title: New Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center Opens in Columbus

body_text: Alongside state leadership and local partners in Columbus, Ohio, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced today the opening of a new Central Ohio Regional Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). These centralized law enforcement hubs focus exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in local communities. They bring together, under one roof, the expertise of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators to rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes. This is the second CGIC now running in the state of Ohio and one of more than 60 operated by ATF nationwide. “Across the country, Crime Gun Intelligence Centers — like the one announced today in Columbus — have proven to be uniquely effective tools for solving violent crimes, bringing repeat shooters to justice, and reducing the rate of gun violence,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The intelligence they produce and the collaboration they facilitate represent the best of what federal law enforcement can achieve for public safety when we harness our resources and work hand-in-hand with our state and local law-enforcement partners. The more communities in America that have ready access to a Crime Gun Intelligence Center, the safer our nation will be.” “As we have in so many cities and states around the country, ATF has partnered with state and local leaders to use crime gun intelligence to help catch the most violent offenders,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “We are thrilled with the progress that has been made in Ohio and look forward to a long and successful partnership fighting violent crime.” The centerpiece of ATF-led CGICs are eTrace and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is ATF’s network of millions of ballistic images captured from crime scenes across the nation. NIBIN plays a crucial investigative role in solving shootings. When a shooting takes place, ATF’s NIBIN technology evaluates whether the shell casings recovered from that shooting matches with the shell casings expelled at another shooting that took place at another time and place. eTrace is ATF’s crime gun tracing program. When law enforcement recovers a firearm associated with a criminal investigation, they submit that firearm’s information to ATF to trace it back to the first retail sale. At their core, CGICs develop actionable intelligence leads through the use of NIBIN and eTrace. As a result, multiple shootings can be tied together, whether they happened in the same neighborhood or hundreds of miles apart, and shooters can be identified more quickly. “The new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center represents the next generation in intelligence-based policing, and it is unlike anything that has ever been done in Central Ohio before,” said Ohio Governor Mark DeWine. “The teams taking part in this large-scale and long-term collaboration are sharing everything from intelligence and investigative leads to technology and manpower so that they can zero in on the people who are shooting and killing others without remorse. Gun violence is about to become much, much harder to get away with in Central Ohio.” Housed within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Central Ohio CGIC is operated in partnership between ATF, the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, and Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The Central Ohio CGIC began operations in July and is available to assist law enforcement agencies throughout the region free of charge. Since its initial launch, teams have connected multiple shootings that occurred in Columbus this summer to other crimes committed several years ago, including crimes that took place in other parts of the state. “The Crime Gun Intelligence Center is precisely what we need to further empower our officers to capture and prosecute those responsible for perpetrating gun violence in our communities,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther of the City of Columbus. “This is about tapping into the power of collaboration to strengthen accountability and secure justice – using our combined resources to connect the guns being used to kill, maim, and commit crimes with the individuals who wield or peddle them in the first place.” “Concentrated, collaborative efforts like this CGIC can have a real impact on reducing the level of violence in our cities,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “Federal firearms laws can be punished by up to 10 years in prison. We will not hesitate to use those laws when appropriate to hold accountable those who use firearms to commit acts of violence in our communities.” Additional agencies that will support the Central Ohio CGIC include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. ATF continues to work with their state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners around the country to open more Crime Gun Intelligence Centers.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly possessing a firearm and ammunition. Tarik Muhammad, 29, of Boston, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Muhammad was previously charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 10, 2023. According to the charging documents, on the evening of Feb. 4, 2023, Muhammad was denied entry to the Encore Casino in Everett when security detected that he was carrying a firearm. Encore security alerted local law enforcement, but Muhammad left before they arrived. It is alleged that security cameras at the casino show Muhammad leaving in a blue Toyota Rav 4. The following day, a notice was dispatched to local law enforcement about the incident and with photos of Muhammad, the vehicle and license plate captured on casino security cameras. On Feb. 6, 2023, law enforcement spotted Muhammad driving the Rav 4 in Roxbury and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. It is alleged that Muhammad fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended when Muhammad crashed into an occupied, parked vehicle. Muhammad allegedly tried to flee on-foot but was apprehended. It is alleged that a loaded semi-automatic pistol was found in Muhammad’s waistband. Muhammad is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to several felony convictions including a June 2022 conviction in U.S. District Court in Boston of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Muhammad was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged offenses announced today. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: West Virginia man charged with wire fraud in elder justice case

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph M. Beach, age 54, of Inwood, West Virginia, has been indicted for misappropriation by a fiduciary, wire fraud, theft of government property, false written statement, and false statement to federal agent. According to court documents, Beach was appointed as fiduciary for his father in late 2017. Beach’s father is under the care of a veterans’ care facility and receives monthly benefits. As the fiduciary, Beach received his father’s veteran’s disability, retirement, and social security payments and used them for his own benefit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration investigated. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Nearly 3 Kilograms of Fentanyl onto Flight

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Illinois man has been sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for checking a duffle bag containing nearly 3 kilograms of fentanyl at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Justice Department announced today. Jermaine Eggleston, 35, of Chicago, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. At the conclusion of a three-day trial in April 2022, a jury found Eggleston guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl. On September 14, 2020, an x-ray machine alerted LAX security to a checked black duffle bag as containing suspicious, potentially concealed explosives. The bag was routed to a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer for additional screening. The officer opened the bag and found, inside a computer keyboard box, three parcels wrapped in tape, plastic wrap, and carbon paper. Eggleston checked the bag under his own name for a Los Angeles-to-New Orleans flight. Subsequent testing revealed that the parcels in total contained 2,986 grams of fentanyl. Law enforcement estimates the fentanyl had a wholesale value of more than $250,000. Airport police officers arrested Eggleston at his flight’s gate area. He was released from federal custody in October 2020, but in March 2021 he was arrested in Chicago while on pretrial release in this case for allegedly illegally possessing a firearm. He has remained in federal custody since that time. “[Eggleston] sought to check luggage containing nearly three kilograms of fentanyl powder onto a plane – an act that, had [Eggleston] succeeded, would have risked the lives of not just the many eventual downstream users of the fentanyl, but also the passengers and crew of the plane,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The Drug Enforcement Administration, TSA, and the Los Angeles Airport Police investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Dulce Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Amadius Archuleta pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. Archuleta, 23, of Dulce, and a Taos Pueblo Tribal Member, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to court records, on July 2, 2022, Archuleta, who was 21 years old at the time, contacted a 14-year-old minor, Jane Doe, through Instagram and, after some conversation, asked to meet her. They met near her house before walking to Archuleta’s grandparents’ old house nearby. There, they both consumed alcohol and marijuana. Archuleta then initiated a sexual act with Jane Doe. Later that night, Jane Doe’s father contacted the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Services (TPDPS) to report that his daughter was highly intoxicated. When TPDPS officers arrived, Jane Doe’s parents gave a female officer permission to interview their daughter in private. At that time, Jane Doe disclosed that Archuleta had sexually assaulted her. In his plea agreement, Archuleta admitted that he knew Jane Doe was 14 years old and that he initiated a sexual act with her and recorded audio of the act on his phone. At sentencing, Archuleta faces 15 years in prison followed by no less than 5 years, and up to life, of supervised release. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. # # # 23-228


title: Two Charged With Federal Narcotics Offenses Resulting In Death In Connection With The Poisoning Of Four Children At A Bronx Daycare

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Lisa O. Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging GREI MENDEZ and CARLISTO ACEVEDO BRITO with narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death in connection with the poisoning of four children under the age of three, one of whom died, at a daycare facility in the Bronx. MENDEZ and ACEVEDO BRITO are both in custody and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Parents entrusted Grei Mendez with the care of their children. As alleged, instead of diligently safeguarding the well-being of those children, she and her co-conspirators put them directly in harm’s way, running a narcotics operation and storing deadly fentanyl out of the very space in which the children ate, slept, and played. The disregard shown by Mendez and her co-conspirators for the lives of the children under her care is simply staggering.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said: “The charges announced today are the tragic result of fentanyl poisoning more innocent Americans, this time young children. The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable anyone who plays a part in the supply-and-delivery chain that is flooding fentanyl into our communities. We will not rest in our efforts to protect the vulnerable.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “Tragedy doesn’t begin to describe the events that took place at Divino Niño Daycare. This death and drug poisonings are every parent’s worst nightmare and clearly define the danger fentanyl poses to every New Yorker. Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and the defendants’ callous and irresponsible disregard to safety led to two of the most heinous acts imaginable, causing the death of a child and poisoning three other children. These crimes are unacceptable. I commend the work of the investigators from the DEA and NYPD and our partners at the Southern District of New York who work tirelessly every single day to stop drug poisonings from taking too many lives too soon.” NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “This case reflects every parent’s worst nightmare. These alleged drug traffickers brazenly went about their illicit business in one of the most ill-conceived locations imaginable, but they will be held accountable. I thank the dedicated investigators of the NYPD and the DEA, and everyone involved at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, for their efforts to secure justice for the most vulnerable New Yorkers among us – our children.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] From at least in or about July 2023 through at least in or about September 2023, GREI MENDEZ and CARLISTO ACEVEDO BRITO and others conspired to distribute fentanyl, including at a children’s daycare center in the Bronx (the “Daycare”). There, despite the daily presence of young children, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats. In addition, the defendants maintained in the Daycare items purpose-built for the distribution of large quantities of narcotics, including three so-called “kilo presses,” which are designed for the recompression of drugs in powder form commonly used by narcotics traffickers at “mills” or other locations where narcotic drugs are broken down, combined with fillers, and portioned for sale. The narcotics and one of the kilo presses recovered are pictured below. As a consequence of the defendants’ drug conspiracy, on or about September 15, 2023, at the Daycare, four children, who were all under three years of age, appear to have experienced the effects of poisoning from exposure to fentanyl. Prior to the arrival of emergency personnel at the Daycare on that date, MENDEZ, in concert with an unnamed co-conspirator (“CC-1”) removed evidence from the Daycare. In particular, immediately before MENDEZ called 911 to summon medical assistance for the children, she called CC-1. CC-1 then arrived at the Daycare, stayed for approximately two minutes, and then exited out a back alleyway carrying two full shopping bags — all while the children were unresponsive and awaiting medical assistance. Three of the children were hospitalized with serious injuries. The fourth child, a one-year-old boy, died. ACEVEDO BRITO resided in a bedroom located within the Daycare and is the cousin of CC-1. One of the kilo presses found at the Daycare was located in the closet inside ACEVEDO BRITO’s bedroom. Additionally, a search of ACEVEDO BRITO’s phone revealed numerous messages suggestive of his involvement in narcotics trafficking. * * * MENDEZ, 36, and ACEVEDO BRITO, 41, both of the Bronx, New York, are each charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and in Count Two with narcotics distribution resulting in death. Both Count One and Count Two carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, the NYPD, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force, the SDNY Digital Forensic Unit, and the Complex Analytical and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its coordination on this case. The OCDETF New York Strike Force is a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies supported by OCDETF and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is affiliated with the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; NYPD; New York State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; New York National Guard; U.S. Coast Guard; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Fort Lee Police Department; Palisades Interstate Parkway Police; Teaneck Police Department; Hillsdale Police Department; Closter Police Department; Northvale Police Department; River Vale Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Bergen County Sheriff’s Department; Hawthorne Police Department; and Hackensack Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon C. Thompson and Maggie Lynaugh are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Lexington man, Cary Lamar Wilkerson, Jr., 24, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl mixture.  According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement in Fayette County attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Wilkerson, but he refused to stop, resulting in a pursuit that endangered other motorists. Law enforcement was able to disable Wilkerson’s vehicle, but Wilkerson then fled on foot. After he was apprehended, officers located a firearm and 17 grams of flurofentanyl that Wilkerson had abandoned upon fleeing. The firearm was a Glock pistol, with a “Glock switch” that converts a semi-automatic pistol into a machinegun. Law enforcement in Clark County encountered Wilkerson again in October 2022, when a vehicle was observed travelling over 100 mph on I-64. Law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, but the car accelerated and nearly struck multiple other vehicles. After crashing into a utility pole and fleeing on foot, Wilkerson was apprehended by law enforcement. During the foot chase, Wilkerson attempted to discard two bags of fentanyl and a firearm. Inside Wilkerson’s wrecked vehicle, law enforcement found more narcotics, cash, and numerous empty plastic bags. Wilkerson pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2023. Wilkerson has multiple prior convictions, including for robbery and drug trafficking. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Under federal law, Wilkerson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., Clark County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Lexington Police Department, and the Clark County Sherriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy Rieker. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. -END-


title: Readout of Justice Department Officials' Trip to Ghana and Togo to Advance West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative

component: Civil Division

body_text: Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao and Deputy Director Richard Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (CPB), together with colleagues from CPB and the FBI, met Sept. 11 to 15 with various key law enforcement partners to advance CPB’s West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative in Ghana and Togo and combat fraud schemes originating in western Africa or facilitated by criminal enterprises operating in the region. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao (front row, center, right), EOCO Deputy Director, Intelligence and Monitoring, Aba Opoku (front row, center, left), Assistant Legal Attaché Justin Nwadiashi (front row, right), and other officials from the Justice Department, FBI and EOCO meet at EOCO headquarters in Accra, Ghana. Meetings in Ghana took place with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Police Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority.Meetings in Ghana took place with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Police Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao (left), Director of Administration, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Solomon Ayawine (right), Assistant Legal Attaché Justin Nwadiashi (third from left) and other officials from the Justice Department, FBI and the Ghana Police Service meet at the Ghana Police Service (GPS) headquarters in Accra, Ghana to discuss transnational cyber-enabled fraud. Meetings in Togo took place with La Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (National Police, Inspector General), Brigade de la Renseignement d’investigations (Investigations and Intelligence Brigade), Direction Centrale de la Police Judicaire (Judicial Police), Direction Générale de la Documentation Nationale (National Documentation Director), Office Central de Répression du Trafic Illicite des Drogues et du Blanchiment (Anti-Drug Trafficking and Anti-Money Laundering – AHTU/AML Office) and La Cellule National de Traitement d’Information Financielle (The National Financial Intelligence Unit). In their meetings in Ghana, the parties discussed strengthening cooperation and collaboration on parallel investigations and providing training assistance. In addition, CPB and FBI officials shared valuable insights and lessons learned related to the investigation and prosecution of cases involving fraud and public corruption. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao (center), Director of the Strategy, Research, and Communications Division of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Sammy Darko (center, left), Assistant Legal Attaché Justin Nwadiashi (center, right) and other officials from the Justice Department, FBI and the Office of the Special Prosecutor meet at the headquarters of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Accra, Ghana. In their meeting with EOCO, the parties discussed ways to build upon prior joint successes combating transnational organized crime schemes and romance fraud, including through reducing the time it takes to share evidence and how the department can further assist EOCO prosecutions in Ghana and facilitate asset forfeiture and recovery. In Togo, the parties discussed the initiation and continuation of joint efforts to combat cyber-enabled fraud originating in or affecting Togo. They focused on aligning priorities and exploring strategies for improving lines of communication and information-sharing mechanisms. The CPB’s West Africa Consumer Fraud Initiative seeks to address fraud schemes, including romance scams that often target elderly and vulnerable U.S. victims, pandemic relief fraud, unemployment insurance fraud and business email compromise scams, originating in western Africa (or facilitated by criminal enterprises operating in the region), with a focus on both perpetrators and money launderers. In 2022, the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database received romance scam reports from nearly 70,000 people, with losses of $1.3 billion. That same year, the FBI received over 21,000 complaints of business email compromise schemes, with losses of $2.7 billion. In addition to prosecuting criminal elder fraud cases, CPB provides guidance to U.S. Attorneys' Offices, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on fraud investigations with links to the region. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao (left), Brigade de Renseignement d’Investigations (BRI) Police Commissioner Papa M. MENSAVI (right), and other officials from the Justice Department, FBI and La Police Nationale meet at the headquarters of La Police Nationale in Lomé, Togo, to discuss law enforcement collaboration. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao (center), Inspector General of Police in Togo Colonel Yaovi Okpaoul (left) and other officials from the Justice Department, FBI and La Police Nationale meet at the headquarters of La Police Nationale in Lomé, Togo, to discuss international law enforcement priorities.


title: Union County Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Role in Scheme to Steal Mail, Commit Credit Card Fraud, and Defraud United States

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to time already served – 14 months in prison – for his role in a scheme to receive stolen credit cards and pandemic relief debit cards sent through the mail, commit bank fraud, and defraud the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Justin Brooks, 24, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to three counts of an indictment charging him with: one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and bank fraud, and to defraud the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of the Treasury; one count of receiving stolen mail; and one count of bank fraud. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From July 2019 to Oct. 6, 2020, Books and his conspirators obtained credit cards stolen from the U.S. mail from a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, fraudulently activated those credit cards, and then used those credit cards to make and attempt to make purchases without the cardholders’ authorization. The victims have incurred approximately $70,000 in losses from fraudulent purchases made using their stolen credit cards. Brooks also schemed to fraudulently use over $13,000 of funds pre-loaded onto Economic Impact Payment (EIP) cards issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and sent in the U.S. mail pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), that were also stolen from the mail. The CARES Act authorized EIP payments structured as one-time refundable tax credits to certain eligible taxpayers of $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, and up to $500 for each qualifying child. The goal of this part of their fraud was for the conspirators to unlawfully obtain the government funds pre-loaded onto these cards. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Brooks to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $87, 080 in restitution. Brooks originally was charged with Jarid Brooks, 29, Kyle Williams, 37, and Kyjuan Hutchins, 23, also of Vauxhall, in October 2020. Jarid Brooks, Williams and Hutchins have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Jarid Brooks and Hutchins are awaiting sentencing; Williams was previously sentenced. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office; and special agents with the Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the Caldwell Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Boonton Police Department, and the Millburn Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the Criminal Division in Newark.


title: California Woman Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A California woman was sentenced to 229 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Antonina Isabel Troyer, 41, of Yorba, Linda, CA, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, on December 29, 2021, DEA agents received information regarding the drug trafficking activities of Troyer in Long Beach, MS. The investigation revealed that Troyer was receiving multi-pound packages of methamphetamine from a source of supply in California. On January 12, 2022, Postal Inspectors notified DEA agents that they had intercepted a package addressed to Troyer that contained methamphetamine. On March 30, 2022, Postal Inspectors seized a similar package addressed to Troyer. The following day, DEA and USPS did a controlled delivery of the package to Troyer’s residence. Approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine were inside the package and Troyer was placed under arrest. It was determined through the course of the conspiracy that Troyer was responsible for the sale of roughly 2.9 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Southern District of Mississippi. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than 13 Years For Conspiracy To Commit Robbery And Armed Robberies Of Auto Parts Stores In Tampa

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Steve Jackson (41, Tampa) to 13 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jackson had pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023. His codefendant, Antonio Brown, previously pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing. According to court documents, on August 29, 2021, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa carrying firearms and wearing surgical masks as they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from the cash registers. Shortly after completing the first robbery, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on 50 th Street North in Tampa, where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Jackson and Brown stole approximately $1,140 during this robbery. Later that evening, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification. Further investigation revealed that Jackson had been in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson wore during the robberies in his garbage outside of his residence. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee, Michael Sinacore, and Charlie Connally.


title: Former Congressman Sentenced To 22 Months In Prison For Insider Trading

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEPHEN BUYER, a former Indiana Congressman, was sentenced today to 22 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. BUYER was previously convicted following trial of four counts of securities fraud for engaging in two insider trading schemes. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Stephen Buyer was convicted by a jury of twice engaging in insider trading. He abused positions of trust for illicit personal gain, and today he faced justice for those acts. No insider trader is above the law, and we will continue to bring those who undermine the fairness and integrity of our markets to justice.” According to the Indictment, evidence presented during trial, court documents, and statements made in open court: In 2018 and 2019, BUYER engaged in two separate, but interrelated insider trading schemes to steal material non-public information that he obtained through consulting work and to place timely, profitable securities trades based on that stolen information. First, in or about March and April 2018, BUYER purchased shares of Sprint Corporation (“Sprint”) ahead of the April 29, 2018, public announcement that T-Mobile US, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) and Sprint would merge in a deal valued at $26.5 billion. Prior to the public announcement of the transaction by T-Mobile, executives at T-Mobile told a small, trusted group of consultants that they had retained to work on the deal, including BUYER, about the merger and directed them to keep the information confidential. BUYER breached his duty of confidentiality to T-Mobile and misappropriated that information by purchasing shares of Sprint across several brokerage accounts, including his own accounts, an account held jointly with his cousin, and an account in the name of a close, personal friend. Across these accounts, BUYER made more than $126,000 from the purchase and subsequent sale of Sprint stock after the merger was publicly announced. In or about June through August 2019, BUYER again engaged in insider trading, this time trading in shares of Navigant Consulting, Inc. (“Navigant”) ahead of Navigant’s acquisition by consulting and advisory firm Guidehouse. As with his purchase of Sprint shares, BUYER learned through his consulting work for Guidehouse that Guidehouse intended to acquire Navigant and misappropriated that information by purchasing Navigant shares ahead of the public announcement of the acquisition. BUYER purchased Navigant shares across several brokerage accounts, including accounts in his own name, joint accounts held with family members, and the account of the same close, personal friend whose account he used to trade Sprint shares. In total, Buyer made more than $223,000 from his illegal Navigant trades. BUYER testified at his March 2023 trial and provided false explanations for his Sprint and Navigant trading, which Judge Berman found at sentencing to constitute obstruction of justice. * * * In addition to his prison sentence, BUYER, 64, of Noblesville, Indiana, was ordered to pay more than $350,000 in forfeiture and restitution in an amount to be determined. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiersten A. Fletcher and Margaret Graham are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Two Charged with Federal Narcotics Offenses Resulting in Death in Connection with the Poisoning of Four Children at a New York Daycare

body_text: A criminal complaint was unsealed today in Manhattan, New York, federal court charging Grei Mendez, 36, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, both of the Bronx, New York, with narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death in connection with the poisoning of four children under the age of three, one of whom died, at a daycare facility in the Bronx. Mendez and Acevedo Brito are both in custody and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis. “The charges announced today are the tragic result of fentanyl poisoning more innocent Americans, this time young children,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable anyone who plays a part in the supply-and-delivery chain that is flooding fentanyl into our communities. We will not rest in our efforts to protect the vulnerable.” “Parents entrusted Grei Mendez with the care of their children,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “As alleged, instead of diligently safeguarding the well-being of those children, she and her co-conspirators put them directly in harm’s way, running a narcotics operation and storing deadly fentanyl out of the very space in which the children ate, slept, and played. The disregard shown by Mendez and her co-conspirators for the lives of the children under her care is simply staggering.” “Tragedy doesn’t begin to describe the events that took place at Divino Niño Daycare,” said Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New York Field Division. “This death and drug poisonings are every parent’s worst nightmare and clearly define the danger fentanyl poses to every New Yorker. Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and the defendants’ callous and irresponsible disregard to safety led to two of the most heinous acts imaginable, causing the death of a child and poisoning three other children. These crimes are unacceptable. I commend the work of the investigators from the DEA and NYPD and our partners at the Southern District of New York who work tirelessly every single day to stop drug poisonings from taking too many lives too soon.” “This case reflects every parent’s worst nightmare,” said Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban of the New York Police Department (NYPD). “These alleged drug traffickers brazenly went about their illicit business in one of the most ill-conceived locations imaginable, but they will be held accountable. I thank the dedicated investigators of the NYPD and the DEA, and everyone involved at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, for their efforts to secure justice for the most vulnerable New Yorkers among us – our children.” As alleged in the complaint, from at least in or about July 2023 through at least in or about September 2023, Mendez and Acevedo Brito and others conspired to distribute fentanyl, including at a children’s daycare center in the Bronx (the Daycare). There, despite the daily presence of young children, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats. In addition, the defendants maintained in the Daycare items purpose-built for the distribution of large quantities of narcotics, including three so-called “kilo presses,” which are designed for the recompression of drugs in powder form commonly used by narcotics traffickers at “mills” or other locations where narcotic drugs are broken down, combined with fillers, and portioned for sale. The narcotics and one of the kilo presses recovered are pictured below. As a consequence of the defendants’ drug conspiracy, on or about Sept. 15, at the Daycare, four children, who were all under three years of age, appear to have experienced the effects of poisoning from exposure to fentanyl. Prior to the arrival of emergency personnel at the Daycare on that date, Mendez, in concert with an unnamed co-conspirator (CC-1) removed evidence from the Daycare. In particular, immediately before Mendez called 911 to summon medical assistance for the children, she called CC-1. CC-1 then arrived at the Daycare, stayed for approximately two minutes, and then exited out a back alleyway carrying two full shopping bags – all while the children were unresponsive and awaiting medical assistance. Three of the children were hospitalized with serious injuries. The fourth child, a one-year-old boy, died. Acevedo Brito resided in a bedroom located within the Daycare and is the cousin of CC-1. One of the kilo presses found at the Daycare was located in the closet inside Acevedo Brito’s bedroom. Additionally, a search of Acevedo Brito’s phone revealed numerous messages suggestive of his involvement in narcotics trafficking. Mendez and Acevedo Brito are each charged in count one with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and in count two with narcotics distribution resulting in death. Both count one and count two carry a minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The DEA, the NYPD, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) New York Strike Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s Digital Forensic Unit, and the Complex Analytical and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area investigated the case, in coordination with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York’s Narcotics Unit is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon C. Thompson and Maggie Lynaugh for Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution. The OCDETF New York Strike Force is a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies supported by OCDETF and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The Strike Force is affiliated with the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; NYPD; New York State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; New York National Guard; U.S. Coast Guard; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office; Fort Lee Police Department; Palisades Interstate Parkway Police; Teaneck Police Department; Hillsdale Police Department; Closter Police Department; Northvale Police Department; River Vale Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Bergen County Sheriff’s Department; Hawthorne Police Department; and Hackensack Police Department. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: ATM Machine Heists Land Four Individuals In Federal Prison

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced the remaining four defendants in a series of bank ATM machine thefts. Each of the individuals previously pleaded guilty to bank burglary for their role in the thefts, which targeted five banks in Central Florida and resulted in $593,650 being stolen and over $100,000 in damages to the five ATM machines. Details for the four defendants are listed below: Name Date of Plea Sentencing Date Sentence Imposed Deontrae Walden (23, Orlando) 1/18/23 9/18/23 3 years, 6 months Aqunis Green (24, Houston, TX) 5/18/23 9/18/23 18 months, consecutive to 46 months imposed on related case in Texas Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23, Orlando) 11/28/22 3/6/23 4 years, 3 months Wendell Harp (24, Orlando) 12/16/22 4/11/23 2 years, 6 months According to court records, Walden, Green, Reed, and Harp engaged in a spree of ATM burglaries at five Chase Bank locations in the Orlando area. During each of the burglaries, the men used a stolen pickup truck and attach chains to rip the casing from the ATM machines and steal the cash boxes inside. In October 2022, Green came to Orlando and showed Walden how to commit the first two offenses. Together they stole $104,000 from a bank ATM on East Colonial Drive in Orlando on October 26, 2021, and $158,000 from a bank ATM on Conroy Road in Windermere on November 11, 2021. Green is currently serving a 46-month federal sentence for similar conduct in the Eastern District of Texas. His 18-month sentence has been ordered to run consecutive to that previous sentence in Texas. On November 14 and December 18, 2021, Walden burglarized two more bank ATMs. During the November 14 offense, Walden stole $108,140 from the bank on South Semoran Boulevard in Orlando. During the December 18 burglary, Walden netted $107,180 from the bank on SR 436 in Casselberry. In the fifth heist on May 26, 2022, Walden recruited Reed and Harp to help him burglarize the ATM located on East Colonial Drive in Orlando. They stole $116,650 but were caught by law enforcement officers who were surveilling them. Deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had pursued them on the ground and from the air. Reed failed to stop and led police on a high-speed chase, which ended when deputies deployed spike strips and disabled the car. Reed, Harp, and Walden bailed from the car and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. The deputies recovered the stolen money from the fifth burglary from the vehicle. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Casselberry Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta. 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: Whitley County Man Sentenced to 162 Months for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: LONDON, Ky. — A Whitley County man, Michael Andrew Nakonechny, 41, was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to his plea agreement, on August 5, 2022, law enforcement in Whitley County located a backpack that Nakonechny possessed and contained over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Nakonechny had received the drugs from his supplier and intended to distribute them. Law enforcement also found a loaded firearm inside the backpack. Nakonechny possessed the firearm to further his drug trafficking activity. Nakonechny pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2023. Under federal law, Nakonechny must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Rusty Hedrick, Chief of the Corbin Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF, the KSP, and the Corbin Police Department. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. -END-


title: Beloit Man Sentenced to 22 ½ Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Everett Wescott, 32, of Beloit, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 22 ½ years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child. This prison term will be followed by a 25-year term of supervised release. Wescott pleaded guilty to this charge on June 6, 2023. Law enforcement began their investigation into Wescott after a 15-year-old victim disclosed to police that Wescott began sexually assaulting her when she was 12 years old. The victim detailed that Wescott transported her across state lines in order to have sex with her, and that he recorded himself having sexual intercourse with her using an iPhone. In an interview with FBI, Wescott admitted to the sexual relationship and to recording the sexual encounters. At sentencing, Judge Conley stated that Wescott’s conduct “could hardly be more sinister” and warranted a lengthy sentence. Judge Conley also noted that the minor was especially vulnerable, which was something Wescott knew and then used to groom the victim. The charge against Wescott was the result of an investigation conducted by the Beloit Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted this case.


title: Springfield Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. Marcus Hicks, 43, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies. According to the indictment, on Nov. 21, 2022, Hicks possessed cocaine and marijuana intended for distribution and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Springfield Woman Indicted for Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for allegedly possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. Karyela Santiago, 26, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the indictment, on March 30, 2022, Santiago possessed fentanyl intended for distribution. The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, four year of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Saginaw Man Sentenced To Federal  Prison For Attempting To Purchase Kilograms  Of Cocaine From Under Cover Federal Agent

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY — Daniel Marin, 47, of Saginaw was sentenced last week to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for his role in attempting to purchase 17 kilograms of cocaine from an undercover federal agent, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Marin following his guilty plea to attempting to possess with the intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, during the summer of 2020, Marin and two other men planned to obtain a large quantity of cocaine for distribution throughout the Saginaw-Bay area. In furtherance of the plan, Marin contacted a person whom he thought was a narcotics broker in Mexico. In reality, however, the “narcotics broker” was an undercover HSI special agent. Marin subsequently negotiated the purchase of 17 kilograms of cocaine from the undercover agent for $34,000 per kilogram. On September 3, 2020, Marin and his two co-defendants traveled to a hotel in Flint to purchase the 17 kilograms of cocaine. Marin met with the undercover agent and verified the presence of the cocaine while his two co-defendants waited in the parking lot with the money. After verifying that the undercover agent had the cocaine, Marin went to the parking lot to retrieve the money from his co-defendants. HSI agents arrested the three men and seized over $500,000 in cash from them. “Our office, along with our state and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to hold those individuals to account who seek to import illegal drugs into our country and communities,” said U.S Attorney Ison. “Drug traffickers who poison our communities should expect to face justice here in Michigan,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “Our agents and partners will continue to identify, disrupt and dismantle these drug trafficking organizations wherever we find them." This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the FBI, Detroit Police Department, and Michigan State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Turkelson and Katharine Hemann.


title: Ste. Genevieve County Man Sentenced to Serve 9 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man from Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri to nine years in prison on a charge of receiving child pornography. Timothy Ray White, 61, appeared for sentencing at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. According to court documents, on Oct. 6, 2022, a search warrant was obtained and executed at White's residence where numerous electronic devices were seized. White was present during the execution of the warrant and admitted that he had "tons" of child pornography on his devices. Further investigation revealed thousands of photos and videos depicting child pornography. White admitted to being addicted to child pornography. After service of his 108-month sentence, White was ordered to be placed on supervised release for life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. This case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office For Eastern District Of Michigan Celebrates Funding Awarded For Community Responses To Gender-Based Violence And  Community Responses For Gender-Based Violence

body_text: DETROIT - In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $5,283,715.00 for the Eastern District of Michigan. For nearly three decades, VAWA provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $5,283,715.00 to the Eastern District of Michigan to support community responses to gender-based violence. Specifically, the Eastern District of Michigan received the following funds for the 2023 fiscal year: · OVW awarded $580,000.00 under Grants for Training and Services to End Violence Against Individuals with Disabilities and Deaf People Program (Disability Grant Program) to support services for individuals who have disabilities or are Deaf. Funding will provide specialized training, outreach, cross-training for various agencies, and developing model programs to strengthen organizational capacities in assisting survivors. The recipient of the grant is the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. In addition, VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program, which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promotes a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $4,703,715 under the STOP Program to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to enhance the capacity for communities across the country to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable. Just last week the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1.2 million to the Eastern District of Michigan to provide legal services and improve the effective coordination of justice systems impacting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The need for specialized legal services is both urgent and essential for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These services provide interventions, such as securing restraining or protective orders, that are crucial for survivor safety. • OVW awarded $750,000 under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program to the Michigan Advocacy Program of Ypsilanti. The LAV Program addresses the legal needs of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Through this new Legal Assistance for Victims project, the Tribal Survivor Project, which is housed within the Michigan Advocacy Program, in partnership with Uniting Three Fires Against Violence, seeks to expand culturally specific, free civil legal assistance in family court matters in state and tribal courts to tribal survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Michigan, prioritizing survivors in northern Michigan. • OVW awarded $450,000 under the Justice for Families (JFF) Program to Growth Works, Inc. of Plymouth. The JFF Program aims to improve the capacity of communities and courts to respond to families impacted by violence. Through this new Justice for Families project, Growth Works, in partnership with First Step and the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan, will implement a standard project addressing the following purpose areas: 1) supervised visitation and safe exchange; 3) training for court-based and court related personnel; and 8) training within the civil justice system for Wayne County, Michigan. Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney commented: “Preventing and ending violence against women makes the world a safer and more equitable place. I am very pleased that the Office on Violence Against Women recognizes this important work and has made these significant investments in our community. ### OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.


title: Teo Boon Ching Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Large-Scale Trafficking Of Rhinoceros Horns

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TEO BOON CHING, a/k/a “Zhang,” a/k/a “Dato Sri,” a/k/a “Godfather,” was sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to traffic hundreds of kilograms of rhinoceros horns worth millions of dollars that involved the illegal poaching of numerous rhinoceros, an endangered wildlife species. The sentence was imposed earlier today by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. CHING, who was extradited from Thailand, is the sixth large-scale wildlife trafficker sentenced in cases recently brought by this Office, which also involved the extradition of multiple individuals from several countries in Africa. CHING and his associated entities were previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Wildlife trafficking is a serious threat to the natural resources and the ecological heritage shared by communities across the globe, enriching poachers responsible for the senseless illegal slaughter of numerous endangered rhinoceros and furthering the market for these illicit products. The substantial sentence shows the resolve of this Office to use every tool at our disposal to ensure the protection of endangered species.” According to the charging and other documents filed in the case, as well as statements made in court proceedings: CHING was a member of a transnational criminal conspiracy engaged in the large-scale international trafficking and smuggling of rhinoceros horns to sell to foreign buyers, including buyers represented to be in Manhattan. Trade involving endangered or threatened species violates several U.S. laws as well as international treaties implemented by certain U.S. laws. During the course of the conspiracy and related conduct, CHING conspired to transport, distribute, sell, and smuggle at least approximately 219 kilograms of rhinoceros horns resulting from the poaching of numerous rhinoceros and having an estimated value of at least approximately $2.1 million. On a number of occasions, CHING met with a confidential source to negotiate the sale of rhinoceros horns. For example, on July 17 and 18, 2019, the confidential source met with CHING in Malaysia. During those meetings, CHING stated that he served as a “middleman” — one who acquires rhinoceros horns poached by co-conspirators in Africa and ships them to customers around the world for a per-kilogram fee. He also promised the confidential source “as long as you have cash, I can give you the goods in 1-2 days.” During their communications, CHING sent the confidential source numerous photographs of rhinoceros horns that CHING had available for sale and shipment, including the following: July 28, 2019, Communications August 19-20, 2019, Communications In August 2019, the confidential source, at the direction of law enforcement, purchased 12 rhinoceros horns from CHING with money that CHING believed were the proceeds of other illegal wildlife trafficking and was in bank accounts in New York. These horns were delivered in a suitcase in Thailand by those working for the wildlife trafficking organization. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forensics laboratory examined the rhinoceros horns and concluded that two horn pieces were black rhinoceros horns, and the other 10 pieces were white rhinoceros horns. Pictures of white and black rhinoceros are depicted below: White Rhinoceros Black Rhinoceros A picture of the 12 rhinoceros horns that CHING arranged to be sold to law enforcement through the confidential source and had delivered are depicted below: CHING was arrested in Thailand on June 29, 2022, at the request of the United States pursuant to a bilateral extradition treaty and was extradited to the United States on October 7, 2022. * * * CHING, 58, of Malaysia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, Mr. Williams thanked the Royal Thai Government for its assistance in the extradition of CHING to the United States and commended law enforcement authorities and conservation partners in Thailand, including the Office of the Attorney General and the Royal Thai Police, Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division. Mr. Williams also thanked the Embassy of the United States in Bangkok and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for providing substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of CHING. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman and Danielle Kudla are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Missouri Residents Asked to Be on the Lookout for Firearms Stolen from Potosi Store

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Federal and local authorities are asking the public to look out for rifles and shotguns that were stolen from a farm and home store in Washington County, Missouri in 2021. One was recently recovered in St. Louis County. Gregory Snyder, 44, of Bismarck, in St. Francois County, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on July 26 on two felony charges: theft of 13 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of body armor by a violent felon. The indictment accuses Snyder of stealing firearms from Dickey Bub Farm & Home on September 19 and 20 of 2021, and of possessing body armor on Sept. 20. A motion seeking to have Snyder held in jail until trial says he was captured on video hiding in the store until closing time, when he emerged and stole a variety of items, including shotguns and rifles. One of the stolen firearms was recovered in June 2023 in Caledonia, Missouri. Police recovered another shotgun in St. Louis County following a traffic stop. “We’re alerting the public to the existence of these stolen guns because we want gun buyers to be cautious and protect themselves against buying a stolen firearm,” said Potosi Police Chief Michael Gum. “One of the stolen shotguns was recovered only after an unsuspecting buyer purchased it from a pawn shop. If you have purchased one of these firearms, or even want to check if a gun is stolen, please contact your local police or sheriff’s department,” Chief Gum said. The following firearms were stolen: American Tactical Omni Hybrid 5.56/.223 rifle, serial # NS308985 Ruger American .243 Win. rifle, serial # 699-51880 Savage Model 11 .243 Win. rifle, serial # K832564 Smith & Wesson M&P 15 5.56 NATO rifle, serial # TS40690 Smith & Wesson M&P 15 5.56 NATO rifle, serial # TS44864 Smith & Wesson M&P 15 5.56 NATO rifle, serial # TT81658 Springfield Armory Saint 5.56/.223 rifle, serial # ST461190 Springfield Armory Saint 5.56/.223 rifle, serial # ST469640 Francolin Boss-25 12-gauge shotgun, serial # 21-13942 Francolin Warthog 12-gauge shotgun, serial # 21WH-1149 Mossberg 510 Mini 20-gauge shotgun, serial # V1312970 The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Potosi Police Department are investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the ATF at 314-768-3120 or online at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips or the Potosi Police at 573-438-5468. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj is prosecuting the case. Charges set forth in an indictment or a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Kentucky Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky man, Michael Wayne Henderson, 51, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for failure to register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at trial, Henderson has repeatedly failed to register as a sex offender. In 2002, he was convicted in Perry County, Indiana for Deviate Criminal Sexual Conduct. As a result, for the rest of his life, Henderson is required to register as a sex offender in the state in which he lives, works, or goes to school. Henderson initially faced charges for failing to register in 2009 after moving to the Eastern District of Kentucky. Henderson was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 10 years in prison and placed on supervised release for life. In 2019, Henderson was incarcerated because he again failed to register, in violation of the terms of his supervised release. After his release from prison, Henderson traveled back to Kentucky, but again failed to register as required. A jury convicted Henderson in March 2023 for his most recent failure to register. Under federal law, Henderson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Jeremy Honaker, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov -END-


title: Pottsville Man Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Accessing The Snapchat Accounts Of Dozens Of Female Victims And Selling Their Private Photographs For Financial Gain

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brandon B. Boyer, age 34, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to the computer hacking offense of obtaining information from protected computers. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Boyer pleaded guilty alleges that for a two-year period from February 2020 to February 2022, Boyer unlawfully accessed the computers of dozens of adult female victims in order to search for and obtain nude photographs that he could then sell. More specifically, Boyer acknowledged accessing victims’ Snapchat accounts at the behest of “clients” who paid him to break into the accounts and obtain the images. Boyer admitted that he accomplished this, in part, through use of an app that allowed him to send text messages to victims posing as a Snapchat representative. Through a technique known as “phishing,” Boyer then coaxed the victims into changing their passwords and sending him the verification codes that were generated. This allowed him to then access the accounts. Boyer agreed that the monetary loss attributable to his conduct was between $40,000 and $95,000. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Philadelphia Division. U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Florida Man Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Participating In Fraud And Money Laundering Scheme Targeting Hedge Fund

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MUSTAPHA RAJI was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to three years in prison for his participation in a $1.7 million business email compromise and money laundering scheme that targeted a Manhattan hedge fund. RAJI was previously convicted after a one-week jury trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, receipt of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s sentencing of Mustapha Raji should send a clear message that email scams targeting businesses in this District will not be tolerated. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to zealously prosecute online scammers abroad, and the U.S.-based money launderers they work with, to protect American businesses.” As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: RAJI participated in an international fraud ring that conducted phishing and other email fraud campaigns. In April 2017, a company RAJI controlled received over $100,000 in two transfers from another corporate entity, which had itself just received nearly $2 million in stolen money from a public university in Oregon. The university had been conned into sending the payment to an account controlled by one of RAJI’s co-conspirators instead of the bank account of the legitimate vendor it intended to pay. In July 2018, RAJI was involved in the compromise of the business email account of a hedge fund founder in New York. That compromise resulted in the fraudulent diversion of a $1.7 million wire transfer from the hedge fund to a corporate bank account used to facilitate the scheme. RAJI was a registered officer of the company that received the stolen funds, he fabricated documents to cover up the fraudulent transfer of funds from the hedge fund, and he directed a co-conspirator to launder the stolen funds to other co-conspirators domestically and overseas. RAJI took a $50,000 cut for his participation in the scheme. Similarly, in May 2018, a hospital system in Missouri fell victim to a business email compromise scheme. As part of that scheme, unauthorized emails were sent from the email account for the hospital’s chief financial officer that purported to direct payments to be issued for false invoices issued by RAJI’s company, causing over $250,000 to be sent directly by the victim to a bank account RAJI controlled. In September 2018, RAJI learned that a co-conspirator with whom he had worked closely in the scheme had been arrested. Nonetheless, when a cooperating witness approached RAJI in 2019 about a new fraud — a supposed insider job to steal $2.3 million — RAJI agreed to participate and sent the cooperating witness wire instructions for an account to receive the stolen money. * * * In addition to his prison term, RAJI, 53, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $711,557.54 and forfeit the same amount. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Ghosh, Jilan Kamal, Dina McLeod, and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Jury Finds Richfield Felon Guilty in Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Richfield man guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Following a five-day trial before Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court, Andrew Jerome Bigbee, 57, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. The defendant conspired to distribute methamphetamine between approximately September 2019 and October 2021. On September 4, 2019, law enforcement searched the defendant’s house in Richfield, Minnesota, on a warrant. Law enforcement found more than 520 grams of methamphetamine in the defendant’s house. Law enforcement also found numerous trappings of drug trafficking, including a digital scale, more than $8,000 in cash, a money counting machine, drug packaging materials, and two firearms. On October 16, 2020, law enforcement searched the defendant’s RV in Bloomington, Minnesota. Law enforcement found more than 5,000 grams of methamphetamine throughout the RV as well as drug trafficking paraphernalia, including a vacuum sealer machine, plastic bags, digital scales, a money counting machine, and more than $300,000 in cash. On May 6, 2021, law enforcement searched the defendant’s residence in Elko, Minnesota. Law enforcement found almost 8,000 grams of methamphetamine in the residence. Law enforcement also found drug trafficking tools, including a digital scale, a money counter machine, almost $18,000 in cash, and a firearm. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bloomington Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Edina Police Department, Richfield Police Department, Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, and the Springerville Police Department in Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Chelsea A. Walcker prosecuted the case.


title: Lake City Man Sentenced To Nearly Six Years In Federal Prison For Conspiring To Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Steven Russell Statham II (27, Lake City) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Statham had pleaded guilty on September 6, 2022. According to court documents, a confidential source told a DEA Special Agent that he had purchased crystal methamphetamine from Statham approximately four times, buying three ounces (approximately 84 grams) each time. He also said he had seen Statham sell methamphetamine to others. On September 15, 2021, the confidential source and an undercover detective met with Statham in Lake City and drove with him to meet one of his drug suppliers. After the undercover detective gave Statham the cash to purchase the methamphetamine, Statham met with his supplier and then gave the detective approximately 85.11 grams of pure methamphetamine. Two weeks later, on September 29, 2021, the undercover detective and the confidential source met with Statham in Lake City again to coordinate the purchase of more methamphetamine. After being supplied with cash to purchase the drugs, Statham met with his drug source and then supplied the detective and the confidential source with approximately 167.73 grams of pure methamphetamine. On November 18, 2021, a sergeant from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a car that Statham was driving which had license plates that were not assigned to the car. During the traffic stop, a law enforcement canine positively alerted on the car, indicating the presence of drugs. Officers recovered a bag from the car that contained approximately 21.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Drug Task Force, the North Star Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man involved in at least two local shootings was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Danyon Marquise Noble, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to four years and nine months in federal prison without parole. On Feb. 13, 2023, Noble pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Noble was driving a white Chevrolet Suburban when he was pulled over by deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 1, 2022. Deputies searched the vehicle and found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun with an attached 15-round magazine directly under the driver’s seat. They also found an empty Glock 17-round magazine in the passenger side door pocket. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Noble has a prior felony conviction for theft of a credit or debit card. Noble has associations with two violent street gangs, according to court documents. Both FTO and Only Da Brothers have been under investigation by law enforcement for being involved in multiple shooting incidents in the Springfield area. According to court documents, Noble committed two additional firearm offenses prior to his arrest in this case. On April 23, 2022, Springfield police officers pulled over a vehicle in connection with a shooting; Noble was in the backseat of the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, officers found three firearms, including a Glock magazine and a loaded extended magazine in the backseat area. According to witnesses, Noble fired one shot from a firearm during an argument with two other individuals. Noble was swabbed for gunshot residue, and it was determined that he had gunshot residue on his person. Less than three months later, on July 10, 2022, Springfield police officers responded to a report of multiple gunshots at an apartment building. They found multiple shell casings, bullet fragments, and one vehicle that appeared to have been struck by a bullet. Video surveillance from the apartment building showed Noble blindly firing a gun around the corner from his position in one of the doorways of the building. Evidence from his Facebook account further confirmed that he was the shooter depicted in the surveillance. Noble has been charged in state court with unlawful possession of a firearm. The gun recovered from Noble during the Sept. 1, 2023, traffic stop was a preliminary match to the shell casings recovered from the July 10 shooting. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Burlington Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on September 18, 2023, Kenneth Jackson, 69, of Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont to serve 48 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III also ordered Jackson to serve a five-year term of supervised release and to pay a $200 special assessment. According to court records and proceedings, in October and November 2022, Kenneth Jackson sold drugs from his car at City Hall Park in Burlington, Vermont. A confidential informant (CI) purchased cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl from Jackson on several occasions. Law enforcement arrested Jackson on November 10, 2022. During a search of Jackson incident to his arrest, law enforcement found approximately $1,950. During a search of Jackson’s car, law enforcement found approximately $5,500, fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, and cocaine. Law enforcement also searched Jackson’s residence, during which was found additional amounts of fentanyl and cocaine base, a loaded Rossi .357 caliber revolver under the mattress in Jackson’s bedroom, and materials used to package drugs for sale. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Sessions noted that he had previously sentenced Jackson for separate drug trafficking offenses that occurred in 1998 and 2007. Judge Sessions further observed that he found as an aggravating circumstance that Jackson “set up shop in public places, including the main city park in Burlington, Vermont,” for the distribution of drugs. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force, in the investigation and prosecution of Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Jackson. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represented Jackson. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.


title: Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Groves man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking drugs in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Dustin Joseph Collins, 40, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. According to information presented in court, on November 9, 2021, Collins was stopped by law enforcement officers on Highway 69 southbound to Port Arthur. During the stop, a police canine alerted on the vehicle causing Collins to flee the scene. Collins ran across the freeway through traffic before being apprehended. A search of Collins’ vehicle revealed a backpack with over 231 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson. ###


title: Man Who Robbed Hartford Credit Union Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ZAIQWAN FOTHERGILL, 21, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for robbing a Hartford credit union last year. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29, 2022, Fothergill, armed with a .40 caliber ghost gun, robbed the Cencap Federal Credit Union, located at 2775 Main Street in Hartford, of $24,214. Fothergill’s associate, Hakeem Robinson, stood watch in the credit union during the robbery. Hartford Police officers located and arrested Fothergill and Robinson in Keney Park in Hartford shortly after the robbery. On February 2, 2023, Fothergill pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery. Robinson, 28, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on May 8, 2023, was sentenced to 56 months of imprisonment. Fothergill and Robinson have been detained since their arrests. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.