title: U.S. Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute an officer involved in a fatal shooting

body_text: The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced today that federal authorities will not pursue criminal charges against the Wind River Police Department officer involved in the fatal shooting of Terrance Skye Posey of Ethete, Wyoming, on August 11, 2022. This incident occurred on the Wind River Indian Reservation and was thoroughly investigated by the FBI. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section of the Department of Justice carefully reviewed the investigation and have concluded that the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer violated Posey’s civil rights or that the officer did not act in self-defense. The investigation showed that a Wind River Police Department officer was dispatched to Posey’s residence because two individuals had called asking for help, saying that Posey had threatened them with a knife and was outside with a BB gun. When the officer arrived, the individuals were still in the home and asking for help. The officer knocked on the front door, and through a window in the door the officer saw Mr. Posey approach. The officer asked him to come outside. Posey refused, told the officer to go away, and disappeared into the residence. The officer then heard individuals yelling from inside the home that they were locked in the bedroom. Mr. Posey returned to the door and pointed a weapon at the officer. FBI From the officer’s perspective, the weapon appeared virtually identical to a semiautomatic handgun. The officer ordered Posey to drop the weapon, but Posey continued to point it at the officer, tracking the officer as he moved. Believing that Posey intended to shoot him with the weapon, and being unable to determine it was not a firearm, the officer shot Mr. Posey through the door. The officer then entered the residence and attempted to resuscitate Posey, but he was unsuccessful. When investigators inspected Posey’s weapon, they determined that it was not a firearm, but rather was a BB gun that looked very much like a firearm. Applying applicable legal principles, and the Principles of Federal Prosecution , federal prosecutors determined that no criminal charges should be brought against the officer. They concluded the evidence was insufficient to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer did not reasonably believe the force he used was necessary to defend himself against an immediate threat of death or great bodily harm. They further concluded the evidence was insufficient to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that rather than acting in self-defense, the officer acted unreasonably and for the specific purpose of violating Posey’s constitutional right to be free from an unreasonable use of force. After deciding that no criminal charges should be filed, federal authorities notified Mr. Posey’s family of this decision.


title: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Found Guilty After Three-Day Trial for Production of Child Pornography and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – A federal jury yesterday convicted Brian Patrick Werth, age 39, of Beltsville, Maryland, for two counts of production of child pornography and for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Werth was also convicted of committing a crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender. The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police. According to the evidence presented at his three-day trial, between January and June 2021, Werth persuaded, enticed, and coerced two minor female victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions of such conduct and to transmit the images to Werth using the internet-based applications. Werth communicated with the victims over an internet-based chat application. As detailed in testimony at trial, Werth enticed and persuaded a 14-year-old female victim through various means, including, for example, sending her pictures of other apparent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, flattering her, and sending her cash card codes for the purchase of lingerie and “school girl” outfits that the 14-year-old female had identified in texts to Werth. Werth also enticed and persuaded a separate 15-year-old female victim to produce child pornography for him and transmit it to him via internet-based applications. Trial evidence proved that during that same time frame, Werth also communicated with a third 11-year-old female victim. The conversations were sexual in nature with Werth asking directly for nude pictures of the 11-year-old victim. Werth faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison for production of child pornography due to his prior conviction, to be followed by a 10 year mandatory consecutive sentence for commission of a new offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. Werth also faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. Upon his release from prison Werth will be required to continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaShanta Harris and Adam K. Ake, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Comment with U.S. Copyright Office Supporting Renewal and Expansion of Exemptions Facilitating Consumers’ and Businesses’ Right to Repair Their Own Products

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have submitted a comment to the U.S. Copyright Office to advocate for regulations that would facilitate consumers’ and businesses’ right to repair their own products. The Justice Department and FTC submitted the comment as the Copyright Office considers whether to recommend that the Librarian of Congress renew and expand temporary exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) prohibition against the circumvention of technology protection measures that control access to copyrighted content. In their comment , the Justice Department and FTC said that renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions would promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair and maintenance services, as well as facilitate competition in markets for repairable products. Promoting competition in repair markets benefits consumers and businesses by making it easier and cheaper to fix things they own. Expanding repair exemptions can also remove barriers that limit the ability of independent service providers — including small businesses and entrepreneurs — to provide repair services. Manufacturers use technology protection measures to protect copyrighted works from theft and infringing uses, but these software locks can also be used to prevent non-infringing third-party repair, according to the Justice Department and FTC comment. For example, such measures can restrict access to computer maintenance hardware and software programs, leaving only original equipment manufacturers able to do maintenance and repair work. In their comment, the Justice Department and FTC say that by limiting access to the data and software needed for independent repair and maintenance, these technology protection measures can be used to squash competition for replacement parts, repair and maintenance, which ultimately limits consumers’ and businesses’ choices and raises costs. The Justice Department has actively opposed repair restrictions that limit the ability of consumers and businesses to repair their own products. In a recently filed statement of interest in In re Deere & Co. Repair Services Litigation , 3:22-cv-50188 (N.D. Ill., 2023), the Antitrust Division stated clearly that “federal antitrust laws have long protected competition in aftermarkets,” such as markets for replacement parts and repair services by independent dealers. [1] The division has also brought cases to protect competition in markets for repair services or component parts, engaged in competition advocacy and provided technical assistance to Congress on proposed legislation that would promote the right to repair. In their joint comment, the Justice Department and FTC expressed support for renewing, expanding and adding some specific DMCA exemptions. The agencies support renewing the current exemption related to computer programs that control devices designed primarily for use by consumers for diagnosis, maintenance or repair of the device and expanding it to include commercial and industrial equipment. In addition, they also support renewing an exemption related to the repair of motor vehicles and granting a new exemption to allow vehicle owners or independent repair shops to access, store and share vehicle operational data. [1] Statement of Interest of the United States at 8, In re: Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation , No. 3:22-cv-5018 (N.D.Ill. 2023). The district court recently denied the defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, in part, citing the Division’s statement. The court’s reasoning acknowledged that the defendant plausibly has market power in the equipment market, and the difficulty of lifecycle pricing can support a repair aftermarket for purposes of determining harm to competition. Memorandum Opinion and Order at 39-49, In re: Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation , No. 3:22-cv-5018 (N.D.Ill. 2023).


title: Florida Man Arrested For $77 Million Tender Offer Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JONATHAN MOYNAHAN LARMORE with tender offer fraud and securities fraud in connection with LARMORE’s announcement of a fake tender offer to manipulate the stock price of WeWork, Inc. (“WeWork”). LARMORE is alleged to have announced a false $77 million tender offer for WeWork stock, news of which immediately led investors to buy WeWork stock at fraudulently inflated prices during after-hours trading, in an effort to drive up the value of his WeWork call options and shares. LARMORE was arrested this morning and will be presented in federal court later today in the Middle District of Florida. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jonathan Moynahan Larmore's alleged actions strike at the heart of market integrity and investor confidence. By allegedly orchestrating a deceptive scheme involving a counterfeit tender offer, he purportedly preyed upon investors, artificially inflating the value of WeWork stock for personal enrichment. The charges leveled against Larmore highlight the profound implications of his alleged fraudulent conduct, emphasizing the imperative of accountability and transparency in our financial systems.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Jonathan Larmore allegedly drafted a fraudulent press release announcing a fictitious tender offer to inflate WeWork stock prices, after personally investing in the company through call options. Thankfully, Larmore was unable to widely distribute the press release before the end of the trading day, which failed to increase the share price in time and caused Larmore’s options to expire rather than making him millions. As alleged, even though his scheme did not net him his desired profits, Larmore’s conduct artificially impacted the market and caused harm to other shareholders. This indictment reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to protecting our nation’s economic integrity by holding responsible those who manipulate the system for financial gain.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] In or about the fall of 2023, LARMORE perpetrated a scheme to use a false and fraudulent tender offer to manipulate the stock price of WeWork, a co-working space company that was, at all relevant times, headquartered in New York, New York, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. LARMORE executed his scheme in three steps. First, on or about October 6, 2023, LARMORE created Cole Capital Funds LLC (“Cole Capital”), a purported a real estate investment firm that was, in fact, merely a sham company. Second, on or about November 1, 2023, and November 2, 2023, LARMORE spent more than $775,000 buying tens of thousands of cheap, short-dated, out-of-the-money WeWork call options (the vast majority of which were set to expire on November 3, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. EDT) and hundreds of thousands of shares of WeWork common stock — the latter primarily because two of LARMORE’s brokerage firms did not authorize him to trade options, but did authorize him to buy equities. Third, on or about November 3, 2023, LARMORE caused a press release to be published announcing that Cole Capital proposed to acquire 51% of all outstanding shares owned by minority shareholders of WeWork at a more-than-700% premium in an all-cash offer worth more than $77 million. At the time, WeWork was on the verge of bankruptcy. In fact, neither LARMORE nor Cole Capital had the intent or ability to execute the announced tender offer. Instead, LARMORE intended for news of the tender offer to fraudulently inflate WeWork’s share price and, thereby, to increase the value of LARMORE’s newly acquired WeWork call options and shares. On or about November 3, 2023, at approximately 5:12 p.m. EDT, the press release about Cole Capital’s purported tender offer was published. Within approximately one minute of publication, in after-hours trading, WeWork’s share price quickly increased more than 70% from $.85 to $1.45, and continued to rise until 5:31 p.m. EDT, when the stock reached its high of $2.14, which was a more-than-150% increase over the stock price prior to the publication of the press release. The WeWork call options LARMORE purchased could have made LARMORE millions of dollars if the news of LARMORE’s fraudulent tender offer had caused WeWork’s share price to increase significantly prior to the expiration of LARMORE’s options. Unfortunately for LARMORE, he mistimed how long it would take to properly format his press release and have it published. As a result of these delays, LARMORE’s fraudulent press release was not published—and WeWork’s share price did not accordingly rise—until approximately 5:12 p.m. EDT on or about November 3, 2023, which was about an hour after the vast majority of LARMORE’s WeWork call options had expired worthless at 4:00 p.m. EDT that day. On the following Monday, November 6, 2023, WeWork filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On or about November 10, 2023, the small number of remaining WeWork options LARMORE had purchased expired out of the money and worthless. * * * LARMORE, 51, of Punta Gorda, Florida, is charged with one count of tender offer fraud and one count of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil action against LARMORE on November 28, 2023, for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin V. Rodriguez and Alex Rossmiller are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: N.C. Man Admits to Traveling to Virginia to Have Sex with Minor

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A North Carolina man, who lied about his age to a 14-year-old girl he met on Instagram before traveling to Virginia to have sex with her, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court. Rayvon Birden, 26, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pled guilty yesterday to one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in sexually illicit conduct. As part of his plea agreement, Birden and the government agreed to a sentencing range between 78 and 120 months in prison and that he will be required to register as a convicted sex offender upon his release. According to court documents, Birden contacted the 14-year-old victim through Instagram direct messaging and represented himself as a 16-year-old named “Nolan.” Birden and the victim exchanged phone numbers and began communicating via text messages and Facetime regularly. Over the course of their conversations, Birden masturbated in front of the victim and, on at least one occasion, asked for nude photographs of her, which the victim sent via text messaging. Birden then drove from his home in North Carolina to meet the victim at a hotel near her Virginia home where they had sexual intercourse on multiple occasions, at least one of which Birden filmed. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. made the announcement. HSI- Harrisonburg, Virginia, in conjunction with the Albemarle County Police Department and the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan E. McKay is prosecuting the case.


title: Leader Of “Pure Armenian Blood” Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For Racketeering And Multimillion-Dollar Fraud

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NAREK MARUTYAN and SARO MOURADIAN, a/k/a “Paul Mouradian,” were sentenced today to six years and 10 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a multi-year, coast-to-coast credit card fraud scheme run by a racketeering enterprise referred to as “Pure Armenian Blood” or “P.A.B.” MARUTYAN, a leader of the P.A.B., previously pled guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy on June 12, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang, and MOURADIAN, who owned and operated a Florida-based business that was used by the P.A.B. to run sham credit card charges, previously pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit access device fraud on August 17, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine H. Parker. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero imposed today’s sentences. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Pure Armenian Blood’s members enriched themselves and their criminal associates for almost a decade through fraudulent schemes that involved stealing others’ identities and spending millions of dollars of other people’s money as though there were no consequences. As a leader of the sophisticated, organized criminal enterprise, Narek Marutyan orchestrated these schemes and reaped the ill-gotten gains. He now faces years in prison for his crime. This prosecution reaffirms our unwavering commitment to combating organized crime in all its forms.” According to the Indictment, public filings, and statements made during court proceedings: Pure Armenian Blood was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of an unindicted co-conspirator (“CC-1”), a “ vor v zakone ” or “ vor ,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as a vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. Members and associates of Pure Armenian Blood operated under the direction and protection of CC-1, a vor of Armenian descent previously based in Los Angeles before being deported in or about 2018. Pure Armenian Blood operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to criminal aims, particularly identity theft, access device fraud, and credit card fraud, among others. While Pure Armenian Blood exploited victims and the financial system in New York City, it had operations in various locations throughout the U.S. and abroad, including through the use of purportedly legitimate business entities operating under the control and in conjunction with members of P.A.B. at various points throughout the conspiracy. As a leader of the P.A.B. in New York, MARUTYAN orchestrated P.A.B’s various illicit activities, including the use of stolen personal identifying information, fraudulently opening and exhausting lines of credit, making purchases at collusive businesses with counterfeit credit cards or credit cards that were fraudulently opened, selling goods purchased with those lines of credit for profit, and the falsification of documents to “clean” the credit of account holders in whose names the lines of credit were opened. As the owner and operator of two of the collusive businesses used by the P.A.B. to facilitate the credit card fraud scheme, MOURADIAN used credit cards that had been fraudulently obtained to run sham charges for which no legitimate goods or services were provided in exchange. He also provided personal identifying information of individuals that he knew to P.A.B. members, who used that information to fraudulently obtain additional credit cards that were used in furtherance of the fraud scheme. * * * In addition to his prison term, MARUTYAN, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, was ordered to pay restitution of $4,258.999.79 and forfeiture of $4,258.999.79. MOURADIAN, 40, of Hollywood, Florida, was ordered to pay restitution of $517,502.00 and forfeiture of $50,190.00. In addition to MARUTYAN and MOURADIAN, five other co-defendants have pled guilty and been sentenced, and one other co-defendant has pled guilty but has not yet been sentenced, as set forth below. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad, as well as the FBI’s New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Miami offices, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Deininger is in charge of the prosecution. DEFENDANT CHARGE OF CONVICTION SENTENCE Narek Marutyan Racketeering Conspiracy 6 Years Albert Marutyan Racketeering Conspiracy 51 Months Davit Yeghoyan Racketeering Conspiracy 45 Months Mikayel Yeghoyan Racketeering Conspiracy 41 Months Saro Mouradian Access Device Fraud 10 Months Zaven Yerkaryan Access Device Fraud Pending Vahe Hovhannisyan Travel Act Money Laundering 364 Days Gohar Illangyozyan Making False Statements to Law Enforcement Time Served


title: Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA New England Release PSA Warning of Fentanyl and Counterfeit Pills

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the New England Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration have released a public service announcement asking Connecticut residents to remain vigilant during this ongoing opioid abuse epidemic, and issuing a warning about the increasing percentage of fentanyl now found in counterfeit prescription pills that are illegally trafficked in the U.S. “Overdose deaths due to fentanyl intoxication have become a devastating part of the fabric of Connecticut and our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “While there are indications that annual overdose death rates are no longer rising and may have leveled off, or slightly decreased, far too many people continue to die accidentally by consuming fentanyl and counterfeit pills that contain it. While our office, the DEA, and our other federal, state, and local partners continue to work to dismantle drug trafficking rings and stem the flow of these deadly drugs, we ask the public to remain vigilant and continue to spread awareness to family and friends. We hope this public service announcement is viewed widely and the message in it absorbed by all. One pill can kill you, and there are resources available to help us end this scourge.” “Last year, the DEA seized thousands of pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 79 million fentanyl-laced pills across the U.S.,” said David Lanzoni, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England. “But as drug poisoning is now the leading cause of death of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, we clearly have more work to do. Everyone needs to know that nearly all of the pills sold on the street are counterfeit, and approximately seven out of ten them contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. Please watch this public service announcement and help spread these astonishing numbers.” The public service announcement is available at these links: https://youtu.be/TvFf6Sy0q5M (YouTube) https://twitter.com/USAO_CT/status/1768287229619720230 (X/Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/usaoct/posts/pfbid028KVay6XfoVHDNPdPMxdyiHmdKV8vr4LcwVfss3VWi8apKyExM3rFVjaQnk8oLeTCl (Facebook) Additional resources on fentanyl and fentanyl pills, as well as prevention and treatment, are available at www.dea.gov/onepill . To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s fentanyl awareness and drug prevention program for students, please visit: www.justice.gov/usao-ct/heat . Information about the DEA New England Division can be found at: www.dea.gov/divisions/new-england . The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, please visit www.justice.gov/ct . ###


title: Danville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Robbery, Firearm Charges

body_text: ROANOKE, Virginia – A Danville man who fired a handgun during the robbery of a gas station in December 2022 pled guilty this week to federal robbery and firearm charges. Isaac Graham, 42, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, Graham robbed a Danville convenience store at gunpoint in December 2022. Graham entered the store with a handgun, fired a round into the floor, and demanded money from the store clerk. Graham fled with approximately $1,400 from the store. He was arrested a short time later by the Danville Police Department. U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Danville Police Department investigated the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett 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: Former Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: Vanessa Roberts 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, today announced that DANNY D. BEEMAN, 66, of Beverly Hills, Florida, and a former resident of Connecticut, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to tax evasion. According to court documents and statements made in court, Beeman claimed to be the originator and developer of computer software technology capable of compressing electronically-stored data. In 2012, Beeman and other individuals formed a Connecticut company, identified in court documents as “Company-A,” to allow Beeman to develop the compression software. From 2013 to 2017, Company-A paid Beeman approximately $316,000 to develop the software. During this time, Beeman submitted fake invoices to Company-A seeking reimbursement for purchases of computer-related equipment that he never purchased. Beeman obtained approximately $2 million from Company-A through these fake invoices. In total, from 2013 to 2017, Beeman received approximately $2.3 million from Company-A, all of which was taxable income. Beeman also had long-term capital gains income of approximately $1.5 million resulting from the sale of shares in Company-A. However, Beeman never filed tax returns for any of those years, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service of approximately $1,054,032. Beeman faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Beeman is released pending sentencing. This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.


title: West Seneca man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey Beasley, 38, of West Seneca, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that in June 2022, Beasley took sexually explicit photographs of himself and a minor female (Victim) with his cellphone. In January 2023, a West Seneca police officer received a report that the sexually explicit images were found on a tablet belonging to Beasley. Subsequently, search warrants were executed at Beasley’s residence, during which investigators seized multiple devices. A forensic review of Beasley’s cellphone recovered multiple sexually explicit images of the Victim. The forensic review also recovered other images of child pornography, which Beasley received and possessed. The plea is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Q1 2024 Local Papering Rates and the Impact of Mandatory Arrest on Local Prosecutions

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: The U.S. Attorney's Office For the District of Columbia, today, released Q1 24 papering rates.


title: Bronx Man Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking A Minor

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL PASCHAL was sentenced to 11 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick for sex trafficking a minor victim. Today’s sentencing followed PASCHAL’s conviction on all counts at trial on May 9, 2023. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Michael Paschal trafficked a vulnerable teenager who was one third his age, promising her food and shelter and immediately turning on her. He exploited the victim for his own financial gain, and when confronted by law enforcement, he showed no remorse for his despicable actions. Thanks to the courageous testimony of the victim, our law enforcement partners, and the career prosecutors of this Office, today, he was justly sentenced to over a decade in prison for his crimes.” According to the Indictment and statements made in court proceedings and filings: In July 2020, PASCHAL induced a minor victim (“Minor Victim-1”) to travel from another state to PASCHAL’s Bronx residence with the intent to sex traffic Minor Victim-1. PASCHAL operated a prostitution business from that residence in the Bronx. Minor Victim-1 stayed at PASCHAL’s residence for several weeks in July 2020, during which time PASCHAL directed Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex and profited from it. Minor Victim-1 was then returned to her home state, but several weeks later, PASCHAL again began sex trafficking Minor Victim-1 from his residence in the Bronx. PASCHAL posted prostitution ads containing sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim-1 and communicated with sex buyers to facilitate commercial sex with Minor Victim-1. PASCHAL sex trafficked Minor Victim-1, and worked with others to ensure that Minor Victim-1 was engaging in commercial sex for his profit, for weeks until she was recovered from PASCHAL’s residence in or about December 2020. When confronted, PASCHAL told law enforcement, in sum and substance, “what’s the big deal, she’s about to turn 18 anyway.” * * * In addition to the prison term, PASCHAL, 53, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead, Jackie Delligatti, and Jane Kim are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts 6 Individuals on Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment, which was recently unsealed, charging Fresno residents Jose Duenas, 32, Hector Duenas, 26, Anthony Varela, 43, and Eduardo Mendoza Sanchez, 33, as well as a Los Angeles resident Adolfo Santa Cruz Alvarez, 22, and Mexican national Francisco Santa Cruz Alvarez, 26, with trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in July 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hector Duenas’s residence in Fresno and seized a loaded firearm as well as over 5.5 pounds of methamphetamine, almost a pound of fentanyl, and 7 ounces of cocaine. Several months later, in September 2023, officers stopped two cars traveling in tandem occupied by Hector’s brother, Jose Duenas as well as two of his associates, Varela, and Mendoza Sanchez. From the two cars, the officers seized a loaded firearm and over 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Then, in January 2024, Adolfo Alvarez and Francisco Alvarez possessed more than 1 pound of cocaine with intent to distribute it to Jose Duenas. And in February 2024, Jose Duenas and Hector Duenas trafficked 14 ounces of fentanyl and more than a pound of methamphetamine. Additionally, they illegally possessed several firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. This case is the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT) (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno and Clovis Police Departments), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case. If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties and fines including maximums of 20 years, 40 years, and life in prison as well as fines between $250,000 and $10 million. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 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. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Former Santa Cruz Resident Convicted Of Threatening Two FBI Agents

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – A federal jury has convicted Brian Broderick of threatening two FBI agents following a one week-trial before the Hon. Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The jury convicted the defendant on one count of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), rendering its verdict on March 8, 2024. The evidence at trial showed that Broderick, 32, formerly of Santa Cruz, California, contacted the FBI a number of times in 2021 and 2022 to report several matters, including allegations concerning his former employer. On May 10, 2022, an FBI special agent sent Broderick an email to follow up on his reports. Beginning on that date, and lasting through June 1, 2022, Broderick sent a series of escalating and derogatory emails to multiple FBI agents, including the special agent who had responded to Broderick’s previous reports. On June 1, 2022, Broderick sent an email telling two FBI agents he was “literally hunting” the “idiot traitor” FBI agent who had initially reached out to him. Broderick went on to warn the FBI: “You act on this in . . . 24 hours, or I go beyond taking your livelihood.” On the same day, the defendant posted on his YouTube channel a video he filmed of himself surveilling a local FBI office. Judge Davila scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 24, 2024. Broderick faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. However, his sentence will be imposed only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Chambers and Thomas Colthurst are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen, Elise Etter, Kay Konopaske, and Kathleen Turner. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Previously Convicted Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Custody

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that William Valencia pleaded guilty in federal court to escape from custody. Valencia, 33, of Paguete, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. Valencia was convicted in January 2020 for assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating and sentenced to 75 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Valencia was placed at the Dismas Charities Diersen Residential Reentry Center in Albuquerque to serve the last 6 months of his custodial sentence. On July 27, 2023, Valencia left the facility without permission and failed to return. On Oct. 6, 2023, Valencia was arrested by the Albuquerque Police Department for possession of a controlled substance and was taken into federal custody on Oct. 10, 2023. At sentencing, Valencia faces up to five years in prison. The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Arkansas Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cannon Earl Kress, 50, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Kress will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Kress to pay $18,000 in assessments and restitution. Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and today's sentencing hearing, in October 2022, Kress started a group on Kik where members of the group posted child pornography images and videos and discussed their sexual interest in children. An undercover detective infiltrated the group and downloaded child pornography videos that Kress had uploaded to the group. The undercover detective also chatted with Kress via the Kik messenger application. During those communications, Kress expressed an interest in engaging in illicit sexual acts with a five-year-old female child and arranged with the detective to meet and have sex with the child. On November 2, 2022, Kress traveled to Hickory, North Carolina, for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. Law enforcement was waiting for Kress at the pre-arranged meeting location and arrested him. Law enforcement seized Kress's phone and discovered child pornography videos on it. On October 10, 2023, Kress pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court granted the government’s request for the maximum 20-year sentence due, in part, to the nature and circumstances of Kress’s offense. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI and the Boone Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Tonawanda man going to prison for receipt of child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Andrew Vallone, 47, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that an individual contacted the Town of Tonawanda Police Department after discovering a video depicting a child (Victim) wearing only a pair of underwear on a desktop computer belonging to Vallone. On January 23, 2021, the Tonawanda Police contacted the FBI and further investigation determined that Vallone had secreted a camera in a location which allowed him to surreptitiously film the Victim. The MicroSD card recovered from that hidden camera contained numerous images which depicted the Victim in various states of undress. In addition, forensic analysis of electronic devices seized from Vallone recovered numerous images and videos of child pornography. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of James P. Stauffiger. # # # #


title: USTP Prevails at Trial on Objection to Chapter 11 Debtors’ Executive Bonuses

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently prevented the payment of bonuses to an executive of three small businesses that had stopped operating and already had sold their assets in bankruptcy. Aviation Safety Resources and its two debtor affiliates, which filed for bankruptcy under subchapter V of chapter 11, argued that $30,000 in bonuses were designed to incentivize the companies’ president to avoid leaving for other employment and to facilitate a sale of the debtors’ assets. The U.S. Trustee’s Orlando office objected to the bonuses as a “key employee retention plan,” commonly known as a KERP, which is impermissible under the Bankruptcy Code for insiders unless the proponent can satisfy stringent standards. Among other things, the USTP argued that the bonuses were not incentivizing because they were not tied to any performance-based metrics and that the debtors had already closed on the sale of nearly all their assets three days before filing a motion to approve the bonuses. On February 2, after a half-day trial, the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida sustained the U.S. Trustee’s objection and denied the debtors’ KERP motion. “The USTP scrutinizes executive bonus plans regardless of their label,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “To ensure the faithful application of the Code, we will continue to hold the proponents of these plans to their proof.” The Code restricts payments intended to induce corporate officers and other insiders to remain with the debtor through the bankruptcy. The proponent of those retention payments must prove that they are necessary because the insider has a bona fide job offer at the same or greater compensation, that the insider’s services are essential to the business’s survival and that the payments are within certain statutory limits. Many debtors improperly seek to characterize insider payments as incentive payments rather than retention payments to avoid this high standard. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the program at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Brooklyn Hospital Dietician Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns and Obstructing IRS

component: Tax Division

body_text: A New York woman was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for filing false tax returns and obstructing the IRS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ehrenfriede Kauapirura, a hospital dietician, sought to obtain tax refunds to which she was not entitled. As part of that scheme, Kauapirura filed a false amended 2015 tax return and a false 2016 tax return. On both returns, Kauapirura reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in fictitious tax withholdings that she used to claim refunds of approximately $250,000 for each year, which the IRS paid her. After determining that Kauapirura’s claims were fraudulent, the IRS attempted to recoup the money. To thwart the IRS’ collection efforts, Kauapirura transferred funds from her personal bank account to a bank account in the name of a purported trust that she controlled. Kauapirura also submitted to the IRS a $1 million check drawn on a non-existent bank as payment of her tax obligations. In addition, despite earning substantial income from her job at the hospital, Kauapirura did not file individual tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2020. In addition to her prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati for the Eastern District of New York ordered Kauapirura to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $301,462.41 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kenneth C. Vert and Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Sarasota Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Leaving Threatening Voicemail Targeted At Jewish Organization In New York

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Chief Judge Timothy Corrigan today sentenced Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel (21, Sarasota) to six months in federal prison for transmitting an interstate threat to injure. Patel pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023. According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2023, Patel left a threatening voicemail at a Jewish organization in New York City identifying himself by name and screaming, among other expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.” Patel also admitted that he had called a synagogue in Temple Terrace, Florida the same day, and left a voicemail threatening voicemail laced with expletives. As part of a hate crimes penalty enhancement, Patel agreed that he intentionally selected Jewish and/or Israeli individuals as the objects of his threat based on their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity. “No one should live under the threat of violence or intimidation because of their religion, race, ethnicity or beliefs,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners at every level to investigate and prosecute those who threaten harm to any citizen as we stand united against hate .” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.


title: Former Social Security Administration Employee Indicted and Arrested for $1.8 Million Theft of Social Security Funds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 17-count indictment charging Myrna Faria, a.k.a. Myrna Oliveras-Santiago, with theft of government funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, misuse of Social Security numbers in violation of 41 U.S.C. § 408(a)(8), and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. According to court documents, Faria was employed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) from approximately 1991 through 2019 as a “Social Insurance Specialist” and “Claims Specialist” working in the Workload Support Unit in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From March 2012 through March 2024, Faria embezzled and stole SSA funds, namely Retirement Insurance Benefits, Survivors Insurance Benefits and Auxiliary Benefit payments, to which she knew she was not entitled. In total, Faria stole approximately $1,812,455.10. Faria utilized her position within SSA to submit false claims on behalf of others, using the identity of individuals she believed to be deceased. She then approved those false claims and submitted her own bank and address information to fraudulently receive the corresponding SSA beneficiary proceeds. Faria proceeded to withdraw, transfer, and spend the money from the accounts that fraudulently obtained the SSA funds. Over the span of twelve years, Faria submitted and approved 13 fraudulent claims. A total of 10 fraudulent claims were still active and receiving funds as of the date of the Indictment. “It is especially egregious when individuals that hold positions of public trust engage in criminal activity,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant charged in this case allegedly abused the trust placed in her by the Social Security Administration and the public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with all law enforcement agencies to safeguard the integrity of federal government institutions and to bring corrupt officials to justice.” “Ms. Faria exploited her position with the Social Security Administration for her own personal gain stealing over $1.8 million. Evidence obtained in this investigation revealed that Ms. Faria fabricated retirement insurance benefits, divorced or widowed survivors, and auxiliary claims for 13 individuals who were deceased, or who she expected to be deceased. Ms. Faria then caused the fraudulent benefit payments to be made by SSA and directed all SSA payments to herself,” said Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge for the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. “We will continue to work with SSA to identify fraudulent benefits payments. I want to thank the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its efforts in this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.” “The subject in this case used her position as an employee of the Social Security Administration to create false benefits claims using social security numbers for deceased individuals, as well as other tactics, and in doing so, she stole almost 2 million dollars. Even after she retired, she continued to enrich herself illegally. This is embarrassing and despicable conduct by a public official, someone called to serve the people, not take from them,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “No one is above the law, and even if you think you can get away with it, we will find out sooner or later, and you will face consequences. I want to thank our colleagues from the Social Security Administration’s OIG, who did a fantastic job analyzing an enormous amount of data to detect this scheme, and the US Postal Inspector’s Service for assisting with this investigation.” The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case with the assistance from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. If convicted, the defendant faces the following maximum penalties: 10 years of imprisonment for Theft of Government Property; 20 years of imprisonment for Mail Fraud; 5 years of imprisonment for misuse of Social Security numbers; and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for the aggravated identity theft charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Tampa Man Previously Imprisoned For Attempted First-Degree Murder Convicted Of Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gerard Eric Beasley (50, Tampa) has been found guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle. Beasley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12, 2024. Beasley was indicted on April 19, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, Beasley was stopped by officers from the Tampa Police Department for driving without his headlights on and for a partially opened trunk. During a search of Beasley’s vehicle, police officers discovered marijuana, crack cocaine, and a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol loaded with one round of ammunition. Beasley admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics during an interview with the officers. Beasley had previously served over 11 years in a Florida state prison for attempted first-degree murder and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Shauna S. Hale.


title: Four U.S. Postal Service Employees Indicted and Arrested for Delay of Election Mail

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned four indictments charging four U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees assigned to the 65th Infantry Postal Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico with delay of mail in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(a), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The USPS is responsible for transporting and delivering absentee and early voter ballots in Puerto Rico, which is recognized by the USPS as election mail. In September 2022, the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (“Commission”) conducted a Special Election for the San Juan, Puerto Rico District 1 Senate vacancy. As part of the Commission’s services provided for the Special Election, in August 2022, the Administrative Board of Absent Voting and Early Voting (“Junta Administrativa de Voto Ausente y Voto Adelantado” (“JAVAA”)) mailed ballots to certain eligible voters in Puerto Rico, via USPS certified mail service. Four individual mail carriers, employed by the USPS, delayed and did not deliver a total of forty pieces of election mail from the September 2022 Special Election to domiciled active voters in San Juan. More specifically: On August 5, 2022, Christian Benny Díaz-Nieves, a postal Carrier Technician, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver twenty-two pieces of election mail; On August 6, 2022, Jonathan David Javier-Pinango, a postal City Carrier Assistant 1, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver twelve pieces of election mail; On August 5, 2022, Michael Negrón-Cabrera, a postal City Carrier Assistant 1, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver one piece of election mail; and From August 5, 2022 through August 15, 2022, María De Lourdes Martínez-Garriga, a postal City Carrier, unlawfully delayed and did not deliver five pieces of election mail. Each USPS employee was charged separately with unlawful delay of mail and has not been charged with participating in a conspiracy or a scheme to impact the Special Election. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), consistent with the mission to ensure efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service. “Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted. If voters do not receive their ballots, they cannot execute one of our fundamental rights as United States citizens, the right to vote,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect this fundamental pillar of our society.” “Voting allows individuals to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and communities, and it is a powerful tool for promoting social change. Without the right to vote, marginalized groups may be further excluded from the political process, perpetuating inequality and injustice, which is why equal access is crucial and why we have this option to receive the ballot by mail,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Public officials across all government agencies must understand that they are held to a higher standard. The people depend on us, and those unwilling to execute their duties only hurt the communities we are meant to serve. I want to thank the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission for quickly reporting this and our valued colleagues at the US Postal Service OIG, who never hesitate to do the right thing.” The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Colón and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Salas-De Jesús from the USPS-OIG are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Burnsville Woman Indicted for Straw Purchasing Firearms Used in Fatal Shooting of Three First Responders

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville woman has been indicted for straw purchasing multiple firearms for a felon, two of which were used to fatally shoot two police officers and a firefighter paramedic and injure a third police officer in Burnsville on February 18 th , announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between September 21, 2023, and January 25, 2024, Ashley Anne Dyrdahl, 35, conspired with Shannon Cortez Gooden to place firearms in Gooden’s hands, despite the fact Gooden could not legally own or possess firearms. On February 18, 2024, Gooden used the firearms that Dyrdahl supplied to murder two police officers and a firefighter paramedic, and injure a third officer, during an armed stand-off with law enforcement officers who were responding to a call for help. According to the indictment, in 2008, Gooden was convicted in Dakota County of second-degree assault, a felony offense. In 2016, Dyrdahl began a domestic relationship with Gooden and, as early as 2019, knew that Gooden had been convicted of a felony offense. In 2020, Dyrdahl filed a letter in support of Gooden’s petition to restore his firearm rights in which she acknowledged his conviction and crime. Despite knowing of Gooden’s felony status, between September of 2023 and January of 2024, Dyrdahl purchased five firearms from two different federal firearms licensees (FFLs) at Gooden’s direction and knowingly and intentionally transferred the firearms to Gooden. As part of the conspiracy alleged in the indictment, Gooden sent text messages to Dyrdahl of firearms he wanted her to purchase. Dyrdahl placed the orders at FFLs and filled out ATF Forms 4473 falsely attesting that she was the actual buyer of the firearm, and falsely attesting that she was not planning to transfer the firearm to a felon. During a text exchange between Dyrdahl and Gooden discussing background checks and other questions from firearm sellers, Dyrdahl told Gooden, “We just gotta make sure we’re smart about all this ya know?” As part of the conspiracy alleged in the indictment, on September 21, 2023, Dyrdahl bought a Glock 47 9mm semiautomatic pistol from an FFL. The same day, Dyrdahl sent Gooden a text asking him how he liked the new gun. Gooden responded with a video in which he displayed the firearm and its attachments, then loaded the firearm with an extended magazine. Dyrdahl replied to the video with a smiling heart emoji. In a text exchange on October 24, 2023, Dyrdahl and Gooden discussed purchasing another firearm. Gooden sent Dyrdahl a link to a Glock 43X 9mm semiautomatic pistol for sale, specified which Burnsville FFL she should have the firearm sent to, and said he would send her money for the firearm. Dyrdahl ordered the firearm, texted Gooden a confirmation of the purchase, and said, “Ordered,” to which Gooden replied, “Love you.” On October 30, 2023, Dyrdahl picked up the Glock 43X pistol from the FFL and transferred it to Gooden. According to the indictment, among the firearms Dyrdahl bought and transferred to Gooden at Gooden’s direction were three semiautomatic AR-15–style firearm lower-receivers. One of these was a Franklin Armory FAI-15 .300 caliber semiautomatic firearm that was equipped with a binary trigger. A firearm with a binary trigger fires one shot when the trigger is pulled, and another when the trigger is released, effectively doubling the rate of fire. Dyrdahl also purchased a .300 caliber barrel for the lower receiver. Dyrdahl knew that Gooden was loading the semiautomatic AR-15–style firearms with .300 Blackout ammunition, which is a heavier load ammunition that has an increased potential for lethality. According to the indictment, on February 10, 2024, Gooden went to a shooting range. While at the range, he and Dyrdahl had the following text exchange: Gooden: I love my 300 blackout Dyrdahl: Haha good baby Dyrdahl: That’s your 300 blackout? Dyrdahl: Wow Dyrdahl: [Smiling heart emoji] Gooden: It’s nasty bae Dyrdahl: hell yeah … Gooden: Thanks for making me so happy Dyrdahl: You’re welcome baby thank you for making me so happy to [sic] According to the indictment, on February 18, 2024, Gooden used two AR-15-style semiautomatic firearms Dyrdahl provided to him—the firearm equipped with a binary trigger and loaded with .300 Blackout ammunition, and a Palmetto State Armory model PA-15 firearm—to ambush first responders, killing two police officers and a firefighter paramedic and injuring a third police officer. During the attack, Gooden fired more than 100 rounds of ammunition from the AR-15–style firearms. After the attack, law enforcement officers found in Dyrdahl and Gooden’s bedroom a stockpile of fully loaded magazines as well as boxes with hundreds of additional rounds of ammunition. According to the indictment, at Gooden’s direction, Dyrdahl knowingly purchased five firearms, including a Glock model 47 9mm semiautomatic pistol purchased on September 21, 2023; a Palmetto State Armory model Sabre-15 firearm lower receiver purchased on October 18, 2023; a Glock model 43X 9mm semiautomatic pistol purchased on October 30, 2023; a Franklin Armory FAI-15 firearm lower receiver purchased on January 5, 2024; and a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 firearm lower receiver purchased on January 25, 2024. Dyrdahl knowingly made false and fictitious written statements to the FFLs when purchasing the firearms by falsely indicating on ATF Forms 4473 that she was the actual buyer of the firearms. Because Gooden had a prior felony conviction, he was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The indictment charges Dyrdahl with one count of conspiracy, five counts of straw purchasing, and five counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. She will make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court today before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Burnsville Police Department, with assistance from the Dakota County Attorney’s Office and the Burnsville Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian Weir and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Dyrdahl Indictment


title: Gun-Toting Cooler-Crawler Sentenced to 28 Years and 1 Day after  Robbing Several Walgreens in Metro Detroit

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Detroit resident was sentenced to 28 years and 1 day in federal prison following his convictions for the armed robberies and attempted armed robbery of five Walgreens in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties in 2018 and 2019, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. Mario Keeream Jackson, age 35, of Detroit, was convicted by a jury in May 2023 of four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Attempt-Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Robbery of a DEA Licensed Premises, and five firearms counts. Jackson, who at the time of the robberies was on parole with the Michigan Department of Corrections for a prior firearm conviction, used a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine to rob Walgreens located in Oak Park, Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak, and Warren. During the robberies, Jackson stole over $18,000 in cash and over 5000 prescription opioid pills. Jackson attempted to rob a fifth Walgreens in Southfield, but the employees were able to escape the store before Jackson could access the store safe. During all the robberies, Jackson gained access to the back area of the stores by crawling through the coolers located in the stores. In total, Jackson held nine Walgreens employees at gunpoint during the robberies. Jackson was arrested on May 2, 2019, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jackson’s girlfriend’s residence in Detroit where Jackson was living. During the search, agents recovered the firearm Jackson used to commit the robberies. “This defendant wreaked havoc in our community for more than five months, committing a string of armed robberies against innocent victims. Keeping our communities safe from this type of violence is at the core of DOJ’s mission,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. "I would like to thank the members of our Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force for their hard work and our partners for their collaborative efforts in this case,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This sentence serves as a warning to violent criminals and demonstrates the FBI’s and its law enforcement partners’ dedication to ensuring safer communities.” This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone. The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force. Assisting in the investigation were special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and officers from the Oak Park, Dearborn Heights, Southfield, Royal Oak, and Warren Police Departments.


title: Middleburg Man Sentenced To 25 Years For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Images

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Sam David Harris, Jr. (38, Middleburg) to 25 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse images, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered Harris to pay $65,500 in restitution to the victims of his offenses. Harris pleaded guilty on September 21, 2023. According to court documents, in February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into a Cyber Tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) being uploaded to a particular site of an electronic services provider. This investigation led law enforcement to Harris and his residence. On April 20, 2023, HSI Jacksonville special agents and task force officers executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence. During the search, a thumb drive was discovered concealed in the bottom portion of a small box located in the top drawer of a bedside nightstand. Also found in the top drawer was a prescription medicine container bearing Harris’s name. An onsite forensic preview of the thumb drive led to the discovery of numerous videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additional analysis of the thumb drive revealed more than 100 images that appeared to have been produced by Harris. Harris’s hand, arm, and forearm were visible in several of the files. One of the females in the images was subsequently identified as a child to whom Harris had access. This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTECEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington and former Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Karase. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Arthur Ray Elkins, 59, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2023, Elkins sold 55.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Chesapeake. Elkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 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. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh 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-15. ###


title: St. Louis Area Pediatrician Indicted, Accused of Exchanging Prescriptions for Sex Acts

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri pediatrician was indicted Wednesday and accused of prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts or cash. The indictment charges Craig A. Spiegel, 67, with 17 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances and six counts of making false statements related to health care matters. Dr. Spiegel and an acquaintance, April Bingham, 46, were also indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The indictment says that since at least 2014, Dr. Spiegel repeatedly issued controlled substance prescriptions to numerous adult women – many of whom he met because he was their pediatrician when they were children – in exchange for sexual acts and sexual photographs, without regard for the patient’s medical condition or the medical necessity of the prescription. In many cases, Spiegel issued those controlled substance prescriptions even though he knew the recipients had a substance use disorder and he knew that issuing the prescription was illegal and could endanger the recipient’s mental health and physical safety, the indictment says. He also pressured reluctant women to engage in sex acts at his pediatrics office in Bridgeton, Missouri, the indictment says. In a motion seeking to have Dr. Spiegel held in jail until trial, the government alleges that investigators are aware of at least 25 individuals with whom Spiegel exchanged controlled substance prescriptions for sexual acts or cash. The indictment alleges that Dr. Spiegel ignored widely known “red flags” that can indicate prescription drugs are being abused or sold, endangering the well-being of the patients and the community. The indictment also lists a series of examples. One patient met Dr. Spiegel through a friend who told her that he would write any prescription she desired if she performed a sex act while topless. On numerous occasions she did so or provided nude photos in exchange for Adderall, Xanax and Percocet, the indictment alleges. Dr. Spiegel provided the same three drugs to another patient in exchange for sex acts, despite knowing that she had a severe substance use disorder and was at high risk of overdose, the indictment alleges. She died of a drug overdose in April of 2022 at the age of 40, it says. The indictment also alleges that beginning in 2021, Bingham, who did not have any medical training or a Drug Enforcement Administration registration allowing her to prescribe controlled substances, agreed to distribute controlled substances under Dr. Spiegel’s DEA registration. Dr. Spiegel issued controlled substance prescriptions to Bingham for sexual favors Bingham provided, the indictment says. Dr. Spiegel knew that Bingham was selling some of the drugs he prescribed to her for cash, the indictment says. Dr. Spiegel used the identities of third-party individuals, including Bingham’s ex-husband, mother, and friends, to either take advantage of their prescription insurance benefits or conceal from pharmacies the frequency with which Bingham was receiving controlled substances prescribed by Dr. Spiegel, the indictment says. Bingham also introduced Dr. Spiegel to others who provided him with cash or sex acts in exchange for prescriptions, the indictment says. “The conduct alleged in the indictment represents an exploitation of patients who were vulnerable because they had been treated by Dr. Spiegel since they were girls, because they were struggling with an addiction, or both, to satisfy a sexual desire,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming . “It is illegal and unethical for a doctor to prescribe controlled substances as payment for sexual favors or for cash, or to provide drugs to someone who is suspected of diverting or abusing those drugs.” “Physicians who recklessly and illegitimately distribute controlled substances undermine critical efforts to battle the opioid crisis and betray their professional responsibility to serve the health and well-being of the public. As alleged, Dr. Spiegel took advantage of individuals struggling with addiction--some of them his former pediatric patients--all for his own personal gratification,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to address such abuse to protect patients, communities, and taxpayers from such dangerous conduct.” “Every day, prescription drugs are misused in the United States at an alarming rate because many people have a false sense of security regarding these potent, and sometimes dangerous, drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis, leader of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois. “Reducing prescription drug misuse is vital to the health and welfare of the American people and is a priority we take seriously. When the medical practitioners Americans trust contribute to that misuse, DEA is obliged to investigate.” "The allegations laid forth in the federal indictment describe a heinous abuse of trust,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Crocker. “The investigation was made possible through strong federal, state, and local partnerships." Individuals with concerns about Dr. Spiegel should call HHS-OIG at 800-447-8477. The charges of conspiracy and illegal distribution of controlled substances are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Each charge of making false statements is punishable by five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Bridgeton Police Department, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.


title: Mooresburg Man Sentenced To 190 Months For Firearm Offense

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

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On March 14, 2024, George Wesley Short, 56, of Mooresburg, Tennessee, was sentenced to 190 months of imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. During the sentencing proceeding, Judge Corker found Short to be an Armed Career Criminal based on his prior criminal history. Following his incarceration, Short will be on supervised release for five years. Judge Corker also ordered the forfeiture of the firearm seized during Short’s arrest. Short pled guilty to a Superseding Indictment, which charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). According to the stipulated facts, which were filed with the court, Short admitted that on December 29, 2021, a deputy with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department attempted a traffic stop on his vehicle; however, Short refused to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. After his vehicle broke down, Short attempted to flee on foot, but was apprehended. When law enforcement searched his vehicle, they located a firearm on the passenger-side floorboard of the vehicle. Short also admitted that he was previously convicted of a felony offense. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Marcus S. Watson, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF. This investigation was led by ATF Special Agent Bryan Williams. Assistant United States Attorneys B. Todd Martin and Luke McLauren represented the United States. 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: Southwest Ohio man sentenced to prison for $8.6 million investment fraud scheme that defrauded Pike County investors

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Southwest Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 24 months in prison for orchestrating an investment fraud scheme in Pike County and for failing to remit money withheld from employee paychecks to employee retirement funds. Robert W. Walton, Jr., 55, of Loveland, Ohio, was also ordered to pay more than $8.6 million in restitution. According to court documents, Walton committed two distinct financial crimes that resulted in a total loss of $8,657,603. He defrauded investors in a company he co-founded and stole retirement funds of its employees. Walton engaged in a scheme to defraud investors of Hadsell Chemical Processing, LLC (HCP) and related entities. Walton was the president of HCP and fraudulently sought investments in the form of promissory notes from dozens of victim investors. Walton claimed the notes were personally guaranteed by a prominent local business owner when in fact they were not. Walton repeatedly forged the business owner’s signature from 2012 through 2015 without the business owner’s authority on several loan documents and promissory notes. Walton falsely represented his company’s future revenues from another business to be in the millions by creating fake invoices. The actual total legitimate business revenue HCP had with that other business was approximately $50,000. He provided the fake invoices to investors. Walton also provided investors with falsified profit and loss statements, including one that changed HCP’s net income from a loss of approximately $800,000 to a profit of nearly $395,000. Walton also engaged in Ponzi-type activity by paying earlier investors with money received from new investors. During part of his employment at HCP, Walton was responsible for approving the remittance of employee retirement funds to an employee benefit plan sponsored by HCP. Walton failed to remit approximately $53,000 withheld from employees’ paychecks, failing to transfer the funds into employee retirement funds. Walton pleaded guilty in March 2023 to wire fraud and embezzling from employee benefit plans. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; and L. Joe Rivers, Regional Director, United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Cincinnati Regional Office, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Grand Jury Indicts District Teen for Armed Carjacking and Other Offenses

body_text: WASHINGTON – Alvin Halmon-Daniels, now 18, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a Superior Court grand jury for armed carjacking and other charges related to a June 16, 2023 offense in Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On March 13, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant, who was 17-years-old at the time of the carjacking, as an adult under Title 16. In addition to armed carjacking, Halmon-Daniels is charged with robbery while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. According to documents filed in court, at approximately 11:20 am on June 16, an unidentified co-conspirator drove his car in front of the complainant’s sedan in the 200 block of 13th Street NE. Halmon-Daniels got out of the co-conspirator’s car, armed with a handgun, and ordered the complainant to leave her property and get out of her car. Halmon-Daniels then drove off with the complainant’s vehicle and property, with his co-conspirator following in the suspect vehicle. MPD officers responded immediately, and tracked the carjacked vehicle to Southeast D.C., where it had crashed, and apprehended Halmon-Daniels nearby. The victim subsequently identified Halmon-Daniels as the gunman. At the time of his arrest on June 16th, Halmon-Daniels still had some of the victim’s property in his pockets. The Court released the defendant after the preliminary hearing. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parron of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Who Robbed Raleigh Sweepstakes Business Sentenced to 25 Years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Joseph Plummer, age 36, of Raleigh was sentenced today to 300 months in prison and five years of supervised release, for brandishing a firearm while robbing a Raleigh sweepstakes parlor. “Luck was not on the side of Mr. Plummer and his crew when they targeted this sweepstakes parlor,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “After disarming a security guard and holding employees at gun point, he is now facing the next 25 years behind bars. Police also recovered every penny of the stolen cash. When you gamble with crime the odds are never on your side.” “I am grateful for the work of U.S. Attorney Michael Easley’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their ongoing partnership in this case. This is another example of how collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners puts violent offenders behind bars. Plummer chose to conspire with others to terrorize and commit an armed robbery of a local business. This violence has no place in our community, and we will continue to vigorously investigate these incidents to ensure our Federal and state prosecutors have the necessary evidence to send these offenders to prison,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. “ATF and our law enforcement partners remain committed to apprehending those who pose a threat to our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Through a focused collaboration, we’ve recovered multiple firearms and removed a dangerous individual from our streets.” According to court records and evidence presented in court, in the spring of 2021, Plummer arranged a robbery of the NGM City Sweepstakes where his then-girlfriend, Tawanna Godwin, worked. Plummer sought the assistance of Eric Lamonte Fair, whom he had previously met in federal prison, to plan a robbery of the business. During the early morning hours of July 27, 2021, Plummer drove Fair, Ky’sheke Hishad Sweat and Elij-wn Unique Oglesby to the business on N. Market Drive in Raleigh. Fair, Sweat and Oglesby entered the business with assistance provided by Godwin. Once inside, all three men disarmed the business’s security guard and held the employees at gunpoint while they collected money and other items, such as an employee’s cell phone, from the victims. Plummer then drove Fair, Sweat and Oglesby back to the residence he shared with Godwin. Witnesses gave Raleigh Police a description of the vehicle seen leaving the scene. A vehicle matching the description was located at a townhome complex. While an officer was examining the car, Fair, Sweat, and Oglesby came out of the residence. The clothing they were wearing was similar to the clothing worn by the robbers on the surveillance footage from the NGM City Sweepstakes. The trio denied being involved in the robbery but admitted to having been in the car. Officers obtained a warrant to search the residence and found nearly $60,000 in cash in the washer/dryer, and five firearms, including the gun taken from the security guard. Sweat, age 24, of Concord pled guilty to robbery of a business in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. On September 27, 2023, Sweat was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison. Oglesby, age 25, of Salisbury, pled guilty to robbery of a business in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting on February 8, 2023. On January 25, 2024, Oglesby was sentenced to serve 65 months in prison. Fair, age 35, of Salisbury, pled guilty to robbery of a business in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting on April 25, 2023. On March 13, 2024, Fair was sentenced to 96 months and 1 day in prison. Godwin, age 46, of Raleigh pled guilty to robbery of a business in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting on December 12, 2023. Godwin’s sentencing is set for the May 21, 2024, term of court. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-251-M. ###


title: Joint Operation Targets Las Cruces Based Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Chief Jeremy Story, Las Cruces Police Department, announced the results of a coordinated enforcement operation in Las Cruces. According to the search warrant affidavit, the FBI and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency were investigating the distribution of methamphetamine out of the Desert Lodge Motel on West Picacho Avenue in Las Cruces. In February and March of 2024, agents orchestrated controlled buys at the motel. On March 12th, agents executed the search warrant and seized fentanyl, methamphetamine and a firearm from the motel. The federal search was conducted in conjunction with five other New Mexico state search warrants executed by the Las Cruces Police Department. As a result of the operation, six individuals were arrested on state charges. “We stand with our local partners to confront drug trafficking at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Through strong partnerships and close collaboration, we will bring justice and peace to our streets.” "Collaborative law enforcement efforts will continue to identify and disrupt drug trafficking organizations bringing violence to our streets," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda. “Investigations like this prove the essential value of strong law enforcement partnerships and working together to meet a common goal.” “This operation is a visible reminder of the amazing work that is being done between local, state, and federal agencies every day to address the violence and crime in our communities,” said LCPD Chief Jeremy Story. “These efforts make a difference in our city, and we will continue to work together to make Las Cruces and New Mexico safer.” The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case in collaboration with the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Armijo is assisting with the investigation. # # #