title: Developer Convicted of COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 12, Eric Dean Sheppard, 55, of Bal Harbour, Florida, was convicted for submitting fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications and aggravated identity theft. According to the trial evidence, Sheppard devised a scheme to defraud private lenders and the Small Business Administration (SBA) by filing fraudulent loan applications for multiple companies under both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The applications were supported by fabricated documents, including Employer’s Quarterly Tax Returns (IRS Form 941), and company tax returns. In addition, Sheppard’s accountant’s signature was forged on the tax returns. From May 2020 to March 2021, Sheppard obtained almost $900,000 in COVID-19 relief loans. Sheppard was convicted by a jury on four counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Sheppard was acquitted of five counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is set for April 5, 2024. Sheppard is facing a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison, that must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, on the aggravated identity theft count(s), and up to 80 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, as well as restitution and forfeiture of the loan proceeds. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aimee Jimenez and Ana Maria Martinez prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through PPP. In April 2020 Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. PPP funding allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans. PPP loan proceeds had to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. PPP allowed the interest and principal on the loan to be forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time, after receiving the proceeds, and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide EIDLs to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website. The applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. 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 . On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. 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 . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20290. ###


title: Former high school teacher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exploiting minors by taking ‘upskirt’ videos at school & in other public places

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former local high school teacher was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 240 months in prison for crimes related to secretly recording explicit videos of his students at school and possessing child sexual abuse material. Justin Foley, 48, of Delaware, Ohio, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography. Foley was employed as a chemistry teacher at Columbus Alternative High School at the time of his offenses. He used his cell phone and other digital media devices in a hidden manner to capture the genitalia of his female students under their skirts and shorts during the school day. According to court documents, in August 2022, the Delaware Police Department received CyberTip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding numerous images of apparent child sexual abuse material that were uploaded via Google email accounts. Investigators tracked the IP addresses for the reported email accounts to Foley. During the investigation into Foley, officers discovered a second CyberTip report. Five of the IP addresses in the second report belonged to Columbus Public Schools. Delaware County law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Foley’s residence on Sept. 20, 2022. Court documents detail that Foley admitted to creating videos in the classroom and hallways of the school at which he taught and that he had created some of these videos as recently as the previous week. A review of Foley’s devices by the FBI revealed they contained numerous videos that were voyeuristic in nature and appear to have been self-produced. The videos were recorded at the high school Foley worked at, local department stores in central Ohio, public areas of downtown Delaware, Ohio, and various dressing rooms at different unidentified locations. It is apparent from the videos that the victims depicted in them did not know they were being recorded. Foley created numerous videos of female students in the hallways of Columbus Alternative High School or of females that were students in his classroom. In the videos he secretly recorded, Foley would hide his phone camera or place it beside or behind the victims in attempt to record up their skirts or shorts. Foley then took screenshots from the content he filmed of his victims and created still images of the victim’s nude genitalia, zooming in and “lightening” some of the screenshots to enhance the images. In addition to the videos he created himself, more than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material were recovered from Foley’s devices that depicted a series of images of prepubescent females in various stages of nudity or fully nude exposing their genitals or anus to the camera. Foley was arrested and charged locally in Delaware County in September 2022. He was charged federally in November 2022. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore; Delaware County Prosecutor Melissa A. Schiffel; and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Anthony Jermaine Branch, 42, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 16, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Branch to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Branch’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On three occasions in October of 2022, a confidential informant working with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force bought meth from another person who was seen by investigators going into Branch’s apartment before making the deliveries. On a fourth occasion, the seller was seen meeting with Branch in a vehicle before making the delivery. A total of 142.38 grams of meth was obtained over the course of these four buys. Purity testing at the Nebraska State Patrol lab showed a total of at least 64 grams of actual methamphetamine. On October 28, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Branch’s Lincoln apartment. Before the warrant was executed, Branch was seen leaving his apartment as the passenger in a vehicle. He was contacted at a convenience store and was found in possession of approximately 15 grams of meth and $480 in cash, $20 of which was later found to be Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force buy money. During the search of Branch’s apartment, investigators found an additional 131 grams of meth. Purity analysis showed at least 120 grams of actual meth. Investigators also found $3850 in cash, $760 of which was later found to be Task Force buy money. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: U.S. Attorney Totten Presents Tribute From Attorney General Garland To Civil Rights Icon, Ms. Ruby Bridges

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS , MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today presented Ms. Ruby Bridges with a letter of tribute from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, recognizing her courageous contribution to the advancement of civil rights. The presentation took place at the 39 th Annual Day of Celebration at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan, hosted by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan. “The brave steps 6-year-old Ruby Bridges took on November 14, 1960, and for months thereafter blazed a path of opportunity for countless children who followed,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “The role the U.S. Department of Justice played in protecting Ruby Bridges, escorted by multiple Deputy U.S. Marshals, was one of our proudest moments. I was thrilled to meet Ms. Bridges and I’m grateful for her incredible legacy.” WATCH: Today’s presentation can be viewed on YouTube or the U.S. Attorney’s Facebook Page . [Uncredited DOJ photographer. William Frantz Elementary School, 1960.] On November 14, 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges entered William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana under a court order requiring the school system to admit children of color. Although the U.S. Supreme Court had struck down school segregation in its 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, many schools across the United States remained segregated. When Ruby first entered the school, and for months thereafter, she was met by screaming crowds and racial slurs. That first day and for the rest of the school year, Ruby was accompanied by several Deputy U.S. Marshals from the U.S. Marshal’s Service, an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice. Only one teacher was willing to accept Ruby, her father lost his job, grocery stores refused to sell food to her family, and her grandparents were evicted from their farm. More information about Ruby Bridges is available on this National Park Service webpage . An image of the letter of tribute from Attorney General Merrick Garland, presented by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, is available below. ###


title: Former Courtesy Patrol Operator Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Robert Martin, 67, of Beckley, pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulent receipt of property from a debtor. Martin admitted to paying himself without authorization while serving as the chief executive officer of the entity that operated the West Virginia Courtesy Patrol. According to court documents and statements made in court, Martin was CEO of Citizens Conservation Corp (CCC), which he formed in 1993 and which dissolved in or about 2019. CCC’s primary source of income from in or around 1998 until in or around the summer of 2018 was a multimillion-dollar contract with the State of West Virginia to operate the Courtesy Patrol roadside assistance service. On April 3, 2019, CCC filed for bankruptcy after the loss of the state contract in 2018 left it financially unstable. During a May 2, 2019, bankruptcy creditors meeting, Martin testified that CCC was not generating income, that he was not receiving a salary because of the lack of income, and that he expected CCC to be paid on some receivables owed to it. The United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia, told Martin that he was not allowed to take a salary as a controlling officer without U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval. On May 8, 2019, CCC received more than $41,000 from the West Virginia Treasury, and the money was deposited in CCC’s bank account. Two days later, Martin caused $50,000 to be transferred from that bank account to an account at a different bank. Martin paid himself $32,072.76 from those transferred funds with six separate checks. Martin admitted that he did not obtain or have U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval for those payments, even though he knew that was required. Martin further admitted that he did not get prior approval because he intended to hide these payments from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Martin also admitted that CCC knowingly misspent $108,751.60 it had received from the United States Department of Interior National Park Service (NPS) between September 10 and October 1, 2018. CCC entered into a cooperative agreement with NPS on November 20, 2014 to recruit, hire, train and place young adults for internship positions at national parks throughout the country. Funding made available under the agreement included $111,221.09 to hire and pay two interns to work at the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation for 13 months. Martin admitted that CCC did not hire or place any interns with that funding. Instead, CCC drew down all but $2,469.49 of that funding for unallowable CCC operating expenses following the loss of the Courtesy Patrol contract. Martin admitted that he knew that the funds were misapplied or fraudulently converted in this way. Martin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Martin also owes restitution of $37,072.76 to the U.S. Trustee and up to $251,171.20 to the U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Interior-Office of Inspector General (DOI-OIG). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders —debtors, creditors and the public. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-147. ###


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years in Prison for Holding Smuggling Victims Hostage

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A San Elizario man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso to 140 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit hostage taking. According to court documents, Luis Lorenzo Salas, 25, operated a stash house where a human smuggling victim from Mexico was being held. Salas created a video depicting himself masked and pointing a rifle at the victim. A screenshot of the video was sent to the victim’s family along with threatening messages demanding that they pay $10,000 or the victim’s ears and fingers would be removed. Homeland Security Investigation agents located and rescued the victim along with eight other noncitizens, all of whom were unharmed. Salas was arrested April 17, 2023. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. “This defendant caused severe, lasting damage that will haunt his smuggling victims and their families for the rest of their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to our partners at HSI, the victims in this case are safe and we’ve taken another smuggler out of operation for the next decade.” “Human smugglers who exploit people for their personal gain and further use threats and violence to collect a ransom will be held accountable as this sentence makes clear,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens for the HSI El Paso Division. “Human smuggling poses a threat to national security, and it ultimately places a vulnerable population in harm’s way.” HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum prosecuted the case. ###


title: Chicago Financial Advisor Charged With Swindling Clients out of Nearly $1.5 Million

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago financial advisor has been charged in federal court with swindling clients out of nearly $1.5 million by soliciting them to invest in purported movie productions. HELEN GRACE CALDWELL, 58, of Chicago, is charged with wire fraud in a criminal information filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Arraignment has not yet been scheduled. According to the information, Caldwell worked for a bank as a senior financial advisor. She also established an entity called Canal Productions LLC for the purported purpose of producing movies. From 2014 to 2023, Caldwell solicited various bank clients, including elderly individuals, to invest in her alleged movie productions, knowing that those funds would actually be used for her own personal benefit, the information states. Caldwell persuaded the victims to liquidate their other assets in order to fund her purported movie investments, the information states. As a result of the scheme, Caldwell defrauded three clients out of approximately $1,480,500, the information states. The charge was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey B. Rubenstein. The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Caldwell information


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Agreements With Morgan Stanley And Former Senior Employee, Pawan Passi, In Connection With Deceptive Practices In Block Trades Business

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC To Enter into a Non-Prosecution Agreement and to Pay $153 Million in Financial Penalties Pawan Passi, Former Head of Morgan Stanley’s U.S. Equity Syndicate Desk, Admits Misconduct and Agrees to Enter into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MORGAN STANLEY”) entered into a non-prosecution agreement (the “NPA”) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and agreed to pay more than $153 million to the United States for making false statements in connection with the sale of certain “block trades” (the “Relevant Blocks”) from 2018 through August 2021. The NPA requires MORGAN STANLEY to forfeit $72,515,141 to the United States, representing its profits from the Relevant Blocks; to pay $64,016,082 in restitution, representing the harm it caused to the sellers of the Relevant Blocks; and to pay a $16,900,000 fine. The NPA requires MORGAN STANLEY to continue to cooperate with and provide information to the United States for at least three years from the date of the agreement. In the event that MORGAN STANLEY violates the NPA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office may prosecute MORGAN STANLEY. Today’s corporate action reflects a careful weighing of factors relevant to the appropriate corporate resolution. The NPA recognizes that while the serious conduct to which MORGAN STANLEY has admitted was uncovered by the Government and was not voluntarily self-disclosed, (i) MORGAN STANLEY has provided extraordinary cooperation with this Office’s investigation; (ii) the investigation has not uncovered evidence of corporate management’s complicity in or knowledge of the wrongdoing; (iii) MORGAN STANLEY’s controls, while ultimately unsuccessful in uncovering the misconduct, were designed in part to detect misconduct in the block trades business and were applied in good faith; (iv) in 2022, MORGAN STANLEY implemented a series of remedial measures to create clearer policies governing its ability to communicate with the buy-side in advance of block trades and trained its employees on those policies; (v) MORGAN STANLEY has no prior criminal history of any kind, including no prior NPA or DPA; and (vi) MORGAN STANLEY has accepted full responsibility for its conduct and agreed to resolve with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). U.S. Attorney Williams also announced that PAWAN PASSI, the MORGAN STANLEY employee that supervised block trades during the relevant time, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (the “DPA”) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, pending court approval. In the DPA, PASSI admitted that, from 2018 through August 2021, he promised sellers of certain equity blocks that MORGAN STANLEY would keep information concerning their potential sales confidential, knowing that he would disclose that information to buy-side investors and that those investors would use the information to trade in advance of the block sales. The DPA provides that criminal prosecution of PASSI will be deferred during a period in which PASSI must demonstrate good behavior and fulfill the terms of the DPA, in which case PASSI will not be further prosecuted criminally. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, and a court appearance has been scheduled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky today at 11:00 a.m. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Morgan Stanley, through the supervisor of its block trades business, Pawan Passi, deceived block sellers by promising confidentiality knowing that they would turn around and share that information with others to use to trade. As the Statement of Facts makes clear, the Government’s investigation uncovered the misconduct at Morgan Stanley. This fact serves as a reminder that we are watching. And we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to root out fraud in our financial markets. Today’s actions show too that while we continue to act aggressively to enforce our nation’s laws, we evaluate each case and each prosecution on its facts and circumstances and will, where appropriate, consider alternatives to criminal prosecution, including declination, an NPA or DPA, whether for a corporation or an individual. Here, with respect to Morgan Stanley, while many factors weighed in Morgan Stanley’s favor, including extraordinary cooperation and remediation, the misconduct was not uncovered and voluntarily disclosed. Morgan Stanley now must comply with the terms of the NPA for the next three years and have a criminal resolution with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on its permanent record.” Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “The integrity of our financial markets requires a level playing field, and when individuals and institutions intentionally tip the scales there must be consequences. Morgan Stanley and Mr. Passi, as admitted in the agreements, utilized confidential information regarding block trades to benefit themselves. The FBI, in order to maintain the public’s trust in our economic system, will hold any individual or financial entity engaging in complex financial crimes accountable in the criminal justice system.” As part of the NPA, MORGAN STANLEY agreed to a statement of facts describing the deceptive conduct and the remedial measures that it took in response to learning of that conduct. * * * Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which today announced resolutions with MORGAN STANLEY and PASSI. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Graham, Justin Rodriguez, and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty in federal court to production of child pornography. According to court documents, in April 2021, Delvan Jerrod Howard, 43, video recorded himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor. Howard was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jessica Orench of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: DEA-Led Investigation Dismantles Albuquerque-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration ’s El Paso Division, announced the results of a law enforcement operation that resulted in fifteen defendants being charged with federal drug trafficking offenses. The operation followed a DEA led investigation into a significant drug trafficking organization based in Albuquerque. During the enforcement operation, law enforcement authorities executed federal search warrants at thirteen residences and seized approximately 102 pounds of meth, 21 kilograms of cocaine, 2.8 kilograms of heroin, approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, 34 firearms, and approximately $124,000 in cash. At least 8 of these firearms were “ghost guns,” which lack serial numbers. During the investigation leading up to the search warrants, law enforcement authorities seized over 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of fentanyl. The defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine between August 19, 2020, and November 29, 2023. Three defendants face additional charges for distribution of a controlled substance within one thousand feet of Wilson Middle School in southeast Albuquerque. A criminal indictment is only an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face sentences of at least five years in prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with the assistance of the Rio Rancho Police Department, the Pojoaque Pueblo Police Department, the Laguna Police Department, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was instrumental in assisting the Drug Enforcement Administration in recovering the 34 firearms referenced above. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Hirsch and Joseph Spindle are prosecuting the case. View the Superseding Indictment # # # 24-17


title: Albuquerque Man Charged with Conspiracy Related to Recovery of Tiger Cub in Albuquerque

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Amy Lueders, Acting Deputy Director of Operations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging David Mendoza-Enriquez with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits the transport and sale of certain wildlife, in connection with the tiger cub seized in Albuquerque early last year. Mendoza-Enriquez, aka “Cholo,” 40, of Albuquerque, was also one of 15 defendants charged with drug trafficking in a separate superseding indictment. According to the indictment, between Nov. 20, 2022, and Jan. 10, 2023, Mendoza-Enriquez conspired with others to import the tiger cub from Mexico into New Mexico and sell it for thousands of dollars. On January 10, 2023, the Albuquerque Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located and seized the tiger cub in Albuquerque after responding to an unrelated call. The tiger cub, now named “Duke,” was transferred to the ABQ BioPark, and later to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. The following photographs appeared in the indictment to illustrate Mendoza-Enriquez’s possession of Duke. They include a distinctive tattoo on Mendoza-Enriquez’s right hand. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Mendoza-Enriquez faces up to 5 years in prison. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated this case with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Rio Rancho Police Department, the Pojoaque Pueblo Police Department, the Laguna Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Hirsch and Joseph Spindle are prosecuting the case. # # # 24-18


body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Amy Lueders, Acting Deputy Director of Operations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging David Mendoza-Enriquez with conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits the transport and sale of certain wildlife, in connection with the tiger cub seized in Albuquerque early last year. Mendoza-Enriquez, aka “Cholo,” 40, of Albuquerque, was also one of 15 defendants charged with drug trafficking in a separate superseding indictment. According to the indictment, between Nov. 20, 2022, and Jan. 10, 2023, Mendoza-Enriquez conspired with others to import the tiger cub from Mexico into New Mexico and sell it for thousands of dollars. On January 10, 2023, the Albuquerque Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located and seized the tiger cub in Albuquerque after responding to an unrelated call. The tiger cub, now named “Duke,” was transferred to the ABQ BioPark, and later to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. The following photographs appeared in the indictment to illustrate Mendoza-Enriquez’s possession of Duke. They include a distinctive tattoo on Mendoza-Enriquez’s right hand. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Mendoza-Enriquez faces up to 5 years in prison. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated this case with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Rio Rancho Police Department, the Pojoaque Pueblo Police Department, the Laguna Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State Police, the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Hirsch and Joseph Spindle are prosecuting the case. View the Indictment # # # 24-18


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office responsible for over $31 million in collections and forfeitures in fiscal year 2023

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan announced that the Northern District of Georgia was responsible for collections and forfeitures of over $31 million in Fiscal Year 2023. “This district maintains an unwavering commitment to securing financial justice for victims of crime and United States taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “As this prior fiscal year’s results reflect, this district will vigorously pursue the recovery of money for crime victims and the public through all available legal means, whether by collecting criminal and civil monetary penalties, civilly pursuing those who seek to take unlawful advantage of federal agencies and programs or identifying and forfeiting ill-gotten gains.” Our office collected more than $22 million through the district’s Financial Litigation Program, which is responsible for the collection of civil and criminal debts, fines, and monetary penalties due to victims of crime and the United States. Specifically, our office obtained $8.4 million in restitution, fines and/or assessments imposed against defendants in criminal cases. Federal law requires that defendants who commit certain crimes pay restitution to the victims of those crimes. Criminal fines and assessments paid by defendants go to the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. We also collected $13.7 million in affirmative civil enforcement cases. The United States initiates affirmative civil enforcement cases to recover government money lost to fraud or other misconduct, or to collect fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health care, safety, or environmental laws and controlled substance regulations, among other laws. In addition, the district deposited over $9.4 million dollars into the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Fund and Treasury Forfeiture Fund through civil and criminal forfeiture actions handled by the office’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Of the total amount forfeited, more than $3 million was forfeited in civil forfeiture cases and over $6 million was forfeited in criminal cases. The Department of Justice uses forfeited property to compensate crime victims as well as for a variety of other law enforcement purposes, and shares these proceeds with federal, state and local law enforcement partners. In Fiscal Year 2023, $343,870 was returned to crime victims and over $1.4 million was shared with the district’s law enforcement partners. This office also shared in the recovery of an additional $1.4 billion resulting from the settlement of the UBS civil action for misconduct related to UBS’ underwriting and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities in 2006 and 2007 brought under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act by a Department of Justice Working Group dedicated to investigating banks and other entities for their roles in creating and issuing residential mortgage-backed securities leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Michigan Man Charged With Assaulting A Flight Attendant On Orlando-Bound Flight

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging James Warren Finnister (47, Detroit, MI) with interfering with flight crew members and assaulting a flight attendant on an aircraft in the United States. If convicted, Finnister faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to court documents, Finnister interfered with crew members and flight attendants during a January 9, 2024, flight from Louisville to Orlando International Airport. Finnister allegedly sexually harassed flight attendants, assaulted a crew member, and requested entry into the aircraft cockpit while the plane was in flight, in addition to other disruptive behavior. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate. Download Criminal Complaint


title: Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Entice And Meet A 13-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Buck Brockway (40, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Brockway faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in prison as well as a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Brockway was arrested on July 28, 2023, and is being detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), using the personae of a 13-year-old child (UC), began an undercover investigation designed to identify individuals who were seeking to meet children online for sexual activity. The UC, as the “child,” began an online conversation on a particular social media application (app) with user “Telly_Rider,” who was later identified as Brockway. Over the next 10 days, Brockway and the “child” engaged in numerous sexually explicit conversations using several social media apps and text messaging. During these online conversations, Brockway confirmed that the child was only 13 years old, inquired about the child’s sexual experience, and asked if the child wanted to meet him in person for sex. On July 27, 2023, Brockway asked the child if “she” was alone for the next few days, and he confirmed that the child was living at a particular apartment complex in Jacksonville. Brockway sent the child explicit videos of himself using a sex toy, including one video that he produced and sent while onboard a U.S. Navy ship that was docked at Naval Station Mayport. On July 28, 2023, Brockway drove to the apartment complex where the child purportedly lived, then over to a nearby restaurant where the child had agreed to meet him. When Brockway entered the restaurant to meet the child, he was arrested by detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). During a search incident to his arrest, Brockway’s cellphone and three condoms were recovered from his front pockets. A search of Brockway’s car revealed a container of personal lubricant, an unopened bottle of vodka, and a sex toy. A search of Brockway’s cellphone revealed at least 200 photos and 400 videos depicting children being sexually abused. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking a Minor He Solicited Over Facebook

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday for sex trafficking a minor under 14 years old. Carlos Casillas, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 220 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In July of 2023, Casillas was convicted by a federal jury of one count of sex trafficking of a minor. “Let the message go out loud and clear — if you prey on vulnerable girls and traffic minors you will spend a long, long time behind bars. Casillas used this victim’s vulnerability and challenging circumstances to take advantage of her,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Preying on vulnerable young children will never be tolerated.” “Casillas preyed upon a child who was vulnerable and disenfranchised. Like many traffickers, he took advantage of her situation and used the power he had over her to ensnare and exploit her. Today’s significant sentence takes him off the street and away from those he could harm,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. In September 2021, an investigation began into Casillas for sex trafficking activity involving a 13-year-old girl living in a group home in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Evidence presented at trial established that Casillas solicited the minor victim using Facebook messenger, picked the minor victim up from her group home and eventually took her to a local motel under the guise of taking her to Boston. He initiated conversations about leaving the group home and exchanging money for services. Casillas knowingly used his age difference and superior resources to entice the victim. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi; and West Springfield Police Chief Ronald Campurciani made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine G. Curley and Deepika Bains Shukla of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Former FCI Beckley Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Contraband Crime

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Cody Adam Bays, 32, of Beaver, pleaded guilty today to providing contraband to an in inmate of a federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 7, 2022, and February 14, 2023, Bays was a correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley when he provided contraband items to FCI Beckley inmates. Bays admitted that he provided various controlled substances including suboxone, marijuana, synthetic marijuana and a substance Bays believed to be fentanyl. Bays further admitted that he received approximately $5,000 for the suboxone, $4,000 for the fentanyl substance, $3,500 for the synthetic marijuana and $2,000 for the marijuana. Bays was paid in cash or through financial mobile applications. Bays is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-165. ###


title: Mescalero Woman Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Lucinda Ann Yuzos was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Yuzos, 49, of Mescalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, pled guilty in federal court on Apr. 25, 2023, to assault of an intimate partner resulting is substantial bodily injury. According to court records, on the evening of May 31, 2022, Yuzos assaulted the victim, John Doe. When responding officers arrived, they found John Doe sitting on the front steps of the residence with blood dripping down his forehead from underneath a hat. When John Doe removed the hat, officers observed a large gash—approximately 6 inches long—on the victim’s forehead with exposed bone. Officer’s immediately contacted Mescalero Fire Rescue (MFR), and after they evaluated the victim, it was determined that the injuries were so severe the victim needed immediate transportation via medevac to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. The victim spent four days in the hospital. His right orbital floor was fractured, he had a large blowout type fracture of his right orbital wall including displaced bone fragments in his sinuses requiring surgery. Since the initial surgeries, the victim has traveled to the Eye Institute of New Mexico in Albuquerque for eight additional surgeries, and he is still being treated for the injuries inflicted by Yuzos. In her plea agreement, Yuzos admitted to hitting John Doe with a blunt object. During the sentencing hearing, Yuzos admitted that the object was a 2x4. Upon her release from prison, Yuzos will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. The FBI Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-19


title: Lebanon Man Sentenced to 106 Months' Imprisonment for Cocaine-Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Warionex Martinez-Medina, age 35, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 106 months’ imprisonment for attempting to possess with intent to distribute approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that offense. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Martinez-Medina previously admitted to accepting a package that he believed contained over 2 kilograms of cocaine. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Martinez-Medina’s Lebanon residence, they found a loaded handgun, drug-packaging materials, and over $123,000. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #


title: Maple Grove Felon Indicted for $10 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Maple Grove man has been indicted for defrauding investors and financial institutions out of more than $10 million, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Aditya Raj Sharma, 50, was the founder, CEO, and president of Crosscode Inc., a cloud-based software development company headquartered first in Maple Grove and later in Foster City, California. From Crosscode’s founding in 2015 through at least May 2019, Sharma was the primary operator of the company, its controlling shareholder and, at times, its only employee and shareholder. According to court documents, from 2017 through at least 2019, Sharma knowingly and intentionally devised and executed a scheme to defraud investors, financial institutions, and lending and finance companies. Sharma manipulated and falsely inflated Crosscode’s financial records to induce private investors and financial entities to extend capital to his company in order to avoid or delay financial hardship for Crosscode, which was mired in debt with virtually no incoming revenue or cash-on-hand. According to court documents, as part of his multi-year scheme, Sharma fraudulently applied for hundreds of thousands in funding from multiple lenders and finance companies. In total, Sharma induced at least one financial institution to provide him with a $950,000 line of credit, and further induced at least 150 investors, including Minnesotans, to provide approximately $9.25 million to Crosscode. The indictment charges Sharma with four counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud. Sharma made his initial appearance yesterday in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Fall River Man Indicted for Identity Theft Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston for misuse of a Social Security number. Arias Mejia, 43, was indicted for misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. Arias Mejia was previously charged by criminal complaint on Dec. 8, 2023 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest. Arias Mejia will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to court documents, Arias Mejia, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, applied for a United States passport and a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Real ID using the name and other biographical information of a resident of Puerto Rico. Arias Mejia allegedly used the stolen identity when he was previously arrested, charged and convicted on a number state court cases. The charge of misuse of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years of in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Bedford Store Owner Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Selling Fake Government Identification Documents

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of International Guatemala Musical and Fashion Accessories in New Bedford was sentenced yesterday for producing and selling fraudulent government identification documents. Tomas Xirum, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2023, he pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. On three separate occasions – May 10, 2021, June 23, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2022 – Xirum sold fraudulent Permanent Resident Cards (commonly referred to as “green cards”) and Social Security cards to undercover agents from his store. After pleading guilty, Xirum continued to produce and sell fraudulent government identifications, thus revoking his pretrial release. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Parker announces management appointments

body_text: CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, today announced new appointments to his management staff. Parker oversees a staff of approximately 125 people, including 65 Assistant United States Attorneys. The Office serves the southern 48 counties in the state and is responsible for virtually all federal litigation in the Southern District of Ohio. This includes criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits by and against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. Management staff appointments are effective Jan. 13, and they include: First Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris Ms. Norris joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus in 2018, primarily handling narcotics and gun cases. During her tenure, she has been the District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Deputy Chief and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Coordinator. She previously served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, beginning in 2008. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University and her law degree from the Valparaiso University School of Law before working for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General in the Health Care Fraud Section. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy Ms. Muncy most recently served as the District’s Executive Assistant United States Attorney and served as the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Chief from 2019 to 2022. Muncy has also served as the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator. She has served as a criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2007. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Muncy was First Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for Kenton County, Kentucky, from 2002-2007. Muncy is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and the Syracuse University School of Law. Muncy will be assisted in her Criminal Chief Duties by five Deputy Criminal Chiefs. They are: Brian J. Martinez, Deputy Criminal Chief (Columbus) Mr. Martinez has served as the Deputy Criminal Chief in the Columbus office since 2019. Martinez joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2014. He served as the Chief of Staff for the Associate Attorney General of the United States from 2012 to 2014 and as the Chief of Staff of the Justice Department’s Civil Division from 2009 to 2012. Prior to his work at the Department, Martinez was an associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP in San Francisco from 2003 to 2009. Martinez clerked for the Hon. Thelton Henderson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He attended Stanford University for both his undergraduate education and law school. Emily N. Glatfelter, Deputy Criminal Chief (Cincinnati) Ms. Glatfelter has served as a Deputy Criminal Chief in the Cincinnati office since 2015. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cincinnati in 2012, primarily handling financial crimes matters. She previously served in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland, beginning in 2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Butler University and her law degree from Indiana University before working for Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington D.C. She also clerked for the Hon. David F. Hamilton while he served as U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana. Brent G. Tabacchi, Deputy Criminal Chief (Dayton) Mr. Tabacchi has served as a Deputy Criminal Chief in the Dayton office since 2021. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dayton in 2007, handling the prosecution of drug organizations and financial crimes. He previously served in the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. In the early 2000s, he worked as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago and as a law clerk for the Hon. Kenneth F. Ripple, Judge for the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated from the University of Illinois with his bachelor’s degree and law degree. Frederic Shadley, Deputy Criminal Chief (Organized Crime & Drug Enforcement Task Force) Mr. Shadley joined the office’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) in Cincinnati in 2022. He is a Cincinnati native who attended the University of Notre Dame for both his undergraduate and law degrees. Shadley has previously served as an Associate with Winston & Strawn in Chicago and as a Law Clerk for the Honorable John Blakley in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Since 2017, he has served as an AUSA for the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida. Jessica W. Knight, Deputy Criminal Chief (Support Staff) Ms. Knight joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2012, primarily handling white collar and national security cases. She currently serves as the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Committee (ATAC) Coordinator, Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee, and District Election Officer. She previously served as Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief from January 2021 – February 2022. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Knight served as a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Denison University, master’s degree from the University of Maryland and law degree from the University of Toledo, College of Law. Civil Chief Brandi Stewart Ms. Stewart joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dayton in 2014, where she defended the United States and its agencies in a wide array of civil suits brought against the government. She currently serves in the Affirmative Civil Enforcement division in Cincinnati where she primarily investigates and prosecutes fraud and civil rights cases on behalf of the United States. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stewart was in private practice at a large Cincinnati-based law firm practicing civil litigation. Deputy Civil Chief John Stark Mr. Stark joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus in 2003, where he has primarily represented the federal government and individual federal employees in a wide array of defensive suits. Prior to joining the District, he was in private practice at Warner Norcross & Judd LLP in Michigan. He is also a veteran of the United States Army. Stark received his B.S., M.B.A., and J.D. degrees from The Ohio State University. Appellate Chief Mary Beth Young Ms. Young will continue as Appellate Chief, a position she has held since 2016, with supervisory responsibility for criminal and civil filings in the Court of Appeals and coordination of the District’s appellate practice with other divisions of the Department of Justice. Young became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012 in Columbus after serving two years as a Special AUSA. Prior to joining the District, Young was in private practice in Columbus and served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Moritz College of Law. Young received her B.S. from the University of Kentucky, her M.S. from Georgia Tech, and her J.D. from the University of Chicago. Following law school, Young served as law clerk to Judge David Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, then to Justice Antonin Scalia of the United States Supreme Court. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill Ms. Hill will continue as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel (SLC), a position she has held since April 2021. As the SLC, Hill is responsible for legal training and development. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbus in 2011 and served as the District’s Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”) Coordinator from 2012 until 2021. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C. from 2007 to 2011. Prior to beginning her career as an assistant federal prosecutor, Hill clerked for the Hon. Robert I. Richter while he served on the Criminal Division of the D.C. Superior Court. She received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School and her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. # # #


title: কুইন্সে সহিংস অপহরণের জন্য সাত ব্যক্তিকে অভিযুক্ত করা হয়েছে

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: আজ ব্রুকলিনের ফেডারেল কোর্টে পূর্বেকার একটি রায় বাতিল করে সৈয়দ রুবেল আহমেদ (Syed Rubel Ahmed), শাহাদ আলম (Shahed Alom), আবু চৌধুরী (Abu Chowdhury), আঞ্জু খান (Anzu Khan) এবং সুলতানা রাজিয়া (Sultana Razia)-এর বিরুদ্ধে অপহরণ এবং জন ডো-1 (John Doe-1)-কে অপরহণের ষড়যন্ত্র করার অভিযোগে; আবু চৌধুরী এবং ইফফাত লুবনার (Iffat Lubna) বিরুদ্ধে জন ডো-2 (John Doe-2)-কে অপরহণ করার জন্য ষড়যন্ত্র করার জন্য; এদের বিরুদ্ধে চার্জ পেশ করার বিষয়টি ঘোষণা করা হয়েছে। আবু চৌধুরি ও তার স্ত্রী লুবনা এর বিরুদ্ধে এর আগে উল্লিখিত অভিযোগে জন ডো-2 অপহরণের অভিযোগ আনা হয়েছিল। আসামী এবং ভুক্তভোগীগণ Queens একই জাতিগত সম্প্রদায়ের সদস্য। আহমেদ, আলম, খান ও রাজিয়া-কে আজ গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়েছে এবং আজ বিকেলে ইউনাইটেড স্টেটস ম্যাজিস্ট্রেট জজ Joseph A. Marutollo এর সামনে হাজির করা হবে। আবু চৌধুরি ও লুবনা-কে এর আগে গ্রেপ্তার করা হয়েছিল এবং পরবর্তী তারিখে তাদের বিরুদ্ধে অভিযোগ গঠন করা হবে। সপ্তম আসামী পলাতক রয়েছেন। ব্রিয়ন পিস (Breon Peace), ইউনাইটেড স্টেটস অ্যাটর্নি ফর দ্য ইস্টার্ন ডিস্ট্রিক্ট অব নিউ ইয়র্ক, জেমস স্মিথ (James Smith), অ্যাসিস্ট্যান্ট ডিরেক্টর-ইন-চার্জ, ফেডারেল ব্যুরো অব ইনভেস্টিগেশন, নিউ ইয়র্ক ফিল্ড অফিস (FBI) এবং এডওয়ার্ড এ. ক্যাবান (Edward A. Caban), কমিশনার, নিউ ইয়র্ক সিটি পুলিশ ডিপার্টমেন্ট (NYPD), গ্রেফতার ও অভিযোগের বিষয়টি ঘোষণা করেছে। ইউনাইটেড স্টেটস অ্যাটর্নি পিস বলেন, “অভিযোগ অনুসারে, আসামীগণ নির্মমভাবে শারীরিক ও যৌন নির্যাতনের মতো ঘটনা ঘটিয়েছে”। “আসামীগণ অপরাধকে আরো গুরুত্বর করতে ভুক্তভোগীদের সাথে তাদের শেয়ার করা জাতিগত পটভূমিকে কাজে লাগিয়েছে বলে অভিযোগ রয়েছে। এই আসামীগণের কারণে ভুক্তভোগী হওয়া যেকোনো কাউকে ইউনাইটেড স্টেটস অ্যাটর্নি'স অফিসের https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/report-crime ঠিকানায় গিয়ে যোগাযোগ করার জন্য আমি অনুরোধ জানাচ্ছি।” মি. পিস তদন্তে সহায়তা করার জন্য জয়েন্ট রোবারি ভায়োলেন্ট ক্রাইমস টাস্ক ফোর্সকে ধন্যবাদ জানান যেটি FBI-এর এজেন্ট এবং NYPD-এর গোয়েন্দাদের সমন্বয়ে গঠিত। “অপহরণের শিকার হওয়া ব্যক্তিদের উপর এই বিবাদীরা যে সহিংস শারীরিক এবং যৌন অত্যাচার করেছে, তা অত্যন্ত উদ্বেগজনক বিষয়। আমাদের সমাজে সহিংস অপরাধের কোনো জায়গা নেই এবং যারা এই ধরনের অপরাধ করবে, তারা আমাদের বিচারব্যবস্থার পরম শক্তির সম্মুখীন হবে -- সেটা যাতে ঘটে, FBI এবং FBI নিউ ইয়র্ক জয়েন্ট ভায়োলেন্ট ক্রাইম টাস্ক ফোর্স তা নিশ্চিত করবে,” FBI অ্যাসিস্ট্যান্ট ডিরেক্টর-ইন-চার্জ স্মিথ বলেন। NYPD-এর কমিশনার কাবান (Caban) বলেন, “NYPD-এর পুরুষ ও মহিলারা এই সমস্ত অত্যন্ত গুরুতর অভিযোগের নিন্দা করে। আমরা ও আমাদের আইন বাস্তবায়নকারী পার্টনাররা সহিংসতা এবং অত্যাচার সংক্রান্ত সব অভিযোগকে অতি গুরুত্ব সহকারে বিবেচনা করে এবং New York City রাস্তা থেকে এই ধরনের অপরাধ নির্মূল করার ব্যাপারে প্রতিজ্ঞাবদ্ধ।” 27 মার্চ 2023 তারিখে Jamiaca, Queens জন ডো -1 এর অপহরণ অপহরণের অভিযোগ এবং আদালতের দাখিলার বিবরণ অনুযায়ী 27 মার্চ 2023 তারিখে প্রায় 14 ঘণ্টা ধরে আহমেদ, আলম, চৌধুরী, খান এবং রাজিয়া Jamiaca, Queens একটি পাবলিক স্ট্রিটের একজন ভুক্তভোগী (“John Doe-1”)-কে অপহরণ ও লাঞ্ছিত করেছিল। 181st Street এবং Hillside Avenue-এর আশেপাশে জন ডো-1 হাঁটাহাটি করার সময় চৌধুরী তাকে হোন্ডা মিনিভ্যানে (SUV) জোর করে তুলে নিয়ে যাওয়ার অভিযোগ করেছে। চৌধুরী মিনিভ্যানের ভিতরেই জন ডো-1 কে মারতে শুরু করেছিলেন। অপহরণের সময়, চৌধুরী জন ডো-1 কে মিনিভ্যান থেকে বের হতে বাধ্য করেছিলেন এবং ভুক্তভোগীকে আবাসিক এলাকায় নগ্নাবস্থায় দাঁড় করিয়ে ছবি তুলছিলেন। অপহরণের সময় আহমেদ, আলম, খান এবং রাজিয়া সেলুলার টেলিফোনের মাধ্যমে আবু চৌধুরী এর সাথে যোগাযোগ করে সারা রাত জুড়ে বিভিন্ন পয়েন্টে চৌধুরী এর সাথে সাক্ষাৎ করেছিলেন এবং জন ডো-1 কে আরো মারধর ও হত্যার হুমকিতে অংশ নিয়েছিলেন। জন ডো-1 অপহরণকারীদের নিকট পানি পানের জন্য আকুতি জানালে আসামীগণ তাকে চেতনানাশক জল মিশ্রিত দিয়েছিল। পরবর্তীতে জন ডো-1 জ্ঞান হারিয়ে ফেলে এবং অপহরণের পরেরদিন স্থানীয় একটি হাসপাতালে তার জ্ঞান ফিরে পায়। 11 মে 2023 তারিখে Woodside, Queens জন ডো - 2 এর অপহরণ অপহরণের অভিযোগ এবং আদালতের দাখিলার বিবরণ অনুযায়ী 11 মে 2023 তারিখ থেকে শুরু হয়ে প্রায় তিন চৌধুরী এবং লুবনা জন ডো-1 কে অপহরণ ও লাঞ্ছিত করেছিল। জন ডো-2 Woodside, Queens 72 তম স্ট্রিট এবং Broadway-এর পাশের একটি রেস্তোরাঁর বাইরে লুবনা এর সাথে দেখা করার জন্য অপেক্ষা করছিলেন তখন চৌধুরী জন ডো-2 কে জোর করে একটি মিনিভ্যানে তুলে মারধর শুরু করেন। অপহরণের সময়, চৌধুরী এবং লুবনা জন ডো-2 কে একটি হোটেলে নিয়ে গেলে সেখানে চৌধুরী জন ডো-2 কে যৌন হয়রানি করেন। এছাড়াও চৌধুরী ভুক্তভোগীর নিরাপত্তার জন্য $20,000 দাবি করে জন ডো-2 এর বাবার কাছে মুক্তিপণের জন্য কল করেছিলেন। যেখানে অপহরণের ঘটনাটি ঘটেছে সেটি হলো একটি জাতিগত সম্প্রদায় সেখানে আসামীগণ ভুক্তভোগীকে সতর্ক করে বলেছিল যে তিনি যদি আইন প্রয়োগকারীকে সহযোগিতা করে তাহলে তারা সহজেই তাকে খুঁজে পেতে পারে। অপহরণের তৃতীয় দিনে, চৌধুরী জন ডো-2 কে বেঁধে একটি পরিত্যক্ত বাড়িতে ফেলে রেখে যান। জন ডো-2 তার বাঁধন দাঁত দিয়ে কেটে, জানালা ভেঙে এবং পাশের বাসিন্দাদের 911 নম্বরে কল করতে বলে নিজেকে মুক্ত করতে সক্ষম হয়েছিল। অভিযুক্তের অভিযোগগুলো হলো নিছক অভিযোগ এবং আসামীগণ হলো দোষী প্রমাণিত না হওয়া পর্যন্ত তারা নির্দোষ বলে মনে করা হয়। সবগুলোতে দোষী সাব্যস্ত হলে আসামিদের সর্বোচ্চ যাবজ্জীবন কারাদণ্ড হতে পারে। সরকারের মামলাটি অফিস'স জেনারেল ক্রাইম সেকশন (Office’s General Crimes Section) কর্তৃক পরিচালিত হচ্ছে। অ্যাসিস্ট্যান্ট ইউনাইটেড স্টেটস অ্যাটর্নি স্টেফানি পাক (Stephanie Pak) এবং ভিনসেন্ট চিয়াপিনি (Vincent Chiappini) প্যারালিগাল বিশেষজ্ঞ ক্যাটরিনা বাতিস্তা (Katrina Batista)-এর সাথে যৌথভাবে প্রসিকিউশনের দায়িত্বে রয়েছেন। পূর্বে অভিযুক্ত আসামীগণ: আবু চৌধুরি (ABU CHOWDHURY) বয়স: 34 জ্যামাইকা, কুইন্স (Jamaica, Queens) ইফাত লুবনা (IFFAT LUBNA) বয়স: 24 জ্যামাইকা, কুইন্স (Jamaica, Queens) নতুনভাবে-অভিযুক্ত বিবাদীগণ : সৈয়দ রুবেল আহমেদ (SYED RUBEL AHMED) বয়স: 43 জ্যামাইকা, কুইন্স (Jamaica, Queens) শাহেদ আলম (SHAHED ALOM) বয়স: 29 জ্যামাইকা, কুইন্স (Jamaica, Queens) আঞ্জু খান (ANZU KHAN) বয়স: 28 জ্যামাইকা, কুইন্স (Jamaica, Queens) সুলতানা রাজিয়া (SULTANA RAZIA) বয়স: 38 উডসাইড কুইন্স (Woodside, Queens) E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-278 (S-1) (NRM)


title: Former Shreveport Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Charge of Wire Fraud

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Former Shreveport Police Department officer Jeffrey L. Peters , 55, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby presided over the guilty plea hearing which was held in United States District Court. While employed as a Lieutenant with the Shreveport Police Department (SPD), as part of Peters’ duties, he was allowed to work overtime on the Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Program. The CBCR is a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that pays officers at 1.5 times their normal hourly rate for overtime worked. According to information presented in court, between January 2020 and January 2021, Peters and a fellow supervisor (Officer 1) devised a scheme to defraud the SPD by claiming overtime for hours they had not worked. Peters and Officer 1 would each fill out and sign a Report of Overtime which stated they worked a specific time and date on the CBCR grant. Peters, in his role as Officer 1’s supervisor, would certify that Officer 1 had actually worked the dates and times listed on the Report of Overtime. Peters would also create and submit an SPD activity report which would falsely state that he and Officer 1 were doing patrols in District 3, an area around SPD Headquarters. On these reports, Peters and Officer 1 were the only officers listed. When in truth and in fact, neither Peters nor Officer 1 were working overtime for SPD. Peters submitted false Reports of Overtime and Activity Reports on over 50 dates falsely claiming he worked overtime that he had not. He was paid for hours he did not work in is bi-weekly paychecks which were deposited into his own personal account. Peters received a total of $13,084.74 in overtime that he was not entitled to receive. Peters faces a sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing has been set for May 16, 2024. The case was investigated by FBI, DOJ-Office of Inspector General, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg. # # #


title: Shreveport Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medicaid

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chassidy Bell , 34, of Shreveport, Louisiana , has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting healthcare fraud. Bell pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby on January 10, 2024. Bell was employed as a Mental Health Specialist at Community Health Care Solutions, LLC (Community Health) which was a licensed mental health rehabilitation provider in Caddo Parish, that alleged to provide Crisis Intervention Services. These types of services are provided to those who may experience a psychiatric crisis and are designed to interrupt a crisis experience. Crisis Intervention Services are required to be provided face to face and are authorized up to 66 hours per crisis episode and cannot exceed 14 days. According to information presented in court, from 2017 to 2020, individuals associated with Community Health devised a scheme to defraud Medicaid for services that were not rendered. In June 2019, while an employee of Community Health, Bell began creating false progress notes for an individual who resided in the Shreveport area. The detailed notes indicated very specific behaviors on the part of the individual and that Bell modeled crisis scenarios and provided feedback to him. In truth and reality, this individual did not exist but rather his identity had been assigned to an undercover Medicaid card for a fictitious individual that law enforcement had provided to an associate of Community Health in exchange for payment. Bell created the fictitious notes stating she was providing Crisis Intervention Services for this individual and Community Health billed Medicaid for the services that she had not rendered to him. In addition, Bell created false progress notes for other individuals purporting to provide Crisis Intervention Services and inflated her hours of service to maximize billing. In reality, Bell did not provide any services to the individuals she created progress notes for, or either provided non-Crisis Intervention Services and documented them incorrectly as Crisis Intervention Services. In total, Bell’s false progress notes and fictitious notes supporting the filing of fraudulent claims led to payments by Medicaid of $63,441.32 to Community Health. Bell faces a sentence of not more than 25 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Her sentencing date has been set for April 24, 2024. The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit-Office of Attorney General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg. # # #


title: Local Internet café murders shooter, getaway drivers sentenced to 40 years & 30 years in prison

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus men involved in the murder of a husband and wife in a local Internet café were sentenced in U.S. District Court this week to decades in prison. Chris A. King, 28, was sentenced yesterday to 480 months in prison. King shot and murdered both the husband and wife while they were working. Justice B. Stringer, 29, was sentenced today to 360 months in prison. Stringer drove co-defendants to and from the robbery resulting in murder. Five total defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2019 for crimes related to a string of robberies of Internet gaming businesses, including the robbery at Players Paradise on East Broad Street that resulted in murder on Jan. 20, 2019. According to court documents, King and a co-defendant robbed Players Paradise at gunpoint and allegedly murdered security guard Joseph Arrington and then his wife, employee Karen Arrington. Stringer then drove the men away from the Internet café. Defendants were also responsible for a prior café robbery at Players Paradise on Dec. 10, 2018, stealing $30,000 in cash. Stringer also admitted to his involvement in a Jan. 7, 2019, robbery of Planet Jackpot café on Alum Creek Drive. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Towaoc Man Indicted on Sex Assault Charges

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DURANGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Lyndreth Hemp Wall, age 58, of Towaoc, Colorado was indicted on multiple charges stemming from alleged sexual assaults occurring on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. A federal grand jury returned the indictment, alleging Wall committed eight counts of sexual abuse in Indian Country and four counts of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Wall made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James Candelaria in Durango. If convicted on any of the counts of alleged sexual abuse in Indian Country, Wall faces a sentence of up to life in prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Anyone who has information about this case or about other possible victims is asked to call the FBI Denver office at (303) 629-7171. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Case Number: 24-cr-00003-GPC-JMC


title: Defendants Convicted of Trafficking Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Fentanyl Analogue Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men today for drug trafficking in the Lafayette area. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced James Johnwell , 44, of Crowley, Louisiana, to 71 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiring with other individuals to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Johnwell pleaded guilty to the charge on September 19, 2023. In March and April 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), investigated the suspected drug trafficking activities of Johnwell and his co-conspirators in Crowley. On March 31, 2022, law enforcement agents were made aware of the purchase of cocaine by an individual from Johnwell. On April 19, 2022, a search warrant was obtained and executed at Johnwell’s residence in Crowley. Agents seized approximately 1.2 pounds of marijuana, a bottle of promethazine syrup, approximately 765 grams of cocaine containing fentanyl, and approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride. In addition, agents found and seized 14 firearms and over 59 various rounds of ammunition. The case was investigated by DEA and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel. In an unrelated case, Henry Washington, Jr. , 26, was sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Washington pleaded guilty on September 26, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue. On December 10, 2021, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted the Opelousas Police Department with a United States Postal Service (USPS) package that contained two kilograms of suspected fentanyl. The package was mailed from an individual in California to a residence in Opelousas. Agents were able to recover the package delivered to the residence and the suspected narcotics were tested by the DEA Southeast Drug Laboratory and tested positive for para -fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I illicit fentanyl analogue. Washington admitted to conspiring with other co-defendants, Jasmin Coleman and Owen Ozenne to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the para -fluorofentanyl that was delivered to the residence in Opelousas. The case was investigated by DEA, USPS, and Opelousas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel. # # #


title: East Haven Restaurant Agrees to Permit Service Animals in ADA Settlement

component: Civil Rights - Disability Rights Section

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Twin Pines Diner in East Haven to resolve allegations that the diner was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint filed by an individual with disabilities alleging that Twin Pines Diner required the removal of a service animal from the diner as a condition of service. As a result of the settlement agreement, the restaurant is in the process of posting signage indicating “Service Animals Welcome”; implementing a “Service Animal Policy,” which includes the types of legally permissible inquiries store employees may make of a customer who enters the store with a service animal; and training employees regarding the policy. Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties. U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the owner of Twin Pines Diner has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to promptly address the ADA issues without litigation. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Brown, Jr. of the District of Connecticut in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.


title: Additional defendant pleads guilty in $50 million Ponzi scheme involving off-the-road tires

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Jersey man who is alleged to have fled to Turkey has returned to the United States and pleaded guilty to his role in a nationwide, off-the-road tire sale fraud scheme that resulted in tens of millions of dollars of losses. Ahmet Neidik, 64, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Neidik was the co-owner of, and ran the daily operations for, transportation, logistics and importing/exporting businesses. Some of the proceeds of the scheme were sent to businesses controlled by Neidik. Neidik would then wire money to the bank accounts of co-conspirators. It is alleged that John K. Eckerd, Jr., 58, of Dallas, is the leader of the multi-state conspiracy. Conspiring with previously convicted and sentenced defendant Jason E. Adkins, 46, of Jackson, Ohio, Eckerd and others orchestrated a $50 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 50 investors. According to Eckerd’s indictment, from 2012 until at least in or around late 2018, Eckerd represented himself to potential investors as an entrepreneur and businessman with expertise in the market for off-the-road tires. Off-the-road tires are over-sized tires that are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Eckerd had control of or access to many corporations allegedly used as part of the scheme. Co-conspirators allegedly solicited millions of dollars from investor-victims under false pretenses. Investors were told their money would be used to buy off-the-road tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate. Investors were promised a high percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days. It is alleged defendants rarely bought or sold tires, and when they did, they used the same tires as the basis for multiple deals, promising multiple investors that they each owned the same tires. Defendants corresponded with the potential investors face-to-face, as well as through a combination of phone calls, text messages, and, on occasion, emails. It is alleged they used private planes to showcase their inventory and appear wealthy and successful. Defendants also allegedly provided investors with elaborate, fraudulent paperwork regarding the purported deals. The co-conspirators requested large investments and loans, most to be funded through wire transfers. With his guilty plea, Neidik admitted to participating in the scheme. To give potential investors confidence in the tire deals, Eckerd and Adkins offered the services of a purportedly neutral third party to arrange shipment of the tires and/or hold investment funds in escrow until certain conditions were met in completing the deal. Neidik allowed Eckerd and Adkins to represent to investors that he was the neutral third party, and on some occasions, entered into escrow agreements with the investors. As part of his plea, Neidik has agreed to pay $370,000 in restitution for his part of the scheme. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Colombian National Sentenced for His Illegal Reentry into the United States

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Colombian national was sentenced on January 9, 2024 in federal court in Concord for his illegal reentry into the United States after previously being deported, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Jheisson Rizo Suarez, 39, was sentencing by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Rizo Suarez pleaded guilty to one count of reentry after deportation. On September 18, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to the illegal reentry charge. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those, like the defendant, who commit violent crimes while in the United States illegally,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. On July 9, 2021, the defendant was arrested by the Dover Police Department in connection with a residential burglary in progress. The subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant was illegally in the United States, after having been previously deported on or about January 28, 2013. The Dover Police Department and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward. ###


title: Former Teacher’s Aide Pleads Guilty to Attempting Online Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Conduct

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Danville, Ky., woman, Ellen Phillips, formerly known as Ellen Shell, 38, pleaded guilty on Friday, before Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Phillips, who at the time of her offenses was employed as a teacher’s aide, was conducting sexual relationships with numerous teenage boys in the Boyle and Garrard County areas. Phillips would communicate with the victims via Snapchat, Facebook, or text messaging and, in many instances, would meet the victims for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. According to Phillips’ plea, she engaged in sexual activity with multiple minors at the same time. In her plea agreement, Phillips specifically admitted that on December 20, 2022, she attempted to entice a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. In this conversation, Phillips messaged the victim using Facebook and repeatedly attempted to get the victim to sneak out of his house for sexual activity. When the victim said he could not leave, Phillips offered alcohol and oral sex to the minor and offered excuses the victim could tell his mother as to why he needed to leave his home. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); Willie Skeens, Garrard County Sheriff; and Chief Tony Gray, Danville Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the HSI, KSP, Garrard County Sheriff’s Office, and Danville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth. Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26. She faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . -END-


title: Sebastian man sentenced to 160 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 10, a man was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine, after pleading guilty on Oct. 16, 2023. In March 2023, Jamiey Tonino Parker, 45, of Sebastian, Florida, distributed a total of 47.4 grams of methamphetamine on two separate occasions. Thereafter, pursuant to a search warrant of Parker’s residence, law enforcement officers found a variety of illegal drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. DEA Miami Field Division, Port St. Lucie Resident Office, and IRCSO investigated the case with assistance from the Sebastian Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted it. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-14032. ###


title: Mexican smugglers caught importing $1M in meth sent to prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for importing over 900 pounds of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury convicted Noe De Jesus Martinez-Montelongo, 36, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and Fidel Rodriguez-Saldana, 35, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Aug. 23, 2023 following a three-day trial. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now imposed a 235-month term of imprisonment for Martinez-Montelongo and Rodriguez-Saldana received 235 months in prison as well. Both must also serve five years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the large amount of liquid narcotics that they were attempting to bring into the United States. On Nov. 28, 2022, Martinez-Montelongo and Rodriguez-Saldana attempted to enter the United States at the Columbia Solidarity port of entry in Laredo, driving a tractor-trailer without a load. Authorities referred them to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the tractor. Law enforcement conducted a scope and discovered a secret compartment in each diesel tank of the tractor. They were then able to extract some of the liquid which tested positive for meth. Authorities ultimately seized a total of 413 kilograms (910 pounds) of liquid meth which filled 22 buckets. The estimated wholesale value is approximately $1 million. At trial, Martinez-Montelongo and Rodriguez-Saldana claimed no knowledge of the liquid. They said they were simply supposed to pick up a legitimate load in Laredo. The jury did not believe their defense and found them guilty as charged. Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Makens and Brandon Bowling prosecuted the case.


title: Eagle River man arrested on child pornography, enticement charges

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man was arrested by the FBI Wednesday on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of child pornography and attempted coercion of a minor. According to court documents, Michael Koetter, 28, possessed child pornography depicting minors as young as toddlers. He also allegedly attempted to induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit behavior by seeking out girls under 12 years old that “have rates,” which is a term often used in the commercial sex industry referring to the price to perform sex acts or purchase sexually explicit images. Koetter is charged with possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2252A(a)(5)(b) and (b)(2), and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2422(b). If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Koetter’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online while in Alaska or Indiana using the name Michael Koetter or the username “sskies420,” please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov . Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###