title: Arkansas man guilty of possessing machinegun conversion device

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Jajuan Lee Bonds, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on July 2, 2024. According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2022, an officer with the Corrigan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Bonds. The officer observed what appeared to be marijuana in a clear plastic baggie in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a firearm outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch”. The modified handgun had been previously reported stolen. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. Bonds’ plea comes less than a month after Diggs and U.S. Attorneys for the Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas announced, “ Operation Texas Kill Switch ,” a statewide initiative targeting illegal machinegun conversion devices. At a June 10, 2024, press conference, U.S. Attorney Diggs stated that, “machinegun conversion devices are incredibly dangerous and pose an unacceptable risk to the public and law enforcement.” Diggs went on to say, “they’re also illegal and simply possessing a machinegun conversion device—let alone firing one—comes along with a hefty prison sentence. As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to keeping them off the streets of the Eastern District of Texas.” Operation Texas Kill Switch relies on partnerships with state and local law enforcement as well as rewards offered by Crime Stoppers . Bonds faces up to ten years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corrigan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman. ###


title: Puerto Rican Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring  to Ship Narcotics Across State Lines

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Puerto Rican man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 2000 grams of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Mississippi in connection with shipments of drugs across state lines. Ricardo Roman Rivera Santana, 32, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents, in 2021, an investigation was initiated involving John Michael Villafana-Mendez who was believed to be trafficking narcotics in Mississippi. During the investigation, agents identified Ricardo Roman Rivera Santana as the sender of two packages of narcotics, which were mailed from California to Mississippi. One package was mailed to a Vancleave address associated with Villafana-Mendez and the other was sent to a Pascagoula address. Both packages were intercepted by law enforcement. Lab reports for the substances in the 2 packages revealed 1043.9 grams of methamphetamine at 95% purity and 975.4 grams at 97% purity. Rivera-Santana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2024, and faces a minimum of ten years up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Villafana-Mendez previously pled guilty and was sentenced on December 6, 2023, to 169 months in prison. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Pascagoula Police Department, and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Jefferson County man sentenced for federal firearms violation

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur man was sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Johnathon Andre Granger, 24, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 2, 2024. According to information presented in court, on August 4, 2023, local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Granger’s Port Arthur residence. During the search, Granger was found asleep in a bedroom with a firearm nearby. In all, three firearms, 19 grams of cocaine, and nearly $3,000 cash were found in the home. This case was 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. This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman. ###


title: United States Seeks Forfeiture of Ellensburg Home Used for Drug Distribution

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of Washington against a house in Ellensburg, Washington that allegedly was used to distribute illegal drugs. The Complaint alleges the home was purchased on September 30, 2011, by June Green. The home is on the same block as a preschool and only one block away from the public library and a church in one direction and the local middle school in another. It is two blocks away from the Ellensburg Police (EPD) station. According to the Complaint, EPD became familiar with the occupants of the home in 2014 because of repeated visits to the property. Since 2014, EPD responded to the property more than 300 times. The allegations in the Complaint are that Green, her children, and those they allow to live at the property, have repeatedly used the property to facilitate drug use and distribution for years. The Complaint alleges EPD has conducted multiple controlled buys of illegal narcotics including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin at the home. EPD has also responded for a variety of calls at the property involving, among other things, a drug overdose, a stabbing, an assault with a golf club, animal cruelty, burglary, debit card theft, threating neighborhood children with a baseball bat, a welfare check that resulted in the alleged assault of EPD officers, vehicle theft, noise complaints, trespassing, and code violations for garbage and yard growth. “The property named in the complaint is just a short distance from public spaces where the community should be able to safely learn, worship, and enjoy time with their families and loved ones,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to working to keep communities safe and strong, including by using resources when appropriate to forfeit properties maintained for drug use and distribution. Such properties present a serious safety risk for neighbors, families, and communities in Eastern Washington.” This case was investigated by the Ellensburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Donovan. The complaint can be found below. Complaint for Ellensburg House A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or facilitated illegal activity or represents the proceeds of crime. These allegations are not proven unless and until a court enters judgment in favor of the United States.


title: Jefferson County man guilty of federal violation related to gas station robbery

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Nederland man has pleaded guilty to a federal violation in relation to an armed robbery of a gas station in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Tarrell Donald Nowlin, 53, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on July 2, 2024. According to court documents, on January 16, 2024, law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Speedway Gas Station located at 2795 Eastex Freeway in Beaumont for a reported robbery. According to the store clerk, a dark-colored Dodge Caravan pulled into the parking lot of the business and parked near one of the gas pumps. The driver, described as a white male, entered the business wearing a black mask, blue latex gloves, and a gray hat. The driver pointed a silver revolver at the clerk and demanded cash. The clerk opened the cash register and the driver took approximately $550 cash and left the store. The investigation identified Nowlin as the subject. Nowlin faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was 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. This case was investigated by the FBI, Beaumont Police Department, and Nederland Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn. ###


title: Human Smuggling Guide Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Mexican citizen was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a dangerous human smuggling conspiracy. Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Hinderaker for the District of Arizona. In November 2023, Dessens-Romero was found guilty of multiple alien smuggling offenses by a jury, including conspiracy to transport and transportation of illegal aliens for profit and bringing in illegal aliens to the United States for profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to these offenses. “Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.” Evidence presented at trial established that Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about Feb. 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals under his care into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona. He led the group on this perilous route due to less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including freezing temperatures and snow. By Feb. 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat, walk, or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her behind. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States. The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on Feb. 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by U.S. Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. During this time, Dessens-Romero contacted the surviving sisters on behalf of the smuggling organization to try to convince them to remove a “missing person” social media post. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On Nov. 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on Fort Huachuca property. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister. The deceased is survived by her husband and daughter. At trial, additional evidence confirmed that Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June 2021. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting two migrants. This case was a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in 313 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 251 U.S. convictions; more than 186 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets. The HSI Douglas Field Office investigated the case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville Field Office, and Tennessee Highway Patrol. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.


title: Alien Smuggling Guide Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John Hinderaker to 10 years in prison. Dessens-Romero was found guilty by a jury of multiple alien smuggling offenses, including Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses. Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about February 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals on a perilous route into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona where there was less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including cold and snow. By February 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat or walk or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a well-traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground in order to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista, Arizona, where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States. The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by United States Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. During this time, Dessens-Romero contacted the surviving sisters on behalf of the smuggling organization to try to convince them to remove a “missing person” social media post. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On November 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on the Fort Huachuca Army installation. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister. The deceased is survived by her husband and daughter. Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June of 2021. He used WhatsApp to set up the transportation of undocumented non-citizens to various locations within the United States, including the transportation of two persons through Tennessee. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting these two individuals. “Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.” “Alien smugglers care only about the money to be made and not about the human beings whose lives they endanger,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Unfortunately, one young woman’s desire for a better life in the United States cost her her life due to the greed and recklessness of Dessens-Romero. This case should serve as a warning to other smugglers and the transnational smuggling organizations they work for: my office and our law enforcement partners will be undaunted in our efforts to bring you to justice.” This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas conducted the investigation in this case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00376-TUC-JCH-JR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-087_Dessens-Romero # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Anderson County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Death

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lawrenceburg, Ky., man, Daniel Hudson, 36, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 240 months in prison, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in an overdose death. According to his plea agreement, on March 24, 2022, Hudson was booked into the Franklin County Region Jail, for state offenses. At the time, Hudson had approximately six grams of a fentanyl mixture concealed upon his person, and he was able to smuggle the drugs into the facility. Ultimately, Hudson then distributed the fentanyl, and had buyers (or individuals on their behalf) send payments, via Cash App, to an account held by his friend. Specifically, on March 29, 2022, Hudson distributed fentanyl to an inmate who overdosed, but was successfully resuscitated with the administration of Narcan by jail personnel. Thereafter, on March 31, 2022, Hudson distributed fentanyl that was used by another inmate, who was later found deceased in his cell. Under federal law, Hudson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Chief Dustin Bowman, Frankfort Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Frankfort Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kamaro Campbell, age 42, of Albany, pled guilty today to possessing cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute them and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division made the announcement. The charges to which Campbell pled guilty carry a combined mandatory prison sentence of between 10 years and life; a combined fine of up to $5,250,000; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Agents found 105 grams of fentanyl, 95 grams of cocaine, and a fanny pack containing a loaded pistol and $15,000 all inside of Campbell’s bedroom closet when executing a search warrant. A separate court-ordered search of Campbell’s storage unit led to the recovery of an additional 105 grams of cocaine. Over the course of five law enforcement operations leading up to those searches, Campbell collectively sold 155 grams of cocaine and 74 grams of methamphetamine. The DEA is investigating the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Percy J. Bush, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for production of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Bush to 324 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bush’s release from prison, he will begin a life term of supervised release. Bush was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution to the victims of his crime. On December 11, 2022, an FBI Child Exploitation Task Force Officer based in Washington, D.C., was acting in an undercover capacity as part of a Child Exploitation Task Force. The undercover officer was investigating a fetish website where users were known to trade original images of underage children and links containing child pornography. A user using the screen name, ‘Jedipb01,’ eventually identified as Percy Bush, initiated a private chat with the undercover officer within the fetish website and on KIK instant messenger. During the chat, Bush sent the undercover officer an image of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor victim who was 6-8 years old. Law enforcement determined that between March 2022 and December 2022, Bush used the minor victim to produce visual depictions of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the chat with the undercover officer, Bush also sent a Mega link containing videos depicting preteen girls and boys being sexually abused by adults. On December 11, 2022, a search was executed by the FBI at an Omaha residence where Bush had been located. A forensic examination of Bush’s phone and several email accounts identified approximately 101 video files and 1,481 image files of child sexual abuse material. The age range of the children depicted in the materials was between 2 and 14 years old. Bush was convicted previously of possession of child pornography in 2016 in Douglas County District Court. This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.


title: Kearney Man Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Luis Garcia, 31, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Garcia to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Garcia is release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On February 10, 2022, Garcia was the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle which was stopped by police in Buffalo County, Nebraska. Garcia admitted he had methamphetamine in his pocket, which an officer found when he searched Garcia. Officers then searched the car Garcia had been driving. A digital scale and glass pipe were found in the center counsel. A black bag was found sitting on the back seat. Inside the bag police found 9mm ammunition. Garcia was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and due to prior convictions for felony offenses. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Nebraska State Patrol, and the Kearney Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former Baltimore Police Officer Sentenced To Two And A Half Years For Illegal Drug And Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – On June 28, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Steven Umberto Angelini, of Baltimore, Maryland, to two and a half years in federal prison and other conditions, including drug treatment, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department. According to his plea agreement, Angelini was a member of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) and from January 2022 through May 2022, Angelini and Co-Conspirator 1 conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone. During the conspiracy Angelini twice also offered to go to the Baltimore City Police Department (“BPD”) Homicide Unit to obtain information about an investigation involving Co-Conspirator 1’s supplier who had been murdered. Angelini also provided Co-Conspirator 1 with law enforcement sensitive information on the case and some pictures, which were available to BPD employees through mass email dissemination. According to his plea agreement, Angelini’s offer to obtain the video for Co-Conspirator 1 was made with the sole objective to persuade Co-Conspirator 1 to provide him with cocaine. Angelini also offered to sell Co-Conspirator 1 a privately made firearm, also known as a “ghost gun,” in exchange for cash and narcotics. In April 2022, Angelini provided 20 oxycodone pills to Co-Conspirator 1. Later in April 2022, Angelini texted Co-Conspirator 1 that he was at a gun shop and stated that he wanted to purchase cocaine from Co-Conspirator 1. Angelini then offered to purchase ammunition and firearms accessories for Co-Conspirator 1 in exchange for cocaine. Angelini purchased a magazine for the privately made firearm he sold to Co-Conspirator 1, as well as ammunition, including hollow-point ammunition, which he provided to Co-Conspirator 1 later that night in exchange for cocaine. Further, Angelini admitted that in May 2022, after visiting a Rosedale, Maryland pain clinic and filling a prescription for oxycodone pills, he called Co-Conspirator 1 and notified him that he had the pills available for sale. They negotiated that Co-Conspirator 1 would give Angelini cash and cocaine in exchange for the oxycodone. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Goo, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 156 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. According to public court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Domonique Deshawn Parrow, 38, was identified by law enforcement as a cocaine and cocaine base distributor, which he distributed directly out of his residence for at least three years. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Parrow’s residence, they found cocaine and cocaine base packaged for resale, a firearm, and money. In total, Parrow was responsible for the distribution of at least 3.2 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy. After completing his term of imprisonment, Parrow will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Federal Jury Convicts Airman For Attempting To Engage In Sex Acts With Purported 14-Year-Old

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jonathan Howard Kuykendall (39, Tampa) guilty of one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Kuykendall faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, in June 2022, Kuykendall was a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. During that time, Kuykendall began messaging someone named “Ms. Glitter” online. Within the first few messages, Ms. Glitter told Kuykendall that she was 14 years old and lived on the base with her single mother. During the next two weeks, Kuykendall groomed Ms. Glitter, gradually introducing sexual topics to her. He began by talking about cuddling with her and kissing her. From there, he began sending her graphic descriptions of various sex acts that he wished to perform with her as well as numerous adult pornography images. All of this continued until June 24, 2022, when Kuykendall, thinking Ms. Glitter’s mom was not home, agreed to come to her house on MacDill Air Force Base. Kuykendall drove to Ms. Glitter’s house, took several male sexual enhancement pills, and approached the home’s backdoor. Kuykendall learned Ms. Glitter was actually an undercover federal agent conducting a proactive Internet Crimes Against Children operation. He was arrested on scene. This case was investigated by the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 340 at MacDill Air Force Base, the 6th Security Forces Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, and Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karyna Valdes and Daniel J. Marcet. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Woman arrested for smuggling rare Vietnamese chickens into United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Aransas Pass resident has been taken into federal custody for smuggling merchandise into the United States and illegal transfer of merchandise, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jennifer Mayo turned herself in to authorities June 27. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie Hampton at 9:45 a.m. According to the indictment, returned May 22, it is illegal to import poultry into the United States from regions where pathogenic avian influenza or Newcastle disease exist in commercial poultry populations unless specific conditions are met. However, the charges allege she smuggled merchandise into the United States contrary to law. From Aug. 1, 2023, to Sept. 15, 2023, Mayo allegedly imported and brought into the United States Dong Tao Chicken eggs. She is also charged with illegal importation and transfer of merchandise. Mayo allegedly facilitated the transportation and concealment of merchandise imported contrary to law - Dong Tao chicken eggs and hatchlings. The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture for the chickens and eggs. As part of the investigation, authorities seized the chickens mentioned in the indictment. Due to their health, they had to be euthanized and are being held pending further investigation and evaluation. If convicted, Mayo faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Department of Agriculture conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Foreign national charged with selling counterfeit drugs

body_text: HOUSTON - An Indian national is set to appear for his detention hearing on charges related to his alleged sale and shipment of counterfeit cancer pharmaceuticals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities arrested Sanjay Kumar, 43, Bihar, India, June 26. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 10 a.m. According to the complaint, Kumar arranged to have shipped counterfeit versions of Keytruda, an oncology pharmaceutical Merck and Co. manufactures, to individuals in the United States on several occasions. He also allegedly did the same with counterfeit versions of other oncology pharmaceuticals. Kumar is charged with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods (drugs). If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $1 million fine. Homeland Security Investigations and Food and Drug Administrations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Jeff Pearlman and Bryce Rosenbower of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Nine Individuals Charged In Middle District Of Florida In Connection With Health Care Fraud Schemes

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces criminal charges against nine individuals in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud. The charges filed in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute health care fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “This enforcement action demonstrates my office’s resolve, and that of the Department of Justice, to protect these programs and the people they benefit from exploitation.” “It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.” The MDFL cases are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the enforcement action, seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces 32 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting the cases in the National Enforcement Action, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here . The MDFL has worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations. The following individuals have been charged in Middle District of Florida: Ma Gracia Cadet , 53, of Kissimmee, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $9.3 million in Medicare funds. According to the information, Cadet, the owner of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies KGA Medical Supply LLC and Sapphire Medical Supply LLC, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement by Medicare. Cadet offered and paid illegal kickbacks to her co-conspirators at purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces that were ultimately billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey of the Florida Strike Force. Eva LeBeau , 65, of Clearwater, Florida, and Lori Lebrecht , 60, of Largo, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, as well as with paying illegal health care kickbacks to patient recruiters, all in connection with an alleged scheme to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Prestigious Senior Home Health Care, Inc. and to submit false and fraudulent claims totaling over $2 million for home health services. LeBeau owned Prestigious and Lebrecht was Prestigious’ Director of Nursing. The indictment alleges that LeBeau and Lebrecht conspired to pay, and paid, patient recruiters per patient referral that Prestigious to billed to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $1.3 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Charles D. Strauss of the Florida Strike Force. Robert Desselle , 46, of Sarasota, Florida was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and with paying illegal health care kickbacks, in connection with a scheme to pay illegal health care kickbacks to patient recruiters in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries. The alleged scheme involved Desselle, through his company Desselle’s Sky High Enterprise, LLC, paying marketers on a per-patient basis to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for cancer genetic testing (“CGx”) tests which were not medically necessary. As a result of the charged scheme, Medicare paid approximately $4.5 million on CGx claims billed for these beneficiaries. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Charles D. Strauss of the Florida Strike Force. Marques Elijah Green , 29, of Windermere, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.4 million in Medicare funds. According to the information, Green, owner of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies Onyx Medical Supply LLC and AquaMed Supply LLC, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement by Medicare. Green offered and paid kickbacks to his co-conspirators at purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signed doctor’s orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces that were ultimately billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey of the Florida Strike Force. Lisa Williams , 56, of Lithia, Florida, was charged by indictment with six counts of tampering with a consumer product and six counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud in connection with her unlawfully acquiring and tampering with fentanyl infusion bags at a hospital. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Pizzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Lawrence Waldman , 57, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes, as well as with illegal monetary transactions, in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Waldman worked for ASAP Lab, LLC as a sales representative. Waldman used his position with ASAP to travel throughout the State of Florida, and elsewhere, to obtain genetic test and respiratory viral panel test swabs from Medicare beneficiaries. Waldman and his coconspirators used the test swabs, along with requisition forms containing forged and unauthorized signatures of medical practitioners, to obtain approximately $380,000 in illegal kickbacks and bribes for causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement from Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Erin Kim , 54, of Orlando, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances, in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the indictment, Kim was a nurse practitioner employed by Done, a California-based digital health company. In the course of her employment with Done, Kim prescribed Adderall and other stimulants that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. The indictment further alleges that Kim and others fabricated patient files and signed prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants where Done patients did not meet the requisite diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, where the prescriptions posed a risk of diversion, and where the dosages went beyond what was normally prescribed. In total, Kim is alleged to have prescribed over 1.5 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants, for which she was paid by Done over $800,000. Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force is prosecuting the case. Eric Brewer , 28, of Lakeland, Florida, was charged by indictment with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud in connection with his unlawfully acquiring and tampering with fentanyl infusion bags. As alleged in the indictment, Brewer, a registered nurse who worked in intensive care units, engaged in two similar criminal schemes to divert fentanyl at five different Tampa-area hospitals across seven different dates. In the first scheme, which Brewer executed on several occasions, Brewer stole fentanyl by checking out 100 mL bags of liquid fentanyl from locked controlled substance cabinets but keeping the bags for himself rather than administering them to patients or returning them. In the second scheme, Brewer used hospital computers to research which patients were receiving fentanyl intravenously, entered those patients’ rooms even when he had no medical reason to do so, and surreptitiously siphoned fentanyl from their IV drip bags into his own vessel; Brewer would then go to the hospital bathroom, where he would inject himself with stolen fentanyl. Sometimes, Brewer tried to cover his theft by replacing the fentanyl he withdrew with an equivalent volume of saline, but sometimes he did not. In both scenarios, however, Brewer’s actions deprived the most vulnerable patients of needed medicine. Brewer was caught when colleagues observed him acting impaired during a shift and the person who entered the bathroom immediately after Brewer exited found a bloody paper towel and needle inside. Hospital officials subsequently examined records and video and discovered Brewer’s pattern of diversion. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Gordon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Waymon Wallace , 63, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was charged by information with conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Wallace, a licensed physician and an enrolled Medicare provider agreed to sign, and authorize the use of his signature on, laboratory requisition forms for medically unnecessary genetic and respiratory panel tests in exchange for cash. Wallace and his coconspirators caused over $500,000 in false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to be submitted to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. A complaint, indictment, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Prominent Ghanaian “Influencer” Sentenced To One Year In Prison For Receiving Romance Scam Proceeds

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on June 28, 2024. MONTRAGE previously pled guilty on February 21, 2024, to conspiracy to receive stolen money. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received illegal funds from older Americans who were victims of romance scams and now faces serious consequences for her actions. Romance scams such as Montrage’s harm vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realization that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money. This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are.” As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: From at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, MONTRAGE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the U.S., including romance scams. Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone. The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who was, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise. MONTRAGE is a Ghanaian public figure who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile under the username “Hajia4Reall,” which at one point had approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers and was among the top 10 most followed profiles in Ghana. MONTRAGE received money from approximately forty victims of romance frauds, whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were payments to transport gold to the U.S. from overseas, payments to resolve a fake Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) investigation, and payments to assist a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan. In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds for the Enterprise. * * * In addition to the prison term, MONTRAGE, 32, of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and order to forfeit $216,475 and pay restitution in the amount of $1,387,458. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Wilkes-Barre Man Convicted Of Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Jones, aka “Hat,” age 39, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after a four-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the jury found Jones guilty of having conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl during the course of the conspiracy. Jones was one of fifteen individuals indicted in February 2023 for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Jones and his co-conspirators obtained pills containing fentanyl via the mail from co-conspirators in Arizona. Jones and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as other states. At trial, the Government presented testimony from six of Jones’ co-conspirators. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service also testified. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case. To date, thirteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. 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. Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. # # #


title: United States Obtains Consent Decree Against Gristedes Supermarkets For Violating Refrigerant Management Regulations

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against GRISTEDE’S FOODS NY, INC. (“GRISTEDES”) alleging violations of the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) Recycling and Emissions Reduction Rule (“RER Rule”) due to GRISTEDES’ failure to comply with regulations designed to limit the emission of refrigerants from appliances at its store into the atmosphere. The United States and GRISTEDES simultaneously entered into a Consent Decree resolving that lawsuit. The Consent Decree requires GRISTEDES to pay a $400,000 civil penalty and to undertake millions of dollars of repairs to reduce its future emissions of refrigerants that are greenhouse gasses. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Between 2019 and 2021, Gristedes systematically violated EPA refrigerant regulations, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions at a rate far higher than others in the industry. To give a sense of scale, Gristedes’ emissions had a global warming effect equal to driving a car 140,000,000 miles . As a result of our lawsuit, Gristedes is now required to reduce its emissions by over 70% from their 2020 levels to offset at least some of the damage it has caused, and it will face significant additional penalties under the Consent Decree if it fails to do so.” The Clean Air Act and the RER Rule impose requirements on the owners and operators of commercial refrigeration appliances to prevent the emission of regulated refrigerants into the atmosphere. Many refrigerants (including those utilized in GRISTEDES stores) are powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change when emitted. They also deplete the ozone layer and are toxic to humans when present in the air in large quantities. As alleged in the United States’ Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court: GRISTEDES has owned and operated a chain of approximately 20 supermarkets in New York City. Between 2019 and 2021, despite utilizing regulated refrigerants known as hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons at its supermarkets, GRISTEDES systematically failed to comply with key aspects of the RER Rule — failing to calculate the rate at which its appliances were leaking when adding new refrigerants, failing to timely repair leaks, failing to conduct verification testing after repairing appliances, failing to retrofit or retire leaking appliances, and failing to report chronically leaking appliances to EPA. As a result, GRISTEDES’ refrigerators have leaked refrigerants into the atmosphere at a rate far higher than industry standards. These leaks have emitted more than 40,000 pounds of regulated climate-impacting refrigerants, with a greenhouse gas effect equivalent to driving an average, gasoline-powered vehicle an extra 140,000,000 miles. In the Consent Decree, GRISTEDES admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct between 2019 and 2021: Failing failed to adopt or implement refrigerant management practices that were consistent with the RER Rule. Failing to calculate the leak rates for appliances upon addition of refrigerants to those appliances and to maintain records of the same. Failing to repair appliances that had leak rates above applicable thresholds under the RER Rule and to maintain records of the same. Failing to perform initial and follow-up verification tests to ensure that the repairs were successful, to perform subsequent leak inspections at intervals required by the RER Rule, and to maintain records of the same. Failing to implement retrofit or retirement plans for the appliances that had uncontrolled leaks or to maintain records of the same. Failing to submit reports to EPA related to chronically leaking appliances. Maintaining corporate-wide leak rates of 40%, 59%, and 46% in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively, resulting in the emission of 42,094 pounds of refrigerants, in total. Pursuant to the Consent Decree, GRISTEDES will pay a penalty of $400,000, an amount based on the company’s documented inability to pay the full civil penalty for which it otherwise would be liable. Further, the Consent Decree requires GRISTEDES to undertake repairs of its commercial refrigeration equipment with an estimated cost of $13,500,000, to adopt a comprehensive refrigerant compliance management plan, to convert three stores to utilize advanced refrigerants with low global warming potential, and to lower its corporate leak-rate below 16%. Failure to comply with the Consent Decree will give rise to significant additional penalties. * * * To provide public notice and afford members of the public the opportunity to comment on the Consent Decree, the Consent Decree will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval. Mr. Williams thanked the attorneys and enforcement staff at EPA’s Region 5 for their critical work in this matter. This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zack Bannon and Dominika Tarczynska are in charge of the case.


title: Bridger Mother and Son Convicted of Second-Degree Murder and Assault Charges

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Theodora Belt, age 47, and Bailey Belt, age 23, both from Bridger, South Dakota, of Second-Degree Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Bailey Belt was convicted of additional Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury charges involving a different victim, following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on June 28, 2024. Theodora Belt faces a maximum penalty of up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Bailey Belt faces a maximum penalty of up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. The convictions stem from an incident that occurred on May 27, 2023, in Bridger, within the Cheyenne River Reservation. Theodora and Bailey Belt were at the victims’ home socializing. An argument began between the parties and the defendants assaulted victim #1 by punching, kicking, and beating him with a shovel. As victim #1 lay on the ground outside the home he was run over with Theodora’s car, ultimately killing him. In addition, Bailey Belt struck victim #2 in the head with a shovel, causing him to be life-flighted to Rapid City for medical treatment, where he survived. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy R. Morley and Brian J. Murphy prosecuted the case. The defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Standing Pine Man Sentenced to Almost 4 Years in Prison for Domestic Violence Assault on Choctaw Indian Reservation

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Standing Pine man was sentenced to 46 months in in federal prison for a domestic assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Kendall D. Ben, 31, physically assaulted his girlfriend in the Standing Pine Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Ben was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 25, 2022. He pled guilty on February 17, 2023, to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Schuylkill County Man Sentenced To 84 Months’ Imprisonment For Conspiracy To Commit Robbery

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Marsh, age 29, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marsh previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. As part of his guilty plea, Marsh admitted that on August 30, 2020, he participated in an armed home-invasion robbery in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. During that robbery, Marsh, along with his co-conspirators Joushton Rodriguez and Solomon Rodriguez, entered the victims’ home and robbed the victims of a lockbox containing drug proceeds. All three perpetrators were masked and Joushton Rodriguez was armed with a homemade AR-15 style machinegun. The ringleader of the conspiracy, Steven Wong, along with four remaining co-conspirators, are still awaiting sentencing. The charges stem from an investigation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Mahanoy City Police Department, the Schuylkill Haven Police Department, the Pottsville Police Department, the Shillington Police Department, the Reading Police Department, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sarah Lloyd. This case is also 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: Wayne County Man Sentenced To 149 Months’ Imprisonment For Committing $2 Million In Covid-19 Pandemic Fraud

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher J. Miller, age 36, formerly of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 28, 2024, by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley to 149 months of imprisonment, following his convictions of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful monetary transactions. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Miller filed approximately 50 fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. Some of the applications submitted by Miller were filed on behalf of corporate entities under his control that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false addresses, false IRS-issued Employee Identification Numbers, false dates of business establishment and operation, false employee headcount information, and fabricated gross income, gross receipts and payroll obligation information. The applications also included forged IRS income tax returns, and federal employment tax documents. Miller failed to disclose in the applications that he was previously convicted of a felony. Miller also filed fraudulent applications on behalf of himself and numerous family members, friends and associates. In exchange, he received cash kickbacks from those individuals. Through his scheme, Miller and his associates secured over $2.1 million in pandemic stimulus funds. Instead of using his funds on business expenses, as intended, Miller used them to purchase automobiles, vacations, and real estate, among other personal expenses. In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Munley labeled Miller’s criminal activities a “devious, extensive, and elaborate scheme to swindle the United States government,” and highlighted how, after the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, Miller and his wife fled to South Carolina, where he lived under an assumed name until being apprehended. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Judge Munley also sentenced Miller to five years of supervised release, following his term of imprisonment, and to pay full restitution. The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation. The PUA program was created by the CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. In addition to Miller, the United States prosecuted Robert Reynolds, also of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, for obtaining fraudulent PUA benefits with Miller. Reynolds pleaded guilty to wire fraud and awaits sentencing. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and by the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Statement of U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers on the Passing of Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Goodloe Jr.

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, issued the following statement on the death of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Goodloe Jr.: Mr. Charles Goodloe, Jr., was a native of Greenfield, Indiana, and earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Indiana University. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1971 as a law clerk and was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney upon passing the bar exam that year. Mr. Goodloe was the first Black person to ever serve as an AUSA in the state of Indiana and was the office’s longest-ever serving attorney when he retired in 2008. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply saddened to learn of Charles Goodloe Jr.’s passing. Mr. Goodloe was an extraordinarily talented trial attorney, dedicated public servant, and trailblazer who opened doors of opportunity for others,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “Charles Goodloe prosecuted many complex, important, and difficult cases, including complex fraud prosecutions of corporate executives and what turned out to be the final prosecution of the Indiana leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Ever the gentleman, he approached his work with dignity, kindness, attention to detail, and tremendous skill. Mr. Goodloe was an inspiration and mentor to me and many others who followed in his footsteps. His impact was so significant he was the first person to have a conference room in our office dedicated in their honor. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Goodloe’s family, friends, and colleagues who join us in mourning his passing and celebrating his legacy.” In addition to his accomplishments as a prosecutor, Mr. Goodloe served our country in the United States Army for two years. Charles was a beloved husband and father, an avid reader, and incredibly generous with his time and talent. He will be missed. ###


title: Birmingham Man Sentenced to More than Five Years for Unlawfully Possessing U.S. Postal Service Key and Possession of Stolen Mail

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Birmingham man on charges of possession of stolen mail and unlawful possession of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) keys, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Derrell Allen Matthews , 27, to 63 months in prison. In February, Matthews pleaded guilty to conspiracy, paying a bribe to a public official, possession of U.S. Postal Service keys, stolen or reproduced, bank fraud and possession of stolen mail. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco previously sentenced two other defendants involved in the scheme: Keaundria Janae Gresham , 30, of Pleasant Grove, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for conspiracy, public official accepting a bribe and possession of U.S. Postal Service keys, stolen, or reproduced. Steven Cornelius Hudson , Jr, 34, of Bessemer, was sentenced to 36 months of probation for possession of stolen mail. According to Hudson’s plea agreement, Matthews paid him to drive him around. According to court documents, between August 2022 and April 2023, Matthews used stolen USPS keys to steal mail from several blue collection boxes in Hoover, Alabama. Matthews purchased the USPS keys from Greshman. Greshman was employed by the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier and was assigned to a U.S. Post Office in Birmingham. She used her position to provide unauthorized USPS keys to Matthews. In October 2022, Matthews was found in possession of a USPS key, stolen checks, counterfeit checks, blank checks, stock printers and more than 350 stolen, altered, or counterfeit checks totaling over $1 million dollars. Between October 2021 and May 2023, Matthews deposited altered or counterfeit checks by ATM or mobile deposit into co-conspirator’s bank accounts. Matthews took a portion of the deposited amount for himself and left a portion in the account or paid the person by other means. In April 2023, postal inspectors and Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies observed Matthews open two blue collection boxes at the Meadowbrook Post Office. Matthews removed mail from the boxes and put it in the front seat of his vehicle. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver, Hudson, Jr. and the passenger, Matthews, were arrested. If you like to report United States Postal Service mail theft or other crimes committed through or towards the United States Postal Service, please contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or https://www.uspis.gov/report . U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel McBrayer prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Secures Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit for Blocking Affordable Housing Development in Louisiana

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that the Town of Franklinton (Franklinton), Louisiana, has agreed to pay $230,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle allegations that it violated the Fair Housing Act when it blocked a proposed affordable housing development for low-income tenants in a predominantly white part of Franklinton. Under the agreement , Franklinton will also facilitate the development of new affordable housing to replace the units that it previously blocked, amend its zoning ordinance to increase the amount of land available for the development of multi-family housing and create a land donation program to support the development of affordable housing. “Developing affordable housing in high opportunity neighborhoods can have a transformative impact on the livelihoods of low-income residents of all races,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Fair Housing Act prohibits cities and towns from blocking low-income housing development because they believe that Black people will make up a large share of the future residents. Officials must ensure that affordable housing opportunities are made available and that all families have access to them regardless of race. The Justice Department will continue to hold jurisdictions accountable when they abuse their zoning power to deny equal access to housing opportunity.” “Access to affordable housing free from discrimination is a right bestowed upon all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Denying affordable housing development for low-income individuals delays full achievement of the American Dream. The successful resolution of this Fair Housing Act matter provides low-income residents with the resources needed to achieve generational success.” The complaint, filed on June 27, alleges that Franklinton discriminated because of race and color when it refused to approve zoning for a 40-unit development called Quail Run that would have been financed through the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), a tax incentive that subsidizes the construction and rehabilitation of rental housing affordable to low-income tenants. Franklinton is highly segregated, and although approximately 48% of its population is Black, that population is concentrated in the town’s north side. Quail Run would have been built on the south side, in a neighborhood that is over 80% white. Over 80% of Black households in Franklinton qualify as low-income and Black residents would have been significantly more likely than white residents to qualify to live in Quail Run. The construction of Quail Run would have disproportionately provided much needed housing opportunities to Black families in the part of Franklinton where the residents are predominantly white. As alleged in the complaint, Franklinton’s Zoning Commission unanimously recommended that Franklinton grant zoning approval for the development of Quail Run. However, the Mayor refused to consider the Zoning Commission’s recommendation and the town later denied Quail Run’s zoning application without the City Council ever holding a vote on the matter. As a result of Franklinton’s action, the developers had to return the tax credits and were not able to develop housing and the land remained vacant. The developers filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which later referred the matter to the Justice Department. “Low-income residents should have equal access to affordable housing in well resourced, low poverty neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Diane Shelley of HUD’s Office for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Jurisdictions that deny the development of affordable housing in neighborhoods for fear that future residents will be a certain race perpetuate segregation and violate the Fair Housing Act, which remains as important today as it was in 1968. HUD is proud to work with the Justice Department to root out illegal discrimination and uphold civil rights law.” Under the settlement, which was approved on Friday June 28 by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Franklinton will, among other things: pay $205,000 in damages to Quail Run’s developers and $25,000 in a civil penalty to the United States; approve and support the development of at least 40 units of affordable housing to replace the number of units that would have been included in the Quail Run development; rezone at least 20 acres of available land to make it available for the development of affordable housing; create a land donation program to support the development of affordable housing; revise its zoning procedures to increase transparency and ensure that uniform non-discriminatory standards are applied in Franklinton’s residential land use decisions; provide training on fair housing and zoning procedures to its officials and employees who are involved in land use and zoning; and hold a public listening session on the town’s need for housing and host an educational program for Franklinton’s residents to learn about their fair housing rights. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination practices can file a complaint with HUD or a lawsuit in federal or state court. Individuals must file their complaint with HUD within one year of a housing discrimination incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of an incident. To report discrimination in land use or zoning decisions, individuals may also contact Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or report a violation of civil rights online at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . The department recently filed three Statements of Interest in land use and zoning cases alleging discrimination on the basis of race. More information about the application of the Fair Housing Act to state and local land use and zoning decisions can be found in the Justice Department and HUD’s Joint Statement . For more information about housing discrimination laws call (202) 514-4713 or visit the Justice Department website at www.justice.gov/crt/housing-and-civil-enforcement-section .


title: Home Health Providers to Pay $4.5M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Providing Kickbacks to Assisted Living Facilities and Doctors

component: Civil Division

body_text: Guardian Health Care Inc., Gem City Home Care LLC and Care Connection of Cincinnati LLC, home health agencies operating in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, along with their owner Evolution Health LLC (together, the Companies), have agreed to pay $4,496,330 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly providing illegal kickbacks to assisted living facilities and physicians in exchange for Medicare referrals. This settlement resolves allegations that, from 2013 to 2022, Guardian Health Care, Gem City Home Care and Care Connection of Cincinnati provided lease payments and other valuable benefits, including wellness health services, sports tickets and meals, to numerous assisted living facilities and their residents, as well as certain health care providers, in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries. The home health agencies then billed Medicare for the home health services they provided to the referred patients. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the provision of remuneration with the intent to induce referrals of government health care program business. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives. Claims that are knowingly submitted in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute are ineligible for payment and can violate the False Claims Act. “It is imperative to ensure that improper financial incentives play no role in decisions regarding patient care,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s resolution demonstrates the department’s commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs and the medical treatment received by their beneficiaries.” The Companies received credit under the department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. Among other actions, the Companies disclosed the conduct to the government, identified the individuals involved and assisted in the determination of losses caused to Medicare. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Trial Attorney Elizabeth A. Strawn of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandi Stewart for the Southern District of Ohio handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. And there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing a Firearm at Postal Carrier

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. -- A Gulfport man pled guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. According to court documents, Rusty Holloway, 42, brandished a firearm on October 20, 2022, at a U.S. Postal employee mail carrier when she was delivering mail to a residence in Gulfport. Holloway is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2024, and faces a minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Inspector in Charge Scott Pierce of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office, made the announcement. The United States Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 193 Defendants Charged and Over $2.75 Billion in False Claims

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: Today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Yelovich, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud federal health care benefit programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The charges stem from an alleged conspiracy to provide prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants to customers of an online health care service without a legitimate medical purpose for doing so. According to the several informations and the indictment filed against the defendants, they each had a role in enabling members of an online telehealth company to obtain Adderall and other stimulants from pharmacies by illegitimate means including making false and fraudulent representations to pharmacies, seeking to obstruct efforts by pharmacies to exercise their corresponding responsibility, and causing pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care insurance plans. “It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.” “We allege that each defendant played a role in a scheme to submit fraudulent requests to Medicare and Medicaid to obtain reimbursements for drugs that were improperly prescribed through online services,” said Deputy Chief Yelovich. “Making controlled substances available to persons without a legitimate medical purpose is drug dealing and knowingly facilitating bogus reimbursements from federal programs is fraud. This office will vigorously prosecute both.” The charges announced today by Deputy Chief Yelovich are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the enforcement action, seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Connecticut, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District to Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Rhode Island, Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and South Dakota are prosecuting the cases in the National Enforcement Action, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here. The Northern District of California, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The following individuals are charged in the Northern District of California: • Riley Levy, 30, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in connection with his role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of his work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc. (“Done”), Levy, Done’s Executive Leader, Operations and Strategy, conspired to distribute Adderall and other stimulants by means of the Internet that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case. • Christopher Lucchese, 58, of Plano, Texas, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with his role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of his work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Lucchese, a medical doctor, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case. • Yina Cruz, 37, of Glenwood, New Jersey, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of her work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Cruz, a nurse practitioner, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, including to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case. • Katrina Pratcher, 70, of Altadena, California, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged, in the course and scope of her work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Pratcher, a nurse practitioner, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, including to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case. A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.