title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Violent Carjackings of Two Food Delivery Drivers, One of Whom Died From His Injuries

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John Nusslein, 20, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John M. Younge to 300 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, restitution of $5,300, and a $300 special assessment, in connection with the carjackings of two food delivery drivers in Northeast Philadelphia during November and December of 2021. Nusslein was charged by indictment in June 2022, and on April 2, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking resulting in death, and one count of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. The defendant and others committed two carjackings during the course of the conspiracy that took place between November 29, 2021, and December 29, 2021. The incidents detailed are as follows: • On December 2, 2021, Nusslein and two others placed a food delivery order to an address on the 3000 block of Teesdale Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 7:00 p.m., when C.C., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 approached C.C. and struck him repeatedly to facilitate the taking of C.C.’s vehicle, a 2004 Toyota Camry. Nusslein, Person 1, and Person 2 then fled the area in C.C.’s stolen Toyota Camry. C.C. was later taken to the hospital by first responders. On December 21, 2021, C.C. succumbed to his injuries and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was the assault that C.C. sustained during the carjacking. • On December 16, 2021, Nusslein and Person 1 placed a food delivery order to an address on the 9000 block of Hilspach Street in Philadelphia, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At approximately 9:10 p.m., when W.Z., a food delivery driver, arrived at that location, Nusslein and Person 1 approached W.Z., pointed a firearm at him, demanded his money, and struck him to facilitate the taking of W.Z.’s vehicle, a 2015 Infiniti QX5. Nusslein and Person 1 then fled the area in W.Z.’s stolen Infiniti QX5. “A man just trying to make a living lost his life, because John Nusslein wanted his car,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Another man was brutally assaulted for the same reason. Such senseless violence demands a strong response on behalf of the victims and the community. Our Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to work these cases and seek significant sentences to get dangerous criminals off the street. A 20-year-old young man serving 25 years in prison sends a clear message that choosing to commit a carjacking can have life-changing ramifications.” “This perpetrator’s intentional and brutal acts for nothing more than to rob and steal their unsuspecting victims’ cars is reprehensible,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree. “This case is a reminder that carjacking is deadly dangerous and a serious federal crime with lengthy prison sentences. ATF Philadelphia Field Division will continue our diligent work with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force and sharing ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools, to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer.” This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Stram and Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert.


title: Two Men Arrested for Drug Distribution

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two Indian nationals were arrested on July 29, 2024, in connection with the distribution of controlled substances. Simranjit Singh, 28, and Gusimrat Singh, 19, of Fresno, Calif. were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Both men made initial appearances yesterday in federal court in Boston and remain in federal custody at this time. According to the charging documents, investigators became aware of a California-based drug-trafficking organization (“DTO”) interested in transporting methamphetamine and other drugs to Boston. Investigators acting in an undercover capacity, began communicating with a member of the DTO who agreed to sell 65 pounds (approximately 32 kilograms) of methamphetamine to the undercover agents. On July 29, 2024, att approximately 10:15 p.m., a white tractor trailer arrived at a planned Andover address to deliver methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The driver and passenger of that tractor trailer, later identified as Gusimrat Singh and Simranjit Singh, allegedly handed off 65 pounds of suspected methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The men were immediately taken into custody. According to court documents, while searching the cab of the tractor trailer, over 400-kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered, worth more than $10.5 million. “The sheer amount of drugs seized in this one case is disturbing and dangerous. These defendants allegedly took a cross-country trip to distribute illicit narcotics into Massachusetts communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I am grateful for our dedicated law enforcement partners who have worked so diligently to prevent harmful drugs from reaching our streets. Drug traffickers should beware: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of federal law.” “Seizures of this magnitude have a significant public health and safety impact on our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “These investigations are difficult and dangerous, yet it remains imperative that HSI continue to work with our partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs into New England.” The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Andover Police Department, Milton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Sentenced for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. According to court documents, beginning as early as 2011, Paul Francis Blaisse, 65, of Walkersville, engaged in live video chats on the internet with minor children who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Blaisse sent nearly 100,000 messages to hundreds of individuals on video chat sites who offered access to minor children via webcam. During these chats, Blaisse discussed his sexual interest in children and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office identified Blaisse after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using an IP address associated with Blaisse’s residence uploaded CSAM to a video chat account. In October 2018, Blaisse used Skype, an online video chat application, to entice a minor child in the Philippines to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Blaisse used screen recording software to create CSAM. Records of Blaisse’s Skype activity show that he communicated with an adult in the Philippines who arranged for the minor child to participate in a video chat with Blaisse. FBI agents interviewed the minor child, who stated that the person paid them to do a sexually explicit show on Skype for a “foreigner.” In addition to these chats, Blaisse’s electronic devices contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent minors. Blaisse was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay over $83,000 in restitution to his victims. After his release from prison, Blaisse will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith III of Frederick County; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland, and Chief Counsel Joyce King of the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: California Man Sentenced for Interfering with Flight Crew, Forcing Plane to be Diverted to KCI

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A California man was sentenced in federal court today after he was subdued by several passengers and flight attendants when he tried to open the exit door on an American Airlines flight en route to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to land at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. Juan Remberto Rivas, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 19 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Rivas to pay $64,434 in restitution to American Airlines. On Jan. 23, 2024, Rivas pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with flight crew members and flight attendants. Rivas was a passenger aboard American Airlines flight 1775 traveling nonstop from Los Angeles, Calif., to Washington, D.C., which was diverted to Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 13, 2022. Rivas admitted that he created a disturbance and knowingly intimidated a flight attendant of the aircraft. Rivas went to the front of the plane and was arguing with the flight attendant. Rivas grabbed some plastic silverware and placed the plastic silverware in his shirt sleeve to appear to create a shank. Rivas grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck and attempted to break the bottle on the counter. Rivas then attempted to open an exit door by lifting the handle. Another flight attendant grabbed a coffee pot and hit Rivas with it. Rivas was then restrained for the remainder of the flight. According to court documents, Rivas assaulted the arresting law enforcement officers after the airplane landed and he was being taken into custody. A number of officers were injured in his attempt to flee, resulting in contusions, lacerations, and an injured hand. In addition to this federal case, Rivas faces a pending charge in Platte County, Mo., for assault against a law enforcement officer. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.


title: “Hot shot” smuggling organization heading to prison for illegally transporting thousands

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Four men involved in a large-scale smuggling conspiracy have been sentenced for “inhumanely” transporting individuals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Mission residents Diego Flores, 29, Gerardo Villarreal, 34, and Gilberto Rios, 35, all previously pleaded guilty along with Antonio Cuevas-Lozano, 46, Mexico, to conspiracy to transport or harbor undocumented individuals within the United States. Villarreal also admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Diego Flores to serve 156 months in federal prison. Villarreal received 120 months for the smuggling conspiracy and 70 months for the firearms conviction to be served concurrently, along with 24 months on a supervised release violation to be served consecutively for a total 144-month sentence. Rios and Cuevas-Lozano were sentenced to 63 and 30 months, respectively. Flores, Rios and Villarreal must also serve three years of supervised release, while Cuevos-Lozano is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard how the organization moved thousands of undocumented aliens in groups of at least 70 by placing them inside containers and drilling them closed from the outside, loading them onto trailers and transporting them on the highway in the hot Texas climate. Diego Flores acted in a leadership capacity within the smuggling organization and had a prior smuggling conviction. The court also considered how the organization utilized multiple firearms to threaten the individuals. Judge Crane noted the complete disregard for the safety of the undocumented people the organization exhibited, expressing that the means and methods of transportation were “inhumane.” “Human smugglers ply their trade preying on the vulnerable,” said Hamdani. “These smugglers cramped dozens of migrants into wooden crates and then bolted those crates shut, leaving the migrants to the mercy of South Texas’s brutal heat. Such conduct was not just predatory; it also demonstrated a total disregard for the value of human life. Today’s sentences reflect how my office will not rest until we disrupt and dismantle the deadly human smuggling operations that cause so much sorrow along the Southwest border.” Beginning in April 2022, Diego Flores hired “hot shot” drivers to transport various containers, including wooden boxes, sheds and hay bales on flat-bed trailers further north. If ever intercepted at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, the drivers would minimize culpability on those within the smuggling organization as the drivers were unaware of what they were transporting. On April 26, 2022, law enforcement intercepted a load of 40 undocumented individuals within wooden boxes. Authorities also found 69 people in compartments in the roofs of two sheds strapped onto flat-bed trailers July 19, 2023. Another interception occurred Aug. 18, 2023, when law enforcement located a load of 28 undocumented aliens hidden in a compartment surrounded by hay bales. Authorities also discovered 36 more hidden within wooden crates loaded on a trailer 11 days later. Then, on Sept. 1, 2023, law enforcement found eight people hidden in a compartment underneath a trailer, between it and the road. On each occasion, authorities spoke to those recovered and uncovered the large-scale smuggling organization. Those in the conspiracy utilized a ranch property in Mission to build the compartments in which to transport undocumented individuals. On every occasion, the conspirators instructed the aliens to get inside and drilled the containers closed, offering them no means of escape. The conspirators then drove the trailer loaded with containers to meet the “hot shot” driver who would further transport the trailer north. Authorities executed a search warrant on Sept. 5, 2023, on the ranch property and recovered three firearms. Once in custody, law enforcement discovered Villarreal had a pistol in his possession. As a convicted felon, federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition. On Feb. 1, Noe Vasquez received 144 months in federal prison as part of this conspiracy. At that time, the court heard testimony of how the smuggling organization moved approximately 3000 non-U.S. citizens and used firearms to control them. All will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case.


title: Deltona Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jatarius Nyquan Horne (27, Deltona) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Horne faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on July 3, 2022, officers with the Orlando Police Department stopped a vehicle on West Central Boulevard, in Orlando, after they observed the vehicle bearing two different license plates from two separate states. When they approached the vehicle, officers observed marijuana in plain view. Officers removed the vehicle’s occupants, including Horne, who had a loaded 9mm handgun in his waistband. Horne had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including fleeing to elude and burglary. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh. 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: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty To Firearm And Counterfeiting Charges

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Bryan Lyndell Chapman (26, Mississippi) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Chapman faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the counterfeiting charge, up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. As part of the plea agreement, Chapman has agreed to forfeit a Bushmaster pistol, ammunition, and a printer, all traceable to his offenses. Chapman was arrested on February 26, 2024, and ordered detained. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 26, 2024. According to court documents, in late 2023 into January 2024, Chapman traveled from Tennessee to Florida. During his trip, he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and passed them at various businesses. On January 17, 2024, a member of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) investigated a vehicle occupied by Chapman. During the investigation, the CCSO located inside the vehicle a loaded firearm, ammunition, equipment for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, 78 counterfeit $20 bills, and 35 pages of incomplete counterfeit bills with only the front of a $20 bill printed on it. The CCSO subsequently determined that Chapman was out on bond for a felony firearm charge pending in Mississippi and had previously been convicted in Tennessee of felony aggravated assault. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office, and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. 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: Weston Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for $890K Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES M. AMEER, 65, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling $890,000. Judge Underhill ordered Ameer to perform 150 hours of community service while on supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 through 2022, Ameer was the Chief Financial Officer at Indeco North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indeco Ind. S.P.A, headquartered in Milford. From 2014 until February 2018, Ameer served as the treasurer of the Weston Soccer Club (“WSC”), located in Weston. Beginning in 2016, Ameer misappropriated at least $38,500 from the WSC and used the funds for personal expenses. In October 2017, Ameer created a $40,000 check, which was drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to the order of “WSC,” and used the check to reimburse the WSC for the funds he had taken. Ameer subsequently opened a line of credit at a bank in WSC’s name, without WSC’s authorization or knowledge, and transferred funds into the WSC account that he had stolen from to further conceal his theft. Between October 2018 and July 2022, Ameer created 14 additional checks, in the total amount of $850,000, which were drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to him. He deposited the checks into bank accounts he controlled and used the funds for his own benefit. Judge Underhill ordered Ameer to make full restitution. Ameer was arrested on August 31, 2023. On March 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Ameer, who is released on a $500,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 9. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.


title: Florida Businessman Charged With Bankruptcy Offenses

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Ingram (72, Sanford) with four counts of making false declarations on bankruptcy forms and one count of making a false oath or account during a bankruptcy proceeding. If convicted on all counts, Ingram faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, in January 2023, Ingram executed and caused to be filed two separate Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions and associated schedules under criminal penalty on behalf of two companies he controlled: (1) Altosgroups Florida, LLC (Altos-FL); and Altosgroups North Carolina, LLC (Altos-NC) with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. In each bankruptcy case, Ingram made materially false declarations under penalty of perjury on the Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Financial Affairs that Altos FL and Altos-NC held approximately $4.6 million of assets held on behalf of creditors in an Altos-FL corporate bank account he controlled. Ingram knew at the time he made the declarations that he had transferred over $3 million of creditor assets Altos-FL was holding out of the Altos-FL bank account in November 2019. Additionally, Ingram falsely testified under oath at a Section 341 meeting of creditors that the Altos-FL and Altos-NC Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Financial Affairs were true and correct. An indictment 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida provided substantial investigative assistance. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Virginia Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Introducing Misbranded Drugs Into Interstate Commerce

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jonathan Corbett Cosie (56, Chesterfield, Virginia) to two years in federal prison for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. Cosie pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023. According to court documents, from approximately 2017 through 2020, Cosie owned and operated HCGRX, a Florida corporation that he used to distribute misbranded drugs via the internet. Among others, Cosie distributed multiple varieties of injectable drugs containing human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain prescription drugs containing HCG for the treatment of female infertility and other medical conditions but has repeatedly warned consumers against the use of illicit products containing HCG for unapproved purposes such as weight loss. Cosie obtained his products containing HCG from companies in India, China, and elsewhere, which did not have the required approvals of the FDA for distribution in the United States. Cosie marketed the HCG products on his website explicitly for weight loss and made fraudulent claims to consumers that HCGRX could allow customers to avoid having to obtain a prescription to purchase the drugs and that it was cooperating with “international pharmacies” to ship out the products. In reality, Cosie was obtaining the drugs from foreign and domestic suppliers, creating counterfeit labels and re-labeling the products at a residence in Jacksonville, and shipping the drugs along with syringes to customers directly. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Jacksonville residence and recovered numerous vials of products containing HCG, boxes of misbranded erectile dysfunction drugs, syringes, empty vials, product labels, and other items related to the HCGRX business. Over the course of the scheme, Cosie obtained approximately $626,000 from the distribution of misbranded drugs. This case was investigated by the FDA - Office of Criminal Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office – Pharmaceutical Diversion & Designer Drug Unit – North Florida HIDTA, and the Virginia State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.


title: Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing Gun and Using Death Threats and Racial Slurs to Intimidate Two Black Children and an Adult

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to two counts of interference with federally-protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. Austin Schoemann, 30, of Wichita, admitted during his plea hearing that, on July 27, 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles. “This defendant committed serious hate crimes when he used guns and death threats to terrorize two Black children and an adult who came to their aid,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant’s hate-fueled crime spree continued when he made threats to a white woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person visiting her home. Racially-motivated threats and violence, in any form, are unacceptable in our society. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws to protect crime victims targeted because of race.” “Racially based violence and threats of violence should never be tolerated. This reprehensible behavior is illegal and subject to federal criminal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department will defend civil rights and prosecute anyone who harasses and threatens people based on their race.” “There is no place for race-based violence in the state of Kansas,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Every individual is entitled to the fundamental right to live their lives without fear and intimidation based solely on their race. Today’s plea underscores the FBI’s commitment to investigating and preventing racially motivated crimes. These crimes have a wide-ranging impact and the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, have no tolerance for these types of threats.” Schoemann also acknowledged that, beginning in January 2022 and continuing through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Schoemann faces a penalty of 63 to 84 months in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Louisville Pediatrician Sentenced to 12 years in Federal Prison on Attempted Murder-for-Hire and Aiding and Abetting Interstate Stalking Charges

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY –Stephanie M. Russell was sentenced today on two counts of a federal indictment charging her with using a facility in interstate commerce, or causing another person to travel in interstate commerce, in the attempted murder-for-hire of her ex-husband, as well as aiding and abetting interstate stalking of her ex-husband. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. According to court records, Stephanie Russell, 53, a pediatrician in Louisville was sentenced to 10 years on the attempted murder-for-hire charge and 2 years on the interstate stalking charge, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total sentence of 12 years. Russell’s term of imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. In addition, Russell was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000. Russell, a pediatrician, owned and ran KidzLife Pediatrics in Norton Commons, in Louisville, Kentucky. Beginning in July 2021, Russell caused another to travel in interstate commerce, and used a telephone, a facility of interstate commerce, with the intent that the murder of her former husband, R.C., be committed in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and offered to pay for that murder. In July 2021, during a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, R.C., Russell began soliciting multiple KidzLife employees, asking if they knew someone who would be willing to kill R.C. In the spring of 2022, the FBI was notified of Russell’s solicitations, and began an investigation. As part of that investigation, a cooperating witness provided Russell with the telephone number of a purported hitman from the Chicago area. That hitman was an FBI Special Agent working undercover. Beginning on May 15, 2022, Russell had several recorded telephone conversations with the purported hitman. In one call, Russell and the purported hitman had the following exchange: Hitman: Obviously you want [R.C.] killed, right, . . . ? Russell: I want him to be completely gone from my life, yes . . . . Hitman: Well I mean that can be in the Bahamas, but I don’t think we’re talking a vacation away. I think we’re talking in the ground. Russell: I mean, do you like, do they disappear? Do you like shoot them on the road? Like what happens? Or should I just not know? Hitman: It really depends on, I mean, price dictates. That’s just how that goes. The more work I got to do, the more it’s going to cost you, but it could be, do you want it to look like a suicide? Do you want it to . . . Russell: Yes, that would be amazing. Russell ultimately agreed to pay the purported hitman $7,000, with half due up front. On May 18, 2022, Russell was caught on surveillance video leaving $3,500 in a specimen box outside the KidzLife building for the hitman to retrieve. The purported hitman drove to Louisville from Illinois and was videotaped as he picked up the payment. The FBI arrested Russell the next day. Further, according to court documents and evidence presented at the change of plea hearing, between December 1, 2018, and August 9, 2019, during custody litigation, Russell, aided and abetted by J.S., a person who traveled to Louisville from Michigan, engaged in conduct that caused and attempted to cause her former husband substantial emotional distress, and Russell did so with the intent to harass and intimidate him. Specifically, Russell encouraged J.S. to harass R.C., and she provided J.S. with a burner phone to use while doing so. The harassing conduct included visiting R.C.’s office unannounced, pretending to be a WAVE-3 reporter and leaving R.C. accusatory voicemails from the phone provided by Russell on R.C.’s phone, entering R.C.’s garage and leaving a note inside the garage pretending to be a reporter writing a derogatory story that could involve R.C., and leaving fliers, with R.C.’s photograph and other personal identifying information, on cars at R.C.’s office. The fliers contained defamatory allegations of misconduct and were intended to be viewed by R.C.’s co-workers, supervisors, and potentially clients. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ford and David Weiser prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal specialists Adela Alic and Carissa Moss. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Takes Part in “National Night Out” Aug. 6

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND - The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio will join dozens of community organizers and law enforcement partners to participate in “National Night Out” on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, from 5-8 p.m. at Halloran Park, 3550 West 117 th Street, Cleveland, 44111. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The event is held on the first Tuesday of August each year and is an opportunity for community members to meet and talk with those who keep our communities safe. Visitors to this outdoor event may take part in games and activities, pick up giveaways and snacks, and learn about the importance of safety in the community. USAO personnel will be on hand to interact with and answer questions from members of the community and to highlight awareness about law enforcement initiatives such as Elder Financial Abuse scams. “National Night Out has rallied neighborhood residents, law enforcement, and community leaders in the common goal of strengthening relationships to help prevent, deter, and address crime in our local community,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our Office is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement colleagues to engage with our community members, support safer homes and streets, and work together to drive out crime.” As the chief federal law enforcement official in the Northern District Ohio, it is the U.S. Attorney’s job to help coordinate a comprehensive law enforcement and crime prevention strategy for Northern Ohio. The office works with federal, state and local partners on wide-ranging investigations of groups and people that span county, state, and international boundaries. National Night Out was established in 1984 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides communities from coast to coast the chance to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances such as cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe. For more information about law enforcement initiatives and programs, contact District Law Enforcement Coordinator Tom Weldon at 216-622-3600, or usaohn.lecc@usdoj.gov.


title: Wiggins Man Pleads Guilty to Possession  with Intent to Distribute 96 Grams of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Wiggins man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 96 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on February 16, 2024, an investigation revealed that Daniel Daughdrill, 42, was selling methamphetamine from his Wiggins residence. A search of his residence yielded 96 grams of methamphetamine as well as a firearm. Daughdrill will be sentenced on October 30, 2024 and faces up to twenty 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and Stone County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Jacksonville Man Indicted For Producing, Distributing, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an eleven-count indictment charging Joshua Keith Davis (52, Jacksonville) with producing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Davis faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison, for each production offense (5 counts), a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for each distribution offense (5 counts), and up to 20 years in prison for the possession offense (1 count). According to court documents, between 2011 and 2013 Davis produced CSAM and later distributed the material. Davis was also found in possession of CSAM in 2022. He is currently detained pending the resolution of his ongoing state and federal criminal charges. An indictment 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate. This is another case 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: Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derek Romel Glaze, also known as “Zeke,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2022, Glaze sold approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a vehicle on the 800 block of Marcum Terrace in Huntington. Glaze admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand. Glaze further admitted to selling approximately 11 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on November 30, 2022, and approximately 29.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on January 17, 2023. Law enforcement officers arrested Glaze on February 7, 2023. Glaze admitted that he told investigators that he received methamphetamine and fentanyl on consignment and distributed it in the Huntington area. Glaze further admitted that he distributed at least 20 pounds of methamphetamine during the preceding six months. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted 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. 3:23-cr-20.


title: Cabell County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thomas Shane Holland, 54, of Salt Rock, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Holland admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, Holland admitted to buying approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine from DTO ringleader Derrell Cashawn Massey outside a Huntington gas station on October 18, 2023. Holland further admitted to arranging the transaction with Massey beforehand by phone. Following the transaction, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Holland was a passenger. Officers found the methamphetamine in a container beside Holland in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Holland admitted that he intended to distribute the 16 grams of methamphetamine. Holland and Massey are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Massey, also known as “Rell” and “Fat Rell,” 34, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2024, to the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Holland and Massey are among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. 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. 3:23-cr-180.


title: Concealing cocaine carries considerable sentence

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 51-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute $4 million worth of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Olga Lydia Segundo pleaded guilty April 15. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has now ordered Segundo to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. On Jan. 13, Segundo arrived at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint driving a white 2010 Chevrolet Silverado. Law enforcement proceeded to ask questions about her trip and Segundo gave answers that did not make sense. Segundo stated she was going to Austin at one point, then to Houston for a job interview but could not remember the name of the company or where the job interview was happening. During this time, there were freezing temperatures in South Texas, and authorities noticed Segundo did not have any cold-weather clothes or clothes for a job interview. Segundo gave law enforcement consent to search the vehicle. An x-ray scan showed anomalies in all four tires of the vehicle. Authorities discovered they were lined with welded metal casings that serve as aftermarket compartments. After drilling through the casings, law enforcement found 24 bundles of cocaine wrapped in cellophane weighing 48 kilograms with an estimated street value of over $4 million. Segundo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.


title: Eight People Charged in 23-Count Narcotics Trafficking and Felon in Possession Indictment

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Seven residents of Florida were charged in a 23-count indictment for their respective involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and oxycodone. An eighth defendant was charged with being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm. Michael Donaldson, 37, of Clearview, Leo Gilbert 35, of Miami Gardens, Jamare Andre Gardner, a/k/a “Maury,” 25, of Miami Gardens, Deshun Richard James, 36, Jose Albert Ruiz, 34, of Miami, Kim Whitehurst, a/k/a “A-Boy,” 31, of Miami, and Hasani Nesbitt, a/k/a "Get Right,” 45, of Miami Gardens, were charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. The indictment charges that cocaine, oxycodone and methamphetamine were distributed within 1,000 feet of south Florida schools. Donte Ike Gosha, 37, of Miami Gardens, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 29, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert were arrested in Miami-Dade County, Fla. On July 30, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert had their initial appearances on the indictment. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office , Chief Delma Noel-Pratt of the Miami Gardens Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. The FBI, Miami Gardens Police Department, and ATF investigated the case. The Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force (SSVGTF), to include participants from the U.S. Secret Service, City of Miami Police Department, and Miami-Dade Police Department, provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Chattah is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This investigation was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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 24-cr-20282. ###


title: American Airlines Passenger Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Open Aircraft Exterior Doors Mid-Flight

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: UPDATE Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release against Eric Nicholas Gapco in this case was dismissed on May 5, 2026. Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an alleged unruly passenger onboard an American Airlines flight after engaging in disruptive and life-threatening behavior, including attempting to open the aircraft exterior doors mid-flight. According to court documents, Eric Nicholas Gapco, 26, of Delanco, New Jersey, a passenger onboard American Airlines flight #2101, assaulted and intimidated a flight attendant and aircraft crew members on July 18, 2024. As a result of Gapco’s alleged unruly behavior, the flight, which originated from Seattle, Washington, and was en route to Dallas, Texas, was diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport. As alleged in the complaint and detention memo, Gapco failed to follow instructions to remain in his seat, propositioned a flight attendant for sex, was repeatedly loud, vaped, bothered other passengers, locked himself in the lavatory, and attempted to open the aircraft exterior doors multiple times while the aircraft was in flight. As a result, Gapco was restrained by flight crew members and other passengers with flexible restraints to his feet and hands during the flight. Upon landing he was arrested by law enforcement at Salt Lake City International Airport. Gapco is charged with interference with a flight crew, and attempted damage to an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. His initial appearance on the indictment is August 1, 2024, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Salt Lake City Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Attachments: gapco.order_granting_leave_to_dismiss_the_indictment.pdf gapco.motion_for_leave_to_dismiss_indictment.pdf gapco.dismissal_of_the_indictment.pdf


title: Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Million Dollar Fraud Scheme at New Orleans Marine Forces Reserve Facility

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KAMILA HORAKOVA DUDLEY (“ DUDLEY ”), age 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pled guilty on July 30, 2024, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to misprision of a felony, namely, wire fraud, in violation of Title18, United States Code, Section 4. According to court documents, DUDLEY was employed by Company A from September 2008 through March 2023; and, from March 2017 through November 2018, she served as Company A’s office manager. As Company A’s office manager, DUDLEY , among other things, prepared and submitted Company A’s invoices for payment. In approximately March 2017, Company A subcontracted with Company B to provide onsite support services at the Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. Company A, by and through multiple employees, committed wire fraud by knowingly submitting materially false invoices to Company B, knowing that Company B would, in turn, present the false information to the United States for payment. From March 2017 through November 2018, Company A billed the United States, through Company B, for services not provided. The fraudulent invoices included the names of Company A’s executives, who performed no work at MARFORRES. The fraudulent invoices also included the names of certain individuals who worked full-time on a separate contract at a separate facility and, thus, performed no work at MARFORRES. Because neither Company B nor the United States was aware of the fraudulent nature of the invoices, Company A was paid approximately $1,300,000 under the subcontract. Despite having knowledge of these events, that constituted wire fraud, DUDLEY did not make known the information and, further, attempted to conceal it. For example, on or about October 31, 2017, DUDLEY was notified by one of her colleagues that Company A’s cost submissions contained the names of individuals who worked on a separate contract and who performed no work at MARFORRES. DUDLEY did not make that information known, including the fact that prior invoices containing those names were false and fraudulent. DUDLEY resumed the preparation and submission of Company A’s invoices, removed only the challenged names, and concealed the fraudulent nature of the earlier submissions. DUDLEY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and restitution to the United States Department of the Navy for her conduct. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Guidry on October 29, 2024. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and members of the Defense Contract Audit Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andre Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Child Predator Sentenced To 20 Years For Attempting To Entice A Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Nicanor Daniel Sanchez (32, Lehigh Acres) to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Sanchez to forfeit a cellphone, which was used to commit the offense. Sanchez entered a guilty plea on January 9, 2024. According to court documents, Sanchez had online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer in which Sanchez expressed his desire to sexually abuse a female child. During those conversations, Sanchez described how he wanted to abuse the child and sent several videos of child sexual abuse material to the undercover officer. One of the videos depicted a young girl being sexually abused. Sanchez agreed to meet for purposes of sex and was arrested. A search of Sanchez’s cellphone revealed additional child sexual abuse material, including photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Roberts and Abigail K. King. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Mexican man imprisoned for attempting to enter U.S. with hundreds of child pornography videos and images

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 29-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Manuel Garza-Fuentes pleaded guilty Feb. 6. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Garza-Fuentes to serve 78 months in federal prison. Garza was further ordered to serve 35 years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Garza-Fuentes was further ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution and a $3,000 special assessment. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The investigation began in July 2023 after Garza-Fuentes attempted to make entry into the United States through the Brownsville and Matamoros Port of Entry. Authorities conducted a forensic analysis of Garza-Fuentes’ cell phone and discovered 255 videos and 170 images of child pornography. Garza-Fuentes 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. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Felon Who Robbed St. Louis Pizza Delivery Driver Sentenced to 9 1/2 Years in Prison

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who robbed a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint to nine and one-half years in prison. Antione L. Shockley ordered wings and two pizzas and had them delivered to a vacant home in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis on April 13, 2023. When the driver arrived, Shockley stepped out of a gangway and demanded the food at gunpoint. On June 24, 2023, Shockley fired a handgun into the air in a school zone. After St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived, Shockley gave the gun to a woman, then pulled a stolen Ruger from his waistband and a rifle from inside his pants and dropped them on the ground. After he was arrested and while he was being booked by police, Shockley struck an officer, injuring the officer’s head. Shockley is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. As part of his agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to resolve all charges, Shockley has pleaded guilty to firearm and resisting arrest charges in St. Louis Circuit Court, where he was sentenced in January to seven years in prison. Shockley, 26, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one robbery charge and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than 7 Years In Federal Prison For Possessing A Firearm

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Tramon Jamal Stewart (23, Orlando) to seven years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Stewart to forfeit a Glock 34 9mm pistol, which was involved in his offense. Stewart entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2024. According to court documents, on September 27, 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit located Stewart to serve a felony arrest warrant. As law enforcement officers approached Stewart, a multi-convicted felon, he fled, jumped a nearby fence, and fell to the ground where he was apprehended. Officers searched Stewart and found a handgun loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber. The handgun had been stolen out of Suwannee County, Florida, and casings from the handgun matched casings from an Orlando shooting in 2023. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on the following 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: Contract Criminals Indicted; Ending Campaign of Arsons, Poisonings and Violence

body_text: MIAMI – A superseding indictment was returned today charging Florida residents Bayron Bennett, 33, of Miami, Fausto Villar, a/k/a “Cuba,” 42, of Miami, Avery Bivins, 36, of Miami Gardens, Clementa Johnson, 47, of Tallahassee, Vernon Green, 53, of Miami, Diori Barnard, 47, of Miami, Jerren Keith Howard, a/k/a “Blood,” a/k/a “Omerta Bloody,” 38, of Miami, Michael Jose Dulfo, a/k/a “Mike Dulfo,” a/k/a “Mike D,” 42, of Miami, and Edner Etienne 27, of Miami, for their respective involvement in a campaign to stalk, torment and attempt to kill a victim. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. According to the court record to include the superseding indictment, since roughly 2022, the victim was subjected to a protracted stalking and attempted murder campaign involving criminal acts to include, multiple arsons, poisonings, an automobile crash, and an instance where contract criminals brandished a firearm in furtherance of a plot to kill the victim. As part of this investigation, law enforcement learned that the scheme against the targeted victim was accompanied by efforts to obstruct justice. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department (MPD); Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Special Agent in Charge Felipe Williams of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE); Bureau Chief Darrell Wilson Sr. of the Florida Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations; Sheriff Michelle Cook of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI, Jacksonville Field Office, and Chief of Police Jason Cohen of the Pinecrest Police Department, made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the law enforcement agencies involved with this investigation for their efforts and assistance. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324 ) or file a report at tips.fbi.gov. Special Prosecutions Section Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman, Brian Dobbins, and Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture. An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case involves acts of alleged domestic violence. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, sex, or gender identity. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, dating, or share a child. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger because of domestic violence, call 911. For additional assistance and resources call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence . This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn . This investigation was carried out by members of the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime and Fugitive Task Force. The Task Force is made up of federal and local law enforcement agencies who cooperatively target the region’s perpetrators of violent criminal offenses and fugitives from justice. 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 24-cr-20110. ###


title: Arlington man convicted for illegally obtaining healthcare records and trying to cover up his crimes

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury in Alexandria convicted an Arlington man today on charges of obtaining another person’s healthcare information and destroying evidence in a federal investigation. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from 2017 to 2019, Trent James Russell, 34, was employed by an organ donation coordination entity, which allowed him access to certain electronic medical records. In Jan. 2019, Russell remotely accessed the medical records of a federal official and took a screenshot of the official’s protected health information. After Russell learned his access was disabled on Feb. 10, 2019, he reformatted his computer two days later in an attempt to destroy evidence and obstruct the investigation. When FBI agents interviewed Russell on Feb. 21, 2019, Russell falsely stated that his cellphone had been stolen. Russell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Nov. 7. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Laura D. Withers are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-195.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man has pleaded guilty to an armed carjacking, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to his plea agreement and court documents, on June 30, 2023, Sean Ryan Kincaid, 29, approached an individual who was waiting in their vehicle in a parking lot near River Road in Dakota County. Kincaid opened the passenger door of the vehicle, climbed inside, and told the victim he was stealing the car while brandishing a firearm in his waistband. The victim fled the vehicle and Kincaid climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away. A bystander called 911 and officers from multiple agencies were dispatched to the area to find Kincaid. When officers located him, Kincaid ignored police commands and attempted to lose the officers by driving over 100 miles per hour on the interstate and driving onto incoming lanes of traffic. Officers were able to eventually stop Kincaid with stop sticks and took him into custody. Officers found a Heritage Rough Rider .22 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number in Kincaid’s waistband. Kincaid pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, the Mendota Heights Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.


title: Forestport Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Henry C. Albrecht, Jr., age 54, of Forestport, New York, was sentenced today to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for presenting, receiving, and possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. During his previously entered guilty plea, Albrecht admitted that, from at least May 2021 through February 28, 2023, he received child pornography images and videos using social media messaging applications and from another adult who gave him a flash drive with child pornography files saved onto it. Albrecht admitted further that, in December 2022, he had a live video call with another adult and shared his screen with that person and presented multiple videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Albrecht also possessed more than 2,500 files of child pornography on various devices on the day of his arrest. In addition to imposing a 15-year term of imprisonment, United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Albrecht to serve a 15-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, at which time Albrecht will be required to register as a sex offender. Albrecht also was ordered to forfeit to the United States the electronic devices he used to commit the offenses. HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Crimes

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Mergim Ademi, age 24, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to firearms offenses including Dealing in Firearms Without a License, Sale of Firearms and Ammunition to a Prohibited Person, and Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). As part of his guilty plea, Ademi admitted that between approximately January 2023 and March 2024, he obtained firearms and firearm parts, advertised them for sale through Facebook and other means, then sold them to customers in exchange for cash, knowing that he did not hold a license as a firearms dealer. Ademi further admitted that in 7 transactions between December 19, 2023 and March 28, 2024, he sold a rifle, 9 handguns (including some that were privately made firearms, and some that had been reported stolen), a forced reset trigger, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Ademi acknowledged that he sold firearms and ammunition to an individual whom he had reasonable cause to believe was a felon. Ademi also admitted that he sold firearms to a customer at a location that was within approximately 260 feet of the grounds of a charter high school in Syracuse, New York. At sentencing scheduled for November 27, 2024, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd, Ademi faces a combined maximum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and a criminal fine of up to $750,000. Additionally, Ademi may be required to serve a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. ATF and the Syracuse Police Department investigated the case, with the assistance of the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Hampton landlord racially harassed and evicted tenants, then used their identities to defraud COVID relief programs

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment. According to court documents, David L. Merryman, 59, owns 39 rental properties in Newport News and 23 more in Hampton. Many of Merryman’s rental properties were in poor condition and located in low-income neighborhoods. He primarily rented the properties to underprivileged African American tenants with limited credit and housing options. From 2019 through at least January 2024, Merryman engaged in a multifaceted scheme that included obtaining rent relief benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as fraudulently obtaining large initial payments in the form of security deposits, prepaid rent, and other fees for rental homes that were in poor repair. Merryman implied to prospective tenants that he would lease the rentals for longer tenancy terms but intended to evict them as quickly as possible to restart the cycle of fraud and collect more high initial payments from new tenants. On several occasions, Merryman harassed his minority tenants with slurs, comments about slavery, mocking comments, death threats, and other assaultive conduct related to their race, all in violation of their right to occupy and lease a dwelling free from racially motivated harassment, threats, and force. He also interfered with at least one victim’s right to enjoy employment free from racial threats and assaultive conduct. Merryman fabricated lease documents, often with incorrect information related to the tenants, and backdated documents before forging tenants’ signatures and falsely representing that he was authorized to act on their behalf. During the COVID-19 pandemic, state and federal governments made rent relief benefits available to those struggling during the national health crisis. Merryman filed fraudulent rent relief applications and used his tenants' names and personal information without their consent and forged their signatures. In many cases, he obtained significant sums of rent relief without telling the tenants, even evicting, or seeking to evict, the very same tenants for unpaid rent. To obtain housing-assistance payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Merryman also made false representations about the condition of his rental properties and whether he was receiving other payments that would be duplicative of federally funded rental assistance. Merryman also defrauded tenants by obtaining money and property from them under false pretenses, primarily through false representations that he would repair his properties to induce tenants to pay significant upfront fees for neglected, even uninhabitable, properties that he never intended to improve. For example, a tenant, identified as L.G., made requests for necessary repairs to the home she was renting, to which Merryman repeatedly made racially derogatory responses. In April 2019, Merryman threatened to turn L.G. and her children into “potting soil.” L.G. obtained a protective order against Merryman, who then responded by, among other things, parking his vehicle just outside the prohibited radius of the order and intimidating L.G. and her family. Another tenant, identified as E.P., regularly paid Merryman rent from 2015 until she was laid off from her job in 2021 during the pandemic after suffering medical problems resulting in her hospitalization. On May 10, 2021, Merryman applied to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for approximately $15,100 in rent relief benefits for E.P. and forged her signature, all without her consent. Despite obtaining those benefits for E.P., Merryman evicted her, citing her unpaid rent. E.P. then lost all her belongings when Merryman sent a crew to remove them from her home and tow her car when she was hospitalized. After Merryman failed to complete a driveway construction project, the customer hired a concrete construction business owner, identified as E.S., to finish the job. E.S. had worked in the concrete construction business for more than 40 years. On July 8, 2020, shortly after E.S. finished the project, he received a call from Merryman, who repeatedly threatened him. E.S. obtained a protective order against Merryman, after which, in March 2021, Merryman came to a different jobsite where E.S. was working and stared at him and his team. Merryman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18. He faces up to twenty years in prison for wire fraud, up to one year in prison on both the race-based interference with housing count and the race-based interference with employment count, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rae Oliver Davis, Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General; and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Mack Coleman, Julie D. Podlesni, and Brian J. Samuels are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-4.


title: Rockford Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for the Production of Child Pornography

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to 60 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on GARY WILSON, 53, and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Wilson admitted in a plea agreement that between 2016 and 2019 he solicited numerous minor boys online through gaming systems such as Xbox and PlayStation, social media applications, and text messages to produce sexually exploitive images and videos for Wilson’s sexual gratification. Wilson, who had previously been convicted of a sex offense, groomed his victims, gaining their trust through conversations during video games. Eventually Wilson coerced and enticed the children into sending him sexually exploitive images and videos in exchange for gaming codes and money. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. “Few crimes are as grave as preying upon a vulnerable population and memorializing the sexual abuse of minors,” Deputy Criminal Division Chief Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Had defendant not been caught by investigating agents (and a minor’s parent), defendant would have continued in his pursuit to sexually exploit minors for his own sexual gratification.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’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 click here . If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Ridgeview Man Sentenced for Assault Charges

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Ridgeview, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on July 29, 2024. Arthur Butcher, 37, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison on each count, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release on each count, to run concurrently, $2,860 in restitution, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Arthur Butcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024. The convictions stem from Butcher assaulting his ex-wife and a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officer on May 29, 2023. The officer responded to a residence on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation following a report of an assault occurring inside the home. The officer found Butcher in a bedroom lying on top of his ex-wife with a knife in his hand. After the officer told Butcher to get off the woman, Butcher kicked a taser out of the officer’s hand and charged at him with the knife. Butcher stabbed the officer in an area of his chest protected by body armor and pushed the officer onto a couch, where the officer kicked Butcher back and fired three shots at Butcher, who was struck and then dropped the knife. Medical aid was provided to Butcher, and he survived. Prior to the officer’s arrival, Butcher had strangled his ex-wife, hit and kicked her multiple times, dragged her around the residence by her hair, threatened her life, and cut her with a knife. Butcher caused multiple injuries to his ex-wife, including extensive bruising on her face and body, severe bruising around her neck, and lacerations to her forehead and neck. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Butcher was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Fort Welton, Florida, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024. Giles Frederick Hulsmann, 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Hulsmann was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024. On November 24, 2022, Hulsmann found himself lost and near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, significantly off route from his destination. Rather than pulling over and orienting himself with the area, Hulsmann flew into a rage and drove approximately 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone when he struck a motorcyclist. An accident reconstructionist determined that Hulsmann did not utilize his brakes or swerve before hitting the motorcyclist head on. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Hulsmann was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Vale Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Vale, South Dakota, woman convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024. Leslie Marie White, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised released, and order to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $29,424.20 in restitution. White will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. White was indicted for Production of Child Pornography by a Parent by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. She pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024. On December 13, 2022, the FBI received a tip that a married couple was producing child pornography using their minor daughter. The pornographic images were located by an overseas partner on the social media platform “Wickr.” Through the investigation it was determined that White and her husband were trading images and videos containing child pornography involving their daughter to other individuals using Wickr. On December 19, 2022, law enforcement seized 33 devices, from White’s home in Vale. A forensic examiner with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force reviewed the devices and determined that there was child pornography on 12 of the 33 devices, including 169 videos, 443 images, and eight live videos of child pornography. 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 . Timothy White was sentenced on February 5, 2024, to 45 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. White was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Dale City man found with drugs, firearms, and an extensive shoe collection

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dale City man pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Task Force located Sirri Webb, 40, for whom they had an arrest warrant, in an apartment in Lorton. The apartment was rented in the name of another person who did not know Webb was using the apartment, had not given Webb permission to use the apartment, and gave law enforcement consent to enter the apartment. After knocking and announcing their presence several times with no response, law enforcement entered the apartment, defeating a brace securing the door from the inside. As law enforcement apprehended Webb, officers observed in plain view a scale with white residue, loose baggies, loose ammunition on the floor, a shotgun resting against a wall, various drugs, large quantities of cash, and a collection of size 12 shoes. Officers seized 745 grams of cocaine, 526 grams of cocaine base, 20 Oxycodone pills, 42 grams of N,N-Dimethylpentylon, a .357 caliber handgun, three 9mm handguns, a .40 caliber handgun, a .38 caliber handgun, an AK47, a 12-gauge shotgun, assorted ammunition, a high-capacity drum magazine, a bulletproof vest, a frame device for stabilized shooting, and $7,080. Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment for the firearm charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-66.


title: Alabama Chiropractor Indicted for Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Birmingham, Alabama, returned an indictment today charging a Shelby County chiropractor with tax evasion, filing false tax returns and obstructing the IRS. According to the indictment, Gary Forrest Edwards, of Shelby County, was a chiropractor and owned Hoover Health & Wellness Center. In 2015, Edwards allegedly agreed to file missing income tax returns for 2009 through 2013 with the IRS. The indictment further alleges that Edwards — despite filing the returns as agreed and accurately reporting millions of dollars in income — did not pay any of the $2.4 million in taxes he reported he owed. When the IRS began trying to collect the unpaid taxes in 2015, and continuing until 2023, Edwards allegedly tried to impede the IRS’ collection efforts by transferring assets to his wife, submitting false information to the IRS about his assets, filing false tax returns and making false statements to IRS investigators. He also allegedly filed documents with a local court falsely claiming that Notices of Federal Tax Lien filed against him by the IRS him had been terminated. If convicted, Edwards faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the tax evasion charge and three years in prison for the obstruction charge and each charge of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Canter for the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.