title: Chula Vista Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 14, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Keenon Green, who used social media to try to recruit someone he believed was a 16-year-old female into prostitution, was sentenced today in federal court to144 months in prison. A jury convicted Green of Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children and Attempted Enticement of a Minor after a three-day jury trial in February. According to evidence presented at trial, from December 16, 2021, to January 14, 2022, Green used Instagram direct messages and cell phone text messages to lure into prostitution a social media user he knew as “Lexi,” who told him she was 16 years old. Green promised to provide protection for Lexi on “the blade,” a slang term that refers to an area where prostitutes/sex workers solicit sex-buyers. He also promised to get her a false identification and post commercial sex advertisements for her online. He assured her that she could “charge 350 a hour and only be in there 30 mins max.” He even offered to teach her how to drive. And in return, he expected Lexi to earn $500 a night as a prostitute, and $1,000 a night if they were out of town. When Lexi finally agreed, he arranged to pick her up at a local park and planned to take her to Orange County to work on “the blade.” Showing his intent to follow through on that plan, he arrived at the meeting location with feminine items in the trunk of his vehicle, including hair products and a bottle of Vagisil. However, Lexi was not a 16-year-old female, but an undercover officer with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and he was greeted by law enforcement and immediately arrested. Evidence presented at trial, and also discussed at the sentencing hearing, demonstrated that Green’s pimping activity was not just aspirational. Post-arrest, he admitted he “ran” seven to nine other women and had earned tens of thousands of dollars, bragging that he “lives off the earnings of a prostitute.” Instagram records showed that at the same time he was enticing Lexi to work for him as a prostitute, he was attempting to recruit multiple other women on Instagram, telling them that their “anatomy is the most valuable thing on this earth” and that he could help them “use it wisely.” Green also was not above using violence and threats of violence to keep his prostitutes in line. In an audio message presented at sentencing, Green repeatedly threatened one woman who was working for him as a prostitute, screaming that he would “break [her] fucking jaw,” “beat the shit out of [her],” “stomp a fucking mudhole in [her],” and “play games with [her] face.” “The sentence imposed today recognizes the severity of the crime for which Mr. Green has been convicted,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Fortunately, proactive efforts by our law enforcement partners identified Mr. Green as someone willing to exploit the most vulnerable members of our society for nothing more than his own financial gain. This case should serve as a clear warning that law enforcement will not tolerate these crimes and will do everything in our power to protect children in our communities.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this case. “Today’s announcement is a result of strong partnerships by law enforcement agencies uniting to put a stop sexual violence and exploitation,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those who engage in sex trafficking and target vulnerable youth in our communities will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank my team with the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration in making California a safer place. When we work together, we get results. Protecting public safety is our highest priority and we won’t rest until the job is done.” “Sex traffickers typically prey on and sexually exploit the most vulnerable population; fortunately, in this case, the defendant was speaking to a law enforcement officer – not a 16-year-old girl,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI is committed to using proactive efforts to target and prevent sex trafficking offenses. Together, we can more effectively eradicate this vile criminal activity from the community.” “The Sheriff’s Department is proud of the collaborative efforts by all involved in this investigation and prosecution. This teamwork is vitally important in targeting the people involved in this type of criminal behavior. The department is committed to these partnerships as we continue in our efforts to prevent these crimes from occurring.” DEFENDANT Case Number 22-cr-187-CAB Keenon Green Age: 35 Chula Vista SUMMARY OF CHARGES Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum Attempted Enticement of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine, with 10-year mandatory minimum INVESTIGATING AGENCIES San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Sheriff’s Department This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.


title: Child Sex Trafficker Convicted At Trial

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A DeSoto man who drugged young girls and then forced them into commercial sex was convicted Wednesday evening of 15 counts related to sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Anjum Zafar Mian, 42, was charged via criminal complaint in December 2022 and indicted in March 2023. After two days of trial and an hour and a half of deliberation, a jury convicted him Wednesday of two counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; four counts of sex trafficking of a minor; three counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor; two counts of sexual exploitation of a child; one count of transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution; and one count of interstate transportation for prostitution. “This man threatened, beat, drugged, and raped these girls – mere children – so that he could make money. That is the horrific truth of human trafficking, and it’s happening in our backyard,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These victims are hiding in plain sight. Please, if you suspect trafficking, reach out to law enforcement. The Justice Department will not rest until the invisible chains of trafficking are broken.” “Successfully removing child predators from our communities is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “During the trial, the courageous testimony of the minors abused by this defendant ensured that he will account for his actions. Today’s verdict stands as a strong message that HSI will never relent in the pursuit of those who exploit children.“ According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Mian forced at least two young girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex by intimating that he would harm their family if they did not comply. He brought another 17 year old down from Oklahoma, would not allow her to go back home when she asked, and made her engage in commercial sex. He also attempted to traffick an adult woman from Oklahoma, who called the police after he assaulted her. The victims testified that Mr. Mian, who also went by the “AJ” and “Dre,” used explicit photos of them to advertise their sexual service online. He communicated with customers via TextNow and Google, then plied the girls with drugs and alcohol, delivered them to customers, and demanded they turn all proceeds over to him. On multiple occasions, Mr. Mian raped them while they were unconscious, victims testified. Mr. Mian now faces up to life in federal prison. He is set to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 13 in Fort Worth. The Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, DeSoto Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety. This was a North Texas Trafficking Task Force case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Matthew Weybrecht are prosecuted. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor presided over trial. If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the 24/7 confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.


title: Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearm Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Jeffrey Krowiorz, II, 34, from Milford, Iowa, pled guilty June 14, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing, Krowiorz, II admitted he unlawfully possessed a gun after at least one prior felony conviction and while being an unlawful user of methamphetamine. Krowiorz, II, was previously convicted of the following felony crimes: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in 2013; possession of lithium with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Emmet County, in 2007; and possession of anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, in the Iowa District Court for Clay County, in 2007. Further evidence showed that the gun Krowiorz, II possessed had an altered or obliterated serial number. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Krowiorz, II remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Krowiorz faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Spencer Iowa Police Department, and Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4006. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charge

body_text: A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty June 13, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. Kelly Malloy, 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of possessing with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting another in the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Malloy admitted that on October 26, 2022, he was stopped by Le Mars Police Department. During the traffic stop law enforcement located over 76 grams of pure methamphetamine. Further evidence showed that Malloy intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Malloy remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Malloy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Le Mars Police Department and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4007. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Conviction

body_text: Aurelio Solorio, age 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on June 13, 2023, to over 11 years’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Solorio pled guilty July 22, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Solorio was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in the United States District Court for South Dakota in 2011. At the hearings, evidence showed that on May 24, 2021, Solorio was stopped for suspected driving while intoxicated. A search of Solorio’s vehicle revealed 90 grams of pure methamphetamine. Separately, on July 6, 2021, during an investigation for drug activity, a search warrant was executed on a home where defendant was present. A search uncovered over 2 pounds of methamphetamine and multiple guns. Additionally, as part of the investigation, law enforcement seized a .380 handgun from Solorio’s storage shed. He was under federal supervised release at the time he committed these offenses. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Solorio was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release. This sentence is to run consecutive to a 46 month term of imprisonment for other violations of his federal supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Solorio remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4001. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Hutchinson Woman Charged with Embezzling More Than $2 Million from Employer

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Hutchinson woman has been charged with mail fraud for embezzling over $2 million from her employer, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Jennifer Lee Rath, 52, worked as the financial controller at R&R Excavating, Inc., a heavy civil construction company located in Hutchinson, Minnesota. As the financial controller, Rath was responsible for managing R&R’s payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, company credit cards, and corporate bank accounts. Rath used her position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Rath routinely drafted manipulated checks that appeared to cover R&R’s liabilities, but instead she used the funds to pay her own credit card debts, tax liabilities, or cover other personal expenses. Rath also processed electronic fund transfers from R&R’s bank accounts to pay personal expenses and improperly charged personal expenses to R&R’s company credit cards. Rath manipulated R&R’s accounting software to conceal the money she stole, avoid detection, and prolong her fraud scheme. In total, between August 2013 and December 2019, Rath knowingly and willfully embezzled $2,061,328.67 from her employer. Rath will make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Hutchinson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case. The charges contained in the information are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Fentanyl Dealer Linked To Fatal Teenage Overdose Sentenced

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A fentanyl dealer tied to the death of a 16-year-old boy was sentenced this week to 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Eric Aden Herrera, 20, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to distribution of controlled substances to a person under 21. He was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means. “Fentanyl, which is often hidden inside more innocuous-looking counterfeit pills, can snuff out a life in an instant,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This defendant claimed he was too afraid to try these pills himself, yet he was willing to sell them to an unsuspecting teenager. We must ensure our teens understand that drug dealers will resort to unscrupulous behavior in order to make a buck, and that unless prescribed by a doctor, no pill is safe. The Justice Department will not rest until fentanyl is no longer being sold on our streets.” “Dealing and purchasing pills on the streets, regardless of what they ‘might’ look like, must stop,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Fort Worth. “Illicit fentanyl has made its way into every one of our neighborhoods and you cannot take a chance. The consequences are real. While we cannot heal the damage already done to the victim’s family, we can continue to hold those like Mr. Herrera, and all others, accountable for the devastation selling drugs cause.” According to plea papers, Mr. Herrera admitted he knowingly distributed counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl to a victim identified in the complaint as L.W. He arranged the sale via Snapchat and then met the victim outside his girlfriend’s house to make the exchange. Shortly after purchasing the pills, L.W. ingested two of them and fatally overdosed. His friend found him unresponsive in bed and called 911. An autopsy revealed L.W. died of acute fentanyl toxicity. In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Herrera admitted he sold pills to L.W. He said that after he got the pills from his dealer, he considered breaking one in half to try it with his girlfriend, but decided not to because he didn’t know about how they were made and was too scared to take them himself. A review of Mr. Herrera’s Snapchat history confirmed that he offered to sell L.W. Percocet and directed him to Mr. Herrera’s girlfriend’s street. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Montes prosecuted the case. Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill .


title: Jamestown Man Going Back To Prison For Escaping From Halfway House

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Melvin Ingram, 45, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of escape, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raymond J. Fadel, Paul E. Bonanno, and Charles M. Kruly, who are handling the case, stated that in November 2018, Ingram was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. On May 3, 2022, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Ingram from Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood, in Allenwood, PA, to a community-based placement at CRJ Lighthouse Residential Reentry Center, in Buffalo. Late in the morning on July 24, 2022, Ingram left the RRC without permission from the RRC staff. Ingram was arrested by the United States Marshals Service on November 10, 2022. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Residential Reentry Management Office, Pittsburgh, PA. # # # #


title: Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Conspiracy

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Richard A. Philbrick, 37, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more fentanyl. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, $10,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Philbrick bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use, and utilized Facebook for his drug trafficking activities. Philbrick used and maintained residences on Newland Avenue in Jamestown for drug trafficking. During the course of the investigation, investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases from Philbrick. On May 4, 2022, during a traffic stop by Jamestown Police, officers recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia, $1,098 in U.S. currency, fentanyl, methamphetamine, morphine pills, hydrocodone pills, buprenorphine pills, psilocybin mushrooms, cellphones, suboxone strips, and a Pellet Gun, on Philbrick’s person and during a search of the vehicle. 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 plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. Philbrick’s sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2023, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Jamestown Man Going To Prison On Drug And Gun Charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Douglas Beardsley, 38, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms, was sentenced to serve 176 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, Beardsley bought, sold, and distributed heroin and methamphetamine for profit in the Jamestown area, utilizing several co-conspirators, associates, and runners as well as Facebook and various electronic devices to operate his drug trafficking activities. Beardsley also distributed large amounts of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals in the Jamestown area. During the conspiracy, Beardsley utilized residences on Linden and Forest Avenue in Jamestown for his drug trafficking. In January 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the Forest Avenue residence, recovering two firearms, ammunition, $296.00 in cash, quantities of crystal methamphetamine, a digital scale, and other drug paraphernalia. Throughout the conspiracy, Beardsley obtained approximately $112,000 in monetary proceeds from drug trafficking. In March 2005, March 2009, and February 2013, Beardsley was convicted on various charges in Chautauqua County Court, including drug possession, attempted burglary, and DWI, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. 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 sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. # # # #


title: Jefferson County Man Sentenced to More than 18 Years in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Jefferson County man on child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. U.S. District Court Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Andrew Scott Eaton, 32 of Mulga, to 222 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. On February 7, 2023, Eaton pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. According to the indictment, Eaton had previously been convicted under the laws of the State of Alabama of Sexual Abuse, First Degree, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, and of Sexual Abuse of a Child Less than 12 Years Old, in the Circuit Court of Bibb County. FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and Lloyd C. Peeples prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Federal Jury Convicts For Unlawful Reentry Of Removed Alien

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Jesus Herrera-Salazar, age 41, of Rio Verde, Mexico was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The jury trial began and concluded on June 13, 2023, with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Herrera-Salazar was an alien found in the Eastern District of Oklahoma after having been previously deported or removed from the United States. Herrera-Salazar had not received the consent of the proper legal authority to reapply for admission to the United States. The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Heavener Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the Department of Homeland Security. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.


title: Modesto Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Joshua Harrington, 36, of Modesto, was sentenced Monday to 12 years and seven months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on April 2, 2021, Harrington discarded a backpack with two firearms while fleeing from law enforcement officers. Harrington is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he has been convicted of multiple felonies in Stanislaus County, including possession of a controlled substance and two convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Officers also located methamphetamine possessed by Harrington for distribution in the garage at his residence. On Aug. 14, 2021, Harrington possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Modesto. This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office; the Stanislaus County Probation Department; and the Modesto Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Man Pleads Guilty to Running Child Sexual Abuse Website

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – An Alabama man pleaded guilty yesterday for his involvement with a website dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. According to court documents, William Michael Spearman, 57, of Madison, was the lead administrator of the website, which had been operating for many years. The website included a section devoted to the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a section devoted to images and videos depicting children being subjected to pain and torture, and a section devoted to avoiding detection by law enforcement. As the lead administrator, Spearman managed numerous other “staff” members, directed them how to help run the site, recommended other users for promotion, kept records of child pornography files advertised and distributed over the site, presided over staff meetings, praised and scolded users, and counseled users and other managers about the function and expectations of the website. Spearman also advertised and distributed images over the website. Spearman pleaded guilty to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The following defendants have also been convicted in the Southern District of Florida for their involvement with the same website: Name Residence Charges Status Selwyn David Rosenstein Boynton Beach, Florida Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; five counts of advertisement of child pornography; possession of child pornography Sentenced to 28 years in prison and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution to victims Gregory Malcolm Good Silver Springs, Nevada Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22 Robert Preston Boyles Clarksville, Tennessee Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15 Matthew Branden Garrell Raleigh, North Carolina Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography Scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1 U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, West Palm Beach Resident Agency, and Miami Field Office investigated the cases. Substantial assistance for the case was provided by FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies in: Huntsville, Alabama; Reno, Nevada; Clarksville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Madison, Wisconsin. Substantial assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, District of Nevada, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller and Trial Attorneys Kyle P. Reynolds and William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-80173. ###


title: Eric G. Olshan Sworn In As U.S. Attorney For The Western District Of Pennsylvania

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Eric G. Olshan was sworn in yesterday as the 60th United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania and began his duties immediately. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak administered the oath to Mr. Olshan, 42, of Pittsburgh. “I have spent my entire career litigating on behalf of the United States, and I’m honored to continue that service in my new role,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “I look forward to working with the dedicated attorneys and staff in our office, as well as our trusted partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, to pursue our shared goal of securing justice and protecting communities throughout the district.” Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Olshan served as the Chief of the Economic/Cyber/National Security Crimes Section. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2017, focusing primarily on white collar prosecution. During his time in the district, Mr. Olshan has served as the Civil Rights Coordinator, Public Corruption Coordinator, Health Care Fraud Coordinator, Environmental Crime Coordinator, and District Election Officer. From 2007 to 2017, Mr. Olshan served in the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., first as a Trial Attorney from 2007 to 2013 and then as Deputy Chief from 2013 to 2017. Mr. Olshan entered the Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program after serving as a law clerk for Judge Richard C. Tallman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2006 to 2007. Mr. Olshan graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003, where he earned a B.S. in physics with highest distinction. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2006. Mr. Olshan was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on March 21, 2023, and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 8, 2023. He will lead an office currently staffed with 115 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and support staff in offices in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown. The Western District of Pennsylvania covers the 25 westernmost counties in the Commonwealth.


title: Three People Plead Guilty to Illegally Providing Firearms to Essa Williams, Alleged Shooter of Phoenix Police Department Officer Tyler Moldovan

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Erika LaRae Williams, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty on May 22, 2023, to Making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. Williams purchased a Taurus G3 pistol from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) on September 3, 2020, for her son, Essa Williams, five months after his release from the Arizona Department of Corrections. During the purchase, Williams completed the Firearms Transactions Record, and represented that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. However, Williams knew she was purchasing the firearm on behalf of her son. Essa Williams is pending trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for allegedly shooting Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Officer Tyler Moldovan on December 14, 2021. This Taurus G3 pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Erika Williams is scheduled for July 31, 2023, before United States District Judge Steven P. Logan. A conviction for Making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. On May 24, 2023, Dwayne Keith Anderson, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. At the time, Anderson was a FFL, doing business in Phoenix, Arizona. Anderson met Essa Williams at a gun show, where he told Essa Williams he could assist him with firearm sales by helping him avoid a background check. On December 13, 2021, Essa Williams texted Anderson information for a female, in addition to a photo of her ID. Anderson filled out the Firearms Transaction Record with the false information of the female, including her signature. Through that transaction, Anderson actually sold a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol to Essa Williams. Although Anderson knew that the true purchaser of the firearm must fill out the Firearms Transaction Record, Anderson completed the form using the false information, knowing Essa Williams was not providing his true identification. Anderson had never met the female, and only saw Essa Williams again when Essa arrived at Anderson’s house in a black Dodge Charger to pick up the firearm. Upon completion of the transaction, Essa Williams left with the firearm. On December 14, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant, PPD detectives searched Essa Williams’ black Dodge Charger after the shooting of Officer Moldovan. During the search, detectives found the Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol on the back seat floorboard. This Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for August 7, 2023, before Judge Logan. A conviction for Aiding and Abetting the Making of a False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Alice Berdicchia, 24, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week to Misprision of a Felony. On November 26, 2021, Berdicchia agreed to bring Essa Williams, her boyfriend, a Glock 9 mm pistol. At the time Essa Williams possessed the firearm, Berdicchia knew that Essa Williams had been convicted of numerous felonies, and she also knew that Essa Williams could not legally possess a firearm. Berdicchia deliberately helped Essa Williams illegally possess a firearm and helped him conceal that crime. This Glock 9 mm pistol was not the firearm that was used to shoot Officer Moldovan. Sentencing for Berdicchia is scheduled for August 14, 2023, before Judge Logan. A conviction for Misprision of a Felony carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case was 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00277-PHX-SPL (ESW) RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-092_Williams # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Marina del Rey Man Arrested for Allegedly Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $3 Million in COVID Business Loans for Shell Companies

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Westside man has been arrested on a federal grand jury indictment alleging he fraudulently obtained nearly $3.2 million in COVID-19 loans for his businesses that, in fact, were shell companies, the Justice Department announced today. Mark Farag Shehata, 70, a.k.a. “Samy Farag,” “Mark Farag,” and “Mark Fshehata,” of Marina del Rey, was arrested Monday morning by federal agents and was arraigned late Monday in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Shehata pleaded not guilty to seven counts of wire fraud. A July 24 trial date was scheduled, and a $500,000 bond was set in this case. According to a federal grand jury indictment returned on June 8 and unsealed Monday, Shehata organized and registered four limited liability companies that purportedly operated in Marina del Rey: Shirmak Group LLC; Cynergy Group Internatioal ( sic ) LLC; Global Network Investments LLC; and Alpha and Omega Group LLC. From May 2020 to May 2021, Shehata allegedly submitted at least seven false and fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a financial aid plan Congress enacted to support businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact. The PPP loans were to be used by recipients to pay only certain authorized business expenses, such as payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities. Shehata’s four businesses were nothing more than shell companies, the indictment alleges. None of the PPP loan proceeds Shehata allegedly fraudulently obtained were used to make payments to employees for payroll or any business expenses. In furtherance of the scheme, Shehata submitted to the Small Business Administration and several lenders false applications requesting a total of $5,423,989 in PPP loans, and fraudulently obtained approximately $3,154,265 in PPP proceeds, the indictment alleges. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Shehata would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. The United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. This case was investigated by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Valerie L. Makarewicz of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case. Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Man Charged With Possessing Firearms While Trafficking Fentanyl in Chicago Suburbs

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man on drug and firearm charges for allegedly possessing multiple guns while trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in the Chicago suburbs. An indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges OMARI ANDREWS, JR., with possessing an AR-15 rifle and three handguns in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Andrews allegedly distributed fentanyl and heroin in Westmont, Ill., Villa Park, Ill., Des Plaines, Ill., and Hillside, Ill., the indictment states. In March, law enforcement searched his residence in Mt. Prospect, Ill., and discovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as the firearms, all of which were loaded. Andrews, 23, is detained in federal custody without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for June 20, 2023, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The Skokie, Ill., Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandro G. Ortega. Holding firearm and drug offenders accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. andrews_jr._indictment.pdf


title: Jury Convicts Missouri Man After Undercover Sex Sting

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN.– A federal jury convicted a Missouri man on one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, after he was arrested in an undercover operation. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Steven E. Spradley, 58, of Kansas City, Missouri, traveled from Jackson County, Missouri, to Osage County, Kansas, in July 2021 to have sex with whom he believed to be a 17-year-old girl he met online. Spradley was actually communicating with an investigator from the Osage County Sheriff’s Office posing as a minor. The Osage County Sheriff’s Office is part of the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Spradley faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “While child predators have long been a threat, the internet has greatly extended their reach to seek out victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “As these criminals scour for opportunities to prey on our young people, I applaud law enforcement officers for their proactive approach to catching these criminals and hopefully put them behind bars before a child falls victim.” “This conviction holds Mr. Spradley accountable for his shameful and predatory actions. It underscores our continued commitment to have our children grow up without fear of exploitation and the importance of our state and local law enforcement partnerships in stopping those who attempt to harm the most vulnerable in our community,” said Charles Dayoub, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge. The Osage County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and Stephen Hunting are prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources." ###


title: Violent Robbery Crew Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONALDO SMITH, 25, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment for his involvement in a spree of violent robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, Smith, Alex Josephs, Shaquille Raymond, and Deshawn Baugh committed several violent armed robberies of AT&T stores in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The perpetrators typically entered the stores shortly before closing, pointed weapons at employees, and, at times, pistol-whipped, dragged and shoved employees toward the back inventory room. They then held the employees at gunpoint while loading large bags with cell phones and other electronics. The group stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. Saviana Bourne, who worked at AT&T stores, helped plan the robberies, served as a getaway driver, and coordinated the sale of the stolen merchandise. The investigation revealed that Smith, Josephs, and Raymond robbed AT&T stores in Newington on January 29, 2021, and Enfield on February 24, 2021. Baugh then joined the conspiracy and together they robbed an AT&T store in Canton on April 15, 2021, and attempted to rob stores in Torrington and Glastonbury in May 2021, but were locked out of the stores. On June 6, 2021, Smith and his associates, armed with a semiautomatic pistol, two revolvers, and a semiautomatic rifle, robbed an AT&T store in West Springfield, Massachusetts. After the robbery, they fled in a vehicle driven by Bourne, who led police on a high-speed chase that ended when their vehicle collided with a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. Smith, Josephs, Raymond, Baugh, and Bourne were arrested, and a search of the vehicle revealed more than $150,000 in stolen merchandise, as well as the firearms used during the robbery. Judge Underhill ordered Smith to pay restitution of $298,073.86, which reflects the losses from the Newington, Enfield, and Canton robberies. The property stolen in the West Springfield robbery was recovered. Smith has been detained since his arrest. On January 5, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Josephs, Raymond, Baugh, and Bourne also pleaded guilty. On March 1, 2023, Baugh was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution of $124,842.45, which reflects the loss from the Canton robbery. On March 29, 2023, Raymond was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment and Bourne was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment. On May 23, 2023, Josephs was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment. Josephs, Raymond, and Bourne were also ordered to pay restitution of $298,073.86. Josephs and Raymond, who are citizens of Jamaica, face immigration proceedings when they are released from prison. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police and the Newington, Enfield, Canton, Torrington, Glastonbury, and West Springfield Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.


title: Haitian-Chilean Citizen Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with Plot to Kill Haitian President

body_text: MIAMI – Rodolphe Jaar, 49, was sentenced to life in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez for his participation in the events leading to the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti, after pleading guilty on March 24. From at least February to July 2021, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust President Moïse from power and replace him with someone who would serve the coconspirators’ political goals and financial interests. Jaar helped secure weapons and provided other support. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Martinez. FBI Miami and HSI Miami investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by Department of State, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement, and the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Goldbarg and Monica Castro of the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Frank Russo and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20104. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Issues 2022 Annual Report

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT –The United States Attorney’s Office made significant strides in 2022 in rebuilding community trust, reinvigorating our protection of civil rights, and restructuring our approach to violent crime, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. The details of the office’s work in 2022 are set forth in a 33-page annual report highlighting prosecutions, community outreach, trials, convictions, systemic change, and community impact. The document is available here for review by the public. The report sets forth the work done in service of the richly diverse Eastern District of Michigan. The lawyers and support professionals in our Detroit, Flint, and Bay City offices, along with our partner agencies, had significant accomplishments this year. Among them: • In fiscal year 2022, our office collected more than $289 million in judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture, more than ten times our operating budget of $25 million. These funds are being returned to victims and taxpayers. • Our efforts to target the most violent offenders who are harming public safety resulted in numerous federal convictions. We used traditional organized crime statutes, such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), to attack violent street gangs. The best example of our focused approach is the reduction of violence in the City of Pontiac. Federal and local law enforcement identified two violent street gangs terrorizing the citizens of the city. So far, fifteen gang members have been charged federally, and fourteen gang members have been charged in state court in a coordinated action. Since these arrests, shots fired calls in Pontiac are down 64%, and assault with intent to murder cases are down 56%. • Former Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith was sentenced to 21 months in prison for obstructing justice in connection with a federal investigation of Smith’s embezzlement of money from his political campaign account. Smith sought to have two of his subordinate Assistant Prosecutors lie to the FBI and to a federal Grand Jury, who were investigating Smith’s embezzlement. As part of his conviction, Smith admitted that he had embezzled $94,000 from his campaign account by falsely claiming the money was used to pay rent on a campaign office and for a political consultant. In fact, Smith used the money for personal expenses. Smith had served as the elected county prosecutor from 2004 through 2020. • We obtained a summary judgment victory against the City of Troy in our lawsuit alleging that it violated federal law when it denied the Adam Community Center’s efforts to establish an Islamic place of worship in Troy. • A ranking member of the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel was found guilty by jury after trial. The defendant facilitated the importation of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the District. He faces a significant sentence. • The office has charged 39 defendants with participating in pandemic fraud schemes, ranging from unemployment insurance fraud conspiracies to fraud in pandemic loan programs. Of the individuals charged in such cases, the United States has thus far obtained more than 20 guilty pleas and one trial conviction. • A Saginaw man pleaded guilty to hate crime charges for willfully intimidating citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. The man had called nine Starbucks stores in Michigan and told the employees answering his calls to relay racial threats to Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts. He also threatened to kill black people, using a racial slur to refer to his intended victims. In addition, the man placed a noose inside a victim’s car with a threatening note. • As a result of the Consent Decree governing the United Auto Workers union, the UAW had conducted a referendum of its members and was ordered to alter its constitution to provide for the direct election of UAW leaders. This year, in an historic election, eight independent and dissident members were elected to UAW leadership positions in contested elections. • FCA US LLC (now known as Stellantis) paid a $300 million fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States as part of a scheme to cheat U.S. regulators and customers by making false and misleading representations about its emissions control systems on diesel vehicles. The work detailed in the 2022 Annual Report demonstrates the commitment that the 220 men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office make each day to protect the citizens of the District and to advance the goals of the country.


title: Houston men charged with burning down Spring building

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 38-year-old local man is now in custody on charges of maliciously using explosive materials resulting in physical injury and conspiracy to do so, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities arrested Jason Vernon Rogers today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. Truong Quoc Duong, 52, remains in custody on the same charges following his arrest in March. A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment March 1. On Nov. 21, 2022, Duong and Rogers allegedly set fire to a three-story medical center under construction on I-45 North in Spring. The charges allege the fire resulted in burn injuries to a firefighter and damages to the building and fire truck which exceeded $1 million. According to the charges, Duong was driving a Jeep Gladiator on the date of the fire with Rogers as his passenger. Duong allegedly let Rogers out near the building. The charges allege Rogers then entered the building with a full backpack but left after several minutes without it. They allegedly later contacted each other and met up at a local restaurant. The fire had allegedly erupted after they had both left the area of the Spring building. It took firefighters several hours to extinguish it, but it was completely destroyed as was a wall to the adjoining car wash, according to the charges. According to testimony at his detention hearing, Duong owned a pet store in the strip mall next to the location of the fire. He allegedly rented the location from the same landlord who owned the now-destroyed building. The judge heard that Duong had stopped paying rent and abandoned his store before the lease expired, and the landlords sued him. Several days after, the fire occurred, according to information presented in court. Upon his arrest, authorities allegedly discovered several 2 liter bottles filled with gasoline as well as numerous unregistered firearm suppressors in Duong's vehicle. If convicted, Duong and Rogers each face up to 40 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office and Texas Ranger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Major Supplier in Juvenile Fentanyl Overdose Case Pleads Guilty

body_text: A major drug trafficker linked to a string of juvenile fentanyl overdoses in north Texas pleaded guilty today to multiple drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, was charged via criminal complaint in February and indicted later that same month. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl to a person under 21 years of age. “Over and over, Mr. Villanueva put poison into the hands of teenagers who could not possibly comprehend the inherent risks. Not even the news of multiple teenage deaths deterred this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Justice Department will not rest until every person who peddled pills to these children, directly or indirectly, is behind bars. We have seen these kids’ faces – vibrant in life, heartrending in death – and we will not forget.” “The men and women of the DEA Dallas are pleased Mr. Villanueva has pled guilty and will answer for the crimes he has committed,” said Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “Unfortunately we cannot undo the damage already done to our community, but we can use this to prove once again that drug trafficking cannot be tolerated and we must all stand together to rid our communities of the dangers of illicit drugs like fentanyl.” In plea papers, Mr. Villanueva admitted he distributed more than 200,000 fentanyl pills to north Texas customers over the course of five or six months, at a rate of about 40,000 pills per month. He sold the pills – round blue tablets marked M-30 – to a network of juvenile and adult dealers in Carrollton, who went on to sell to friends, classmates, and other customers. He often advertised on Instagram. Mr. Villanueva, through his lower-level dealers, is tied to as many as ten overdoses of nine teenagers in the Carrollton Farmer’s Branch Independent School District. The victims, all middle and high school students, ranged in age from 13 to 17. Following the arrest of two of these lower-level dealers – Eduardo Navarrete and Magaly Cano – Mr. Villanueva posted on social media, “Only thing that’s gonna stop us is feds.” Mr. Villanueva is the third defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdoses to enter a guilty plea. Magaly Cano and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty last month; five other defendants, including Mr. Navarrete, have been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.) Mr. Villanueva now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 4. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case. Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill .


title: Ohio Resident Indicted for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Cleveland, OH, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Antoine Darnell Toodle, age 31, of Cleveland, OH, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about June 29, 2022, Toodle possessed with intent to distribute and distributed 50 grams of methamphetamine, and a quantity of fentanyl and crack cocaine. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Mitchell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Pittsburgh and Clymer Residents Indicted for Violating Federal Narcotics Laws


title: Chief Engineer Convicted for Obstruction of Justice and Oil Record Book Offenses; Operating Company Pleads Guilty to Oil Record Book Offense

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 13, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Vessel Chief Engineer Denys Korotkiy was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, and failure to maintain an accurate oil record book for the vessel Donald following a five-day jury trial in San Diego. The company that operates the vessel, Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH, previously pleaded guilty for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water. The evidence showed that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Donald directly into the ocean through the vessel’s sewage holding tank without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. These illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s Oil Record Book as required by law. The evidence also showed that Korotkiy made false and fictitious entries in the Oil Record Book claiming transfers of oily bilge had been made from the vessel’s engine room bilge wells to the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank when, in fact, those transfers had not been made. Finally, the evidence showed that Korotkiy conspired with others to obstruct the United States Coast Guard’s inspection and investigation into the mishandling of oily bilge water onboard the motor vessel Donald . At the conclusion of the trial, the court remanded Chief Engineer Korotkiy to custody. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1. “Unlawful oil discharges can cause immeasurable harm to the marine environment,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We will continue to work closely with our agency partners to safeguard our oceans by vigorous enforcement of environmental laws. Today’s case is a reflection of that commitment.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the U.S. Coast Guard for their excellent work on this case. “The illegal discharge of oily bilge water at sea and the falsification and destruction of records in order to obstruct the United States’ ability to investigate those discharges are crimes we take seriously,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure polluters are held fully accountable.” “This prosecution highlights the Department of Justice and the U.S. Coast Guard’s dedication in safeguarding our oceans against those that seek to deliberately harm our natural resources,” said Captain James Spitler, Sector Commander, Coast Guard Sector San Diego. “Illegal dumping of oil and falsification of oil record books are egregious violations. This guilty verdict should serve as a reminder that the Coast Guard and our partners at the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to hold accountable those that seek to deliberately discharge oil and falsify records.” In the same matter, Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a), for failing to accurately maintain the Donald’s Oil Record Book. Under the terms of the plea agreement and subject to court approval, New Trade will pay a total fine of $1.25 million and serve a four-year term of probation, during which any vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan. Chief Engineer Korotkiy will be sentenced on September 1, 2023, by the Court for his role. The plea agreement for the company requires it to pay $312,500 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a community service payment, to be used to fund research at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Preserve. This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice. DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr2762-TWR Denys Korotkiy Age: 40 Ukraine SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine Obstruction of Justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1519 Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine Failure to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of Title 33, United States Code, Section 1908(a) Maximum penalty: Six years in prison and $500,000 fine DEFENDANT Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH SUMMARY OF CHARGES Failure to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book, in violation of Title 33, United States Code, Section 1908(a) Maximum penalty for a corporation: Five years of probation and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense INVESTIGATING AGENCIES U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego, Coast Guard Investigative Service


title: Convicted Felon and Grape Street Crip Gang Member Sentenced for Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Fredrick Bonner, 26 , has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today. According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, on September 29, 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an operation in which Bonner sold a MAG Tactical Systems, multi-caliber rifle to investigators. Bonner was arrested on October 15, 2021, for the federal law violation as well as multiple outstanding state warrants. During the investigation, it was revealed that Bonner had previously been convicted of a felony in Memphis and was affiliated with the Grape Street Crips gang. Bonner pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the ATF and our valued law enforcement partners in their efforts to confront violent crime. We will utilize every resource to disrupt the illegal activities gangs engage in such as the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other acts of violence within the communities that we serve. This sentence is a perfect example of what it looks like when the revolving door of crime stops spinning. The cycle of violence must stop,” said Marcus Watson Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Nashville. United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Bonner to 108 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the ATF. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Allen who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.


title: Greyhound Bus Passenger Convicted of Trafficking Narcotics

body_text: Memphis, TN – Juan Covarrubias-Garcia, 34, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today. According to United States Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on November 14, 2022, West Tennessee Drug Task Force Agents were working at the Greyhound bus station in Memphis, when they met an inbound bus from Oklahoma City. The defendant, Juan Covarrubias Garcia, a passenger on the bus, was found to be in possession of two brown bricks wrapped in mailing tape. Further search revealed the packages contained 990.8 grams of cocaine, approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl powder, and 5,033 fentanyl pills. The penalty for possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment, not more than life, not more than a $10,000,000 fine, and not less than 5 years’ supervised release. The penalty for possession of 500 grams or more, of cocaine is not less than 5 years’ imprisonment, not more than 40 years, not more than a $5,000,000 fine, and not less than 4 years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2023, before Chief District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman. This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce Phillips and Michelle Kimbril-Parks are prosecuting this case. ###


title: Ozark Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ozark, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Scott W. Cannon, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 14 years in federal prison without parole. On July 19, 2022, Cannon pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cannon’s residence on June 28, 2021. Cannon was located in a downstairs bedroom, where officers also found three plastic bags that contained a total of 59.43 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden inside a wooden speaker box. Officers also found a plastic bag that contained psilocybin mushrooms hidden inside a casino-style slot machine, two digital scales, two small plastic bags that contained methamphetamine residue, and a broken glass pipe in the bedroom. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Ozark, Mo., Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Property Management Company to Pay Nearly $75,000 to Resolve Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Claims

body_text: The Justice Department today announced that FPI Management Inc. (FPI) has agreed to pay $74,087 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by imposing unlawful charges on nine servicemembers who were exercising their right to terminate their apartment leases after receiving military orders to relocate. “The SCRA protects servicemembers who have answered our country’s call to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners in the Civil Rights Division stand ready to vindicate those rights, to allow our servicemembers to focus on their duty and relieve stress on them and their families.” “The right for servicemembers to terminate leases without penalty when military orders send them elsewhere is a critical protection for people who already sacrifice so much,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws to ensure that paying rent for housing they no longer need is not another sacrifice servicemembers must bear.” The SCRA extends various protections to servicemembers to allow them to devote their entire energy to the national defense. The SCRA provides protections for servicemembers in areas such as evictions, security deposits, pre-paid rent, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, interest rates, foreclosures, and automobile leases. The SCRA also allows servicemembers to terminate their residential leases after entering military service or receiving military orders for a permanent change of station, deployment, or retirement. Landlords are prohibited from imposing an early termination charge on servicemembers who terminate their leases under the SCRA. The department launched an investigation into FPI’s leasing practices after receiving a referral from Coast Guard Legal Assistance about two instances where FPI attempted to require servicemembers who were terminating their leases early under the SCRA to repay discounts they had received when they signed the lease. In one case, FPI required Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Aaron Gomez and his wife to repay $8,590 in lease concessions after they terminated their lease at an apartment building in Oakland near Coast Guard Island Alameda. In the other case, FPI told Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class William Fuchs that he would have to repay $7,838 in lease incentives after he terminated his lease at the same apartment building. Fuchs had just received military orders to relocate Charleston, South Carolina. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the department alleges that FPI unlawfully imposed early termination charges on a total of nine servicemembers who had exercised their right to terminate their residential leases upon receipt of qualifying military orders. Under the consent order, which still must be approved by the court, FPI has agreed to pay a total of $51,587 to the servicemembers and a $22,500 civil penalty to the United States. The order also requires FPI to repair the servicemembers’ tenant database entries, implement new policies and procedures that comply with the SCRA, and training its employees on the SCRA. Since 2011, the Justice Department has been awarded over $481 million in monetary relief for over 146,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov . Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil .


title: Pascagoula Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement of Labor Funds

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. -- A Pascagoula woman was sentenced to three years of probation and six months under house arrest with electronic monitoring for embezzlement of labor organization funds, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca. According to court documents, from January 2016, through February 2020, Lisa Bennett, 51, an elected business agent and self-appointed secretary and treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 204, in Pascagoula, embezzled and converted to her own use and the use of others, funds of the OPEIU Local 204 Labor organization. Bennett’s embezzlement included her writing of unauthorized checks from the union’s checking account to herself for lost time she was not entitled to receive and payments of personal cell phone bills for herself and family members. She also doubled her salary without authorization. Bennett pled guilty in February 2023 to embezzlement of labor organization funds. At the sentencing hearing on June 12, 2023, the Court also ordered Bennett to pay restitution in the amount of $33,236.93 to the OPEIU. The case was investigated by the U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Andrea Jones.


title: Longtime Missouri Juvenile Officer Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Sex With 15-Year-Old

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced a former longtime deputy state juvenile officer to seven years in prison for engaging in illegal sex acts with a 15-year-old who was living in an Illinois group home. Judge Fleissig also ordered Scott F. Burow, 63, to pay $7,500 in restitution to his victim and $5,000 to a fund that helps victims of child pornography and child trafficking. Burow met the juvenile on an online dating site on which the victim held herself out to be a young adult. Burow agreed to pay her $100 for sex, his plea agreement says. Burow also demanded that she send him a nude image to ensure that she was not an undercover law enforcement officer or working with police. Burow picked up the girl on April 2, 2020 from a public park near her group home, took her to his home and secretly recording the sex acts. He then dropped her off at a motel in Palmyra, Missouri. She flagged down a passing police officer for help. The girl was a ward of the state at the time, living in a facility supporting children struggling with issues related to attachment and developmental trauma. Burow pleaded guilty in October to a felony charge of transportation of a minor across state lines to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. The case was investigated by the Palmyra police Department, the Hannibal Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting 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 Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: St. Louis Woman Repeatedly Caught with Stolen Vehicles Admits Running Chop Shop

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis, Missouri who was repeatedly caught with stolen vehicles pleaded guilty to federal charges Monday. As part of her guilty plea, Heather Marty, 28, admitted that she was living in a warehouse in the 2900 block of North Jefferson Avenue that was being used to house, store and disassemble stolen vehicles. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives found a total of 12 stolen vehicles over a seven-month period in or near the building, including three motorcycles, five pickup trucks, three cars and one SUV, Marty’s plea agreement says. On Oct. 30, 2021, police found a stolen 2007 Yamaha motorcycle in front of the warehouse. Marty refused to allow police inside the building. On Nov. 18, 2021, officers noticed a stolen 2009 Ford Ranger parked in front of the warehouse, with a 2004 Ford F-450 nearby that had been stolen that morning. Inside the building, they found more stolen vehicles in various stages of disassembly: a 2009 Pontiac G6, a 2006 Ford F-350, a 2000 Ford Excursion, a 2011 Dodge Ram and a 2016 Honda motorcycle, the plea says. On Jan. 29, 2022, Marty was spotted at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis in a 2014 Dodge Ram that had been stolen 23 days earlier. She was arrested. Inside the truck, a detective found nine license plates, two of which belonged to stolen vehicles. An investigation revealed that in the week before her arrest, Marty had been in the area of four thefts and one attempted theft of catalytic converters, as well as four burglaries and an auto theft. On June 20, 2022, Marty was caught at the warehouse in a pickup that had a stolen 2022 KTM Duke motorcycle in the truck bed. On July 13, 2022, a detective found one stolen truck and two stolen cars in the warehouse that were being disassembled. Marty pleaded guilty Monday in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross to one count of transportation of a stolen vehicle and one count of operating a chop shop. At her September 19 sentencing, Marty faces up to 10 years in prison for the stolen vehicle charge and up to 15 years in prison on the chop shop charge, a $250,000 fine for each count, or both prison and a fine. She will also be ordered to pay restitution to victims. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.


title: Orange County Lawyer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Fraud of Victims Who Believed They Were Funding Loan Program

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A Newport Beach lawyer who claimed she was providing loans to the rich and famous has agreed to plead guilty to federal felony charges for using her investors’ money to fund her lavish lifestyle, causing them to lose more than $8 million, the Justice Department announced today. Sara Jacqueline King, 39, is charged in a two-count information with wire fraud and money laundering. Both the information and a related plea agreement were filed late Monday in United States District Court in Santa Ana. King is expected to make her initial court appearance on June 20. According to her plea agreement, King operated King Family Lending LLC, a Newport Beach-based company that purportedly gave short-term, high-interest loans to professional athletes, celebrities and other high-net-worth individuals. The loans supposedly were secured by the borrowers’ own assets, including designer handbags, watches, luxury automobiles, yachts and earnings from guaranteed sports contracts. From January 2022 until January 2023, King – through her company – recruited investors to purportedly fund her business’s loans. She admitted to telling investors that their investments were secured by the same collateral as the loans themselves. King promised she would retain possession of the collateral and that, in the event a borrower defaulted, she would sell the collateral to pay the investor in full. King said she would keep a percentage of the interest earned from the loans and that she would pass along a percentage of the interest to victim-investors, along with their initial investment. In reality, during this time period, King never initiated or funded any loan. Instead, she used victims’ funds to gamble at Las Vegas casinos and support her lavish lifestyle. King admitted to causing five investors to lose more than $8 million. She has agreed that the applicable restitution amount in this case is at least $8,785,045. She further admitted to withdrawing approximately $132,156 of investor money from King Family Lending’s bank account to purchase a Porsche Taycan electric sports car. The FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Bridgeport man admits to taking nearly $650,000 in COVID Relief funds

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Bridgeport, West Virginia, man has admitted to accepting nearly $650,000 in fraudulent COVID-19 relief funding. James Nolte, 52, pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud. Nolte admitted to improperly securing CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for businesses he reportedly owned by falsely representing wages, staff, and tax returns. Nolte received $645,747 in fraudulent loans for PGO Veterans Services, PG Health, RJS Catering, and Dental Care Plus. Nolte is facing up to 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided. Anyone aware of COVID fraud can report it via email to wvfraud@fbi.gov , by telephone to 304-234-0100, or via regular mail to the U.S. Attorney, P.O. Box 591, Wheeling, WV 26003, Attn: COVID Fraud Unit. ###


title: Albion Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Purchase Firearms for Convicted Felon in Palmyra

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: An Albion man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to providing false information to a federal firearms dealer while purchasing firearms. According to court records, in June 2018, Charles Viles , 31, knowingly made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer in Palmyra. Viles represented in writing that he was purchasing the firearms for himself despite knowing he was buying them for, and at the direction of, someone else. That person was a convicted felon and was therefore legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. Viles faces up to five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Massachusetts State Police investigated the case. The Middlesex County (Massachusetts) District Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation. STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. ###


title: Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Entering the United States After Prior Removal

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: In separate hearings, two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States after a prior removal. According to court records, in April 2023, Manuel Bonilla Davila , 38, and Eduardo Ruiz Rojas , 36, were each discovered by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Aroostook County, a short distance from the international boundary. Immigration records showed that both men had been previously removed from the U.S.—Davila in March 2011 in Texas and Rojas in September 2019 in Arizona. Neither man had obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Davila and Rojas each face up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. They will be sentenced after the completion of presentence investigation reports by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the cases. ###


title: Great Falls man admits trafficking meth, fentanyl in community

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man admitted today to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the community, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Shacotta Keenan St. Onge, aka Shaq, 30, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. St. Onge faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 9. St. Onge was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in the fall of 2022, the Russell Country Drug Task Force learned that St. Onge was distributing drugs in the Great Falls area. Law Enforcement used undercover agents and confidential informants to make controlled buys of meth and fentanyl pills from St. Onge in January. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on St. Onge’s residence in February and recovered fentanyl pills and meth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case. Homeland Security Investigations, the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Great Falls Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX