with individuals in Mexico to smuggle the drugs into the United States. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Las Vegas District Office made the announcement. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance - methamphetamine and she was sentenced to 96 months in prison. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Allison Reese prosecuted the case. If you have information of a potential violation of controlled substances laws and regulations, including the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, please contact the DEA at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip . ###


title: Former Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing on Social Media Sexually Explicit Material of Child

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A former middle school mathematics teacher in San Bernardino was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for distributing an image of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Josue Gamaliel Vidal Quintanilla, 31, of Fontana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who also ordered Vidal to pay $9,000 in restitution. Vidal, who formerly taught mathematics at Shandin Hills Middle School in San Bernardino, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of distribution of child pornography. Vidal has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case in September 2020. He will be placed on supervised release for 20 years upon his release from prison. In September 2019 and January 2020, law enforcement received information from the Kik and Snapchat internet messaging applications that one of their users had uploaded material that was suspected to show sexually explicit material involving children. The Internet Protocol (IP) address for the Kik and Snapchat accounts was assigned to Vidal’s residence in Fontana. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Vidal’s home in September 2020. Vidal agreed to speak with law enforcement and admitted to viewing child pornography since early 2019. He also admitted to sending people internet links to sexually explicit material involving children as young as infants. In total, law enforcement recovered approximately 1,500 images and 724 videos of child pornography from Vidal’s Kik and Snapchat accounts and digital devices. Vidal pleaded guilty to distributing to another Snapchat user in August 2020 a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Vidal was employed as a middle school teacher during this time, but his employment later was terminated. “This conduct is abhorrent in and of itself, but it is especially disturbing and unacceptable considering defendant’s role in the community as a teacher,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. Homeland Security Investigations and the Fontana Police Department investigated this matter. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department provided assistance with this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.


title: Estranged wife of former deputy constable heads to prison for cocaine conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 46-year-old Huffman resident has been sent to prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Priscella Yvette Cervantes is the estranged wife of a former Harris County Precinct 1 deputy constable. A federal jury convicted her Oct. 25, 2022, following a four day-trial and approximately two hours of deliberations. Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced her to a total of 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional argument about the sufficiency of the evidence that detailed the criminal investigation. On or about Dec. 5, 2020, Cervantes escorted a tractor-trailer in a “ghost” police vehicle – which is a vehicle that has lights and sirens and a police decal. Her co-defendant and now estranged husband, Alexsandar S. Reyes, met her off Interstate 10 in his marked constable vehicle and then continued to escort the tractor trailer through the Houston area on I-10. After the drug escort, Reyes received a total of $6000 in cash which Cervantes believed would be split with her. At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Cervantes did not know anything about the drug proceed monies or the cocaine. The jury did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged. Reyes, 49, also of Huffman, had previously pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing. Cervantes has been in custody since the return of the verdicts where she will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance of Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, Houston Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.