title: Cleveland Area Brothers Indicted for Fraud and Money Laundering Schemes

body_text: CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a twenty-two count indictment charging two Cleveland area brothers with multiple fraud and money laundering schemes. Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 41, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, and his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 30, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, four counts of money laundering, and one count of theft of government funds. Zubair Al Zubair also faces one count of harboring a fugitive. The indictment charges that from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers engaged in multiple schemes, including an investment fraud scheme, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan scheme, a cryptocurrency mining scheme, a commercial real estate lease scheme, and a residential real estate lease scheme. According to the facts alleged in the indictment, the Al Zubair brothers obtained funds and property from victims under false pretenses and spent the proceeds on luxury items, such as cars, travel, entertainment, firearms, and jewelry. They allegedly falsely claimed to have extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair also allegedly falsely claimed to be married to a princess and to be a member of a royal family in the United Arab Emirates. The defendants also allegedly made false claims about potential investments returns, about property they owned or controlled, and about their intentions, among other falsehoods alleged in the indictment. Through these false claims, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly obtained millions of dollars from their victims. In addition to the fraud and money laundering charges, Zubair Al Zubair is also charged with providing a place to stay and transportation to a fugitive wanted on federal criminal charges. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd.


title: Pinellas Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Katherine Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Javontah Harris, a/k/a “Gut,” (32, St. Petersburg) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Harris entered a guilty plea on November 14, 2023. According to court documents, Harris is a member of Bag Tawk Entertainment (BTE), an organization known for distributing controlled substances in St. Petersburg. Harris and other members of BTE used residences in Pinellas County to manufacture and sell narcotics. In videos posted online, Harris and his fellow BTE members featured images of drug manufacturing and lyrics about making and selling narcotics. On January 23, 2022, Harris possessed 224.1 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, approximately $1,843 cash, and make-shift business cards containing a phone number traced to a BTE co-conspirator with “G” – for “Gut” – on the cards. During the execution of numerous search warrants at the BTE stash houses, agents located over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than 100 grams of cocaine, and approximately 180 grams of fentanyl or fentanyl analogues in addition to firearms. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted For Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition In Connection With St. Petersburg Shooting

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Daniel Gonzalez (23, St. Petersburg) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in federal prison. According to court proceedings, the charges arise from a January 1, 2023, shooting in a St. Peterburg parking garage during which a 16-year-old was shot. After the shooting, responding officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department observed a vehicle fleeing the parking garage. The officers followed the vehicle for a short period of time until the pursuit was terminated due to weather conditions. Soon after, a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm pistol was found in the road where officers had observed the vehicle fleeing. The firearm was swabbed for DNA and Gonzalez’s DNA was found on two different parts of the firearm. At the time, Gonzalez had a prior felony conviction for sale or delivery of a controlled substance. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. 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: Land O’ Lakes Man Pleads Guilty To Naturalization And Passport Fraud

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jaiprakash Gulvady (51, Land O’ Lakes) today pleaded guilty to procuring citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, misusing evidence of citizenship or naturalization, and making false statements in a passport application and using a passport secured by false statements. Gulvady faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His conviction for unlawfully procuring citizenship or naturalization also results in the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship at the time of sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court records, Gulvady, an Indian national, came to the United States in 2001 on a temporary business visa. In August 2008, less than two weeks after divorcing his wife, a U.S. citizen whom he had married the year before, Gulvady married another U.S. citizen. Based on that marriage, Gulvady was able to adjust status and became a lawful permanent resident in June 2009. Two months later, in August 2009, Gulvady traveled to India for the first time since he had arrived in 2001. While in India, Gulvady married an Indian woman before returning to the United States. On a subsequent visit to India, Gulvady and his Indian spouse conceived their first and only child, who was born in January 2011. In August 2013, Gulvady’s marriage to his U.S. citizen wife was dissolved. The following year, Gulvady filed an Application for Naturalization in which he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he was not currently married; that he did not have any children; and that he had never been married to more than one person at the same time. Based on that application, Gulvady became a naturalized U.S. citizen in August 2014. Using his fraudulently obtained Certificate of Naturalization as evidence of U.S. citizenship, Gulvady filed an application for a U.S. passport, in which he falsely omitted his Indian spouse. The Department of State issued Gulvady a U.S. passport, which he then used to reenter the United States on at least three occasions. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.


title: Arlington Man Sentenced for Attempting to Disable Railroad Equipment

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Allan J. Love, Jr., 50, of Arlington, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 31, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for attempting to disable railroad equipment. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Love to 12 months’ and 1 day imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Love’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release. On September 3, 2019, west of the 16th Street railroad crossing in Blair, Nebraska, a Union Pacific Railroad track maintenance worker discovered an approximately 6-foot-long green metal pipe lodged in the space between the railroad track switch bar and rail, making it impossible to fully move the switch into position. Through investigation and law enforcement contacts with Love, law enforcement seized a green metal pipe found in Love’s pickup truck on April 30, 2020. Forensics performed on the green pipe found lodged in the railroad track and the green pipe found in Love’s truck determined the paints used on both pipes were indistinguishable in color, texture, and chemical composition. A metallurgy examination of the pipes determined that both were sections of welded, low-carbon steel tube with similar outer diameter, wall thickness, and weld manufacturing features. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant on Love’s Google account. Within the Google account law enforcement found a photo taken on July 20, 2019, of the 16th Street railroad crossing in Blair showing the stretch of railroad track where the green pipe was found. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Three Armed Carjackings

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,100 in restitution to the victims of three violent carjackings committed within a 24-hour period in March 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “This individual put several lives at risk by going on an armed carjacking spree and evading law enforcement by driving 120 miles per hour through a residential neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “This case offers a snapshot of a disturbing trend of violent and reckless behavior. Wilson-Branch’s spree is one of the reasons our office has focused our resources on prosecuting violent carjacking cases.” “Wilson-Branch's cowardly and reprehensible actions, aimed at terrorizing innocent victims for personal gain, have no place in a just society,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will not tolerate criminals depriving our citizens of safety within their own communities. We will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to target, identify and bring to justice violent offenders.” According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 20, along with another individual, approached two people in Minneapolis who had just parked and exited a Mercedes Benz SUV to unload groceries. Wilson-Branch pointed a Springfield Armory assault rifle at the victims and demanded they hand over everything they had. At gunpoint, the victims provided Wilson-Branch with the keys to the vehicle and other items. Wilson-Branch got into the carjacked SUV and drove away. Approximately eight hours later, at around 4:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual carjacked a Toyota Highlander at gunpoint in Minneapolis. Wilson-Branch and others pulled the carjacked SUV up next to the Highlander, and demanded the victim’s car keys at gunpoint. An AirTag inside the carjacked vehicle tracked the vehicle to Saint Paul, where it was left and abandoned at approximately 4:30 a.m., and Saint Paul police later recovered the carjacked vehicle. About thirty-minutes later, at approximately 5:00 a.m., Wilson-Branch and another individual drove the carjacked SUV to Saint Paul and parked behind an Audi A6. When the owner approached the Audi A6, Wilson-Branch and the other individual exited the carjacked SUV armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and the Springfield Armory rifle. Both men pointed the firearms at the victim and forced him to give up his keys, wallet, and phone. The victim was also forced at gunpoint to unlock his cell phone, which was later used to make unauthorized money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Wilson-Branch and others. Wilson-Branch drove away in the carjacked Audi and the other individual drove away in the carjacked Mercedes Benz SUV. Officers with the St. Paul Police Department spotted the two carjacked vehicles about 30 minutes later in the area of Maryland Avenue and Western Avenue. When officers attempted a traffic stop, both vehicles fled police at high rates of speed through residential areas and onto the highway and evaded the pursuit. Officers with the Woodbury Police Department later located the carjacked Audi A6 in a mall parking lot and apprehended Wilson-Branch in another building after a short foot chase. Two of the firearms used in the carjackings, each fully loaded with high-capacity magazines, and a recently stolen box of ammunition, were located inside the Audi A6, along with the keys to the previously carjacked Toyota Highlander. Wilson-Branch pleaded guilty on August 4, 2023, to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, and admitted to aiding and abetting a third carjacking. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Woodbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.


title: Cedar Rapids Contractor Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Cedar Rapids contractor who scammed victims of the 2020 Iowa derecho pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Scott Gregory Adkins, age 48, who did business as “Adkins Home Improvements LLC,” was convicted of one count of wire fraud. On August 10, 2020, a severe storm, commonly referred to as a derecho, struck multiple counties in the Northern District of Iowa, as well as other parts of the States of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. Media reporting on the event, citing public and private sources, have estimated that the derecho, with winds exceeding 100 mph, caused an estimated total of $7.5 billion in damage across the affected states. The derecho caused long-duration power outages across the Northern District of Iowa and the larger region, millions of acres of crops were damaged or destroyed, and numerous semi-trucks were blown off major interstate highways. Just within the city of Cedar Rapids, power was cut to nearly all of the city’s residents by the derecho, and damage estimates indicate that over 1,000 housing units were rendered unlivable while hundreds of additional homes suffered damage. Many of the city’s businesses were also damaged during the storm. In a plea agreement, Adkins admitted that, from December 2020, through March 2022, he devised and perpetrated a scheme to defraud his customers, including victims of the 2020 Iowa derecho. Adkins organized “Adkins Home Improvements LLC” in October 2020, approximately two months after the derecho. By means of “Adkins Home Improvements LLC,” Adkins offered home repair services to victims of the derecho, as well as other individuals in the Cedar Rapids area who needed projects completed in the tight-labor, post-derecho construction market. As a part of his scheme, Adkins offered to provide construction services and materials to prospective customers of “Adkins Home Improvements LLC,” including but not limited to victims of the derecho. Adkins provided estimates to those customers and demanded substantial advance deposits or downpayments before undertaking work on the projects. Instead of completing the projects, Adkins spent some of the advanced funds on personal expenses, including but not limited to food, and transferred other such funds to a family member by means of a mobile payment service. Adkins also made false statements and excuses to his customers about the status of their projects to conceal his illicit use of the funds and to lull his customers into a false sense of security. Adkins stole over $150,000 as part of his scheme, and one of his victims was an elderly widow who suffered roof damage to her Cedar Rapids residence from the derecho. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Adkins remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Adkins faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-66. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pennsylvania Courts Agree To Pay $100,000.00 In Damages To Compensate Victims And Redress Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Discrimination

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS Courts) has agreed to pay $100,000.00 to resolve a federal lawsuit bought by the United States under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134 (ADA). The United States brought this action against the UJS, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the Blair, Jefferson, Lackawanna, and Northumberland County Courts of Common Pleas to vindicate the rights of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have been subjected to discriminatory written and unwritten policies and practices in at least eleven UJS Courts, restricting their ability to take medication administered by their health care providers to treat their disability. “The battle against the opioid epidemic requires not only the vigorous prosecution of those who traffic in and profit from drugs like heroin and fentanyl, but also requires ensuring individuals with opioid use disorder can take their medically prescribed treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “This agreement with the Commonwealth will help ensure that individuals participating in Pennsylvania’s courts who have opioid use disorder will be allowed to follow their providers’ course of treatment, which may include medication that dramatically reduces opioid overdose deaths. This office will enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect all individuals with disabilities, and this includes our citizens in recovery from addiction.” Under the settlement agreement, the UJS Courts will compensate six victims of the courts’ discriminatory policies: two from Jefferson County Court, two from Blair County Court, one from Northumberland County Drug Court, and one from Lackawanna County Court. The courts made each individual choose between taking their prescribed medication or face incarceration or termination from the court’s respective treatment program. By forgoing their medication, the individuals faced painful withdrawal symptoms and the risk of relapse, overdose, and death. Additionally, under the agreement, the UJS Courts will provide training to all Commonwealth court criminal judges and treatment court professionals on the ADA and OUD medication. Three of the named county courts will adopt an anti-discrimination policy related to OUD medication that is attached as an exhibit to the agreement. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will post the policy on their webpage and encourage all other county courts to adopt the same policy. And, finally, all of the defendants will report to the United States on their efforts to comply with the agreement, including detailing any complaints regarding access to OUD medication submitted to any UJS Courts during the agreement’s two-year term. “People with opioid use disorder caught up in the criminal justice system should be supported in seeking out treatments that can help them attain recovery,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, the UJS courts that categorically restricted the use of opioid treatment medication are required to allow people with opioid use disorder to take the proven medications that put them on a path toward recovery and rehabilitation. These courts are also required to implement new policies and training procedures to prevent disability discrimination in the future. We are pleased to reach this significant resolution, and we will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws like the ADA to ensure people with disabilities are protected from discrimination.” “My office is dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic with every tool that we have,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That includes enforcing the ADA to remove discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. All too often, people taking medication to treat their OUD are subjected to discrimination based on unfounded stigma associated with these medications. It is a violation of the ADA to deny someone access to programs and services simply because they are taking medication their doctors have prescribed to get and keep their OUD in remission. My office will hold entities that violate the ADA’s anti-discrimination protections accountable.” The partnership of the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Justice Department demonstrates our ongoing efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD. The Justice Department previously issued public guidance and filed statements of interest on the ADA’s protections for those with OUD. It has entered into multiple settlements with jails and prisons to increase access to OUD medication, including recent agreements in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania ; Eastern Kentucky ; and Massachusetts . It has undertaken enforcement efforts to combat discrimination against individuals with OUD in court supervision programs in Massachusetts . It has also entered numerous settlements to address discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD outside of the criminal justice context, including barriers related to employment , professional licensing , social services , and healthcare . Attorneys Kevin Kijewski, David Knight, and Adam Lewis of the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section handled this matter in collaboration with Middle District of Pennsylvania Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Butler, Civil Rights Coordinator, and Eastern District of Pennsylvania Assistant United States Attorney Lauren DeBruicker, Deputy Civil Chief for Civil Rights. For more information about the Justice Department’s work to address discrimination against individuals with opioid use disorder, please visit: https://www.ada.gov/topics/opioid-use-disorder/ . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov. # # #


title: Omaha Woman Sentenced to 7 ½  Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine Charge

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Wendi Reich, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced February 1, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Reich to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Reich’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On December 13, 2021, Omaha Police officers executed a search warrant on Wendi Reich’s Omaha residence and recovered 300 grams of meth from her possession. The investigation revealed that Reich was being supplied pound quantities of meth by codefendant Cornejo-Lopez, who pled guilty and was sentenced to 400 months’ imprisonment on October 25, 2023. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Johnstown Woman Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Debra Bailey, 60, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around February 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Bailey conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Bailey was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of methamphetamine that she distributed to others. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bailey. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: York Man Sentenced To Probation For Straw Purchase Of Firearms

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jordan Bryan Griffie, age 22, of York Springs, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by the Honorable Jennifer P. Wilson to serve two years probation based upon his previously entered guilty plea to straw purchasing three firearms for individuals who were prohibited from possessing firearms. According to United States Attorney Gerard Karam, on three separate occasions in 2020, Griffie purchased firearms from a licensed firearms dealer and falsely stated at the time of the purchases that he was the actual purchaser. He subsequently falsely reported that the firearms were stolen because he feared those firearms might be used in illegal activities. 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 York County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler and former Assistant United States Attorney Paul Miovas prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $7,136,955.82 In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2023

body_text: SCRANTON - U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that the Middle District of Pennsylvania collected $7,136,955.82 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $4,789,318.17 was collected in criminal actions and $2,347,637.65 was collected in civil actions . Additionally, the Middle District of Pennsylvania worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,481,130.56 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $28,093.06 was collected in criminal actions and $2,453,037.5 was collected in civil actions. “We work for the people and the communities of the Middle District of Pennsylvania to keep our neighborhoods safe, and we hold no duty more sacred than that which we owe to our neighbors when they fall victim to crime,” said United States Attorney Karam. “That’s why we do not stop working for victims of crime when the defendant is sentenced; we continue to fight for the victims and do what we can to make them whole. We collect restitution from convicted defendants on behalf of crime victims, we work to forfeit the ill-gotten gains that defendants obtain through illegal means, and we fight to get back money owed to taxpayers in criminal and civil cases. I am proud to say that we have collected millions of dollars over the last year for the taxpayers and for crime victims in our district. We are committed to keeping up the fight for our neighbors.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. For example: Penn State Health is a multi-hospital health system which owns Milton Hershey Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center. On July 1, 2022, Penn State Health voluntarily disclosed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office that Penn State Health, through Milton Hershey Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center, submitted claims for payment to the Medicare Program, causing Medicare to make improper payments to Penn State Health. A settlement agreement was entered into on February 28, 2023, in which Penn State Health agreed to pay $1,252,662.28. The full amount was paid on March 1, 2023. Melinda Bixler owned and operated two businesses; one was a for-profit company, Elder Healthcare Solutions; and a non-profit company, Adult Care Advocates, Inc. From June 2010 through January 2020, the defendant became the financial Power of Attorney and healthcare Power of Attorney for various elderly individuals. She then used those Power of Attorney’s to apply for mortgages and purchases properties using the monies received from the elderly victims. She was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $147,882.00, which she paid in full on May 25, 2023. Gordon Raymond conducted a bank scheme at 25 different PNC banks throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina between June 20 – October 2018. The defendant presented fraudulent drivers’ licenses in victims’ names to open a checking/saving account and apply for unsecured loans. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $131,315.96. He made a payment of $101,000.00 on February 14, 2023. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,302,004 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. ###


title: Jury Convicts Federal Prisoner Of Assaulting His Cellmate Causing Serious Bodily Harm

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Walter Lamar Jackson (43, Georgia) guilty of assault within the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States resulting in serious bodily harm. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 20, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II. A grand jury returned an indictment against Jackson on August 16, 2022. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Jackson was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Sumter County. On July 15, 2021, he was housed in a special housing unit cell with another inmate. At approximately 5:50 p.m., correctional officers responded to an emergency alarm and discovered Jackson’s cellmate lying on the floor unconscious. Jackson was standing over his cellmate’s body, slamming his cellmate’s head into the concrete, which resulted in severe injuries. The officers immediately stopped the assault and placed Jackson in handcuffs. Jackson stated to medical personnel that he had attacked his cellmate after giving him three warnings to be quiet. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and William S. Hamilton.


title: eBay to Pay $59 Million to Settle Controlled Substances Act Allegations Related to Pill Presses Sold Through its Website

component: Civil Division

body_text: NASHVILLE – eBay Inc., an e-commerce company headquartered in San Jose, California, has agreed to pay $59 million and to enhance its compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in connection with thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website. Pill presses and encapsulating machines can be used by criminals to manufacture illegal drugs. When used with a mold, stamp, or die mimicking commonly prescribed controlled substances, pill presses are capable of producing counterfeit pills that appear indistinguishable from legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, including pills that are sometimes laced with fentanyl. The CSA regulates certain pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, including pill presses and encapsulating machines, by requiring identity verification of purchasers, record-keeping, and reporting to the Drug Enforcement Administration. These requirements are designed to prevent individuals who intend to use these machines illegally from obtaining them and to ensure that the machines are traceable to the end user. The United States alleged that eBay did not comply with these CSA requirements for thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website, including high-capacity pill presses capable of producing thousands of pills per hour. The United States' investigation, which began in the Middle District of Tennessee, further found that hundreds of eBay's pill press buyers also purchased counterfeit molds, stamps, or dies, allowing them to produce pills that mimicked the products of legitimate pharmaceutical companies, and that many of eBay's pill press buyers have been successfully prosecuted in connection with trafficking illegal counterfeit pills. “Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl are a significant contributor to the deadly overdose epidemic,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Chair of the Department of Justice’s Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force. “The Department is committed to using all available enforcement measures to ensure that companies involved in selling the equipment that makes it possible to create these dangerous pills comply with the Controlled Substances Act.” “eBay’s failure to comply with the Controlled Substances Act’s basic reporting and record keeping requirements for the sales of pill presses contributed to the proliferation of counterfeit pills in this country by allowing private citizens to set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without detection,” said United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Henry C. Leventis. “This settlement holds eBay accountable for its compliance lapses, serves as a reminder to other e-commerce companies that the Department of Justice will enforce these requirements, and will help keep these items out of the hands of criminals moving forward.” “Americans deserve to be protected from the dangers of counterfeit prescription pills,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all those involved in the sale of counterfeit pills and the equipment used to manufacture counterfeit pills are held accountable.” “Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills. Our investigation revealed that some of these machines were even sold to individuals who were later convicted of drug related crimes,” said United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Nikolas P. Kerest. “Our office is committed to holding accountable those who have contributed to the devastating fentanyl crisis we are facing in our communities. Today’s settlement is an important step to ensuring that e-commerce companies do their part by complying with regulations that are designed to protect the public.” “Fentanyl—pressed into fake pills that look like real prescription medications—is killing Americans. Drug traffickers buy the tools to make fake pills, like pill presses, online,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “eBay and other e-commerce platforms must do their part to protect the public. And when they do not, DEA will hold them accountable.” In addition to the monetary settlement, eBay also has agreed to maintain and enhance its compliance program with respect to its prohibited and restricted items policy as it pertains to sales of pill presses, counterfeit molds, stamps, and dies, and encapsulating machines. The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Scott B. Dalquist and Deborah Sohn, Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams, Senior Counsel for Policy and Compliance Shannon Pedersen, Senior Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi, Director Amanda Liskamm, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin E. Hazard and Lauren Almquist Lively and Civil Chief Jules Torti of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynn Shuford, Deputy Civil Chief Ellen Bowden McIntyre, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. #####


title: U.S. Government Disrupts Botnet People’s Republic of China Used to Conceal Hacking of Critical Infrastructure

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note: Since the publication of this press release, U.S. Government and foreign partner agencies have issued additional cybersecurity advisories (CSAs), and completed a Volt Typhoon Malware Analysis Report . Click to view the February 2024 CSAs on: PRC State-Sponsored Actors Compromise and Maintain Persistent Access to U.S. Critical Infrastructure Identifying and Mitigating Living Off the Land Techniques PRC State-Sponsored Cyber Activity: Actions for Critical Infrastructure Leaders A December 2023 court-authorized operation has disrupted a botnet of hundreds of U.S.-based small office/home office (SOHO) routers hijacked by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers. The hackers, known to the private sector as “Volt Typhoon,” used privately-owned SOHO routers infected with the “KV Botnet” malware to conceal the PRC origin of further hacking activities directed against U.S. and other foreign victims. These further hacking activities included a campaign targeting critical infrastructure organizations in the United States and elsewhere that was the subject of a May 2023 FBI, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and foreign partner advisory . The same activity has been the subject of private sector partner advisories in May and December 2023, as well as an additional secure by design alert released today by CISA. The vast majority of routers that comprised the KV Botnet were Cisco and NetGear routers that were vulnerable because they had reached “end of life” status; that is, they were no longer supported through their manufacturer’s security patches or other software updates. The court-authorized operation deleted the KV Botnet malware from the routers and took additional steps to sever their connection to the botnet, such as blocking communications with other devices used to control the botnet. “The Justice Department has disrupted a PRC-backed hacking group that attempted to target America’s critical infrastructure utilizing a botnet,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States will continue to dismantle malicious cyber operations – including those sponsored by foreign governments – that undermine the security of the American people.” “In wiping out the KV Botnet from hundreds of routers nationwide, the Department of Justice is using all its tools to disrupt national security threats – in real time,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s announcement also highlights our critical partnership with the private sector – victim reporting is key to fighting cybercrime, from home offices to our most critical infrastructure.” “China’s hackers are targeting American civilian critical infrastructure, pre-positioning to cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities in the event of conflict,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Volt Typhoon malware enabled China to hide as they targeted our communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors. Their pre-positioning constitutes a potential real-world threat to our physical safety that the FBI is not going to tolerate. We are going to continue to work with our partners to hit the PRC hard and early whenever we see them threaten Americans.” “Today, the FBI and our partners continue to stand firmly against People's Republic of China cyber actors that threaten our nation's cyber security,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “We remain committed to thwarting malicious activities of this type and will continue to disrupt and dismantle cyber threats, safeguarding the fabric of our cyber infrastructure.” “This operation disrupted the efforts of PRC state-sponsored hackers to gain access to U.S. critical infrastructure that the PRC would be able to leverage during a future crisis,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The operation, together with the release of valuable network defense guidance by the U.S. government and private sector partners, demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to enhance cybersecurity and disrupt efforts to hold our critical infrastructure at risk.” “Using traditional law enforcement tools to disrupt state-of-the-art technologies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas protected Americans from PRC government-sponsored cyber-criminals who used U.S. based routers to hack into American targets,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “This case demonstrates my office’s ongoing commitment to defending our critical infrastructure from PRC initiated cyber-attacks. We thank the FBI and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for its work, and we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with them to shield our country from state-sponsored hackers.” “The FBI’s dismantling of the KV Botnet sends a clear message that the FBI will take decisive action to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “By ensuring home and small-business routers are replaced after their end-of-life expiration, everyday citizens can protect both their personal cyber security and the digital safety of the United States. We need the American public’s vigilance and support to continue our fight against malicious PRC-sponsored cyber actors.” As described in court documents, the government extensively tested the operation on the relevant Cisco and NetGear routers. The operation did not impact the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, hacked routers. Additionally, the court-authorized steps to disconnect the routers from the KV Botnet and prevent reinfection are temporary in nature. A router’s owner can reverse these mitigation steps by restarting the router. However, a restart that is not accompanied by mitigation steps similar to those the court order authorized will make the router vulnerable to reinfection. The FBI is providing notice of the court-authorized operation to all owners or operators of SOHO routers that were infected with the KV Botnet malware and remotely accessed pursuant to the operation. For those victims whose contact information was not publicly available, the FBI has contacted providers (such as a victim’s internet service provider) and has asked those providers to provide notice to the victims. FBI Houston Field Office and Cyber Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the disruption effort. The Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. These efforts would not have been successful without the partnership of numerous private-sector entities. If you believe you have a compromised router, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or report online to CISA . The remediated routers remain vulnerable to future exploitation by Volt Typhoon and other hackers, and the FBI strongly encourages router owners to remove and replace any end-of-life SOHO router currently in their networks. The FBI continues to investigate Volt Typhoon’s computer intrusion activity. 5018 search warrant 5530 search warrant 5451 search warrant 5432 search warrant


title: North Carolina Man, Who Sent Nude Picture to FBI Undercover, Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: HARRISONBURG, Va. – A North Carolina man, who sent a nude photograph to an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation whom he believed to be a 9-year-old girl, pled guilty yesterday to federal child pornography charges. William “Willy” Alexander Korthals, 30, of Beaufort, NC, waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty yesterday to a one-count Information charging him with attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. “One of the cornerstones of the Department of Justice’s mission is protecting the most vulnerable among us: our children.” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case should serve as a warning to all predators lurking online seeking to exploit children: You are not invisible, and agents from the FBI and other federal agencies are actively hunting you in every corner of the internet in order to bring you to justice.” “Protecting children from all forms of exploitation is one of our highest priorities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Richmond Field Office, Stanley M. Meador. “We will continue to fully investigate these crimes and work with our law enforcement partners to protect children from predators, hold them accountable and protect our communities. I want to thank the I-81 Human Trafficking and Crimes Against Child Task Force and our partners for their work on this case.” According to court documents, in May 2022, Korthals was in a Kik chat room for “Active Parents,” in a group titled “Loving Family,” when he responded to a public group thread that read, “anyone want to come to Virginia to have sex with my daughter?” Korthals reached out to the individual who posted the thread and inquired about the age of the “daughter” and was told she was nine years old. Unbeknownst to Korthals, the thread was posted by an undercover FBI employee posing as the girl’s father. In an effort to coax the “daughter” to send him pictures, Korthals sent a photograph of his erect penis. For over a year, Korthals chatted with the undercover FBI employee and requested “live” photographs of the 9-year-old as well as other sexually explicit photographs and videos, and also attempted to Facetime with the undercover “father and daughter.” Additionally, Korthals described specific acts of sexual abuse he wanted the “father” to perform on his “daughter,” including oral, vaginal, and anal sex. In preparation for an in-person meeting with the undercover father and his “daughter” in August 2022, Korthals sent his laboratory test results of his sexually-transmitted disease status to the undercover “father” so that Korthals could have unprotected sex with the 9-year-old “daughter.” Two days before the planned meeting, Korthals cancelled it. At sentencing, Korthals faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith is prosecuting the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .


body_text: eBay Inc., an e-commerce company headquartered in San Jose, California, has agreed to pay $59 million and to enhance its compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in connection with thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website. Pill presses and encapsulating machines can be used by criminals to manufacture illegal drugs. When used with a mold, stamp, or die mimicking commonly prescribed controlled substances, pill presses are capable of producing counterfeit pills that appear indistinguishable from legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, including pills that are sometimes laced with fentanyl. The CSA regulates certain pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, including pill presses and encapsulating machines, by requiring identity verification of purchasers, record-keeping, and reporting to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). These requirements are designed to prevent individuals who intend to use these machines illegally from obtaining them and to ensure that the machines are traceable to the end user. The United States alleged that eBay did not comply with these CSA requirements for thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website, including high-capacity pill presses capable of producing thousands of pills per hour. The United States’ investigation further found that hundreds of eBay’s pill press buyers also purchased counterfeit molds, stamps, or dies, allowing them to produce pills that mimicked the products of legitimate pharmaceutical companies, and that many of eBay’s pill press buyers have been successfully prosecuted in connection with trafficking illegal counterfeit pills. “Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl are a significant contributor to the deadly overdose epidemic,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Chair of the Justice Department's Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force. “The Department is committed to using all available enforcement measures to ensure that companies involved in selling the equipment that makes it possible to create these dangerous pills comply with the Controlled Substances Act.” “Americans deserve to be protected from the dangers of counterfeit prescription pills,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all those involved in the sale of counterfeit pills and the equipment used to manufacture counterfeit pills are held accountable.” “Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills. Our investigation revealed that some of these machines were even sold to individuals who were later convicted of drug related crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Our office is committed to holding accountable those who have contributed to the devastating fentanyl crisis we are facing in our communities. Today’s settlement is an important step to ensuring that e-commerce companies do their part by complying with regulations that are designed to protect the public.” “eBay’s failure to comply with the Controlled Substances Act’s basic reporting and record keeping requirements for the sales of pill presses contributed to the proliferation of counterfeit pills in this country by allowing private citizens to set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without detection,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This settlement holds eBay accountable for its compliance lapses, serves as a reminder to other e-commerce companies that the Justice Department will enforce these requirements, and will help keep these items out of the hands of criminals moving forward.” “Fentanyl — pressed into fake pills that look like real prescription medications — is killing Americans. Drug traffickers buy the tools to make fake pills, like pill presses, online,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “eBay and other e-commerce platforms must do their part to protect the public. And when they do not, DEA will hold them accountable.” In addition to the monetary settlement, eBay also has agreed to maintain and enhance its compliance program with respect to its prohibited and restricted items policy as it pertains to sales of pill presses, counterfeit molds, stamps, and dies, and encapsulating machines. The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Scott B. Dahlquist and Deborah Sohn, Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams, Senior Counsel for Policy and Compliance Shannon Pedersen, Senior Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi, Director Amanda Liskamm, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin E. Hazard and Lauren Almquist Lively and Civil Chief Jules Torti for the District of Vermont, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynn Shuford, Deputy Civil Chief Ellen Bowden McIntyre, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Hawaii Man Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights Charges Including Sex Trafficking

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal judge in the District of Hawaii unsealed a 20-count indictment charging a Hawaii man with five counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; one count of sex trafficking of a minor; three counts of obstructing and interfering with a sex trafficking investigation; 11 counts of interstate travel and transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises and one count of interstate transportation of the purposes of prostitution. The indictment also charges a co-defendant with three counts of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution. According to the indictment, Isaiah McCoy, 37, used force, fraud and coercion to cause four adult women and one minor to engage in commercial sex acts in Hawaii between May 2019 and May 2023. The indictment also alleges that co-defendant Anwar Al-Rasul, 60, used cell phones and the internet to discuss booking commercial sex acts and collected payments from commercial sex acts between October 2019 and November 2019. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, a maximum penalty of life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Restitution is also mandatory upon any conviction for sex trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence upon any conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Honolulu Field Office made the announcement. HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department. Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Meghan Tokash of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. HSI is asking anyone with information about McCoy and Al Rasul to contact the HSI Honolulu Field Office at 808-529-1900 and Press “2” for the duty agent. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .


title: Baldwin County Man Sentenced to 17 Months’ Imprisonment for Threatening to Kill Law Enforcement Officer

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Baldwin County man was sentenced on January 29, 2024, to 17 months in prison for making threatening communications to a federal law enforcement officer. According to court documents, David Clarence Shaw placed multiple calls to the Operations Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation threatening to kill a federal task force officer and referring to himself as the “Angel of Death.” After serving his 17-month sentence, Shaw will serve a three-year term of supervised release. “Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way daily to protect the public,” said United States Attorney Sean P. Costello. “Threats to their safety – or to any member of our community – will not be tolerated.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee S. Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Federal Court Orders Baldwin Pharmacy to Stop Dispensing Controlled Substances and to Comply with Controlled Substance Laws

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Chief U.S. District Court Judge Hala Y. Jarbou entered a consent decree ordering Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC (Pattie Drug), to discontinue dispensing controlled substances. The consent decree resolves allegations in a complaint filed by the United States against defendants Pattie Drug, a pharmacy located in Baldwin, MI, and its owner, Matthew Krawczak, for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). “Lake County is one of Michigan’s most vulnerable communities in the ongoing opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “The alleged misconduct in this case violates the core tenets of responsible dispensing of opioids by a pharmacy and its pharmacists. My office remains committed to using all the tools at our disposal to protect communities from this crisis.” In its complaint, the United States alleged that the defendants stocked and dispensed a particular brand of hydrocodone, sometimes referred to as “Yellow Norcos,” that are commonly sought out by individuals for their purported abuse potential. The defendants allegedly ordered these yellow opioid pills to maintain a competitive advantage over other pharmacies and then dispensed these controlled substances to patients they believed were abusing drugs. The United States also alleged that the defendants failed to meet multiple recordkeeping obligations, including keeping accurate dispensing records. The complaint notes that when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators inspected the pharmacy, an audit revealed thousands of unaccounted-for opioids, including hydrocodone pills. It also alleges that the DEA discovered that the defendants failed to submit annual certifications to DEA that pharmacy employees had been trained on CSA and DEA laws involving the sale of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine directly to customers. In the consent decree, Chief Judge Jarbou ordered the defendants to immediately comply with federal laws regarding dispensing of controlled substances and DEA recordkeeping. Within a set period, the consent decree permanently prevents Pattie Drug from dispensing controlled substances and orders it to surrender its DEA registration. The consent decree also prevents Krawczak from dispensing controlled substances in a pharmacy setting for ten years unless he is working under the supervision of another pharmacist in charge. Finally, the consent decree orders the defendants to pay a civil penalty between $10,000 to $30,000, negotiated based on the defendants’ inability to pay a larger settlement amount. “The unlawful dispensing of controlled substances by a few healthcare practitioners throughout the country has caused immense harm to communities over the years,” stated DEA Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Schumacher . “If the requirements of a proper prescription and adherence to procedure are not met, the men and women of DEA Diversion Control stand ready to hold these pharmacists accountable.” The resolution obtained in this case was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull prosecuted this case. The complaint and consent decree in this case can be found on the Court’s online docket under United States v. Baldwin Pattie Drug Store, LLC, et al. , No. 1:24-cv-70 (W.D. Mich.). The claims resolved by the consent decree are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. ###


title: Memphis Man Sentenced in Conspiracy to Sell Patient Information to Third Parties

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced in federal court for stealing patient information as part of a scheme to sell private information for personal gain. Roderick Harvey , 42, has been sentenced to five years of probation for his role in a conspiracy to violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker also ordered Harvey to serve one year of the probationary period in home detention and to pay a $50,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today. In April 2023, Harvey pled guilty to conspiring with five former Methodist Hospital employees to unlawfully disclose patient information in violation of HIPAA. According to information presented in court, between November 2017, and December 2020, Harvey paid Kirby Dandridge, Sylvia Taylor, Kara Thompson, Melanie Russell, and Adrianna Taber to provide him with names and phone numbers of patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents. Harvey then sold the information to third persons including personal injury attorneys and chiropractors. HIPAA was enacted by Congress in 1996 to create national standards to protect sensitive patient information from being disclosed without a patient’s knowledge or consent. HIPAA’s provisions make it a crime to disclose patient information, or to obtain patient information with the intent to sell, transfer or use such information for personal gain. Dandridge, Taylor, Taber, Thompson, and Russell were sentenced after pleading guilty in 2023 to disclosing patient information to Harvey. Dandridge was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. Thompson was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $3,000. Taylor was sentenced to two years of probation. Taber was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Russell was sentenced to time served and placed on supervised release for six months. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.


title: District Employee Receives The Attorney General's Award For Distinguished Service

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the recipients of the 70th and 71st Attorney General’s Awards, honoring Justice Department employees and others for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws. Recipients from both 2022 and 2023 were selected from a group of more than 800 nominees and included litigation teams that have made outstanding contributions in law enforcement. Among the award recipients was Joshua Ellen, Information Technology Specialist for the Western District of North Carolina. Mr. Ellen was part of a team of Department of Justice employees recognized with The John Marshall Award , the Department’s highest award presented to recipients for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. “Each of today’s recipients has served with distinction, and in so doing, they have enabled the Justice Department to advance its work on behalf of the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “Their exceptional leadership, heroism, and dedication have benefited people and communities across the country.” “Today, Joshua Ellen was recognized for his contribution to the Department of Justice’s mission,” said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “This award symbolizes Joshua’s skills and dedication as a public servant and his work exemplifies our ongoing commitment to deliver justice and uphold the rule of law.” Mr. Ellen joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina in 2018, as Litigation Support Team Lead. From 2009 to 2018, Mr. Ellen served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia as Litigation Technology Specialist and later as Supervisory Litigation Support Specialist. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Ellen worked as a Management Analyst with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General’s Office of Investigations. Most recently, Mr. Ellen was detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia to serve in the Discovery Unit of the Capitol Siege Section. Mr. Ellen received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Maryland. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King congratulated Mr. Ellen for his award and commended him for his lengthy career in public service.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Charge

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, to 33 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm. According to public court documents, Gabriel Anjel Trujillo, 20, was identified by law enforcement in January 2023 during routine surveillance. Trujillo is a known and admitted member of the Lowrider street gang. A traffic stop and vehicle block were conducted on the vehicle in which Trujillo was a passenger. Trujillo fled on foot from law enforcement and a handgun was later found in the vehicle where Trujillo was sitting. At the time of his arrest, Trujillo was on state supervision for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. After completing his term of imprisonment, Trujillo will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Past prosecution of other Lowrider members can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/pr/fifteen-defendants-charged-37-count-racketeering-indictment-against-lowrider-criminal United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Chinese Nationals Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S.-Origin Electronic Components to Iran and Iranian Military Affiliates

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Four Chinese nationals are charged in an indictment in the District of Columbia with various federal crimes related to a years-long conspiracy to unlawfully export and smuggle U.S.-origin electronic components from the United States to Iran. According to court documents, Baoxia Liu, aka Emily Liu; Yiu Wa Yung, aka Stephen Yung; Yongxin Li, aka Emma Lee; and Yanlai Zhong, aka Sydney Chung, unlawfully exported and smuggled U.S. export controlled items through China and Hong Kong ultimately for the benefit of entities affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), which supervises Iran’s development and production of missiles, weapons, and military aerial equipment to include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). “For more than a decade, the defendants allegedly orchestrated a scheme to smuggle U.S. manufactured parts to the IRGC and the Iranian agency charged with developing ballistic missiles and UAVs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Such efforts to unlawfully obtain U.S. technology directly threaten our national security, and we will use every tool at our disposal to sever the illicit supply chains that fuel the Iranian regime’s malign activity.” “Aggressively combating illicit procurement networks that support Iranian military systems like radars and UAVs is essential to U.S. national security,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce. “Today’s indictment, tied to the work of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, reaffirms that proliferators cannot hide behind front companies in third countries to funnel technology to our adversaries.” “Our indictment alleges a years-long, complex conspiracy to violate U.S. laws by procuring U.S. technology with military uses for entities in Iran who would do us harm – a serious offense that endangers our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, will continue to turn over every stone to find those who break our laws and put us at risk. We are committed to making sure that U.S. technology is kept out of the hands of those taking aim at the United States and its citizens through robust enforcement of U.S. sanctions.” “Our foreign adversaries use many tactics to gain access to critical U.S. technologies and innovation,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “In this instance, it is alleged that U.S.-origin equipment was smuggled by front companies to the benefit of end users in Iran. Any circumvention of U.S. export control law is simply unacceptable – the FBI will work diligently with its partners across the globe to hold all accountable who jeopardize our national security.” According to the indictment, beginning as early as May 2007 and continuing until at least July 2020, the defendants utilized an array of front companies in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to funnel dual-use U.S.-origin items, including electronics and components that could be utilized in the production of UAVs, ballistic missile systems, and other military end uses, to sanctioned Iranian entities with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) such as Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI), Rayan Roshd Afzar, and their affiliates. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, the defendants concealed the fact that the goods were destined for Iran and Iranian entities and made material misrepresentations to U.S. companies regarding the end destination and end users. These deceptive practices caused the U.S. companies to export goods to the defendants’ PRC-based front companies under false pretenses and under the guise that the ultimate destination of these products was China as opposed to Iran. As a result, a vast amount of dual-use U.S.-origin commodities with military capabilities were exported from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws and regulations. The defendants are charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), violating IEEPA, smuggling goods from the United States, and one count of submitting false or misleading export information. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the IEEPA; up to 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the United States; and up to five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and submitting false or misleading export information. Arrest warrants have been issued for Liu, Yung, Li and Zhong who all remain fugitives. The FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement Chicago Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Heather Schmidt and Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. In June 2023, the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury to issue an advisory to share information about the threat posed by Iran’s procurement, development, and proliferation of UAVs. Four months later, in October 2023, the department joined with the same interagency partners to issue an advisory describing the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile procurement activities. The advisories gave an overview of the key components sought by Iran, the regime’s use of deceptive practices to acquire certain types of technologies, and recommendations for implementing effective compliance controls to minimize sanctions and export control risk. Today’s action was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Kenneth Walden, 43, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a suspect had stored child sex abuse material in a Google Photos account connected to his Google and iCloud accounts. Further investigation revealed that the account belonged to Kenneth Walden, who was a registered sex offender. Investigators discovered that between January 2021, and March 5, 2021, Walden uploaded child sex abuse material to his Google account. Most of the files depicted prepubescent males, some as young as 10- to 12-years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including sexual intercourse. The abuse images collected by the defendant included images and videos depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct, or other depictions of violence against children. Law enforcement agents searched Walden’s Google account and residence and found more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material in his iPhone and on a SIM card. At the time of his arrest, Walden was a registered sex offender and had a lengthy criminal history involving sexual misconduct against a child and registration offenses: On October 20, 2000, he was convicted in St. Joseph County, Michigan, for Criminal Sexual Conduct 2 nd degree, victim under 13, and sentenced to a year in prison. On October 2, 2007, he was convicted of being a Child Sex Offender at a public park in Richland County, Illinois, and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. On August 23, 2011, he was convicted of Failing to Report as Sex Offender in Jasper County, Illinois and sentenced to two years in prison. “This defendant’s choice to seek and collect images of the horrific sexual abuse of children is shocking, but not surprising. For years, this sex offender demonstrated his sexual interest in children and willingness to flout the laws designed to make our communities safer from predators like him,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Trafficking in these images online furthers the abuse inflicted on innocent children and fuels the desires of criminals with sexual interests in children. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that our office is committed to working with all law enforcement agencies to protect our children from those who desire to exploit their trauma for their own sick gratification.” U.S. Secret Service in partnership with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Walden be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case. This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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. ###


title: Man Charged with Arson Related to Fires at Clovis Lowe’s and Walmart

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

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced that Jimmy Roberts Guillen appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with attempted arson and arson. Guillen, 59, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing. According to the indictment, on Sept. 3, 2023, Guillen attempted to damage and destroy the Lowe’s store located on North Prince Street in Clovis, New Mexico, by means of fire. Also, on Sept. 3, 2023, Guillen damaged and destroyed the Walmart store located on North Prince Street in Clovis, New Mexico, by means of fire. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Guillen faces up to 20 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Clovis Police Department, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office , New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office, Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and Criminal Investigators at the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Curry County Sheriff’s Office, and Portales Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-44


component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – eBay Inc, an e-commerce company headquartered in San Jose, California, has agreed to pay $59 million and to enhance its compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in connection with thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website. Pill presses and encapsulating machines can be used by criminals to manufacture illegal drugs. When used with a mold, stamp, or die mimicking commonly prescribed controlled substances, pill presses are capable of producing counterfeit pills that appear indistinguishable from legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, including pills that are sometimes laced with fentanyl. The CSA regulates certain pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, including pill presses and encapsulating machines, by requiring identity verification of purchasers, record-keeping, and reporting to the Drug Enforcement Administration. These requirements are designed to prevent individuals who intend to use these machines illegally from obtaining them and to ensure that the machines are traceable to the end user. The United States alleged that eBay did not comply with these CSA requirements for thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website, including high-capacity pill presses capable of producing thousands of pills per hour. The United States’ investigation further found that hundreds of eBay’s pill press buyers also purchased counterfeit molds, stamps, or dies, allowing them to produce pills that mimicked the products of legitimate pharmaceutical companies, and that many of eBay’s pill press buyers have been successfully prosecuted in connection with trafficking illegal counterfeit pills. “Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl are a significant contributor to the deadly overdose epidemic,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Chair of the Department of Justice’s Opioid Epidemic Civil Litigation Task Force. “The Department is committed to using all available enforcement measures to ensure that companies involved in selling the equipment that makes it possible to create these dangerous pills comply with the Controlled Substances Act.” “Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills. Our investigation revealed that some of these machines were even sold to individuals who were later convicted of drug related crimes,” said United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Nikolas P. Kerest. “Our office is committed to holding accountable those who have contributed to the devastating fentanyl crisis we are facing in our communities. Today’s settlement is an important step to ensuring that e-commerce companies do their part by complying with regulations that are designed to protect the public.” “eBay’s failure to comply with the Controlled Substances Act’s basic reporting and record keeping requirements for the sales of pill presses contributed to the proliferation of counterfeit pills in this country by allowing private citizens to set up pill factories in their homes and to do so without detection,” said United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Henry C. Leventis. “This settlement holds eBay accountable for its compliance lapses, serves as a reminder to other e-commerce companies that the Department of Justice will enforce these requirements, and will help keep these items out of the hands of criminals moving forward.” “Americans deserve to be protected from the dangers of counterfeit prescription pills,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all those involved in the sale of counterfeit pills and the equipment used to manufacture counterfeit pills are held accountable.” “Fentanyl—pressed into fake pills that look like real prescription medications—is killing Americans. Drug traffickers buy the tools to make fake pills, like pill presses, online,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “eBay and other e-commerce platforms must do their part to protect the public. And when they do not, DEA will hold them accountable.” In addition to the monetary settlement, eBay also has agreed to maintain and enhance its compliance program with respect to its prohibited and restricted items policy as it pertains to sales of pill presses, counterfeit molds, stamps, and dies, and encapsulating machines. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin E. Hazard and Lauren Almquist Lively and Civil Chief Jules Torti of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wynn Shuford, Deputy Civil Chief Ellen Bowden McIntyre, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Wildasin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorneys Scott B. Dahlquist and Deborah Sohn, Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams, Senior Counsel for Policy and Compliance Shannon Pedersen, Senior Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi, Director Amanda Liskamm, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Felon Sentenced to an Additional 16 Months in Federal Prison for Escape from Residential Reentry Facility

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Jaylen Brancheau, 23, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to an additional 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to escape from federal custody. This sentence will be served consecutively to Brancheau’s remaining state sentence. According to court documents, on October 22, 2020, Brancheau was sentenced to 60 months and 1 day imprisonment after being convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. On October 4, 2022, Brancheau was transferred to the Volunteers of America (“VOA”) in Indianapolis, Indiana, to complete his sentence. The Bureau of Prisons contracts with residential reentry centers, also known as halfway houses, to aid inmates who are nearing release as they transition back into the community. Inmates serving a portion of their sentence at a residential reentry center are only authorized to leave through sign-out procedures for approved activities. Brancheau was to remain in, and abide by the rules of, the facility for six months until his projected release date in April 2023. U.S. Marshals received notice from the Bureau of Prisons that Brancheau was granted a church pass and did not return. USMS attempted to contact Brancheau multiple times with no success. In July of 2023, Brancheau was located and arrested in Blackford County on a state warrant for Resisting Law Enforcement and Reckless Driving. U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Brancheau be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: U.S. government disrupts botnet People’s Republic of China used to conceal hacking of critical infrastructure

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A December 2023 court-authorized operation has disrupted a botnet of hundreds of U.S.-based small office/home office (SOHO) routers hijacked by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers. The hackers, known to the private sector as “Volt Typhoon,” used privately-owned SOHO routers infected with the “KV Botnet” malware to conceal the PRC origin of further hacking activities directed against U.S. and other foreign victims. These further hacking activities included a campaign targeting critical infrastructure organizations in the United States and elsewhere that was the subject of a May 2023 FBI, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and foreign partner advisory . The same activity has been the subject of private sector partner advisories in May and December 2023, as well as an additional secure by design alert released today by CISA. The vast majority of routers that comprised the KV Botnet were Cisco and NetGear routers that were vulnerable because they had reached “end of life” status; that is, they were no longer supported through their manufacturer’s security patches or other software updates. The court-authorized operation deleted the KV Botnet malware from the routers and took additional steps to sever their connection to the botnet, such as blocking communications with other devices used to control the botnet. “The Justice Department has disrupted a PRC-backed hacking group that attempted to target America’s critical infrastructure utilizing a botnet,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States will continue to dismantle malicious cyber operations – including those sponsored by foreign governments – that undermine the security of the American people.” “China’s hackers are targeting American civilian critical infrastructure, pre-positioning to cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities in the event of conflict” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Volt Typhoon malware enabled China to hide as they targeted our communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors. Their pre-positioning constitutes a potential real-world threat to our physical safety that the FBI is not going to tolerate. We are going to continue to work with our partners to hit the PRC hard and early whenever we see them threaten Americans.” “In wiping out the KV Botnet from hundreds of routers nationwide, the Department of Justice is using all its tools to disrupt national security threats – in real time,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s announcement also highlights our critical partnership with the private sector – victim reporting is key to fighting cybercrime, from home offices to our most critical infrastructure.” “Today, the FBI and our partners continue to stand firmly against People's Republic of China cyber actors that threaten our nation's cyber security,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “We remain committed to thwarting malicious activities of this type and will continue to disrupt and dismantle cyber threats, safeguarding the fabric of our cyber infrastructure.” “This operation disrupted the efforts of PRC state-sponsored hackers to gain access to U.S. critical infrastructure that the PRC would be able to leverage during a future crisis,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The operation, together with the release of valuable network defense guidance by the U.S. government and private sector partners, demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to enhance cybersecurity and disrupt efforts to hold our critical infrastructure at risk.” “Using traditional law enforcement tools to disrupt state-of-the-art technologies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas protected Americans from PRC government-sponsored cyber-criminals who used U.S. based routers to hack into American targets,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “This case demonstrates my office’s ongoing commitment to defending our critical infrastructure from PRC initiated cyber-attacks. We thank the FBI and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for its work, and we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with them to shield our country from state-sponsored hackers.” “The FBI’s dismantling of the KV Botnet sends a clear message that the FBI will take decisive action to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “By ensuring home and small-business routers are replaced after their end-of-life expiration, everyday citizens can protect both their personal cyber security and the digital safety of the United States. We need the American public’s vigilance and support to continue our fight against malicious PRC-sponsored cyber actors.” As described in court documents, the government extensively tested the operation on the relevant Cisco and NetGear routers. The operation did not impact the legitimate functions of, or collect content information from, hacked routers. Additionally, the court-authorized steps to disconnect the routers from the KV Botnet and prevent reinfection are temporary in nature. A router’s owner can reverse these mitigation steps by restarting the router. However, a restart that is not accompanied by mitigation steps similar to those the court order authorized will make the router vulnerable to reinfection. The FBI is providing notice of the court-authorized operation to all owners or operators of SOHO routers that were infected with the KV Botnet malware and remotely accessed pursuant to the operation. For those victims whose contact information was not publicly available, the FBI has contacted providers (such as a victim’s internet service provider) and has asked those providers to provide notice to the victims. FBI’s Houston Field Office and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the National Security Cyber Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division led the disruption effort. The Justice Department’s Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. These efforts would not have been successful without the partnership of numerous private-sector entities. If you believe you have a compromised router. Please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or report online to CISA . The remediated routers remain vulnerable to future exploitation by Volt Typhoon and other hackers, and the FBI strongly encourages router owners to remove and replace any end-of-life SOHO router currently in their networks. The FBI continues to investigate Volt Typhoon’s computer intrusion activity.