title: Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve 36 Months in Prison for Lying about Prior Felony Convictions during Attempted Firearm Purchase

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, OLAJUWON MARKEEZES HOPGOOD , 29, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On April 3, 2023, Hopgood was charged by Information with making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm. According to an affidavit in a previously filed criminal complaint, on December 28, 2022, the Bethany Police Department received a call from the owner of a local sporting goods store regarding suspicious individuals at his business. When Bethany police officers arrived, Hopgood was in the process of filling out paperwork for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (ATF Form 4473) in order to purchase a firearm, but he fled the business when he noticed the officers. As presented in open court, an investigation into Hopgood and his associates – including several juveniles – indicates that the group was preparing to rob the sporting goods store. The complaint further alleges that when Hopgood left the business, he left behind the completed ATF Form 4473, on which he indicated he had never been convicted of a felony or a crime for which he could be imprisoned for more than one year. Public record reflects that Hopgood has sustained multiple felony convictions, including burglaries in the first and second degree in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2011-4195, as well as pointing a firearm at another person and possession of a firearm after a former conviction of a felony in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2015-2826. On May 19, 2023, Hopgood pleaded guilty and admitted that he made a false statement on the form despite his prior felony convictions. At the sentencing hearing on Tuesday of this week, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Hopgood to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by an additional three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the court noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and Hopgood’s violent background. Federal law prohibits knowingly making any false statement in connection with purchasing, or attempting to purchase, a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) requires prospective firearm buyers to complete ATF Form 4473. This Form requires buyers to answer several questions, including those about the buyer’s competency, criminal history, drug use, immigration status, and history with domestic violence. Applicants who knowingly make false statements may also face criminal prosecution for a felony and up to 10 years in federal prison. Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), who sell or transfer a firearm to a prohibited person, allow a straw purchaser to buy a gun for someone else, or fail to keep proper records of who they sell firearms to may also face criminal prosecution. Before attempting to purchase a firearm, prospective buyers who have eligibility concerns should visit www.atf.gov or contact their local ATF field office. This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Bethany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Nigerian Man Sentenced To Prison For Covid-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scam

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 21, 2024, Valentine O. Odije, 35 years old, a Nigerian citizen currently residing in Georgia, was sentenced to 21 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Odije pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use an unauthorized access device related to his and his coconspirators’ unlawful use of debit cards funded with Covid-19 unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(b)(2). Following his incarceration, he will be on supervised release for a period of three years. In addition, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $661,082.19 and to forfeit $86,651.68 in cash. As set forth in the written plea agreement filed with the court, Odije was recruited into an ongoing scheme by individuals who were filing fraudulent UI benefits claims during the pandemic. The fraudulent claims resulted in UI benefits being loaded onto debit cards that Odije possessed. Odije’s role in the scheme was to use those debit cards to withdraw cash and purchase money orders. Odije knew the debit cards were funded with unlawfully obtained UI benefits. Odije recruited others to help him access the UI benefits on the cards, selecting the cards for them to use and instructing them how to withdraw cash and purchase money orders. On July 17, 2020, Odije and his coconspirators used four debit cards at a retail store in the Eastern District of Tennessee to collectively withdraw $23,527.99 in UI benefits. When Odije and his coconspirators were arrested that day, Odije possessed 315 debit cards, 204 of which were funded with a total of $661,082.19 in unlawfully obtained UI benefits. Two of Odije’s coconspirators, Dianne M. Coffie and Ayeesha Shah, previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Tennessee to conducting unlawful transactions with an access device. Coffie was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution. Shah was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Resident Agent in Charge, Jason Brown, of the United States Secret Service; and Special Agent in Charge, Matthew Broadhurst, of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. William A. Roach, Jr., an Assistant United States Attorney who serves as the Eastern District of Tennessee’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Mississippi Delta Grain Elevator Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: OXFORD, MS – John R. Coleman, age 47, of Greenwood, Mississippi, appeared today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills in Oxford and pled guilty to wire fraud. According to court documents, Coleman, an owner and operator of Express Grain, altered the company’s audited financial statements in order to receive a State warehouse license, lied about the amount of debt he owed on grain held at the Express Grain facility, and claimed to farmers that Express Grain was financially healthy when the company was actually on the brink of bankruptcy. Express Grain eventually filed bankruptcy in 2021 causing widespread financial hardship for farmers all over the Mississippi Delta. Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Judge Mills set Coleman’s sentencing hearing for June 13, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. and will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “The fraud committed by the defendant in this case has directly and adversely impacted a large number of farmers and it is important that he be held accountable for his actions,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I am extremely grateful for the state and federal law enforcement partnership that has made this prosecution possible.” “This case is an example of the impact that we can make when we work together,” said Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for securing this federal conviction. My office will continue to fight on behalf of the taxpayers and the hardworking farmers defrauded here until justice is fully served.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.


title: Couple Charged For $2 Million Bank Loan And COVID-19 Relief Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte charges Antoine Johnson, 48, and Kimberly Maddox, 43, formerly of Huntersville, N.C., currently residing in Georgia, with fraudulently obtaining approximately $2 million in bank loans and COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, announced Dena J. King U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants owned and operated Pick Up and Go Moving International, Inc. and affiliated businesses (collectively, PUGMI). Johnson was the president of PUGMI and Maddox the vice president. The indictment alleges that, between 2018 and 2023, the defendants fraudulently obtained multiple lines of credit, bank loans, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans on behalf of their businesses totaling approximately $2 million. To secure the loans, the defendants allegedly lied on loan applications about PUGMI’s income, gross revenues, expenses, and number of employees, and submitted fabricated supporting documents that included fraudulent tax returns and fictitious financial statements. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and making false statements to a financial institution and face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In making the announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassye Cole of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: City Man Convicted of Drug, Gun Offenses for Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Operating in Port Richmond Section of Philadelphia

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Phillip Gillard, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial on February 16, 2024, of federal drug trafficking and firearm offenses. On July 18, 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a 54-count superseding indictment charging Gillard and eight co-defendants with their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, in the immediate vicinity of the Memphis Street Academy, a charter school located at 2950 Memphis Street. The charges in the indictment arose from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s two-year investigation into the Gillard drug trafficking organization, which supplied other drug traffickers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, phencyclidine (“PCP”), fentanyl, and other narcotics. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. Gillard and his co-defendants maintained three separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization, all of which were less than 1,000 feet away from the Memphis Street Academy. In total, the FBI confiscated over 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine, three gallons of PCP, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, 900 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of fentanyl, and 11 firearms. Gillard now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Co-defendants Diane Gillard, Raphael Sanchez, Sharif Jackson, Amin Whitehead, Cesar Maldonado, and Terrence Maxwell previously pleaded guilty to similar charges and also face maximum sentences of life in prison. Co-defendants Melvin Dreher and Arron Preno previously pleaded guilty and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, with extraordinary cooperation from the Memphis Street Academy, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Robert W. Schopf.


title: Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty To Committing Bank Fraud Using Stolen Mail

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Douglas Gumbs, 38, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud using stolen mail, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed documents and court proceedings, from February 2022 to April 2023, Gumbs and Soheil Akhavan Rezaie , targeted neighborhoods in Charlotte and surrounding areas and stole large quantities of mail from residential mailboxes. The stolen mail included credit cards, tax forms, financial statements, personal identifying information (PII), and personal and business bank checks. Gumbs used the stolen mail to commit bank fraud by altering the amounts of the stolen checks or changing the names of the payees to his own and then depositing the altered checks into bank accounts he controlled. Gumbs then withdrew the funds before the victims and financial institutions had an opportunity to determine the checks were stolen. Gumbs also admitted to using fraudulent identification to execute the fraud. Over the course of the investigation, Gumbs was found to be in possession of more than 850 pieces of stolen mail that belonged to at least 10 victims. Gumbs pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine. Gumbs is currently in custody. A sentencing date has not been set. Rezaie was previously convicted for related conduct and was sentenced to 57 months in prison. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and USPIS for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is in charge of the prosecution. Each year, the U.S. Postal Service ® handles billions of letters and packages, the majority of which arrive safely at their intended destinations. According to USPIS, here are the extra steps the public can take to prevent mail theft and ensure that mail arrives safely at its destination: Promptly pick up mail – try not to leave letters and packages in the mailbox or at the door unattended for any length of time. Deposit mail close to pick up time – deposit outgoing mail into collection boxes before the last collection or inside the local postal office. Inquire about overdue mail – if you have not received valuable or important mail you’re expecting, contact the sender to inquire about it. Do not send cash – be careful about what you are sending in the mail. Avoid mailing cash and gift cards. Arrange for prompt pick up – if you will not be available to receive a package in person, contact the postal service to hold your package. Use the Hold for Pick Up option – when shipping packages, use the Hold for Pick Up option, so the recipients can pick up package at their local post office. Request signature confirmation – when mailing important mail, consider requesting a signature confirmation from the recipient. File a change of address – when moving, promptly file a change of address with the Postal Service. To report suspected mail theft, please call USPIS at 1-877-876-2455.


title: 13 Defendants Indicted in Connection with Two Drug Trafficking Conspiracies

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Thirteen defendants have been indicted in connection with drug trafficking organizations out of Manchester and Concord, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Over the past week and a half, law enforcement arrested nine of these defendants on conspiracies to distribute controlled substance charges, namely methamphetamine and fentanyl. The following defendants have been indicted in connection with these charges: Rashidahmed Cantave, 42, of Boston, Massachusetts, who was released on federal pretrial supervision. Matthew Schnell, 43, of Bellingham, Massachusetts, who is in federal custody. Thomas Conway, 53, of Bedford, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Michael Raiche, 47, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Angel Demarco, 41, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Anthony Conley, 47, of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Dennis Drew, 50, of Northfield, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Robby Lewis, 51, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Maureen Corsetti, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, who was released on federal pretrial supervision. Serene Hull, 38, of Concord, New Hampshire, who is in federal custody. Zachary Albert, 42, of Concord, New Hampshire, who is in state custody. Jeremy Trask, 35, of Milford, New Hampshire, who is in state custody. Alton Ryan, 50, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, who is in state custody. According to court documents and statements made in court, these drug trafficking rings have allegedly been supplying methamphetamine and fentanyl to customers since at least October 2022. The charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department, the Concord Police Department, the Bow Police Department, and the Seabrook Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad E. Hodes and Heather A. Cherniske are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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 . ###


title: Bank Fraud Charges Added to Indictment Against Swiss Businessman in Connection to Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – A superseding indictment, unsealed today, charges Vladislav Osipov, 52, a Russian national who resides in Switzerland, with five counts of bank fraud, in addition to charges previously lodged, in connection with the operation of a 255-foot luxury superyacht owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg. The superyacht, registered in the Cook Islands, is known as the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango (International Maritime Organization number 1010703). The Tango was the first superyacht to be seized by the U.S. government under court order following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The new charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin Winston of the Minneapolis Field Office, and Task Force Klepto-Capture Co-Directors Michael Khoo and David Lim. Osipov remains at large. The U.S. State Department today offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. The reward is offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. Osipov was previously indicted in November 2022 on multiple charges in connection with operating the superyacht that included conspiracy to defraud the United States; violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; and money laundering. The superseding indictment brings the total number of charges to 17, and seeks the forfeiture of Tango and all fees, payments, and monies derived from services performed on its behalf. According to the superseding indictment, despite U.S. sanctions that had been previously issued against Vekselberg in 2018, Osipov and a co-conspirator facilitated the operation of the Tango through the use of U.S. companies and the U.S. financial system, attempting to obfuscate Vekselberg’s involvement in the vessel. “Facilitators of sanctions evasion enable the oligarchs supporting Vladimir Putin’s regime to flout U.S. law,” said U.S Attorney Graves. “The United States will not allow its financial institutions and persons to be manipulated or defrauded for the purposes of benefitting those who support tyranny.” “The security of our financial systems and protection of our nation's economic integrity are of utmost importance,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not relent in ensuring that U.S. law is upheld and that our financial institutions remain impervious to exploitation by those who support tyranny.” Osipov served in senior positions in multiple companies controlled by Vekselberg. Among his many roles, Osipov functioned as Vekselberg’s personal manager of Tango. Osipov designed a complicated ownership structure of shell companies to hide Vekselberg’s ownership of the superyacht, despite that Vekselberg designed the vessel, was its sole user, and was the ultimate beneficial owner. The conduct enabled Vekselberg to evade the Treasury Department’s “Know Your Customer” regulations applicable to U.S. financial institutions and the reporting of transactions to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Vekselberg is described by the Treasury Department as the founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renova Group, which is comprised of asset management companies and investment funds that own and manage assets in several sectors of the Russian economy, including tech and energy. As alleged, after Vekselberg was sanctioned in April 2018, he hired a yacht management company in Palma de Mallorca, Spain to take over the management of Tango. Osipov and his employees instructed the yacht management company to avoid doing business with banks in Tango’s true name. The management company, thereafter, devised a scheme to use a false name for the yacht, “the Fanta,” to hide from financial institutions that payments were ultimately for the benefit of Tango and Vekselberg, a practice to which Osipov and his employees assented. The bank account for Tango thereafter bore the reference name “Fanta” on the bank records. Additionally, Osipov instructed employees of the superyacht, to include its captains, that they could continue to do business with U.S. companies despite sanctions, as it was up to the U.S. companies to decide what to do. Osipov further instructed the same employees that the yacht management company could organize payments for the superyacht in dollars, and then be reimbursed by Vekselberg (through Osipov) in Euros. Thus, due to these instructions from Osipov, Vekselberg’s personal yacht manager, the superyacht’s management company and its employees conveyed false information to U.S. financial institutions and conducted business with U.S. companies, in an effort to avoid the impact of U.S. sanctions against Vekselberg. Tango employees used their own credit cards to purchase an array of items from U.S. companies on behalf of the superyacht, only to be reimbursed by the yacht management company. Tango employees ordered goods through use of a U.S. internet service provider as an intermediary, who then billed the same items back to the yacht management company. Items purchased included navigation and computer software, luxury monogramed bath robes, leather basket magazine holders, weather forecasting software, internet computing systems, satellite television, and teleconferencing software, all products of U.S.-origin products or services supplied by U.S. companies. As a result of the obfuscations, U.S. financial institutions unknowingly processed hundreds of thousands of dollars of transactions for Tango that they otherwise would not have permitted had they known of Vekselberg’s involvement in the financial transaction. The financial institutions received information, all done in furtherance of the scheme designed by Osipov, that the goods were sold to the Tango employees, the U.S. internet service provider, and to “the Fanta.” Further, these payments and Vekselberg’s involvement in them were not reported to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. On April 4, 2022, Spanish law enforcement executed a Spanish court order freezing Tango. The Spanish acted following a request from the Department of Justice that it assist with the execution of a seizure warrant, issued in March 2022 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which alleged that Tango was subject to forfeiture based on violations of U.S. law. The case is part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The task force leverages all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. The charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Spanish Guardia Civil - Jefatura de Informacion - Unidad Especial Numero III (UCE-III). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Maeghan Mikorski and Paralegal Brian Rickers, with valuable assistance provided by Paralegal Jorge Casillas and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in working with the Spanish authorities throughout this matter.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Bowling Green Felon for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on February 14, 2024, charging a Bowling Green man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Mike Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Christopher B. Cornell, 40, possessed a Taurus PT111 Millennium G2, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, and ammunition. Cornell was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On February 18, 2019, in Warren Circuit Court, Cornell was convicted of third-degree burglary. On October 19, 2015, in Warren Circuit Court, Cornell was convicted of third-degree assault and third-degree burglary. The defendant appeared for his arraignment yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The defendant remains in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Cornell faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Bowling Green Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Rochester Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with COVID-19 Fraud, Identify Theft, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: CONCORD – A Rochester man pleaded guilty today in federal court to fraud and identity theft related to his fraudulent applications for CARES Act loans and to possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Heath Gauthier, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, attempted wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024. Gauthier was charged with wire fraud and identity theft on February 15, 2023, and was charged with possession of child pornography on August 2, 2023. Between February 2020 and March 2021, Gauthier fraudulently applied for more than a dozen loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs. Gauthier applied for loans for non-existent companies and used the identities of more than ten deceased individuals in his applications, listing them in some applications as owners or employees of the fictitious companies. He also submitted false documents, including fabricated tax documents and counterfeit driver’s licenses, in support of the applications. In total the indictment alleges that Gauthier applied for more than $1 million in CARES Act loan funds. Gauthier was arrested on February 16, 2023, and investigators executed a search warrant on his residence, where they seized and later searched Gauthier’s electronic devices. During the search, investigators discovered more than 1,500 files that contained child sexual abuse material. The charging statutes provide a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and no greater than 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. The identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and, if a defendant has a qualifying prior office, the child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. Gauthier also faces at least 5 years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of at least $199,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The IRS Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Social Security Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew T. Hunter and Kasey Weiland are prosecuting the case. During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Private lenders could participate in the PPP. The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government. If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness. The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. ###


title: 11 Defendants Indicted for $220,000 Covid Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eleven defendants from Missouri, Kansas, Texas, and Washington have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy that resulted in more than $220,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Daisha Sanders, 32, and her boyfriend, Joel Wright, 34, both formerly of Blue Springs, Mo., and her mother, Denise Sanders, 60, all of Royse, Texas; Shaquille Fielder, 31, of Kansas City, Mo.; Jordan Nichols, 30, of North Kansas City, Mo.; Kiandra Crowe, 33, of Grandview, Mo.; Alfred Hayes IV, 29, of Overland Park, Kansas; Luana McNurlin, 36, of St. Louis, Mo.; Rashonda Golden, 34, of Tacoma, Washington; Roxanne Nazir, 38, of Arlington, Texas; and Jeffrey Chillis, 30, of Corpus Christi, Texas, were charged in a 13-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 6, 2024. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of nine defendants. Crowe, Hayes, McNurlin and Fielder will have their initial court appearances in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., today. Daisha and Denise Sanders, Wright, Nazir and Chillis were arrested in Texas and will have their first court appearances tomorrow. The federal indictment alleges that each of the 11 defendants participated in a conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans from February 2021 to July 2022. The conspiracy allegedly caused more than $220,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, most of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP. According to the indictment, Daisha Sanders created PPP loan applications for herself and for each of the co-conspirators in exchange for a payment from the loan proceeds. The applications falsely stated either the existence of a sole proprietorship prior to the pandemic or greatly inflated the revenues of any “businesses” that did exist in 2019. Daisha Sanders allegedly created fictitious bank records, IRS forms and other false financial documents to support the fraudulent PPP loan applications. Daisha Sanders submitted the PPP loan applications on behalf of each of the co-conspirators, according to the indictment. Once the PPP loans were funded, the co-conspirators would pay her up to $5,000 for making and submitting the false loan applications. In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy, Daisha Sanders is charged with one count of wire fraud and each of the remaining defendants is charged with aiding and abetting Daisha Sanders in one count of wire fraud. Each of the defendants allegedly applied for a PPP loan of approximately $20,833. Daisha Sanders is also charged with one count of money laundering. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Daisha Sanders to forfeit to the government any proceeds she derived from the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $70,832. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Former DEA Task Force Officer Sentenced To Prison For Unlawfully Assaulting Individual During Arrest

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DUSTIN GENCO, a former investigator with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and Task Force Officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott to three months in prison for depriving an individual (the “Victim”) of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force. On October 20, 2022, GENCO assaulted the Victim while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. GENCO pled guilty on August 2, 2023, before Judge Cott to deprivation of rights under color of law. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, former DEA Task Force Officer Dustin Genco was sentenced to prison for depriving a restrained individual of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force. Genco abused his authority as a law enforcement officer two-fold: First, he broke a bright-line rule when he kicked in the chest a handcuffed and restrained man. Then, he lied repeatedly to his supervisor about his conduct and falsified an official report about the arrest. When an officer acts outside the law, he must be held to account in order to protect the rule of law and the public trust in the countless law-abiding officers and agents who put their own safety on the line every day. I commend the hard work of the career prosecutors of my Office and our law enforcement partners at the DOJ Office of the Inspector General for their commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice in this case.” According to public documents and statements made in court: On or about October 20, 2022, GENCO was employed as a Task Force Officer with the DEA. GENCO was assigned to assist with the arrest of the Victim. During the arrest, GENCO assaulted the Victim by forcefully kicking the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs, resulting in injury to the Victim. After the assault, GENCO intentionally misled a federal law enforcement agent about the assault, claiming that the Victim had continued to resist arrest after he was handcuffed. GENCO also failed to truthfully disclose in an official report that he had kicked the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. * * * In addition to the prison term, DUSTIN GENCO, 51, of Seaford, New York, was sentenced to one year of supervised release and a $10,000 fine. The judgment also included GENCO’s agreement to permanently cease and refrain from seeking or obtaining law enforcement employment on behalf of any federal, state, or local entity. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Nelson County Man Sentenced to Over 9 Years in  Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Nelson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 9 years and 2 months in prison for charges related to bank fraud and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Vince Zehme of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Sheriff John Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to court documents, Wavy Curtis Shain, 42, was sentenced yesterday to 9 years and 2 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,455,755 in restitution, for one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. There is no parole in the federal system. From July 2019 to August 11, 2020, Shain engaged in a scheme to defraud two federally insured financial institutions by attempting to fraudulently refinance real property without the knowledge and approval of the true property owner, conducted sham real estate sales where the buyer and seller were unaware of the real estate transactions, and purchased real estate in the names of other individuals without their knowledge and permission. Shain also knowingly engaged in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property, specifically the fraudulent loan proceeds, by wiring the funds to a nominee company he controlled. This case was investigated by the IRS CI, the FDIC OIG, the USPS, the FBI, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd, Erin Bravo, and Amy Sullivan prosecuted the case. ###


title: Task Force KleptoCapture Announces Array of New Charges, Arrests, and Forfeiture Proceedings in Advance of Second Anniversary of Illegal Invasion of Ukraine

body_text: Remote video URL From the outset of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the Department of Justice has prioritized enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed alongside our global partners. Today, the Department continues that work through significant enforcement actions in five separate federal cases against sanctioned oligarchs and facilitator networks supporting the Russian regime. Today’s actions coincide with the approaching two-year mark of Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. Read more about the Justice Department’s efforts to hold Russia accountable here . “The Justice Department is more committed than ever to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that are fueling Putin’s war and to holding accountable those who continue to enable it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why today we are announcing several additional enforcement actions that the Justice Department has taken to bring prosecutions against and seize assets of sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military.” “Since the onset of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department has used every tool in our arsenal – including our international partnerships – to target the criminal actors and activity propping up Vladimir Putin, his henchmen, and his illegal war,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Over the last two years, our Task Force KleptoCapture has restrained, seized, and obtained judgments to forfeit nearly $700 million in assets from Russian enablers and charged more than 70 individuals for violating international sanctions and export controls levied against Russia. The charges we announce today against oligarchs, facilitators, and money launderers are the next chapter: so long as Russia's aggression continues, so too will our resolve to hold its enablers accountable. We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine.” “It has been two years since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the FBI continues to go after the Russian criminals who finance and enable Russia’s war,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To the people of Ukraine fighting for their freedom: The FBI remains steadfast in our efforts to disrupt and hold accountable the criminals supporting the Russian War, and we will continue to stand with you to fend off Russian aggression for as long as it takes.” In the Southern District of New York, the Department unsealed charges against three people, including sanctioned oligarch Andrey Kostin and two of his U.S.-based facilitators. The facilitators, Vadim Wolfson, aka Vadim Belyaev and Gannon Bond, were arrested today. In the Middle District of Florida, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Sergey Vitalievich Kurchenko, a sanctioned pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch, in a years-long scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions by receiving funds from and doing approximately $330 million in business with U.S. persons. In the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta-based dual national Feliks Medvedev pleaded guilty to his role in laundering over $150 million through bank accounts and shell companies on behalf of Russian clients. Separately, on Feb. 13, KSK Group – a sanctioned Russian company which assists Russian citizens with international money movements – and two overseas Russian nationals, including one sanctioned individual, were indicted for money laundering. In the Southern District of Florida, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint against two Miami luxury condominium properties owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Perevalov. The properties are allegedly connected to a conspiracy to maintain and transfer real estate for the benefit of Perevalov. Located at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour, the properties are valued at approximately $2.5 million. Lastly, in the District of Columbia, a superseding indictment was unsealed today charging Vladislav Osipov with bank fraud in connection with a criminal scheme to facilitate the operation of the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango, a 255-foot luxury yacht that the Justice Department has previously stated is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. United States v. Kostin et al., Southern District of New York Today, the United States unsealed an indictment charging Andrey Kostin, a sanctioned Russian oligarch and the President and Chairman of a Russian state-owned bank with participating in two schemes to violate U.S. sanctions and arrested two U.S.-based co-conspirators for their role in facilitating one of the schemes. As alleged in the indictment, Kostin participated in a scheme to evade sanctions and launder funds to support two superyachts, collectively worth over $135 million. Kostin and two U.S. persons also allegedly engaged in a scheme to evade sanctions related to a luxury home in Aspen, Colorado. Facilitators Vadim Wolfson, aka Vadim Belyaev, 56, of Austin, Texas, and a legal permanent resident of the United States, and Gannon Bond, 49, a U.S. citizen of Edgewater, New Jersey, were arrested earlier today. Kostin is a Russian oligarch who was sanctioned by OFAC on April 6, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13661 for being an official of the Government of the Russian Federation. From at least on or about April 6, 2018, through at least on or about March 2, 2022, Kostin and others, including at times Wolfson and Bond, allegedly participated in schemes to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), through the provision of funds, goods, and services, including U.S. financial services and U.S. dollar transactions, to and for Kostin’s benefit. The indictment alleges that Kostin also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering to promote IEEPA violations. According to the indictment, before and after OFAC sanctioned Kostin, he beneficially owned and controlled, through various shell companies, several assets worth tens of millions of dollars, including two superyachts identified as the Sea Rhapsody and Sea & Us, valued at over $135 million . Kostin and others allegedly violated IEEPA on numerous occasions, including by causing U.S. dollar payments to be made for the maintenance, operation, and improvement of the Sea Rhapsody and Sea & Us for the benefit of Kostin and without an OFAC license, which is required for U.S. persons to transact with a sanctioned person. In causing these U.S. dollar payments to be made, Kostin and others also allegedly committed international money laundering. The indictment alleges that Kostin also owned a luxury home in Aspen, Colorado, that he purchased for $13.5 million in 2010. From at least on or about April 6, 2018, through at least in or about September 2019, Kostin, Wolfson, Bond, and others participated in a scheme to violate the IEEPA by providing funds, goods, and services for the benefit of Kostin, whose property and interests in property, including the Aspen home, were blocked as a result of the OFAC sanctions against him. Specifically, notwithstanding having been sanctioned by OFAC, Kostin and his conspirators allegedly schemed to operate, maintain, and improve Kostin’s Aspen residence in a manner designed to conceal Kostin’s continued ownership of this luxury asset. In addition, in or about September 2019, Kostin, Wolfson, Bond, and others allegedly committed additional sanctions violations by dealing in and transferring Kostin’s blocked property. Specifically, the conspirators allegedly arranged to sell the Aspen home and provide Kostin with approximately $12 million resulting from the sale. Kostin, 67, of Russia, remains at large and is believed to be in Russia. KOSTIN is charged with two counts of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, two counts of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, all of which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Wolfson is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA and two counts of violating IEEPA, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Bond is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA and two counts of violating IEEPA, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and David Felton for the Southern District of New York’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit, and Trial Attorneys Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Oleksandra Johnson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case. United States v. Kurchenko, Middle District of Florida Pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Sergey Vitalievich Kurchenko, 38, currently believed to be living in Moscow, Russia, is charged with violating the IEEPA and U.S. sanctions on Russia in connection with a years-long scheme to do business in the United States, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Kurchenko was sanctioned by OFAC in 2015 for his role in misappropriating state assets of Ukraine or of an economically significant entity in Ukraine. As alleged, between in or about July 2017 through in or about February 2022, Kurchenko and others used a network of shell companies that Kurchenko owned and controlled to sell metal products – including pig iron, wire rods, and steel billets – to individuals and entities in the United States, including a U.S. company identified as Company A in court documents. The metal products included items produced in factories in the Donbas region of Ukraine that were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. As alleged, Kurchenko committed money laundering by transferring funds into and out of the United States in connection with the scheme and his IEEPA violations. To facilitate the unlawful transactions described above, Kurchenko allegedly met with U.S.-based purchasers in Moscow to negotiate metal transactions between entities that he owned and controlled and U.S. persons, including Company A and its representatives. As alleged, Kurchenko willfully engaged in transactions involving the sale and shipment of products valued at more than $330 million to individuals and companies in the United States. Kurchenko is charged with conspiracy to violate the IEEPA and U.S. sanctions against Russia, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI Tampa Field Office, Orlando Resident Agency, and Washington Field Office, International Corruption Unit, are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey Bratt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. United States v. Feliks Medvedev and United States v. KSK Group et al., Northern District of Georgia On Feb. 7, Feliks Medvedev, 42, a Russian citizen residing in Buford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with using shell companies to make more than 1,300 financial transfers totaling over $150 million into bank accounts controlled by the defendant. According to court documents, Medvedev registered eight shell companies in the state of Georgia between July 2019 and July 2020, for which he was the sole agent and signatory on relevant bank accounts. Medvedev’s purported business purposes for these companies included, among others, “computer software wholesaler,” “professional equipment,” and “coal / mineral wholesaler.” Court documents note that these companies did not have any employees, or expenditures for payroll, rent, equipment, or other business-related costs. As stated in documents filed with the court, throughout the scheme, there were over 1,200 transfers totaling over $150 million into the bank accounts for these companies, which were controlled by Medvedev. Over $150 million was then transferred out of these accounts in over 1,300 transactions. Medvedev retained over $500,000 from the funds transferred into accounts he controlled. Medvedev pleaded guilty to one count of conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Medvedev is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7. Relatedly, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment on Feb. 13, alleging that Alexey Chubarov, 42, of Russia, and Lev Solyannikov, 31, of Russia, and their company KSK Group, conspired with Medvedev in the transfer of these funds and then laundered the illegal proceeds. According to the indictment, KSK Group is a business consulting firm in Moscow, Russia, and Chubarov and Solyannikov both worked for KSK Group. Chubarov and Solyannikov allegedly informed Medvedev about incoming wires and then directed Medvedev concerning the outgoing transfers he should make, including transferring certain funds to the Singapore Precious Metal Exchange (Exchange) to purchase gold bullion. According to the indictment, Medvedev’s companies transmitted at least $65 million to purchase gold from the Exchange. On Sept.14, 2023, OFAC added Chubarov and KSK Group to the list of Specially Designated Nationalss and Blocked Persons, pursuant to Executive Order 14024, for operating or having operated in the financial services sector of the Russian Federation economy. Chubarev and Solyannikov are charged with conspiracy to conduct an unlicensed money transmitting business and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each count; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and money laundering which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber, Norman L. Barnett, and Sekret T. Sneed for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. Forfeiture of Real Properties Belonging to Viktor Perevalov, Southern District of Florida Today, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Southern District of Florida alleging that two Bal Harbour condominiums are subject to forfeiture based on violations of IEEPA, OFAC sanctions, and federal money laundering statutes. As alleged in the complaint, Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov were co-founders of VAD, AO, a Russia-based construction company responsible for constructing the Tavrida Highway in the Russian-occupied Crimea region of Ukraine. On Jan. 26, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13685, OFAC sanctioned Victor Perevalov, Valeri Abramov, VAD, AO, and others following the Russian invasion of Crimea, effectively blocking all of their property or interests in property in the United States from being transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in. According to the complaint, soon after the sanctions, R.S., a Miami real estate agent retained to manage the properties, worked to transfer the two condominiums owned by Perevalov, Units 1616 and 1617 located at 10295 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, Florida, 33154 (the Defendant Properties) to an LLC in violation of the sanctions. The Defendant Properties have a combined value of approximately $2.5 million. On April 10, 2018, R.S. and others, including a law firm, formed 1616 Collins LLC., and named R.P., a Perevalov family member who was a minor at the time, the entity’s purported sole beneficial owner. On June 14, 2018, the title of the Defendant Properties was transferred to 1616 Collins LLC in violation of the sanctions. R.S. served as Perevalov’s power of attorney for the transfer. After the transfer, R.S. continued to lease the Defendant Properties, collected proceeds derived from the Defendant Properties, and used those proceeds to maintain the Defendant Properties including by making property tax payments. FBI’s Miami Field Office is investigating the case with support from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón and Eli Rubin for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Gorman of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua E. Kurland of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this civil action. United States v. Osipov, District of Columbia A superseding indictment, unsealed today, charges Vladislav Osipov, 52, a Russian national who resides in Switzerland, with five new counts of bank fraud in connection with the operation of a 255-foot luxury superyacht that the Department has stated is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. The indictment states that Vekselberg’s luxury superyacht is the Tango, which was registered in the Cook Islands. The Tango was the first superyacht belonging to a sanctioned individual with close ties to the Russian regime to be seized at the request of the U.S. government following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Osipov remains at large. Today, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Previously indicted in November 2022 , Osipov is now charged with 17 counts for crimes including bank fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison; violating U.S. sanctions punishable by up to 20 years in prison; conspiring to defraud the United States, punishable by up to five years in prison; and money laundering, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Spanish Ministry of Justice and the Spanish Guardia Civil. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Chris M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Paralegals Brian Rickers and Jorge Casillas, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. * * * The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in all of these cases. These cases were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards a judgment in favor of the United States .


title: 17 Charged in Abilene Drug Bust

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Seventeen alleged drug dealers were charged following a large scale drug bust in Abilene on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. The operation involved more than 80 agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Abilene Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives' Dallas Field Division, and IRS – Criminal Investigations. Over the course of the operation, agents seized 29 kilos of meth, 721 grams of cocaine, 1370 grams of fentanyl, and 60 firearms. Those charged in four separate indictments unsealed Thursday include: Diana Nichole Perez, aka Diana Santana, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Orson Rolando Ortegon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Rafael Perez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Eddie Ochoa Lomas, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Angel Alvarez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Hannah Rai Gongora, aka Hannah Alvarez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of firearms (a Taurus 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and a Sarsilmaz 9mm semiautomatic pistol missing a serial number) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Jacob Lee DeLeon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine Jason Eugene DeLeon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Nathaniel Deal, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Lisa Ann Beckham, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Gloria Santibanez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Petra Soliz, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Alexandrea Delgado, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Laura Trevino, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Juan Manuel Oliveros, Jr., charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine Joseph Brassell, charged with possession to distribute fentanyl Joshua Gosson: charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and with possession of a firearms (a Rohm, RG10 Model, .22 caliber short barrel revolver) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, some defendants face up to life in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and the Abilene Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives' Dallas Field Division, and the IRS – Criminal Investigations. The cases are being prosecuted by the West Texas Branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Indicted for Fraud and Conspiracy to Maliciously Destroy East Carson Street Property by Fire

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by fire, and malicious destruction of property by fire, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The four-count Indictment named Prasad Margabandhu, 47, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, from March 2019 to June 2022, Margabandhu engaged in a scheme to defraud the bankruptcy court by filing multiple bankruptcy petitions in the names of companies he controlled called “RSP Pittsburgh” and “Shane Tracy Enterprises” solely to delay efforts by creditors such as the mortgage holder and taxing bodies to execute on judgments against a property located at 1925 East Carson Street. The Indictment also charges that, in June of 2022, Margabandhu conspired with at least one other person to set fire to the property in order to benefit from an insurance policy on the property. The Indictment further alleges that, on August 31, 2023, Margabandhu committed mail fraud in furtherance of the scheme. The law provides for a maximum sentence of five years for the bankruptcy fraud count and a fine of up to $250,000. The mail fraud count provides a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by fire and malicious destruction of property by fire counts each provide for a minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, as well as fines totaling up to $500,000. 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 Attorneys Gregory C. Melucci and Shaun E. Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Office of the United States Trustee 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: Cleveland Man Sentenced to 25 Years For Drug Distribution

body_text: AKRON – Curtis Anderson, age 53, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 300 months (25 years) in prison and 5 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after a jury previously convicted him of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. According to court documents and testimony, in June 2021, Anderson’s coconspirator, Earl King, boarded a flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Brownsville, Texas. Law enforcement searched King’s checked bag and found that it contained approximately $154,000 in cash hidden inside of a hollowed-out desktop computer. Several days later, law enforcement seized a UPS parcel containing approximately eleven kilograms of cocaine that had been shipped from a UPS store in Brownsville to an address in Cleveland. The cocaine in the UPS parcel was hidden inside a similar type of hollowed-out desktop computer tower. Law enforcement subsequently searched Earl King’s apartment in Cleveland as part of the investigation and seized several cell phones from the apartment. Those cell phones had numerous saved text messages showing that King, Anderson, Donnell Gochett, and others were all participating in a conspiracy to smuggle kilograms of cocaine across the US-Mexico border near Brownsville, and then ship the cocaine kilograms back to Cleveland in UPS parcels. Based on a review of cell phone evidence, flight records, and UPS shipment records, Curtis Anderson’s role in the conspiracy included providing cash for King to travel to the border to purchase cocaine kilograms from a person, who was a Mexican national, providing King with an address in Cleveland where the cocaine parcels could be shipped, tracking the delivery status of the UPS parcels, selling the cocaine after it was shipped back to Cleveland, and traveling to the US-Mexico border to meet with others. Earl King and Donnell Gochett both previously pleaded guilty. King was sentenced to 180 months in prison, and Gochett was sentenced to 100 months in prison. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the DEA and the Cleveland Division of Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Lewis and Yasmine Makridis.


title: Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Charges of Interstate Transportation of Money Stolen From Skilled Gaming Machines

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of interstate transportation of stolen money and conspiracy to transport stolen money in interstate commerce, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Roland Jose Pena, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between April 2022 and March 2023, Pena and various others from the New York City area traveled to dozens of stores in Pennsylvania and Virginia and, in a coordinated effort, broke into and stole money from skilled gaming machines located in those stores. Pena and his conspirators then traveled back to New York with the stolen money. In the plea agreement, Pena agreed that he and his conspirators caused losses of at least $550,000. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court detained the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with police departments in Pennsylvania and Virginia, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Pena.


title: Punxsutawney Woman Indicted on Social Security Fraud Charges

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of theft of government funds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Patty Merlo, 65, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, from in and around May 2016 to in and around January 2022, Merlo did knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully embezzle, steal, purloin, and convert to her own use money and a thing of value of the United States or a department or agency thereof, in the form of approximately $91,300 in Social Security Income benefit payments, to which she knew she was not entitled. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense 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 Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General 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: Effingham Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempted Sex Crimes Against a Minor

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced an Effingham man to spend 10 years in federal prison after he admitted to soliciting sex online from a purported minor in exchange for money. John S. Harmon, 65, pleaded guilty to attempted commercial sex trafficking of a minor and solicitation of child pornography. “Thanks to the FBI’s proactive efforts in an undercover online investigation, another child predator was sentenced to spend a decade behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “We will continue to work together to apprehend these manipulative and dangerous offenders.” The charges stemmed from an undercover investigation by an FBI agent who claimed to be a 15-year-old minor in an online discussion forum. According to court documents, Harmon began speaking to the undercover agent posing as a purported minor from May through June 2021. During conversations, he solicited the 15-year-old purported minor and an 11-year-old purported minor for sex in exchange for money. In addition, Harmon solicited nude images of both the purported minors. “Our proactive efforts to protect children resulted in another offender being stripped of his ability to harm a member of our most vulnerable population,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “This sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering dedication to investigate and arrest those who seek to harm our children.” FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Bloodworth and David Sanders prosecuted the case on behalf of the Government. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.


title: Former CFO of Claddagh Irish Pubs Parent Company Sentenced to Imprisonment for Defrauding States Out of More Than $1 Million in Sales Tax Revenue

body_text: CLEVELAND – Ciaran Dillon, 57, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine by U.S District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after pleading guilty to defrauding multiple states of sales tax revenue where the restaurant chain operated. Dillon, was the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of CDG Acquisition, LLC (CDG), a company registered in the State of Ohio, which owned “The Claddagh Irish Pubs” chain of restaurants. According to court documents, from January 2010 through May 2018, the defendant, acting in his official capacity as CFO of CDG, directed a company accountant to pay certain states less sales tax than the true amount owed. Based on the defendant’s instruction, the accountant would edit the company's sales and sales tax figures, file false tax returns and pay states the amount instructed by the defendant. In total, the defendant defrauded the States of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin out of more than $1 million in sales tax revenue collected from CDG customers across fifteen restaurants. The Court determined the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to the case and the defendant, including the defendant’s role in the offenses and the nature of the crimes. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro A. Abreu.


title: Highland Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Nurldon Green, III, 30 years old, of Highland, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to theft of mail, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Green was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, from February 2022, through June 5, 2022, Green, while impersonating a United States Postal carrier, stole mail from various receptacles, which included checks made out to victims within the Northern District of Indiana. At the time of his apprehension, Green was dressed as a United States Postal Employee and was in possession of approximately 60 pieces of stolen United States mail. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance of the DeMotte Police Department, and the Rensselaer Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Emily Morgan.


title: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Jonnathan Tyler Lee, 25 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Lee was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, from June 2020 to July 2021, Lee purchased at least 19 guns from gun stores throughout the Northern District of Indiana. When making the firearm purchases, Lee provided false information on the ATF form 4473. Several firearms recovered from crime scenes in Chicago were found to have been purchased by Lee. Some of the firearms Lee purchased were also recovered from felons, and at least one was used to shoot at a moving car. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana is pursuing this prosecution as a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Chicago Gun Trafficking Strike Force. On July 22, 2021, the Department of Justice launched five cross-jurisdictional strike forces to help reduce gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. These gun trafficking strike forces are designed to ensure coordination across jurisdictions and help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms from source cities, through other communities, and into five key market regions: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento Region and Washington, D.C


title: Russian National Pleads Guilty in Connection to Over $150 Million Worth of International Transfers, while Additional Russian Nationals and their Company also Indicted as Part of a Continuing National Enforcement Operation by the Department of Justice

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: ATLANTA - Feliks Medvedev, who transferred more than $150 million of foreign currency through U.S. bank accounts in North Georgia, has pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In addition, Alexey Chubarov, Lev Solyannikov, and KSK Group were indicted on February 13, 2024, for the offenses of conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and 39 counts of money laundering for their alleged respective roles related to Medvedev’s scheme. These prosecutions are a continuation of the Department of Justice’s prioritization of enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States, together with its global partners, imposed against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. “The Justice Department is more committed than ever to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that are fueling Putin’s war and to holding accountable those who continue to enable it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why today we are announcing several additional enforcement actions that the Justice Department has taken to bring prosecutions against and seize assets of sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military.” “Since the onset of Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department has used every tool in our arsenal – including our international partnerships – to target the criminal actors and activity propping up Vladimir Putin, his henchmen, and his illegal war,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Over the last two years, our Task Force KleptoCapture has restrained, seized, and obtained judgments to forfeit nearly $700 million in assets from Russian enablers and charged more than 70 individuals for violating international sanctions and export controls levied against Russia. The charges we announce today against oligarchs, facilitators, and money launderers are the next chapter: so long as Russia's aggression continues, so too will our resolve to hold its enablers accountable. We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine.” “America’s financial institutions provide critical stability to our economic and national security. Thus, these corporations are rightly the envy of the world. They are not, however, a tool to be exploited for the illegal transfer and laundering of illicit Russian money,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “After fraudulently transferring and partly laundering over $150 million, Feliks Medvedev has pleaded guilty and will face severe consequences for his crimes. The indictment of others involved in his offenses demonstrates our resolve to pursue individuals in the Northern District of Georgia and across the world who seek to facilitate the illegal transfer of Russian money.” “Medvedev’s guilty plea should serve as a stark warning to those who seek to undermine the security of American financial institutions, the FBI will uncover the truth and hold them accountable,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The indictment of his co-conspirators further demonstrates our steadfast commitment to safeguarding our national and economic security.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Medvedev is a Russian national residing in Buford, Georgia. Medvedev registered eight companies in Georgia that were used to illegally transmit over $150 million in more than 1,300 transactions. The companies were purportedly headquartered in Buford, Georgia, and Dacula, Georgia. The companies did not incur typical business expenses or maintain employees. A large majority of the money transferred into the accounts came from multiple overseas companies and was transferred generally within days to other foreign companies. The money was used, in part, to purchase over $65 million in gold bullion from the Singapore Precious Metals Exchange. Relatedly, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment on February 13, 2024, alleging that Defendants Alexey Chubarov, Lev Solyannikov, and KSK Group conspired with Medvedev in the transfer of these funds and then laundered the illegal proceeds. KSK Group is a business consulting firm in Moscow. Chubarov and Solyannikov both worked for KSK Group, and Chubarov was identified as an expert on international structuring. Chubarov and Solyannikov allegedly informed Medvedev about incoming wires. They then directed Medvedev concerning the outgoing transfers he should make, including the transfer of funds to the Singapore Precious Metals Exchange to purchase gold bullion. On September 14, 2023, the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control announced that Chubarov and KSK Group were added to the Specially Designated Nationals List of sanctioned entities under Executive Order 14024. Medvedev’s sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., before United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. Medvedev pleaded guilty in United States v. Feliks Medvedev , Criminal Case No. 1:22-CR-184. The new indictment is United States v. Alexey Chubarov, Lev Solyannikov, and KSK Group , Criminal Case No. 1:23-CR-53. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber, Norman L. Barnett, and Sekret T. Sneed are prosecuting the case. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Queens Man Indicted for Stealing More Than $1.1 Million in COVID-19 Loan Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today in federal court in Brooklyn, Terry Dor was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, theft of public funds and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal funds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL), a United States Small Business Administration (SBA) program that provided emergency funding to distressed businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dor was arrested this morning and arraigned before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom who released him on a $50,000 bond. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the arrest and indictment. “As alleged, the defendant submitted applications filled with fabricated information in order to steal more than $1 million dollars in government funds intended to help hard-hit small businesses and their employees survive the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant then laundered and used the stolen funds to buy jewelry and for personal securities trading. Today’s indictment shows that this Office remains committed to identifying and prosecuting those who stole pandemic relief funds.” “Dor is an alleged opportunist who took advantage of a program meant to help business owners who suffered loss with the pandemic. He allegedly used a sham business to steal more than a million dollars from the EIDL program, decreasing the amount of available funds for those in need,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. “IRS Criminal Investigation New York remains committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York to ensure that those who steal from the American taxpayer—to adorn themselves with lavish gifts—are arrested and prosecuted.” The EIDL provided qualifying small businesses with low-interest loans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded EIDL to provide economic support to help offset the temporary loss of revenue experienced by businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As alleged in the indictment, Dor applied for EIDL loans in 2020 and 2021. In the initial application and subsequent modification requests, Dor claimed that he operated a Brooklyn-based consulting business called Terry Dor Professional Consultants, LLC (TDPC), which, according to the defendant, had more than $575,000 in revenue and $535,000 in expenses during calendar year 2019. In reality, TDPC was a sham business with no legitimate revenue or expenses. Based on Dor’s false claims, the SBA deposited approximately $1,151,000 in EIDL funds to a bank account controlled by Dor via three installments. Dor then wired the EIDL proceeds to other accounts he controlled and used the proceeds to fund personal and non-TDPC expenses. For example, on December 13, 2021, Dor used $125,000 of the EIDL proceeds referenced above to make a purchase at a premium jewelry vendor located in New York City. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Financial Investigator Analyst John Gagliardo and Paralegal Specialist Katrina Batista. The Defendant : TERRY DOR Age: 36 Jamaica, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-75 (OEM)