title: San Francisco Man Faces Federal Charges For Embezzling More Than $1.2 Million From His Employers

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a San Francisco man with bank fraud and other crimes relating to a scheme in which he embezzled more than $1.2 million from his employers, local law firms. U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California and FBI San Francisco Division Special Agent-in-Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement. According to the indictment unsealed today, Tony Archuleta-Perkins, 48, started a non-profit organization called “Murrieta Valley High School 1994” (MVHS 1994), in 2013. From 2017 to 2023, Archuleta-Perkins worked for two San Francisco law firms. He held various roles at the firms, eventually becoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As the CFO, Archuleta-Perkins was in a position of trust and had access to the law firms’ end-to-end payments automation platform. The indictment alleges that from at least May 2018 through December 2023, Archuleta-Perkins used the access he had as an employee in a position of trust at the law firms to cause the law firms to make false and fraudulent payments to MVHS 1994 that had not been authorized by the law firms’ management and were not for any legitimate business purpose. Once the stolen funds were in MVHS 1994’s bank account, Archuleta-Perkins would sometimes directly issue payments to vendors and accounts for personal expenses that had nothing to do with the stated purposes of MVHS 1994 or the law firms. On other occasions, he wrote checks from MVHS 1994 to himself and deposited those checks into his personal bank account. Additionally, on at least one occasion, Archuleta-Perkins falsely endorsed a $41,663.69 U.S. Treasury check made out to one of the law firms, deposited it into a bank account belonging to MVHS 1994 and then wrote himself a check for the same amount. The indictment further alleges that Archuleta-Perkins used the stolen money for personal expenses, including payments on Best Buy and Home Depot credit cards, and towards the purchase, renovation, and improvement of at least three properties in California. In sum, the indictment charges Archuleta-Perkins with eight counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2), and five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (otherwise known as money laundering), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Archuleta-Perkins faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison on each of the bank fraud counts and a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering counts. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Special Agents of the FBI arrested Archuleta-Perkins in San Francisco this morning. He subsequently appeared in federal court and was released pending trial on a $500,000 bond. Archuleta-Perkins’s next court appearance is scheduled on July 31, 2024 before United States District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided valuable assistance. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Reynosa man sent to prison for attempting to smuggle several firearms to Mexico

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old resident of Reynosa, Mexico, has been sentenced for attempting to smuggle multiple firearms to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Guadalupe Mendiola-Urbina pleaded guilty March 21, 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Mendiola-Urbina to serve 38 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Mendiola-Urbina is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. On May 18, 2022, Mendiola-Urbina entered the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry in a vehicle. He was found to be in possession of $4,000 at the time he entered. That same day, Mendiola-Urbina attempted to leave the United States and enter Mexico through the Hidalgo Port of Entry in the same vehicle. Upon inspection, authorities discovered seven Glock pistols and eight firearm magazines concealed in his vehicle. Mendiola-Urbina admitted to hiding the firearms and magazines in the vehicle to take them to Mexico. Mendiola-Urbina will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.


title: Fort Belknap man admits stabbing woman on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Fort Belknap man accused of stabbing a woman multiple times during an argument admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Leon Boyd Messerly, 63, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Messerly faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 2. Messerly was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on July 13, 2023 in their home on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Messerly and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, got into a fight. Jane Doe stated that Messerly was angry at her for not protecting his son and punched her in the face. Messerly also grabbed a chef’s knife and stabbed Jane Doe multiple times in her neck, back and left arm. Messerly then went to a friend’s house and told the friend that he had stabbed Jane Doe. The friend checked on Jane Doe, saw her with stab wounds and drove her to the emergency room. Jane Doe was transported to a hospital in Great Falls where she underwent multiple surgeries. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Three Former Executives Sentenced for $1B Corporate Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Three former executives of Outcome Health (Outcome), a Chicago-based health technology start-up company, were sentenced for their roles in a fraud scheme that targeted the company’s clients, lenders, and investors and involved approximately $1 billion in fraudulently obtained funds. Rishi Shah, 38, a co-founder and former CEO of Outcome, was sentenced on June 26 to seven years and six months in prison. Shradha Agarwal, 38, a co-founder and former president of Outcome, was sentenced yesterday to three years in a half-way house. Brad Purdy, 35, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Outcome, was also sentenced yesterday to two years and three months in prison. “Outcome’s former executives deceived their clients, their auditor, their lenders, and their investors for years,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their sentences should serve as yet another reminder that ‘faking it until you make it’ is not an acceptable practice for any business, whether that company is a technology start-up or a well-established corporation. Lying about your revenue to obtain customers or financing is fraud, plain and simple. The Criminal Division is committing to holding companies and their executives accountable for their misconduct.” “The defendants’ vast scheme defrauded the clients, investors, and lenders who supported their business,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Although they sought to hide the fraud by silencing whistleblowers and duping auditors, a jury rightly held the defendants accountable for their extensive fraud scheme. Our office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice for the victims of complex fraud schemes.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Outcome, which was founded in 2006 and known as Context Media prior to January 2017, installed television screens and tablets in doctors’ offices across the United States and then sold advertising space on those devices to clients, most of which were pharmaceutical companies. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy sold advertising inventory the company did not have to Outcome’s clients and then under-delivered on its advertising campaigns. Despite these under-deliveries, the company still invoiced its clients as if it had delivered in full. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy lied or caused others to lie to conceal the under-deliveries from clients and make it appear as if the company was delivering advertising content to the number of screens in the clients’ contracts. Purdy and others at Outcome also inflated metrics that purported to show how frequently patients engaged with Outcome’s tablets installed in doctors’ offices. According to the trial evidence, the scheme targeting Outcome’s clients began in 2011 and lasted until 2017, and resulted in at least $45 million of overbilled advertising services. “This was an elaborate, billion-dollar fraud scheme by three people who were supposed to be leaders of the company,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Instead, these now former executives attempted to illegally line their own pockets. This type of fraud and abuse takes critical resources out of our health care system, and the FBI will always work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who intends to defraud the American public.” Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy also defrauded Outcome’s lenders and investors. The under-delivery to Outcome’s advertising clients resulted in a material overstatement of Outcome’s revenue for the years 2015 and 2016. The company’s outside auditor signed off on the 2015 and 2016 revenue numbers because Purdy caused others to fabricate data to conceal the under-deliveries from the auditor. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy then used the inflated revenue figures in Outcome’s 2015 and 2016 audited financial statements to raise $110 million in debt financing in April 2016, $375 million in debt financing in December 2016, and $487.5 million in equity financing in early 2017. The $110 million debt financing resulted in a $30.2 million dividend to Shah and a $7.5 million dividend to Agarwal, and the $487.5 million in equity financing resulted in a $225 million dividend that benefited Shah and Agarwal. “The defendants in this case have been brought to justice for their actions in deceiving Outcome Health’s clients and fraudulently obtaining approximately $1 billion from its lenders and investors,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “The FDIC-OIG will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who harm lenders, investors, and clients by committing such fraudulent acts." A federal jury convicted Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy in April 2023. Shah was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Agarwal was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bank fraud. Purdy was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of false statements to a financial institution. Three other former Outcome employees pleaded guilty prior to trial. Ashik Desai, the former chief growth officer, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Kathryn Choi, a former senior analyst, and Oliver Han, a former analyst, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Desai will be sentenced on Sept. 20. Choi and Han will be sentenced on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, respectively. The FBI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided assistance in the case. Assistant Chief Kyle C. Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Yonan, Corey Rubenstein, and William Hogan for the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case. Former Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew F. Madden and Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee for the Northern District of Illinois also prosecuted the case through trial.


title: Sacramento Man Charged with Serial Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment on June 6, 2024, against Sean Ryan Angelo Grace, 32, of Sacramento, charging him with producing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between August 2021 and August 2023, Grace convinced at least five underage female victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case. If convicted, on each count, Grace faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: U.S. Marshals Find 200 Missing Children Across the Nation During Operation We Will Find You 2

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state, and local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations across the United States, led a six-week national operation that resulted in finding 200 critically missing children, which includes endangered runaways and those abducted by noncustodial persons. Operation We Will Find You 2 (OWWFY2), the second-of-its-kind nationwide missing child operation, was conducted from May 20 to June 24 and focused on geographical areas with high clusters of critically missing children. Children who go missing may be in serious danger and can be vulnerable to child sex trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and other crimes against children. With technical assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), OWWFY2 resulted in the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous situations. An additional 77 missing children were located and found to be in safe locations, according to law enforcement or child welfare agencies. Of the 200 children found, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were considered otherwise missing, one was a family abduction, and one was a non-family abduction. The youngest child recovered was five months old. 14 of the children were found outside the city where they went missing. Additionally, of the missing children recovered, 57% were recovered within seven days of the USMS assisting with the case. “There are no words to describe the terror felt by missing children, their families, and their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the dedicated professionals of the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who worked to find 200 critically missing children during this six-week operation, and who work every day to keep children safe.” “One of the most sacred missions of U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our nation’s critically missing children,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “This is one of our top priorities as there remain thousands of children still missing and at risk.” “Operation We Will Find You is a shining example of the results we can achieve when we unite in our mission to find missing children,” said President and CEO Michelle DeLaune of NCMEC. “We are grateful that vulnerable children have been recovered as part of this operation, and we commend the U.S. Marshals Service and all the agencies involved for their commitment to protect youth and ensure these children are not forgotten. Behind every statistic, there is a child who deserves to grow up safe from harm.” The operation was conducted from the following locations: District of Arizona (Phoenix, Glendale, Goodyear, Tucson, South Tucson, and Pima counties); Eastern District of California (San Joaquin County, Stockton, and Sacramento County); Southern District of Florida (Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties); Western District of Michigan (Kent, Lake, Ingham, and Ottawa counties); Eastern District of North Carolina (New Hanover, Brunswick, Harnett, Onslow, Pitt, Wake, Johnston, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Nash, and Pender counties); Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (New York City); and District of Oregon (Multnomah, Washington, and Deschutes counties, as well as Portland and Eugene, and the Warm Springs Reservation). The goal of OWWFY2 was to highlight partnerships amongst government and non-government agencies to develop a multi-disciplinary team whose focus was to pull together resources to find critically missing children and to bring more attention to the epidemic of missing children in America. During the operation, the USMS worked with their respective federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, NCMEC, the Department of Children and Family Services, and other agencies to safely find missing children at risk of endangerment. These missing children were considered some of the most challenging recovery cases in the area, based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions. In addition, other children who had been reported missing were located at the request of law enforcement to ensure they were safe and to confirm the child’s location. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 enhanced the USMS’ authority to assist law enforcement with recovering endangered missing children, regardless of whether a fugitive or sex offender was involved. The USMS established a Missing Child Unit to oversee and manage the implementation of its enhanced authority under the Act. Members of the USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch, Behavioral Analysis Unit, and Missing Child Unit began training personnel in the participating locations months before the operation to ensure that case selection, vetting, and all pre-operational requirements were met. Operation We Will Find You Links: B-roll links: Miami B-roll: https://vimeo.com/964878547?share=copy North Carolina B-roll: https://vimeo.com/958138308?share=copy Photos and posters: https://www.flickr.com/gp/usmarshals/d44Ch0J1q3 Significant Recoveries: Western District of Michigan : On Jan. 11, a 16-year-old female child was reported missing from her home in Edwardsburg, Michigan, by her legal guardian. Information obtained through interviews showed the child was likely with a 30-year-old adult male somewhere in the state of Indiana. The investigation showed the child was likely being controlled and abused by the adult male. During the investigation, operation personnel learned information that the child had either attempted to get away from the adult male multiple times or the child wanted to do so. The child was in a difficult and dangerous situation, especially since she had traveled across state lines and was now in a new state, a long distance from where she was first reported missing. The adult male had recent photos of cash and firearms on his social media profile, including one photo where the adult male is apparently pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the missing child. USMS identified multiple warrants for the adult male from multiple states, including Michigan. The USMS determined a likely location for the adult male and the child in Indiana. A collateral lead request was sent by the Western District of Michigan to the Northern District of Indiana and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. On June 13, USMS personnel attempted to arrest the adult male and recover the child at an apartment in Hammond, Indiana. The adult male jumped out of a window and attempted to flee the area—but was apprehended by a Police K-9 before his eventual arrest. USMS personnel located the child safely inside the apartment and released her to child protective services. Southern District of Florida: On May 13, a 15-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian. Information indicated that she might be staying at other people's houses or sleeping in parks in Miami-Dade, Florida. During the investigation, it was discovered the child had become a victim of human trafficking in the Miami-Dade area. On June 7, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with detectives from the Miami Police Department, located the child in an apartment complex in Miami-Dade after an extensive investigative search throughout the city. Upon being recovered, she was debriefed by Florida State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking personnel and subsequently returned to the Florida Department of Child and Family Services custody. District of Arizona: On April 16, a 16-year-old was reported missing after she ran away from her group home in Phoenix. The female has a history of being sex trafficked. The investigation revealed the child was in Los Angeles, possibly being sex trafficked. The suspected trafficker was murdered in Los Angeles on May 25. The child told a family member she was going on vacation to Miami but when she got there her new “trafficker” dropped her off at the beach and told her to make money. On June 11, the child was located by USMS in Flint, Michigan, in a hotel, and was taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation. Her male associate was arrested on local charges for driving without a license and insurance. An additional 20-year-old female was identified in the hotel. The suspected trafficking case was referred to Homeland Security Investigations and they will continue to investigate the case. New York/New Jersey Regional Task Force: On Nov. 3, 2023, a 16-year-old female was reported in the National Crime Information Center as missing from New York City, New York Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), and was a prior victim of human trafficking. On May 1, 2024, the New York City Police Department Missing Persons Unit (NYPD MPU) requested USMS assistance in recovering the missing child. On June 3, New York USMS Regional Fugitive Task Force Members executed two arrest warrants for a 27-year-old male who was the primary subject of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the missing minor who was being sexually exploited by the adult male. Upon execution of the warrant, the child was found in the male’s bedroom, and evidence of sexual exploitation was found at the premise. The child was placed in the care of ACS and transported to the hospital for medical treatment. Eastern District of North Carolina: On April 29, a one-year-old was reported missing to the Raleigh, North Carolina, Police Department (RPD), after her mother neglected to surrender her to the Department of Social Services (DSS). The RPD requested assistance from the USMS in finding the missing child. The child’s mother was previously convicted for her actions in the strangulation, assault, and death of one of her children, a four-year-old boy. Additionally, she was wanted on a felony probation violation pertaining to the original charge of cruelty toward a child. On May 15, USMS personnel and RPD personnel arrested the child’s mother without incident in Raleigh. The missing one-year-old was subsequently safely recovered in Raleigh by USMS investigators and handed over to DSS custody. Eastern District of California: On Oct. 26, 2023, a 17-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian. Information obtained revealed that she was likely staying with her older adult sister who was a known prostitute. The child’s older sister was recently arrested and on pretrial release for Human Trafficking, Pimping, and Pandering. On May 30, USMS personnel determined that the child and her adult sister were staying at a known prostitution and trafficking motel in Oakland, California. USMS personnel from the Eastern District of California coordinated with USMS personnel in the Northern District of California to establish a location for the child and her sister. Management at the hotel confirmed that both sisters had two rooms and had been staying there for some time with an unknown adult male. At one point, USMS observed the three individuals leave the rooms and begin packing their car. Once inside the vehicle, the USMS was able to safely move in and detain all three individuals. The child was then turned over to authorities. District of Oregon On May 21, a 12-year-old female went missing from her family home in Portland, Oregon, and had reported allegations of sexual abuse by family members. Law enforcement officers contacted the child through her cell, and she agreed to meet them at a grocery store in the Portland area. The officers received a call back from the child and a friend stating that her father was trying to pull her into his car, and she was scared. USMS investigators were able to intervene and separate the endangered child from her father. The child told law enforcement that she had been raped by two Hispanic males and that her father touched her inappropriately. On May 24, the child was safely recovered and placed in a foster home while the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) investigated the allegations. Within 24 hours of being placed in foster care, the foster family kicked the child out of their home. The child then called a Deputy U.S. Marshal (DUSM) that had built rapport with her to ask for assistance. The DUSM subsequently contacted DHS to report the incident. As a result, DHS placed the child in a state-run shelter. Additional information about the USMS can be found at www.usmarshals.gov .


title: Indianapolis Man Found Guilty of Masterminding Four Online Marketplace Armed Robberies, One of Which Resulted in Death

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has convicted Demetris Campbell, 29, Indianapolis, of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, four counts of aiding the interference with commerce by robbery, and three counts of aiding the brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, following a three-day trial. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, between July 19 and July 28 of 2020, Campbell orchestrated at least four armed robberies of victims whom Campbell lured to an apartment complex under the false premise that they could purchase items via the online marketplaces LetGo and OfferUp. In the first robbery, Victims C.D., a fifteen-year-old boy, and R.G., his father, communicated with Campbell, who was using the account “Man with a Plan” (MWTP) on Offer Up, with the intent to purchase an iPhone 11. Campbell provided the victims with a prechosen Indianapolis address to which he lured them to complete the fake transaction. Campbell also provided victims with a phone number that he could be reached at for further communication. The parties agreed on a price for the iPhone. Upon the victims’ arrival, three males, including Campbell’s co-conspirator, Angel Montano, approached the vehicle, showing what appeared to be the iPhone 11. The three robbers then brandished pistols and demanded the victims’ money. In that robbery, the fifteen-year-old victim was struck in the face with a pistol. The robbers ultimately stole loose cash from the victims’ wallets as well as Nike Air Jordan tennis shoes the child was wearing. In the second robbery, Campbell used the same Offer Up account to lure a mother and her two young children to the same apartment complex. Once there, his coconspirator, Angel Montano, reached into her vehicle and placed the muzzle of a pistol against her thigh, while her two juvenile children were in the car. He then stole the victims’ iPhones and cash. In the third robbery, which occurred on July 22, 2020, Campbell used the LetGo “Simone” to lure a woman to the same apartment complex under the false premise that she was going to be able to purchase an iPhone 11. Upon her arrival, Angel Montano brandished a pistol and stated “I’ll shoot you! Give me the cash!” She complied by giving him $560 in cash that she had brought for the transaction, as well as her Samsung cell phone. Between July 21 and 28 of 2020, Victim D.I. participated in ongoing contact with Campbell who was using the “Tony Reed” account on OfferUp regarding the advertised sale of two iPhone 11 Pro Maxes for $1400. They ultimately arranged to meet on July 28 at a location near Adams and 21 Street in Indianapolis. Victim D.I. brought his brother, E.I. Upon their arrival, the brothers felt uneasy and attempted to leave. Angel Montano then blocked them with his car, approached their vehicle, and fired into it killing E.I. and seriously wounding D.I. The following morning, on July 29, 2020, IMPD officers arrested Campbell after tracing his name and location to the fake usernames used in the robberies. It was later discovered that Campbell was coordinating the schemes with Angel Montano, then selling the stolen phones and splitting the profit. In February of 2023, Montano was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and IMPD investigated this case. Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presided over the trial and will sentence Campbell at a later date. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany J. Preston and Carolyn A. Haney, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Essex County Man Admits Stealing Federal Benefits Meant for Missing Girlfriend’s Disabled Son

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted his role in embezzling federal benefits meant for the disabled child of his former girlfriend shortly after she went missing, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Asmar Earp, 37, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court on June 26, 2024, to three counts of an indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Earp was in a romantic relationship and shared a house in Newark with V.W. Through a program administered by Social Security Administration, V.W. received monthly payments on behalf of her disabled minor son, who was not capable of managing these benefits on his own. On Dec. 24, 2017, V.W. went missing and her whereabouts remain unknown. Six days after V.W.’s disappearance, Earp fraudulently gained control of V.W.’s son’s benefits by changing the PIN code on the debit card used to access those funds. In March and April 2018, Earp also fraudulently used V.W.’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number to receive a replacement debit card to continue accessing and using V.W.’s son’s benefits. From December 2017 through February 2020, Earp and others acting at his direction repeatedly and fraudulently took the money intended to help V.W.’s son and used it on themselves. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain of the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of aggravated identity theft carries a statutory mandatory penalty of two years in prison, which run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain of the defendant, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Bradley Parker of the New York Boston Field Division, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Rosenblum of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. earp.indictment.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Six Charged in Raleigh Kidnapping and Robbery Conspiracy as part of Federal Violent Crime Strategy

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, filed on Friday, June 21, 2024, charging six Raleigh men with kidnapping, robbery, use of a firearm during a violent crime and conspiracy. Some of the individuals were also charged with separate gun and drug offenses. “Two years ago, we launched a new multi-agency partnership to drive down violent crime in Raleigh,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Today’s announcement shows the next phase of our strategy: a proactive focus on federal charges for violent offenders. We want Raleigh citizens to know our partners are working around the clock to keep our city safe.” “This is another example of how collaborative relationships between the RPD and our Federal partners facilitated through the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) reduce the drivers of violence by focusing on prolific offenders and the criminal activity they propagate. Violence that wreaks havoc on our community will not be tolerated. I thank U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, the Department of Justice, and our multi-agency partners for their continued support in combating violent crime in Raleigh. This case reinforces our unwavering commitment to the safety of our residents and the relentless pursuit of justice for crime victims,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. According to the indictment, Mario Scott, also known as "Homicide" or "Homi," age 21, Tyferia Shakur Sherrod, also known as "2 Wop" or "Wop," age 23, Donta Lamont Bush Jr., "Gonzo" or "Zo," age 24, Hasheem Langston, also known as "Tek," age 23, Quest Jaquan Davis, also known as "Tek," age 29, and Deivon Jalil Spidle, also known as "BDay," age 22, conspired to kidnap and rob an adult victim. Conspirators allegedly attached a GPS tracking device to the victim’s car in order to track and target him prior to the crimes. On the night of January 15, 2024, conspirators allegedly confronted the victim and held him at gunpoint, stealing jewelry and cash from his person. Conspirators then allegedly forced the victim into a vehicle and drove him to other locations in Wendell and Knightdale as they attempted to force the victim to get family members to give the kidnappers more money. During the course of the kidnapping, conspirators allegedly tied the victim’s hands and feet with duct tape and put a trash bag over his head. Some of the conspirators also allegedly used the victim’s apartment access information to break into his home and steal additional items. Eventually, when the victim’s family members did not provide additional money, the indictment alleges the victim was told he would be killed. The victim fought one of the conspirators and was able to escape a moving vehicle. One of the conspirators allegedly shot the victim as he escaped. Mario Scott, Tyferia Shakur Sherrod, Donta Lamont Bush, Jr., Hasheem Langston, Quest Jaquan Davis, and Deivon Jalil Spidle are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping and aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery and aiding and abetting, and use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. If convicted as charged, each faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment. Additionally, Davis is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted as charged, he faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment. Respectively, Spidle is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted as charged, he faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment. On July 12, 2022, U.S. Attorney Easley announced a new federal violent crime strategy in partnership with the RPD, FBI, ATF, USMS, and Wake County DAs Office to prioritize cases against the most significant drivers of violence in the City of Raleigh. This indictment is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, interagency coordination, and intelligence-led policing. Since inception, there have been 63 cases indicted on federal charges. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Raleigh Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Charles E. Loeser are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Atlantic County Man Admits Committing Spree of Armed Robberies, Armed Carjacking,  Firearms Offenses

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Essex County, New Jersey, man admitted committing a spree of robberies and a carjacking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Deion Nance, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton on June 27, 2024, to a five-count information charging him with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of carjacking, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Nance admitted that on Dec. 30, 2020, he used a firearm to steal a 2016 Toyota Corolla from the occupant of the vehicle. He pointed a handgun at the victim, pulled the victim out of their vehicle and pushed the firearm into her face. He got into the driver's seat and drove away in the victim’s car. Nance admitted that on Jan. 4, 2021, he robbed two restaurants. At the first restaurant, he pointed a loaded firearm at a restaurant employee and demanded money. The employee gave Nance $176. That same day, he attempted to rob a restaurant by threatening an employee and pointing a firearm at the employee. The count of carjacking is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison; Hobbs Act Robbery is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a maximum of life in prison. Each firearms offense carries a statutory minimum prison sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All counts are also punishable by a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited law enforcement from the Newark and Harrison police departments, and special agents and task force officers with the FBI Newark Field Division, under the direction of James E. Dennehy, with the investigations leading to the plea hearing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Linares of the Organized Crime and Gangs unit in Newark. nance.information.pdf


title: Madera County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Supplying Fentanyl that Caused Death to a Person Under 21 Years of Age

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Yovany Ramirez, 29, of Madera, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 10 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl to a person under age 21, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2021, Ramirez distributed the fentanyl pills that caused the death of D.D., a 19-year-old Madera man. D.D. suffered a fatal overdose just hours later. Upon further investigation, law enforcement recovered additional evidence that Ramirez was dealing drugs and firearms. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Madera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: St. Louis Felon Caught Twice with Guns Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri who was caught twice with a firearm and drugs to 100 months in prison. Dawon Hennings, 40, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with a 9mm handgun and methamphetamine on April 12, 2022 by Saint Louis County Police Department officers engaged in a special enforcement detail within the North County Precinct. Officers had spotted a Kia Optima without a front license plate and pulled the vehicle over. After Hennings was indicted and a warrant was issued for his arrest, detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department saw him walking on Lookaway Drive in St. Louis County on Dec. 26, 2022. Detectives arrested Hennings and found a stolen Glock .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his pocket, as well as a baggie containing meth and another containing a small amount of a mixture of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Fatally Shooting Acquaintance Before Stealing Drugs

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS –A man pleaded guilty Monday to three felony charges and admitted shooting a sleeping acquaintance in the head in a St. Louis County, Missouri home before stealing his jewelry and drugs. Terry W. Winebarger, 52, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime resulting in death and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Winebarger admitted fatally shooting an acquaintance, referred to in the indictment as “J.S.,” in the head with J.S.’s 10mm Glock handgun on Feb. 18, 2023, in a home in Hanley Hills. Winebarger then stole the victim’s gun, jewelry and some methamphetamine that J.S. had bought earlier. J.S. was asleep when he was shot. Winebarger had been picked up in Overland, Missouri, by the victim and his roommate earlier in the evening. Investigators later apprehended Winebarger leaving a bar. Winebarger is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30, 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Major Case Squad and the North County Police Cooperative investigated the case, with assistance from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Charles County Police Department.


title: Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeffrey R. Lambert, 63, of Ranger, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 2, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lambert’s residence and found approximately 186 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 57 grams of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, several firearms, and $4,402. Lambert admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized controlled substances. Lambert further admitted to selling a total of approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine on four occasions between July 25, 2022 and August 1, 2022, each time to a confidential informant in the Ranger area of Lincoln County. Lambert is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, which consists of members of the Mingo County Sheriff's Office, the Logan County Sheriff's Office, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-14. ###


title: Federal jury finds Anchorage man guilty of cyberstalking

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted an Anchorage man Friday after a five-day trial for cyberstalking a woman over four years. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2016 and 2020, Rolando Hernandez-Zemora, 40, stalked the victim using location tracking applications, text messages, and video calls, and other means in order to try and control her life. In 2020, the harassment extended to some of the victim’s work colleagues and family members and included threats of violence. Hernandez-Zemora’s harassment of the victim continued even after she obtained a protective order. As a result of his threats, the victim’s workplace went into lockdown for multiple days from late April to early May 2020. Hernandez-Zemora was arrested at the end of May 2020 after he evaded the police for two days. “I want to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forward, and we hope this conviction is the first step in closure and justice for those impacted by this case,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “Mr. Hernandez-Zemora is a serious danger to the community, demonstrated by his desire to harm the victim, her colleagues and her family. My office will continue to seek justice against perpetrators who choose to threaten violence.” “The defendant’s disturbing pattern of conduct involved threats of violence and cyberstalking harassment, which caused substantial fear of harm and emotional distress,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This type of conduct will not be tolerated. Today’s verdict underscores our commitment to hold accountable those who commit such crimes.” The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Seth Beausang are prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Orleans man sentenced to federal prison for Vidor carjacking

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A New Orleans, LA, man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for a 2022 violent carjacking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Aubrey Young, 37, pleaded guilty to carjacking and was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 1, 2024. According to information presented in court, on October 26, 2022, Young approached two people in Vidor asking if they had any work for him. When they said they did not, Young pulled a firearm from his backpack and demanded the keys from the victims. Young then fled in their vehicle. The car was spotted near Anahuac and a high-speed chase ensued. Young was arrested and a firearm was located in the stolen vehicle. On April 18, 2024, U.S. Attorney Diggs announced the newly formed Carjacking Task Force in the Eastern District of Texas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), will work alongside state and local law enforcement partners to more effectively address the threat of carjackings in Southeast Texas. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Vidor Police Department, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove. ###


title: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced To 151 Months Of Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Emmanuel Batista, age 32, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 1, 2024, to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E Mannion, for drug trafficking charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Batista owned and operated DMB Dumpster and Construction Company, located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Between November 2022 and January 2023, Batista used this company as a front for his drug distribution. Law enforcement made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from a subordinate drug dealer working for Batista. Batista also made large amounts of methamphetamine available for purchase during this time. Batista used a vacant property that he was allegedly remodeling as a stash house for his drugs. He also would pay some of his employees in drugs. In a three-month period, Batista was responsible for distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts and Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Hardik prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: Charter schools founder & superintendent pleads guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Central Ohio man who founded and served as the superintendent of two Columbus charter schools pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to conspiring to commit bank fraud. Abdirizak Y. Farah, 59, admitted to fraudulently using school funds to help purchase his New Albany home. Farah founded Focus Learning Academy of Northern Columbus (FLANC) on Dublin Granville Road in 2007. The school serves approximately 700 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Focus Learning Academy of Central Columbus (FLACC) on Cleveland Avenue was founded in 2020 and serves Pre-K through third grade students. Farah was also employed as a senior policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. According to court documents, in August 2020, Farah purchased a $900,000 home on Lambton Park Road in New Albany. On Aug. 12, two days before his original closing date, Farah requested a $265,000 wire from a Focus Learning bank account to another person and stated the purpose was for “learning materials.” That same day, Farah submitted a letter to the bank handling his real estate closing, stating he received $260,000 in gifted funds that were unrelated to the real estate transaction. The next day, on Aug. 13, the person who received the wired funds in turn wired $260,000 to the title company handling the closing. In the following days, several FLANC vendors made payments totaling approximately $265,000 to the person who assisted Farah, and that money was returned to FLANC. As part of his plea, Farah will forfeit $265,000 to the United States. “The role of IRS Criminal Investigation becomes even more important in complex financial investigations that can take time to unravel," said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office. "Federal tax laws are normally violated in these types of cases which add additional jail time to sentences. As we often see, the victims are not only American taxpayers, but also individuals and businesses who suffer financial harm.” Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; James Izzard, Deputy Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) Office of Investigations; and Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Former New Orleans Police Officer Charged in Insurance Fraud and Bribery Schemes

body_text: NEW ORLEANS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced that CHRISTIAN CONRAD CLAUS , age 55, has been indicted on one count of Wire Fraud, one count of Mail Fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit those crimes, one count of Use of a Facility in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit that crime, and one count of Making a False Statement to a Federal Agent. The indictment alleges that in 2019, CLAUS , then a NOPD police officer, conspired with a New Orleans homeowner and a Nevada art appraiser to submit a fraudulent insurance claim on the homeowner’s property. It is alleged that the claim reported that valuable paintings were stolen from the insured’s house, when in truth, the paintings were neither valuable nor stolen. The indictment also alleges that the homeowner agreed, in exchange for CLAUS using his police position to further the scheme, to share the insurance proceeds with CLAUS and to provide CLAUS with assistance in obtaining employment positions. The fraud and fraud conspiracy charges are each punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. The bribery, bribery conspiracy, and false statement charges are each punishable by up to five years imprisonment. Sentencing for each count, if there is a conviction, may include a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release following imprisonment. The homeowner, Fouad K. Zeton, and the appraiser, Michael Jon Schofield, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Monroe County Man Sentenced To 147 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking And Firearms Violations

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Williams, III, aka “Dilly,” age 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 26, 2024, to 147 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for drug trafficking and firearms charges. On April 20, 2023, following a jury trial, Williams was convicted of two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession or a stolen firearm. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on March 29, 2018, and April 18, 2018, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams in a commercial parking lot adjacent to Stroudsburg High School property. On May 3, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence and recovered multiple firearms, over 600 grams of cocaine, drug packing materials and over $21,000 in U.S. currency. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: St. Francis Man Sentenced for Assaults

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota man convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on July 1, 2024. Charles Cordier, age 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Cordier was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 1, 2024. On February 12, 2023, Cordier was in St. Francis when he struck a man in the face with a metal bar. The victim suffered a mandible fracture and received medical care in Rosebud and in Rapid City for the injuries. For most of the month of March, 2023, Cordier had been quarreling with another man. On March 26, 2023, their feud came to a head when they encountered each other and the victim was armed with a chain and Cordier had a pistol. Cordier fired his gun at the other man and struck him, fracturing a bone in his forearm. This victim received medical care in Rosebud and Rapid City to treat his injuries. Both assaults occurred within the Rosebud Reservation. 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 matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case. Cordier was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to serve his sentence.


title: Former Defense Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Government in Fake Invoices Scheme

body_text: A California woman pleaded guilty today to devising a multi-year scheme to defraud the U.S. government by submitting fake invoices for supplies that were never purchased and converting the stolen funds for her personal use. According to court documents, Zelene Charles, 42, of Monterey, a then-civilian employee of the Department of Defense, at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, perpetrated a scheme to defraud the U.S. government by creating fake purchase requests and invoices for government purchases from both fictitious and legitimate business entities. The items listed in these invoices were never actually purchased or received by the government. Between December 2016 and April 2020, Charles placed approximately 185 fraudulent charges, causing a total loss to the government of $624,250. To conceal that she was the recipient of the stolen funds, Charles frequently renamed the business names associated with intermediary accounts and, in total, used at least 78 different account names. Charles pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government money and property. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and 10 years in prison for the theft charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Charles also agreed to pay $624,500 in restitution and forfeit numerous stolen government computers and tablets as part of her plea. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California; Special Agent in Charge Bryan Denny of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army-CID) Fraud Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Shawn Dionida of the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Western Region; and Special Agent in Charge Terry Pfeifer of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG) Western Division made the announcement. The DCIS Western Field Office, Army-CID Fraud Field Office, USDA-OIG Western Region, and GSA-OIG Western Division are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.


title: Danbury Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa R. Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that BILL G. MAKROS, 57, of Danbury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to tax evasion. According to court documents and statements made in court, Makros owned and operated a tree service business known as Budget Tree and Stump Removal Service, LLC. From 2016 through 2020, Makros concealed his income by receiving customer payments in the form of checks made payable to “cash” or to him personally, and by depositing the checks into bank accounts other than his business bank account. At times, he also cashed check payments and did not deposit the cash into any business or personal accounts. For the 2016 through 2020 tax years, Makros failed to file his federal individual tax returns, and failed to pay $140,694 in taxes on approximately $517,000 in net profits. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Makros applied for pandemic relief loans and, as part of that process, submitted IRS Schedule C forms for his business that purported to be part of his tax returns for 2019 and 2020, even though he had not filed tax returns with the IRS for those years. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for September 27, 2024, at which time Makros faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Makros is released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing. This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.


title: Sierra Leone Man Pleads Guilty to Car Loan Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Sierra Leone man pleaded guilty today in federal court to orchestrating a fraudulent car loan scheme, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Solomon Yarteh, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2024. Co-defendants Donna Silva, Niurka Lebron, and Robosteur St. Felix previously all pled guilty and were sentenced in 2022. Yarteh was the owner and President of Allied Imports, a car wholesaler located in Manchester. As a wholesaler, Allied Imports was not licensed to conduct retail sales of vehicles and could only sell to dealers. Allied Imports was located next to Cap’s Auto Sales, a business licensed to sell cars. Cap’s Auto was controlled by St. Felix. Between February 2019 and July 2019, Yarteh led a scheme to fraudulently obtain multiple car loans from multiple financial institutions. The loans were supposed to be secured by vehicles being sold by Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto. Yarteh and his co-conspirators used fraudulent documents to trick lenders into believing that Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto owned and held title to the vehicles when the cars actually belonged to other companies. The loan proceeds were deposited into accounts Yarteh controlled. Yarteh was able to fraudulently obtain over $430,000 through this scheme. Yarteh was originally indicted in 2021, but had already left the United States. INTERPOL then issued a red notice for his arrest. In spring 2023, authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested Yarteh in Dubai. With the cooperation of the Emirati government, Yarteh was removed to the United States in late November 2023. He has continuously been in custody since. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $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. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service. The New Hampshire Banking Department, INTERPOL, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Government of the United Arab Emirates provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Justin Gebo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Offenses

body_text: CONCORD – A former Belmont man was sentenced today in federal court in connection with his possession of firearms as a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Justin Gebo, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul P. Barbadoro to 33 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release on two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, including being in possession of a firearm while under indictment and being a felon in possession of a firearm. “This case makes clear why felons cannot be trusted to possess firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “The defendant’s unlawful receipt of the CZ Scorpion during a time he was under felony indictment was the beginning of that firearm’s path to the hands of a convicted felony where it was used to commit heinous crimes. The sentence imposed by the Court makes clear the significant consequences for those prohibited persons who possess guns.” According to the charging documents, on or about January 1, 2023, Gebo was in receipt of a Ceska Zrojovka (“CZ”) model Scorpion EVO 3, S2, 9x19mm short-barreled rifle, with an attached armbrace, while he was under felony indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. That firearm was later recovered during a homicide investigation on June 3, 2023, in Franklin, New Hampshire. In addition, on or about February 3, 2023, Gebo was in possession of a 17 Design and Manufacturing, model 17DM-15, multicaliber rifle, after he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W.R. Ward 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. ###


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Funds Intended to Help At-Risk Veterans

body_text: CONCORD – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to defrauding a nonprofit health care provider to obtain funds designated for reducing suicide rates among veterans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2024. Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was in charge of overseeing a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide. At Duren’s recommendation, the health care provider hired a company called “E3 Foundation” to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant. E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a “Dr. Michael Rapp.” However, unbeknownst to the health care provider, Duren controlled E3 Foundation and was pretending to be “Dr. Michael Rapp” on emails and calls. Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $25,000 before being discovered. He used a website called “Invoice Generator” to create fake invoices. Duren and E3 Foundation also did not provide the services and products that he billed for. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – James Borum, 21, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty today to armed carjacking in connection with several armed carjackings that occurred in January of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Borum pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking. Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2024, before Judge Lynn Leibovitz. Armed carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of incarceration. According to the government’s evidence, on January 12, 2021, just after midnight, Borum and other individuals approached the victim as he was standing in front of his home in Northwest DC. The defendant and his accomplices, at least one of whom was armed with a firearm, pointed a firearm at the victim and demanded the keys to the victim’s car. Borum and his accomplices then took the keys to the victim’s car and fled from the area in that car. At approximately 1:00 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department observed the victim’s vehicle speeding in the 2600 block of Benning Road, NE. Police requested air support from MPD’s helicopter, Falcon-1, which tracked the victim’s vehicle, following it to the 3400 block of Rhode Island Avenue. As the victim’s vehicle approached the traffic circle located at 1 Municipal Place in Mount Rainier, Maryland, the vehicle struck a utility pole and flipped upside down. Borum exited and ran from the vehicle before being stopped by MPD officers. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Richard Carlton.


title: St. Louis Man Admits Receiving Drugs in Mail, Shipping Drug Cash

body_text: ST. LOUIS –A St. Louis, Missouri man on Monday admitted receiving drugs shipped to St. Louis and mailing out the resulting drug proceeds. Timothy Carter, 35, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. His co-defendant, A.D. Harris, 31, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to the same charge in December. Both men admitted receiving drugs in the mail and mailing the proceeds of the drug sales. On Aug. 23, 2021, investigators spotted a suspicious package being mailed to an address in the 4800 block of Allemania Street in St. Louis. The package was shipped in a retail box for a microwave. Harris then took the package to Carter’s home in the 7300 block of Hampshire Drive. On Sept. 8, 2021, investigators spotted a microwave box being mailed from St. Louis to Texas. A court-approve search uncovered $28,500 in drug proceeds heavily wrapped inside the shell of a microwave, Carter’s plea agreement says. Fingerprints of Harris and Carter were on the microwave, the wrappings that concealed the currency, or both. Investigators later identified another microwave box that was being shipped to an address associated with a Harris relative. On October 4, Harris picked up the package. When law enforcement tried to stop Harris, he fled at high speed to Carter’s house. Agents followed Harris into the garage and arrested both Harris and Carter. Investigators seized Harris’ vehicle, along with $11,000, several mobile devices, and a notebook with a drug ledger and receipts, including a receipt for the purchase of a microwave on Sept. 7, 2021. Agents recovered $4,000 in drug proceeds from a Harris relative and a package containing $7,000 in drug proceeds. A package in Harris’ vehicle contained 406.92 grams of fentanyl. Carter is scheduled to be sentenced September 30. Harris was sentenced in March to 87 months in prison. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Indicted for Making False Statements in Passport Application

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 27, 2024, DARVELIO ALVARO (“ALVARO”) , age 24, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted for making false statements in an application for a United States passport in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1542. According to court documents, on or about July 2, 2023, ALVARO provided a false name and social security number and falsely claimed he was born in Puerto Rico, to apply for a United States passport. If convicted, ALVARO faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Northeast Kingdom Man Sentenced in Drug Conspiracy Case

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 28, 2024, Clair Deslandes, 65, of Island Pond, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 30 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Deslandes previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States. According to court records, Deslandes became associated with his codefendant Juan Carlos “JC” Ortiz in late 2021 while Ortiz was staying at multiple residences in and around Orleans County, Vermont, for the purpose of distributing drugs. Deslandes purchased controlled substances from Ortiz, both for his own consumption and for distribution to others in the Northeast Kingdom. Witnesses explained that Deslandes allowed Ortiz and other drug dealers to periodically stay at his Island Pond residence, which was used to store and distribute controlled substances to customers. Deslandes appears to have continued his drug interactions with Ortiz until Ortiz was arrested in August 2022. Earlier in this case, Judge Reiss sentenced Ortiz to 95 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy. The sentencing hearing followed a long-term investigation conducted by multiple local, county, state and federal agencies that was led by the Northeastern Vermont Drug Task Force (NEVDTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). NEVDTF and ATF were assisted in this investigation by agents with Homeland Security Investigations, detectives and troopers from the Vermont State Police; members of the Orleans and Essex County Sheriff’s Departments, the Newport Police Department; aviators with the Air & Marine Operations component of United States Customs & Border Protection; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaboration of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies during the investigation and prosecution of the case. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. William Kraham, Esq. represented Clair Deslandes. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: St. Louis County Man Accused of Robbing Three Banks

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri who has been accused of robbing at least three banks appeared in court Monday. Derrick Snulligan, 61, of Velda Village Hills, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on June 28 with bank robbery. Charging documents accuse Snulligan, also known as Derrick Jackson, of robbing a credit union in Florissant, Missouri and another in St. Louis, Missouri on June 27, as well as a credit union in Hazelwood on June 24. In each robbery, Snulligan handed a threatening note to a teller demanding cash, the charging documents say. Charges set forth in 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. The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa 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.


title: KC Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Wiring Drug-Trafficking Profits to Mexico

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of an Olathe, Kansas, business pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a money-laundering conspiracy to transfer the proceeds of heroin and methamphetamine trafficking to Mexico. A Kansas City, Mo., woman also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Ana Lilia Leal-Martinez, 48, a citizen of Mexico residing in Overland Park, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering from May 23, 2020, to Sept. 20, 2022. Leal-Martinez is the owner of Imagen Leal in Olathe, Kan., which offers money transfer services. By pleading guilty today, Leal-Martinez admitted that she accepted drug proceeds from co-conspirators, including Jose Jesus Sanchez-Mendez, also known as “Michoacano,” 41, a Mexican national. Those drug proceeds were then sent by wire transfer to individuals in Michoacan, Mexico. Between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 8, 2022, Leal-Martinez sent wires totaling $83,850 to Mexico from her business in furtherance of the money-laundering conspiracy. These transfers were structured and sent under assumed names in order to avoid suspicion and detection. Leal-Martinez, one of 44 defendants indicted in this case, was identified in 2022 after Homeland Security Investigations initiated the investigation of a drug-trafficking organization that distributed more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine, 22 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, among other drugs, sourced from Mexico in the Kansas City area. Investigators identified numerous bulk cash smugglers and drug traffickers working for the drug-trafficking organization as part of the $4.7 million conspiracy. Co-defendant Flor Gonzalez-Celestine, 54, of Kansas City, Mo., also pleaded guilty today to participating in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to Sept. 20, 2022. Gonzalez-Celestine participated in four controlled drug buys that were monitored by law enforcement. She sold more than a kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and was observed in possession of approximately 2.2 additional kilograms of methamphetamine. Sanchez-Mendez has pleaded guilty to his role in a continuing criminal enterprise, to his role in the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies, and to illegally reentering the United States. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Under federal statutes, Leal-Martinez is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Gonzalez-Celestine is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. KC Metro Strike Force This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.


title: Texas Couple Serving Decades in Federal Prison for Importing, Distributing Meth

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Texas man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 37 years in prison for conspiracy to import and distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Joseph Ivy, 45, and his spouse, Yvette Contreras, 35, imported and sold large amounts of methamphetamine. Deputies from the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant on their home in Catarina Aug. 18, 2020, discovering 1.5 kgs of methamphetamine, $7,389 in cash, two firearms, and a ledger documenting narcotic transactions. On Aug. 21, 2023, DCSO deputies apprehended Ivy during a traffic stop and found 2.4 kgs of methamphetamine in his vehicle. Ivy admitted to transporting three kgs of methamphetamine to Moorhead, Minn. and four kgs to Charlotte, Texas. He and Contreras also admitted to working with a third conspirator, Margaret Charles Garcia. On at least two occasions, Garcia imported methamphetamine from Mexico at the instruction of Ivy. Contreras was sentenced April 13, 2023 to 25 years in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Garcia pleaded guilty March 7, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia’s sentence hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2. “These traffickers worked directly with Mexican drug cartels to bring loads of harmful narcotics into our communities and peddle them for a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “My office remains committed, along with our local, federal and state partners, to dismantling criminal organizations and holding their personnel accountable for these serious offenses.” “This Texas couple pushed large amounts of methamphetamine onto South Texas streets, and this lengthy prison sentence officially puts them out of business,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Alejandro Amaro for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “HSI is committed to disrupting prolific drug traffickers like Joseph Ivy and Yvette Contreras - criminals with no regard for the incredible damage they inflict on so many lives and communities.” HSI and the DCSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett Miner and Zach Bird prosecuted the case. ###


title: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud, Passport Fraud, And Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gary Dale Thrasher (56, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud, three counts of passport fraud, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Thrasher faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each of the bank fraud counts; a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the passport fraud offenses; and a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity thefts. Thrasher was indicted on March 27, 2024. According to the plea agreement, between May and June 2023, Thrasher obtained and used, or attempted to use, fraudulent identification documents (including fraudulent United States passport cards) containing the identification of others. Thrasher used the fake documents as a means of identification to make cash withdrawals from multiple branches of four different federally insured financial institutions within the Middle District of Florida. As part of his guilty plea, Thrasher has agreed to forfeit $25,200—the proceeds of the fraud offenses. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ocala Police Department, the Wildwood Police Department, the Leesburg Police Department, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Sherwood Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison For Money Laundering

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Karen Hoskins will spend 15 months in federal prison for money laundering. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. On February 3, 2021, Brian Jeffrey Litton and eight others were indicted on conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other charges. Litton is the son of Hoskins, 63, of Sherwood. Litton was subsequently released to home detention with electronic monitoring. Litton’s bond conditions required him to reside in the Eastern District of Arkansas and to maintain regular contact with his United States Probation Officer and his defense attorney. An investigation revealed that in May 2021, Litton failed to report to the United States Probation Office and failed to maintain contact with his defense counsel, and his whereabouts became unknown. Litton was declared a fugitive and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Later in May, Hoskins, who denied knowing Litton’s location, returned his electronic monitoring equipment, and represented that Litton removed the monitoring equipment and was missing. In August 2021, Litton was determined to be living in a wooded area of Pulaski County, and Hoskins was observed meeting with Litton in this remote location. Evidence in the case, including text communications, revealed that Hoskins knew Litton’s whereabouts beginning in July 2021, and that she intentionally concealed Litton from law enforcement. Through the investigation, it was learned that during 2020 and 2021 Hoskins engaged in a money laundering scheme with her son, in which Hoskins received drug proceeds from Litton in the amount of $2,000 to $5,000 cash on a weekly basis. Hoskins, who knew that her son’s drug trafficking activity was the source of the cash, concealed the drug proceeds at her house to avoid seizure of the money by law enforcement. Litton would retrieve the cash he needed from Hoskins’ home to purchase multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine which he and others distributed in central Arkansas. Hoskins provided Litton with an American Express card to use for living expenses and paid her son’s bills using the drug proceeds. During 2020 and 2021, Hoskins used more than $150,000 in drug proceeds to fund her gambling habit. On October 6, 2021, Hoskins was charged in a Superseding Indictment with harboring a fugitive. On July 6, 2022, a Second Superseding Indictment was returned charging Hoskins with conspiracy to money launder, as well as five counts of money laundering in connection with her son’s drug trafficking activity. Hoskins pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023, to one count of money laundering. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Hoskins to two years of supervised release, and Hoskins was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $200,000 as part of the plea agreement. There is no parole in the federal system. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Heart Butte man admits stabbing employee in Glacier Peaks Casino and Hotel on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

body_text: UPDATED to correct name of business as Glacier Peaks Casino and Hotel GREAT FALLS — A Heart Butte man accused of stabbing an employee of the Glacier Peaks Casino and Hotel while in the business admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Kal William Runningcrane, 27, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Runningcrane faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 7. Runningcrane’s release was continued pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Feb. 25, Runningcrane stabbed a Glacier Peaks employee, identified as John Doe, with a knife. Runningcrane had been drinking for several hours with family and friends to celebrate his birthday. The group was listening to live music, and Doe was sitting alone at an adjacent table. Without provocation, Runningcrane walked to Doe’s table, approached from the side and stabbed Doe in the neck. Doe tried to stand and fight back, and Runningcrane stabbed him in the abdomen. Doe grabbed Runningcrane’s wrist, trying to disarm him, and was able to get away. The knife fell to the ground. Runningcrane left the scene and was arrested later that night miles from Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, where the casino is located. Doe was rushed to the hospital and then life-flighted to Great Falls for treatment of wounds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Pondera County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. XXX