title: Final co-conspirator ordered to prison for dark web pill manufacturing and distribution ring

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 37-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in operating an illicit manufacturing and distribution ring of pills containing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Marco Juarez pleaded guilty June 16, 2023. U.S. District Judge Gray Miller has now imposed a 120-month-term of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. Alexander Fernandez, 33, Christopher Houser, 36, and Alexis Sandoval, 26, all of Houston, also pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced. The leader – Fernandez – received 20 years, while Houser and Sandoval were ordered to serve respective terms of 36 and 120 months. In handing down the sentences, Judge Miller noted the serious nature of distributing pills to customers who were unaware that what they believed to be Adderall in fact contained meth. “These conspirators manufactured and distributed large quantities of fake Adderall pills that actually contained meth in order to make money at the expense of the health and safety of others,” said Hamdani. “The public must be aware that while counterfeit pills may look like legitimate prescription drugs, they may actually contain a deadly controlled substance. Instead of ingesting quality-controlled products of a heavily regulated prescription drug industry, users of counterfeit drugs may be putting powerful crystal meth into their bodies, which leads to increased addiction rates and health risks.” “Trafficking counterfeit prescription medications laced with deadly and highly addictive narcotics is extremely dangerous and has been a major contributor to the ongoing drug epidemic that is destroying communities across the country,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz. “Leveraging HSI’s unique cross-border authorities and extensive expertise in cyber and narcotics investigations, we were able to pierce the veil of anonymity that these drug traffickers falsely believed they possessed by operating on the dark web to expose their conspiracy and hold them accountable for their actions.” In 2020, law enforcement discovered Fernandez was ordering pill press machines, pill stamps, dyes and bulking agents frequently used in illicit pill manufacturing. The investigation revealed the ring was manufacturing the pills within local residences - first on Yale Street in the Houston Heights neighborhood and later at two separate locations in Fulshear. Fernandez was behind the logistics of the pill manufacturing ring while Juarez supplied the organization with the meth used as the active ingredients. Houser produced the pills using the pill press machines. Sandoval was responsible for the packaging and mailing of pills from orders placed on the dark web. A search warrant executed in October 2020 at the Fulshear manufacturing residence revealed approximately seven kilograms of “ice” meth and four kilograms of meth in the form of Adderall pills and powder. Additionally, almost five kilograms of Adderall pills were found at a second Fulshear residence where they packaged the pills for mailing out to dark web buyers. The pill press operation was also responsible for manufacturing and distributing “Alprazolam” pills containing Etizolam, a central nervous system depressant with sedative-hypnotic and muscle relaxant effects. Juarez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden prosecuted the case.


title: Troy Man Charged with Marijuana Trafficking and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omjasisa Kentu Felder, age 53, of Troy, New York, has been charged with marijuana trafficking and gun crimes. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. The indictment alleges that Felder possessed a 9mm handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessed the handgun as a convicted felon, and possessed marijuana with intent to distribute in November 2022, and conspired to distribute marijuana between 2021 and November 2022. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Felder was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and ordered detained pending trial. Felder faces at least 5 years and up to life imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and up to 5 years in prison on each of the marijuana trafficking counts. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count and a term of post release supervision of at least 2 years and up to life. The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case. 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: California Man Is Sentenced To Prison For $2 Million Investment Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gustavo Guzman, 61, previously of Fullerton, California, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay more than $1.9 million in restitution for orchestrating an investment fraud scheme that defrauded victims of nearly $2 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In November 2022, Guzman was extradited to the United States from Australia to face federal charges in the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall join U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, from April 2010 to August 2015, Guzman, through various entities he controlled, including G2 Asset Management and East Egg Private Equity, executed a scheme to defraud approximately 10 investors of at least $2 million, by falsely representing that he would use the investors’ money to trade in options and other similar investments. Instead of investing the funds as promised, Guzman stole a substantial portion of the investors’ money and used it to fund his personal lifestyle, including to make large credit card payments and cash withdrawals, and to pay for personal expenditures. Court records show that Guzman suffered massive trading losses with the money that he did invest and used some of the victim’s money to make Ponzi-style payments to investors. To conceal the trading losses and the fraudulent scheme, and to prevent his victims from redeeming their investments and complaining to authorities, Guzman lied to his victims about the status of their investments, and provided them with fake documents, including sham IRS forms and fraudulent account statements. When Guzman learned that the Government was preparing to charge him, he fled to Australia. According to court documents, Guzman perpetrated the investment scheme by soliciting and victimizing people he knew, including close friends. One victim investor described Guzman as “a trusted family friend,” and another as someone they had known for “over 15 years.” As court records reflect, several of Guzman’s victims suffered substantial financial hardship and are under extreme emotional distress as a result of Guzman’s deception and scheme. In July 2023, Guzman pleaded guilty to securities fraud. In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. highlighted, among other things, the nature and circumstances of Guzman’s fraud, characterizing it as “reprehensible conduct that occurred over a long period of time.” Guzman is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The investigation was conducted by the FBI in Charlotte and the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission conducted a parallel investigation that resulted in the entry of a default judgment against Guzman in Civil Action No. 3:17-cv-00276 (WDNC). The Department of Justice also appreciates the significant assistance provided by the Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Government of Australia, including the Attorney General’s Department of Australia and the Australian Federal Police, in securing the extradition of Guzman and obtaining evidence from Australian authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Hawaiian Gardens Man Who Sold Fentanyl that Caused 18-Year-Old Victim’s Overdose Death Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Hawaiian Gardens man was sentenced today to 300 months in federal prison for selling purported black tar heroin that, in fact, was fentanyl to an 18-year-old victim who later ingested it and suffered a fatal overdose from the powerful synthetic opioid. Gregory Hevener, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $45,100 in restitution. Hevener has been in federal custody since February 2022. At the conclusion of a seven-day trial, a jury on June 24 found Hevener guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. “While no amount of prison time will restore what was lost to the victim’s family, we hope today’s sentence will bring some closure to the victim’s loved ones and protect our community from further harm,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Vindicating victims is core to my office’s work. We will continue to lead the nation in holding accountable those who traffic in powerful synthetic drugs, especially when they cause death or bodily harm.” In November 2020, the victim responded to an ad placed by Hevener on the website OfferUp, an online marketplace. The listing advertised the sale of “BLACK TAR ROOFING MATERIALS!!” – coded language for black tar heroin – in Long Beach. OfferUp records revealed Hevener operated or had access to several accounts on the platform, in which he advertised and distributed drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. Hevener and the victim met in Hawaiian Gardens and the victim purchased what he believed to be heroin from Hevener. Instead, Hevener sold what was a black, tar-like substance containing fentanyl and tramadol, a pain-relief medication. The victim then drove home and took the drugs, suffering a fatal overdose. In July and October 2021, law enforcement searched trash cans outside of Hevener’s residence in Hawaiian Gardens and seized discarded plastic bags and burnt pieces of tin foil containing fentanyl and tramadol residue. Another search in December 2021 resulted in the seizure of a plastic bag containing approximately 245 grams of black tar heroin, a digital scale, burnt tin foil, and a plastic bag containing approximately 1.2 grams of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the El Monte Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kellye Ng and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kyle W. Kahan of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.


title: Maryland Man Indicted on Charges of Enticing a Minor to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity and Produce Child Pornography

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Juan Carlos Puente, 46, of Clinton, Maryland, charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office. According to the seven-count indictment, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child pornography. Additionally, Puente traveled outside of the United States to engage in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victim. On January 9, 2024, Puente also possessed sexually explicit images involving a prepubescent minor and a minor victim who was under 12 years of age. Puente was charged with two counts of production of child pornography, one count of attempted production of child pornography, one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, Puente faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and up to 90 years in federal prison for the production and attempted production of child pornography counts. Additional penalties could include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in federal prison for coercion and enticement of a child; a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and minor who had not attained 12 years of age. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and/or until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. If you suspect that you have information that could aid law enforcement’s investigation, you are encouraged to call the FBI Baltimore Field Office at (410) 265-8080. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Port St. Lucie Man Convicted at Trial for Participating in a Conspiracy to Export AR-15 Firearms to Costa Rica

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Nov. 20, a federal jury convicted Gabriel Donato-Mendez, 48, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., of conspiracy to export United States defense articles and of attempted smuggling of defense articles. Over a six-month span in 2018 and 2019, Donato-Mendez bought over 150 AR-15 “kits” which consisted of the pieces required to make AR-15 firearms after minor drilling and assembly. On March 4, 2019, Donato-Mendez transported at least 84 AR-15 kits from a store in Daytona, Fla., to a freight forwarder where the kits were destined to be exported to Costa Rica. In 2019, AR-15s and their parts were on the United States Munitions List as “defense articles” and required a license from the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to be exported. Neither Donato-Mendez nor any of his known conspirators possessed a license to export AR-15 kits from the United States. Donato-Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025 before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Donato-Mendez faces up to ten years on the attempted smuggling count and five years on the conspiracy count. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. HSI Miami, HSI Fort Pierce, and ATF Fort Pierce investigated the case. The Costa Rican Organismo de Investigación Judicial (National Judicial Police) and U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Rosenfeld and Stefan Diaz Espinosa are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20075. ###


title: Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Pill Manufacturing and Distribution

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jamar Deontae Barnes, 42, of Stockton, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine-laced pills, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between September 2015 and May 2019, Barnes conspired with his twin brother, Jamaine Dontae Barnes, and others, to make and sell thousands of drug-laced pills. Barnes and his co-conspirators made the pills using pill presses, which are machines that compress powders into pills of various shapes and sizes. They made pills that appeared to be legitimate prescription pills but in fact, contained fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, heroin, and other synthetic opioids. They also made pills that appeared to be traditional Ecstasy pills but in fact contained methamphetamine. On May 16, 2019, law enforcement searched Jamar Barnes’ Stockton residence and seized a pill press machine as well as powders and pills containing methamphetamine and furanyl fentanyl. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the San Joaquin METRO Narcotics Task Force, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force, the Stockton Police Department, the Sacramento County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Spencer and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case. Nine other defendants have pleaded guilty: Jamaine Dontae Barnes pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2025. Kavio Daeshaun Lee Wiley pleaded guilty and was sentence to 15 years in prison. Vincent Isaiah Patterson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2025. Johnesha Denae Thompson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2025. Kadrena Latrice Watts pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17, 2025. Jeremy Jerome Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 57 months in prison. Chevele Bernard Richardson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 79 months in prison. Tashawn Terrell Dickerson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. Lamont Montez Thibodeaux pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2025. Jamar Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 3, 2025. Barnes faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: United States Obtains Consent Decree with Kings County Man for Alleged Mail and Wire Fraud

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — The United States has entered a consent decree with Dale Lake of Hanford to resolve a lawsuit brought by the United States pursuant to the Anti-Fraud Injunction Statute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleged that Lake was a “money mule” who was facilitating a mail and wire fraud scheme that primarily victimized senior citizens. According to the complaint, Lake received funds or gift cards obtained via fraud, then transmitted those funds to accomplices in Jamaica. Other participants in the fraud scheme contacted potential victims; falsely claimed that those victims had won a lottery, sweepstakes, or prize; and induced victims to transmit money to Lake, supposedly in order to receive the falsely promised winnings. The consent decree announced today, approved by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, permanently prohibits Lake from assisting, facilitating, or participating in any prize promotion fraud or any money transmitting business. The decree also authorizes the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to monitor Lake’s incoming mail for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the decree. “Money mules facilitate fraud against vulnerable populations,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable anyone who engages in schemes to defraud the public. Our office is committed to educating the public about how fraudsters use money mules to receive and transfer money to third parties.” “Postal Inspectors will continue to use all the tools of law enforcement, including civil remedies, to protect the public from fraud schemes employing money mules,” said Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood of the USPIS San Francisco Division. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the USPIS. It is part of a larger effort by the Justice Department, USPIS, FBI, and other federal law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Such fraudsters rely on money mules to facilitate a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams, and grandparent scams, as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Fuentes handled this case for the United States.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today , U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that WILLIAM LANG (“LANG”) , age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on November 27, 2024, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, one kilogram or more of heroin, and four hundred grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A). According to court documents, LANG, and other co-conspirators, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. LANG faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 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. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: UNITED STATES ATTORNEY ADVISES VIRGIN ISLANDS COMMUNITY THAT COCKFIGHTING IS PROHIBITED BY FEDERAL LAW

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith advises residents of the Virgin Islands that the Agricultural Improvement Act (P.L. 115-334), which has been in effect since December 20, 2019, prohibits animal fighting in the United States, including its Territories. U.S. Attorney Smith reminds cockfighting promoters that animal fighting is a felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Since 2002, federal law has prohibited any shipment of fighting birds to the Territory from the mainland United States. Smith further notes that “federal law prohibits a wide range of activities associated with animal fighting ventures, including knowingly sponsoring, exhibiting, or attending these events.” An animal fighting venture is one that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment. The law further prohibits the selling, buying, training, transporting, shipping, delivering or receiving of animals for fighting, and the trafficking in knives or gaffs used on birds. Despite federal law prohibiting animal fighting, law enforcement agencies in our community continue to receive recent reports that cockfighting matches are ongoing. U.S. Attorney Smith noted that animal fighting prosecutions in the United States often have a close correlation to other criminal activities, including violent crime, firearms offenses and mail fraud. “Cockfighting is illegal and potentially dangerous. We must therefore continue our commitment to keeping our community safe”, U.S. Attorney Smith said. To report information about cockfighting or other animal fighting crimes, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigations at (787) 754-6000, or the United Stated Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, hotline at (800) 424-9121 or at https://www.usda.gov/oig/hotline.htm.


title: U.S. Attorney, Law Enforcement Officials Urge Residents to Help Prevent Gun Thefts From Vehicles During Holiday Season

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – As the holidays approach, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas wants to remind residents to properly secure their firearms when they are not in use. It is particularly important that gun owners do not leave any firearm insufficiently secured inside a vehicle when visiting shopping centers and malls. A locked car is not a secured car. Nearly 2,300 firearms have been stolen from vehicles in San Antonio this year. Retail parking lots frequently serve as hot spots for burglaries, and thieves are capable of breaking into a vehicle, stealing a gun, and fleeing, all within 15 seconds or less. Furthermore, statistics show that car burglars target trucks and vehicles that display stickers, insignia, and license plates indicating military or law enforcement affiliation, as well as firearm ownership. Firearms stolen from vehicles are often used to commit violent crimes in San Antonio. “While you are shopping for holiday gifts to give your friends and loved ones, it takes no time at all for a thief to steal an improperly secured gun from your locked car,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “That same gun, which was lawfully yours, is likely to be sold for profit and used in a violent crime—even killing a law enforcement officer or an innocent child. Do not make it these despicable acts any easier for criminals. Story your firearms properly and avoid becoming a victim of gun theft.” “Remember, keeping your firearms secure is key to preventing theft and keeping our community safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the ATF Houston Field Division. “This holiday season, if firearms are not allowed in retail stores or venues that you are visiting, we urge you to store your firearms in a safe and secure gun storage. A little precaution goes a long way in keeping you and everyone around you safe.” As part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to combat violent crime, the Department of Justice has awarded funding to research partner University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. As a result of that funding, researcher Dr. Alex Testa studied the data surrounding firearm thefts from vehicles. “Many gun owners are unaware of the serious risks that come with leaving firearms in vehicles,” said Testa. “Even locked cars and compartments are highly susceptible to break-ins, making firearms left in vehicles prime targets for theft. With San Antonio ranking fifth in the nation for firearm thefts from vehicles, raising awareness about these risks is essential to protect both gun owners and the broader community.” "Each stolen firearm represents a potential weapon in the hands of a criminal, threatening the safety of our community," said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales. "Preventing gun theft starts with responsible ownership by securing your firearms, please keep them out of the wrong hands and protect the lives of your family and neighbors this holiday season." “I am sure the last thing anyone wants to do is contribute to violent crimes being committed through their own carelessness or neglect,” said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. “It is incumbent upon every firearm owner to be cognizant of where weapons are kept at all times.” “Stolen guns are used to commit violent crimes,” said Chief William McManus for the San Antonio Police Department. “We urge responsible gun ownership, including planning ahead and leaving your firearm at home if you know that you will be entering an establishment that prohibits the carrying of firearms.” ###


title: Orlando Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Firearms

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonen Castillo (24, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to smuggling goods from the United States. Castillofaces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, in June 2023, Castillo concealed five firearms and nine firearm magazines inside record players and mailed them to a recipient residing in Canada. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. 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: Neurosurgeon pays $2M to settle allegations involving false procedures

body_text: HOUSTON – A 53-year-old Sugar Land man has agreed to pay $2,095,946 to resolve allegations he submitted false claims for the placement of electro-acupuncture devices, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Dr. Rajesh Bindal used the entity Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center P.A. to conduct his medical practice. From March 16, 2021, to April 22, 2022, Bindal billed Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for the surgical implantation of neurostimulator electrodes. These are invasive procedures usually requiring use of an operating room. As a result, Medicare and the FEHBP pay thousands of dollars per procedure. However, neither Bindal nor his staff performed these surgical procedures, according to the allegations. Instead, patients allegedly received devices used for electro-acupuncture, which only involved inserting monofilament wire a few millimeters into patients’ ears and taping the device behind the ear with an adhesive. In some instances, a device sales representative or a physician assistant allegedly performed these placements, which were then billed as surgeries. All device placements took place in Bindal’s clinic, not a hospital or surgical center, and no incision was made on a patient. Most patients claimed the adhesive came loose and the device fell off on its own accord within a few days. “A neurosurgeon, like Bindal, should know when he is and is not performing surgery,” said Hamdani. “Even though neurosurgeons, according to one study, are the highest paid physician specialists in the United States, Bindal allegedly submitted false claims in an effort to further enrich himself. To maintain the trust of the public in our federal health care system, it is imperative that medical professionals, such as neurosurgeons, bill accurately for the services provided. Otherwise, my office may get involved and seek to hold accountable anyone who violates that trust.” “Ensuring that health care professionals are held accountable for submitting false claims to Medicare is essential for preserving public trust and safeguarding critical resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG). “Dr. Bindal not only submitted false claims to Medicare but also deceived our most vulnerable population. DHHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain committed to working together to uphold the integrity of federal health care programs.” “False claims come at a cost not only to our federal health care programs but also to the members who rely on these programs for necessary care,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM-OIG.) “We support the efforts of our law enforcement partners and colleagues to protect not only the integrity of federal health care programs but also the safety of federal employees, annuitants and their families.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation with DHHS-OIG and OPM-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Collins handled the matter.


title: Nine Members of Multi-State Money Laundering Organization Charged in Wide-Ranging Conspiracy

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NASHVILLE — The United States yesterday unsealed an indictment in Nashville, Tennessee, charging nine members of a multi-state money laundering organization responsible for laundering millions of dollars derived from internet fraud, including business email compromise schemes. According to court documents, Samson A. Omoniyi, 43, also known as Dada, Dadaman81, and Mr D; Misha L. Cooper, 50, also known as Misha Brookings, Misha Harris, and Misha L. Brookins; Robert A. Cooper, 66; Carlesha L. Perry, 36, also known as D Man; Whitney D. Bardley, 30; Lauren O. Guidry, 32, also known as Mommy; Caira Y. Osby, 44, also known as Solomon Amanti; Dazai S. Harris, 34; and Edward D. Peebles, 35, were charged with conspiracy to engage in money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a money laundering organization, which has been in existence in and around Tennessee, Texas, and elsewhere, since approximately November 2016. The conspiracy allegedly relied on a structured organization where recruiters – referred to as “herders” – recruited and instructed participants — referred to as “money mules” — to launder proceeds derived from internet frauds that targeted businesses and individuals in the United States and abroad. The defendants allegedly used sham and front companies to conceal the fraud proceeds and enrich the members of the conspiracy. The conspiracy is alleged to have agreed to launder more than $20 million in fraud proceeds. Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. FBI’s Nashville Field Office and Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency are investigating the case. FBI’s Forensic Accountant Support Team provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Carran Daughtrey for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Kenneth Kaplan and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Cocaine Importation Charges Against Chief Superintendent Of Royal Bahamas Police Force And Other Bahamian Officials

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging 13 defendants with cocaine importation and related weapons offenses in connection with their participation in a massive cocaine importation conspiracy enabled by corrupt Bahamian government officials, including high-ranking members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (“RBPF”). ELVIS NATHANIEL CURTIS, an RBPF Chief Superintendent, and DARRIN ALEXANDER ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (“RBDF”), were arrested on Monday in Florida and had their initial appearances yesterday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. LORIELMO STEELE-POMARE, a/k/a “Steele” and WILLIAM SIMEON, a/k/a “Harvey Smith,” a/k/a “William Jacques,” a/k/a “Romeo Russell,” a/k/a “Dario Rolle,” were arrested overseas on Monday. LUIS FERNANDO OROZCO-TORO was arrested overseas yesterday. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas with the support and protection of corrupt Bahamian government officials who control airports throughout the country and provide sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard movements to drug traffickers. This Indictment is the latest in a series of charges that this Office and the DEA’s Special Operations Division have brought against corrupt government officials around the globe who partner with dangerous cocaine traffickers. Today’s charges should serve as yet another powerful wake-up call to corrupt officials everywhere—we will not rest until you are held accountable for your role in the drug trade that is poisoning this country and our community. I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our partners at the DEA for their tireless efforts to disrupt drug-fueled corruption wherever it takes hold.” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “The arrests of corrupt officials, including a leader of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and another government official in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, expose the alarming betrayal of public trust that has enabled tons of cocaine to flow through The Bahamas and into the United States. In 2024, there was a 5.4% increase in cocaine seizures in the United States. By abusing their positions to accept bribes, protect traffickers, and facilitate drug shipments via airports and maritime routes, these individuals jeopardized countless lives for personal gain. Let this be a clear message from the DEA: if you are a government official who uses your power to traffic in drugs and corruption, we will bring you to justice in the United States.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: [1] Since at least May 2021, drug traffickers have smuggled tons of cocaine through The Bahamas for importation into the U.S. with the help and support of corrupt Bahamian government officials. The Bahamas has in recent years become an increasingly important transshipment point for U.S.-bound cocaine. This is a result, in part, of its proximity to the U.S., as the northernmost Bahamian islands are less than 100 nautical miles from the coast of Florida, making The Bahamas an attractive route for cocaine traffickers. The increased cocaine flow through The Bahamas and into the U.S. has been a direct result of yearslong, drug-fueled corruption by certain officials in key Bahamian government institutions. Such corruption includes certain high-ranking members of the RBPF and other Bahamian government officials who work with drug traffickers to receive, protect, and provide safe passage for massive cocaine shipments through the airports and ports of The Bahamas. These corrupt officials support the drug trade into the U.S. at multiple levels. First, cocaine-laden aircraft, including on U.S.-registered planes, are received at remote airstrips and larger airports in The Bahamas under the supervision of corrupt RBPF officials who work with, and accept bribes from, drug traffickers. Then, once the cocaine arrives in The Bahamas, those corrupt officials also help drug traffickers transport their cocaine from the northernmost points of The Bahamas to the U.S. using go-fast vessels, yachts, and fishing boats. The DEA has historically coordinated drug enforcement operations with the RBPF through a counternarcotics program called Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or “OPBAT.” Although OPBAT has had its share of successes in combatting the drug trade in the Caribbean, certain corrupt RBPF and Bahamian officials abuse the OPBAT program and their relationship with the DEA to disrupt U.S.-led law enforcement attempts to combat drug trafficking in The Bahamas. Corrupt RBPF officials have, among other things, denied the DEA access to seized cocaine and evidence, provided information to the DEA that was contradicted by aerial surveillance, and even informed a DEA agent that certain drug trafficking targets were “off limits.” As alleged, CURTIS is an RBPF Chief Superintendent who supervises airport locations throughout The Bahamas, including the Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau (the “Nassau Airport”), which is the largest airport in The Bahamas. In exchange for bribes made by drug traffickers, CURTIS has abused his official position to, among other things, provide safe passage for cocaine shipments through airports in The Bahamas, with the assistance of other corrupt officials such as RBPF Sergeant PRINCE ALBERT SYMONETTE. For instance, on or about October 18, 2023, CURTIS and SYMONETTE each accepted approximately $10,000 in bribe payments as a down payment for their assistance in what they understood to be an upcoming 600-kilogram cocaine shipment to The Bahamas through the Nassau Airport, for eventual distribution to the U.S. Additionally, in or about September 2024, CURTIS explained that, in exchange for a $2 million bribe, a high-ranking Bahamian politician that CURTIS named would authorize the assistance and involvement of armed RBPF officials to facilitate incoming cocaine shipments. CURTIS and ROKER also discussed abusing their official positions to transport drug proceeds from cocaine sales in the U.S. back to The Bahamas, including with Bahamian government and military aircraft. Other corrupt Bahamian officials, such as ROKER, a Chief Petty Officer in the RBDF, have facilitated maritime drug trafficking activities through The Bahamas and into the U.S. by providing sensitive information about U.S. Coast Guard and DEA-led OPBAT operations to alert drug traffickers, in exchange for bribes. RICCARDO ADOLPHUS DAVIS also purports to be an official in the Bahamian government who used his influence with corrupt Bahamian government officials to authorize drug trafficking facilitated by RBPF officials. Drug traffickers who work with the RBPF and other Bahamian officials coordinate closely with pilots to fly their U.S.-bound cocaine shipments from Central and South America into The Bahamas. These pilots also work for various Bahamian private charter companies that provide flight services to Bahamian citizens and foreign tourists who are visiting The Bahamas. * * * CURTIS, 51, of The Bahamas; SYMONETTE, 52, of The Bahamas; ROKER, 56, of The Bahamas; DAVIS, 59, of The Bahamas; SIMEON, 52, of The Bahamas; THEODORE NATHANIEL ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Blue,” 53, of The Bahamas; JOSHUA MCDONALD SCAVELLA, a/k/a “Cow,” 46, of The Bahamas; STEELE-POMARE, 59, of Colombia; OROZCO-TORO, 58, of Colombia; DAVON REVION KHAIM ROLLE, 34, of The Bahamas; DARREN ARTHUR FERGUSON, a/k/a “Hubba,” 54, of The Bahamas; DOMONICK DELANCY, 36, of The Bahamas; and DONALD FREDERICK FERGUSON II, a/k/a “DJ,” a/k/a “Billy,” 26, of The Bahamas, are charged with cocaine importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; using and carrying firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry firearms during, and possessing firearms in furtherance of, the cocaine-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division’s Bilateral Investigations Unit, Nassau Country Office, Bogota Country Office, and Panama City Country Office, as well as the assistance of the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky, Nicholas S. Bradley, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If you or someone you know has information about the conduct in this case, please contact the DEA’s tip line at BahamasNarcoTips@dea.gov [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Operators Of Jacksonville Roofing Business Plead Guilty To Payroll Tax Fraud And Workers’ Compensation Fraud

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud related to a Jacksonville roofing business that they operated. They each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the tax fraud offense and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the mail and wire fraud offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Travis Slaughter has agreed to forfeit to the United States $2,780,947 in proceeds he obtained from the mail and wire fraud offense and to pay restitution of $6,768,612 for the payroll tax loss, $2,780,947 for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $271,217 for two paid workers’ compensation claims. Tripp Slaughter has agreed to forfeit to the United States $416,800 in proceeds he obtained from the mail and wire fraud offense and to pay restitution of $623,269 for the payroll tax loss, $416,800 for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $137,778 for a paid workers’ compensation claim. According to their plea agreements, since 2007 the Slaughters have operated a roofing business in Jacksonville, first under the name Great White Construction, then under the name Florida Roofing Experts, and finally under the name 5 Star Roofing Services. Although the names changed, each business operated in the same manner, banked at the same financial institutions, and employed the same employees. The company contracted with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to prepare payroll checks for employees, after making deductions for payroll taxes, and to file payroll tax returns and forward tax payments to governmental authorities. However, the company did not provide the PEOs with information about all the hours worked by, or all the wages due to, its employees. Instead, the company also paid the employees directly, with separate checks drawn on company bank accounts, and did not deduct payroll taxes from these checks. By paying employees with “split checks”—one from the PEO and one from the company—the company avoided paying the full amount of payroll taxes due to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). During the period of January 2017 through July 2020, the PEOs issued payroll checks to the employees totaling approximately $4,930,613, after deducting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due. During that same period, the company issued checks to the employees totaling approximately $18,545,845, with no payroll taxes being deducted or paid. The total unpaid payroll taxes on that amount were $2,768,377. The PEOs also secured workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the company. The premiums charged by the workers’ compensation insurers were based on the total amount of payroll that the company reported to the PEOs. If the company had reported the actual amount of payroll, the insurers would have charged additional premiums totaling $2,780,947. In addition to causing the company to underreport their payroll to the IRS, the Slaughters also underreported their personal income to the IRS. For the tax years 2014 through 2019, the total unpaid taxes due on Travis Slaughter’s unreported income totaled $2,467,183. For the tax years 2015 through 2019, the total unpaid taxes due on Tripp Slaughter’s unreported income totaled $263,614. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.


title: Chester Man Who Embezzled $2 Million from Newington Business Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EVAN BOBZIN, 39, of Chester, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft and tax offenses stemming from a $2 million embezzlement scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2013 until December 2023, Bobzin was an employee of Hoffman’s Gun Center (“Hoffman’s”) in Newington and, in 2016, he became the head of information technology at Hoffman’s. In January 2016, Bobzin began to steal cash receipts from a safe in Hoffman’s front office. Bobzin would arrive at work before other employees, disconnect ethernet cables from the company’s computers servers to cameras that captured views of the safe, enter the front office, open the safe, steal thousands of dollars in cash from receipt pouches, return the pouches to the safe, and then reconnect the ethernet cables. He would then deposit some of all of the cash proceeds into his personal bank accounts. Between 2016 and 2023, Bobzin and his former spouse made 287 cash deposits of stolen money from Hoffman’s totaling $1,901,250 into his bank accounts, and seven cash purchases of cashier’s checks totaling $161,330. In October 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified Bobzin that he was conducting cash transactions in amounts below $10,000 in a manner indicative of structuring to avoid having his bank file Currency Transaction Reports. Bobzin ceased making cash deposits at his bank, opened new accounts at a different bank, and resumed making structured cash deposits into those accounts. Bobzin failed to report the stolen income on his federal personal income tax returns for the 2016 through 2022 tax years, resulting in a loss to the IRS of $436,178. For example, on his income tax return for the 2020 tax year, Bobzin reported taxable income of $9,914 and tax owed of $0. The return omitted income of approximately $432,615 and understated tax due and owing by approximately $110,530. On August 29, 2024, Bobzin pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of stolen money and tax evasion. Judge Dooley ordered Bobzin to pay restitution of $2,062,580 and to cooperate with the IRS to pay $436,178 in taxes, as well as penalties and interest. Bobzin, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 6. This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: Missouri Man Accused of Child Sex Crimes

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to an indictment accusing him of illegal sexual activity with a minor. Harold Paul White, 54, was indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis November 20 with one count of production of child pornography and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The indictment accuses White of inducing or coercing a minor into sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct on Aug. 25, 2023, and of traveling from Michigan to Missouri on that date for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. During a detention hearing in court Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke said White met the 12-year-old victim online, traveled to Michigan to have sex with her and then returned with her to Missouri, where he produced recordings of her and shared them with other underage girls. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The production of child pornography charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and maximum of 30 years in prison. The travel with intent charge carries a term of up to 30 years in prison. The Detroit Police Department, the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Two men sentenced to prison for California-to-Virginia fentanyl network

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to mail fentanyl and other drugs from California to Virginia for distribution. According to court documents, Devin Joseph Stukes-McFarland, 27, of Virginia Beach, distributed fentanyl using an online service and marketing his fentanyl as legitimate Percocet. From Sept. 21, 2021, to March 27, 2023, Stukes-McFarland received approximately 70 USPS parcels, 15 of which contained fentanyl pills, Xanax pills, and ketamine, from Brian Malik Williams, 27, of Modesto, California. Williams, who used the alias “Matty Ruger” received payments from Stukes-McFarland through Cash App, Apple Pay, and other methods. On Feb. 2, 2023, Williams sent a parcel to Stukes-McFarland’s former address. On February 9, 2023, the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a controlled purchased of approximately 600 Fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 65 grams from Stukes-McFarland at his then-current address. On Feb. 27, 2023, Williams mailed another parcel from Sacramento to Stukes-McFarland. On March 2, 2023, VBPD and the DEA conducted another controlled purchase of approximately 400 Fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 46 grams, from Stukes-McFarland at his then-current address. On March 21, 2023, Williams mailed another parcel from Sacramento to Stukes-McFarland. On March 24, 2023, an undercover U.S. Postal Inspector delivered the parcel to Stukes-McFarland’s residence. Immediately after the parcel was taken into the residence, DEA, VBPD, and USPS executed a search warrant on the residence, and Stukes-McFarland was arrested. During the search, investigators recovered the parcel, which contained 4,260 fentanyl pills, weighing 466 grams, as well as 1,279 Xanax pills and other controlled substances. Stukes-McFarland pled guilty on Nov. 15, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On July 11 Williams was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Williams pled guilty on March 12 to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and aiding and abetting in the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Williams was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Williams was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-2 (Williams) and 2:23-cr-73 (Stukes-McFarland).


title: California Man Sentenced to 15 Years and 8 Months in Prison for Defrauding Central Illinois Investors

component: Department of Justice

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – Brett Michael Bartlett, 37, of Fountain Valley, California, was sentenced on November 25, 2024, to 188 months in prison for wire fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. Bartlett was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment and to pay $22,502,092.66 in restitution to his victims. During his previous plea of guilty, Bartlett admitted that, using his California-based companies, Dynasty Toys, and 7M E-group, he devised a scheme to defraud investors and obtain their money by making materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Bartlett, through Dynasty Toys and 7M E-group, purchased items at liquidation sales and resold those items online, especially through Amazon. Bartlett solicited and accepted money from Central Illinois investors, first to purchase inventory to be resold by 7M E-group at promised annual returns of 20% to 40% and later to purchase Dynasty Toys’ preferred stock shares, which Bartlett claimed were expected to double in value. Bartlett admitted that he induced investors to invest by dramatically overstating the success of the companies and the returns that the companies generated for investors, lying about the companies’ assets, failing to disclose the companies’ struggles even while continuing to solicit investments, and using investors’ funds for Bartlett’s own benefit. For example, Bartlett falsely told investors their existing shares were worth approximately $30 million in total, that Dynasty Toys owned hundreds of millions of dollars of gold assets, and that another company was going to purchase Dynasty Toys for $120 million. As a result, over 1,000 individuals, including over 50 investors from Central Illinois, invested over $22.5 million with Bartlett, 7M E-group, and Dynasty Toys. Bartlett further admitted that in May 2020, he mailed to Central Illinois investors checks totaling millions of dollars, but the checks bounced. Nonetheless, after that, Bartlett transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal bank account and took his family members and employees to a luxury business retreat at Big Bear Lake in California. The Court found that investors lost approximately $22.5 million as a result of Bartlett’s fraud. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecution presented evidence that numerous victims experienced substantial financial hardship as a result of Bartlett’s fraud scheme, in some cases losing their entire retirement savings. Many of the victims were devastated not only by the financial loss, but also the sense of betrayal because they had trusted Bartlett, who had repeatedly told the investors that they were his “family” and that he shared their faith in God. The prosecution told the sentencing judge that many of the victims felt guilty because they had encouraged other family members, friends, and church associates to invest with Bartlett based on his false representations. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that a sentencing enhancement was appropriate because Bartlett’s scheme involved sophisticated means, including offering to convert investor’s shares to “gold contracts” that turned out to be worthless. Judge Bruce also ordered the criminal forfeiture of a property held in Tennessee in the name of one of Bartlett’s corporations. Bartlett faced a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each fraud charge and a penalty of up to ten years in prison on the money laundering charge. Bartlett also faced a penalty of up to three years of supervised release on each charge. Although the charges also carried maximum fines of up to $6.25 million, the prosecution did not request a fine so that any money recovered from Bartlett would to go to restitution for his victims. “The defendant’s reprehensible conduct had life-changing and devastating repercussions for his victims in Central Illinois and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Our office is dedicated to pursuing those who deal in fraudulent investments. We are grateful to our federal law enforcement partners’ critical work in accomplishing that mission.” “Brett Bartlett’s greed left a trail of victims in the path of his fraudulent schemes,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson.” And while the victims lives and financial futures were sadly changed forever, this significant sentence brings justice and underscores the investigative efforts of FBI Springfield and the FDIC–Office of Inspector General.” “It is fitting that Mr. Bartlett was brought to justice for having engaged in a massive fraud that brought financial ruin to more than 1,000 unsuspecting and trusting investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Region. “His prison sentence and the restitution ordered is just punishment for luring investors with false representations and promises; betraying their trust; and selfishly using more than $22 million of their hard-earned funds for his personal benefit and to support his scheme. Adding insult to injury—he mailed some of them millions of dollars in checks that bounced. The FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring a halt to such schemes that harm innocent consumers and undermine the integrity of our Nation’s banks.” The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Self-Proclaimed “Neighborhood Pharmacist” Found Guilty in Drug Trafficking Case

body_text: WASHINGTON – Kenneth Josiah Hampton, 26, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court for his role in a multi-year drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division. On November 26, 2024, after a six-day jury trial, Hampton was found guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2025. The ATF identified Hampton, also known by his rap alias “Carti Ears,” as an opioid and marijuana dealer operating in the District of Columbia. On October 31, 2022, ATF agents executed a search warrant at Hampton’s residence, which he shared with co-conspirator Myles Allen, and recovered three firearms, numerous prescription oxycodone pills, fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, promethazine, several pounds of marijuana, and several thousand dollars in cash. Evidence presented over the course of the trial established that Hampton was a prolific drug trafficker who utilized social media to conduct his business. Both Hampton and Allen also posted numerous pictures of themselves together with large quantities of cash, firearms, and bulk marijuana. Hampton referred to himself as “The Neighborhood Pharmacist,” posting frequent advertisements about the opioids he possessed for sale. On August 31, 2023, Myles Allen pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced, on December 20, 2023, to five years in prison. Hampton faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it and conspiracy thereof. Hampton also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, with a statutory maximum of life imprisonment, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. This case was investigated by ATF’s Washington Field Division with assistance from the DEA’s Washington Division, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Solomon S. Eppel of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Ramsey County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearm and Carjacking

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Ramsey County man has pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on June 30, 2022, Ricardo Rydell Walker, Jr., 21, took a black 2021 Toyota Highlander by force and with threat of violence and bodily harm. Walker and others approached Victim A as they were walking from the vehicle to their apartment building, and tripped Victim A as they tried to escape. Walker then hit Victim A on the left side of the head with a handgun. Six days later, on July 6, 2022, Walker was arrested in Maplewood, MN, in a stolen car, while in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm. Walker pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of carjacking. He also admitted to aiding and abetting the 2021 carjackings of a black 2019 Volkswagen Atlas and a gray 2015 Mazda 3, and the carjacking of a gray Nissan Rogue on June 24, 2024. In each case, Walker and others used the threat of violence and intimidated the victims with firearms. Walker also pled guilty to one count of receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a felony. He was arraigned today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Mary Riverso are prosecuting the case.


title: West Tennessee Tax Preparers Indicted for Schemes to Defraud Government of Over $65 Million in COVID-19 Relief

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee recently returned a 53-count indictment charging two North Mississippi women with multiple schemes defrauding the government of COVID-19 relief funds. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the indictment today. Renata Walton , 44 , and Nicole Jones , also known as Nicole Dickerson, 36 , both of Olive Branch, Mississippi, are alleged to have falsified numbers provided to the IRS on personal and business tax returns from 2020 through 2024. Walton owns and operates R&B Tax Express in Moscow, Tennessee, where she and Jones prepared tax returns. On behalf of their clients, the two women would file for COVID-19 related tax credits (namely the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit) to which their clients were not entitled. When the fraudulent tax returns were processed by the IRS, the clients received six-figure tax refunds. After the funds were obtained, the clients paid Walton and Jones large fees that the two women laundered through local banks. For tax period 2022, Walton and Jones reportedly failed to file tax returns themselves. Walton is separately charged with submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications to the Small Business Administration. In total, Walton and Jones filed fraudulent claims seeking over $65 million dollars. The indictment alleges one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 30 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, seven counts of preparing false tax returns, two counts of failing to file taxes, and one count of obstruction of justice. If convicted of these offenses, Walton and Jones face a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 10 years for each count of money laundering, 3 years for each count of preparing false tax returns, and 1 year for each count of failing to file a tax return. Walton faces 20 years for the sole obstruction of justice count. Both women have been released on a $100,000 bond. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney William Carey Bateman III for the Western District of Tennessee is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: New London Behavioral Health Provider Agrees to Make Changes to Welcome Service Animals in ADA Settlement

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Sound Community Services, Inc. (“Sound Community”), a behavioral health provider located in New London, to resolve allegations that the company was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”). The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint filed by an individual with a disability alleging that Sound Community made the person feel unwelcome because of their service animal, including by requesting a license and vaccination record for their service animal and refusing to arrange transportation on one occasion because of their service animal. As a result of the settlement agreement, Sound Community has agreed to post signage indicating “Service Animals Welcome,” implement a Service Animal Policy that is consistent with the ADA, and provide training for staff. Sound Community must also make compensation payment to the complainant if the complainant signs a release. Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including private health care facilities, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. As part of that obligation, public accommodations cannot discriminate against individuals with disabilities who have service animals and must make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices, and procedures to ensure equal access for those individuals. More information about the ADA and service animals can be found at https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ . U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the owners of Sound Community have worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to promptly address the ADA issues without litigation. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-696-3000. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.


title: Ames Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Fourteen Victims

body_text: Des Moines – IA An Ames man pleaded guilty yesterday to fifteen counts of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Carl Dale Markley, a former licensed nurse practitioner and Ames business owner, admitted to using fraud and coercion to cause fourteen victims to engage in commercial sex acts. From 2004 to 2023, Markley lied to dozens of young men to convince them to allow Markley to perform sex acts on them and observe the young men engage in sex acts. Markley’s lies included telling the young men he needed to perform sex acts on them or observe them engaging in sex acts in order to obtain medical or massage certifications, complete classwork, conduct third-party research, and for product development. Markley paid the young men for the sex acts, falsely claiming he had received grants or funding from a third party. According to the plea agreement, Markley deceived dozens of young men by fabricating consent forms and contracts requiring victims to participate in a certain number and type of paid sex acts, acting as if he was recording data or information during so-called “research sessions”, and falsely claiming to be submitting data to legitimate research companies or institutions. Markley lied to dozens of young men that he was working with, and at the direction of, these research companies and institutions. Markley appealed to the benevolence of the young men, telling them that the research was helping others. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Markley sometimes used hidden cameras to capture videos and images depicting young men or minor male children naked. Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2025, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose. For each of the 15 sex trafficking counts, Markley faces a fifteen-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life imprisonment. The Ames Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa is prosecuting the case. Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances. Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.


title: New York Business Owner Convicted of Illegal Transport and Sale of Unregistered Pesticides

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – A New York business owner has been found guilty of recklessly transporting a dangerous probable carcinogen without proper documentation and knowingly selling an unregistered pesticide in Maryland. The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID). Idrissa Bagayoko, 58, owner and operator of Maliba Trading LLC, was found guilty by a Baltimore jury in federal court of two counts related to his transporting and sale of the unregistered pesticide known as Sniper DDVP. Charges were brought against Bagayoko under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act. FIFRA provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use to ensure that pesticides sold in the United States are safe, effective, and bear labelling containing true and accurate information. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has responsibility under FIFRA to regulate the distribution and sale of all pesticides shipped or received in interstate commerce. All pesticides must be registered with the EPA before the pesticide can be sold or distributed, and no person may distribute or sell a pesticide that has not been registered with the EPA. The Hazardous Material Transportation Act provides for federal regulation of hazardous substances transported in interstate commerce. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has responsibility under the Hazardous Material Transportation Act to ensure private motor carriers maintain shipping papers with critical information about the relevant hazardous substance to safeguard police and first responders in the event of an accident or exposure. According to evidence presented at trial, on September 29, 2021, Bagayoko drove from New York to Maryland and sold two boxes of the unregistered pesticide Sniper DDVP to an individual in Maryland. Police later stopped Bagayoko in Elkton, Maryland, with 18 additional boxes of Sniper DDVP. The government’s investigation revealed that the defendant procured a total of 1,728 bottles of Sniper DDVP and drove from New York to Maryland to sell the unregistered pesticide. Laboratory testing of samples taken from the bottles revealed each bottle contained the chemical dichlorvos, which has been classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen. The defendant transported over 330 pounds of dichlorvos, without requisite shipping papers, which alert first responders that they are dealing with a probable carcinogen, in the event of an accident. The illegal sale of an unregistered pesticide carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of one year and a fine of up to $25,000. The illegal transport of dichlorvos without required shipping papers carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kertisha Dixon and David Lastra, who prosecuted the case. Mr. Barron also thanked Special Agent Christopher Michael with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, Special Agent Charles Bradford with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and the Elkton Maryland Police Department, for investigating the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . ###


title: Mother-Son Duo Plead Guilty in Connection with Hialeah Armed Jewelry Heist

body_text: MIAMI – Julian Flores, 25, and his mother, Lourdes Diaz, 56, of Naples, Fla., each pled guilty to charges stemming from a brazen armed robbery of $750,000 worth of gold jewelry from a business owner in Hialeah, Fla. On Sept. 16, 2023, the victim-business owner began to load a suitcase of jewelry into a vehicle in a commercial parking lot in Hialeah when Diaz backed up a white SUV rental from a nearby parking spot, and Flores hopped out of the back seat, garbed in black clothing and a ski mask. While brandishing a revolver in his gloved hand, Flores rushed at the victim, grabbed the suitcase full of jewelry and attempted to rip it away from the victim. When the victim held onto the suitcase, Flores struck the victim’s body multiple times with revolver. The victim continued to grasp the suitcase and yell out for help, at which point Flores fired off a shot from the revolver towards the ground, gained control of the suitcase, and hopped back into the white SUV rental. Diaz drove herself and Flores away from the scene. On Oct. 2, 2023, law enforcement located Flores and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, Flores was wearing gold jewelry from the victim’s collection. After Flores was arrested, Diaz concealed a black safe containing the victim’s jewelry inside the residence of one of Flores’s close associates. On Oct. 3, 2023, law enforcement arrested Diaz near that residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered the black safe which contained the remainder of the gold jewelry stolen from the victim. On Nov. 22, 2024, U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian accepted Diaz’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. On Nov. 26, 2024, Flores entered his guilty plea as to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. Each defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment up to life. Judge Damian will sentence each defendant after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled in this matter. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Chief George Fuente of the Hialeah Police Department announced the guilty pleas. ATF and the Hialeah Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr- 20472. ###


title: Attorney Stephen L. Snyder Found Guilty of Attempted Extortion

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – On Friday, November 22, 2024, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen L. Snyder of Baltimore, Maryland guilty of one count of Attempted Extortion and seven counts of the Travel Act. The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. The evidence at trial showed that Snyder, a plaintiffs medical malpractice attorney in the Baltimore area, represented two medical malpractice claimants who allegedly experienced injury following organ transplants at the University of Maryland Medical Center (“UMMC”). One of those claimants received a kidney transplant. From in or around January 2018 through September 2018, Snyder attempted to extort the University of Maryland Medical System (“UMMS”) by threatening to “destroy” the UMMC transplant department unless UMMS paid him $25 million personally, and separate from any settlement with his client. Specifically, Snyder threatened a public relations campaign that would falsely accuse UMMC of tricking unsophisticated patients into accepting diseased organs. Snyder claimed that he would run a front-page ad in the Baltimore Sun, hold a press conference, and create an internet advertisement that would direct anyone searching for the UMMC transplant program to his law firm’s website. Snyder also threatened to release commercials that he created that conveyed his false message and accused UMMC of putting “profits over safety.” Snyder played these commercials during meetings with attorneys representing UMMS. Snyder claimed that the parties could enter into a sham consulting agreement that would provide cover for the $25 million payment. Snyder made his extortionate demands and threats over a series of meetings and phone calls with attorneys for UMMS in 2018. One of those meetings, which occurred on August 23, 2018, was recorded by Federal law enforcement using hidden video cameras. Snyder faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of incarceration for the Hobbs Act violation and up to 5 years of incarceration on each Travel Act violation. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for February 25, 2025 at 10:00 am. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Evelyn L. Cusson, who prosecuted the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: King County man charged for possession of destructive device that shut down Interstate 90 at Mercer Island

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – a 42-year-old King County resident appeared in federal court yesterday, charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of a destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sokphana Soeung was arrested October 12, 2024, following a slow speed chase and confrontation with law enforcement. Soeung remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac pending additional hearings. According to the criminal complaint, Bellevue Police responded to Enatai Beach Park around noon on October 12, 2024, because of reports of two men sleeping in a car with the motor running. When contacted by police, Soeung drove away, running over spike strips that punctured all four tires on the car. Law enforcement followed and Washington State Patrol (WSP) joined the slow speed chase when the car pulled onto Interstate 90 in the westbound direction. While on Mercer Island, a WSP trooper executed a maneuver to stop the car. At that point, Soeung jumped from the car holding a black ball device in one hand and a lighter in the other. Ultimately, police tackled Soeung, and he dropped the ball shaped item and the lighter. An investigation revealed that the ball shaped item was a tennis ball filled with explosive powder with a fuse. In the car law enforcement found a second explosive device made with sparklers taped together. The investigation shut down I-90 for a lengthy period while the bomb squad determined there was no danger to the public or the I-90 bridge. The second person in the car had jumped out ahead of Soeung and was detained and questioned and claimed to have no knowledge of the explosives. Soeung has been in state custody since his arrest. Unlawful possession of a destructive device is punishable by up to ten years in prison. The case is being investigated by the Bellevue Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Y. Gregson.


title: Rochester business leader pleads guilty to misusing federal grant funding

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Arkady Malakhov, 52, New York, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conversion/unlawful conveying of government money, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, and a fine of $100,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in 2006, Malakhov became Chief Executive Officer of Solid Cell, Inc., a small business in Rochester, NY. In December 2016, Malakhov submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for a project entitled, “SBIR Phase I: Integrated Thermoelectric Heat Exchanger (iTEG-HX) for Carbon Neutral Electricity Production through Recovery of Cold Energy from Regasification of LNG.” In July 2017, NSF awarded Solid Cell, Inc., a $225,000 SBIR grant to support the project. That same month, Malakhov requested a payment of $100,000 of the grant funding. NSF transferred the funding to Solid Cell, Inc.’s bank account, which Malakhov controlled. Malakhov converted a portion of the NSF grant funds to his own use and, knowing that he did not have the authority to do so, conveyed this NSF money to other parties for purposes unrelated to the project. Later that month, Malakhov requested and obtained another $100,000 of the project’s grant funding, which was also deposited into a bank account he controlled. Once again, Malakhov converted a portion of this money to his own use and to other parties for purposes unrelated to the Project. The plea is the result of an investigation by the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Allison Lerner, and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2024. Mason Neck, age 35, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Neck was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024. Neck was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in 2019. As a consequence of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of relocation or changing employment. In September 2023, Neck began a period of supervised release residing in Rapid City and appropriately registered as a sex offender. In April 2024, Neck moved from his registered address, but did not thereafter update his registration. He was arrested in Rapid City on May 8, 2024. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Neck was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.