title: Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

body_text: WASHINGTON - Franklin Olaitan, 50, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in federal court, late yesterday, to one count of wire fraud related to the theft of a residence located in Northwest Washington D.C. As part of the guilty plea, the defendant admitted he caused the filing of a false deed transferring the property, which he immediately resold to a third-party, pocketing the sale proceeds. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the defendant caused over a half-million dollars in loss to the various victims. The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in early 2024 before U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman. According to the Statement of the Offense, the property located on First Street N.W. (the “First Street property”), was purchased by Person 1 in 1996. Between about September 2016 through March 2017, while the First Street property was vacant, the defendant forged the signatures of Person 1 and a notary on several documents - including a false sales contract and a false deed - in order to sell the First Street property to a company owned and controlled by him, without Person 1’s knowledge or consent. The defendant executed his scheme to defraud by preparing and presenting to a lender and Maryland settlement company the false and fraudulent documents. Neither the owner of the First Street property nor the notary signed the documents selling the property to the defendant’s company. The defendant provided the false documents to a Maryland settlement company and caused the settlement company to file the false documents with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds. In addition, the defendant caused the settlement company to give him the purported seller’s proceeds check from the purported sale, which he later deposited into another one of his LLC’s bank accounts. After allegedly purchasing the property, the defendant immediately resold the property to a third-party who intended to renovate it. After the third-party buyer spent at least $600,000 renovating the First Street property, they listed it for sale. The true owner of the property then learned that the property had been stolen out from under them. In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lisa Abbe and Liliana Villamizar, Victim-Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derrick Williams and Veronica Sanchez, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Christopher Howland, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: District Man Charged with Murdering a  57-year-old Tree Trimmer

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamari Payne, 21, of Washington, D.C., was presented in Superior Court today on the charge of second-degree murder while armed, stemming from the homicide of 57-year-old Bacilio Villatoro, on September 22, 2022, in the Gateway neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced. Mr. Payne was arraigned before Judge Shelly Mulkey in D.C. Superior Court, today, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The defendant is accused of firing multiple shots striking the victim in the back. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendant committed second degree murder while armed. The court held the defendant without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 31, 2023, before Judge Maribeth Raffinan. An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: District Man Arrested for Multiple Stranger Sexual Assaults

body_text: Defendant Accused of Sexually Assaulting Multiple Victims in Golden Triangle WASHINGTON – Christopher Sharp, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested on sexual assault charges against three different victims. Sharp is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with assault with intent to commit first degree sexual abuse; kidnapping; and misdemeanor sexual abuse. He made an initial appearance in the District of Columbia on August 16, 2023. The Honorable Shelly A. Mulkey has ordered that Sharp be detained pending a preliminary hearing on August 22, 2023. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced. According to court documents, on August 15, 2023, at approximately 9:40am, Sharp left the George Washington University Hospital. Upon the leaving the building, he encountered an individual standing near the exit. Sharp is accused of smacking the individual’s buttock. Sharp then walked away in the direction of Washington Circle. Around five minutes later, at approximately 9:50am, Sharp encountered an individual walking in the 2100 block of K Street, Northwest. As Sharp and the individual passed each other, Sharp is accused of grabbing the individual’s buttock. Around five minutes later, at approximately 9:55am, Sharp encountered an individual near the intersection of 19th Street, Northwest and Eye Street, Northwest. Sharp is accused of approaching the individual from behind, touching the individual’s vagina, and lifting the individual into the air. Sharp then walked several feet forward before sitting down on the pavement, still carrying the individual. Once on the ground, Sharp is accused of pinning the individual to the ground, pulling up her dress, and attempting to sexually assault the individual. The assault ended when bystanders intervened, causing the defendant to release the individual. At the time of the alleged offenses, Sharp was on release in a pending case in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in which he was charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse against three additional victims. A complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Former D.C. Government Employee Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Stealing From Project Empowerment Program

body_text: Defendant Previously Served Prison Sentence for Different Theft Scheme WASHINGTON – Rhayda Barnes Thomas, 52, of Washington, D.C., a former employee of the D.C. Department of Employment Services’ Project Empowerment Program, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for stealing more than $350,000 from the Project Empowerment Program between May 2015 and April 2018. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. On May 17, 2023, Barnes Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered restitution in the amount of $356,110.64, three years of supervised release, 360 hours of community service, and ordered Thomas be liable for a forfeiture money judgment totaling $318,415. The D.C. government’s Project Empowerment Program provides employment services to D.C. residents who have multiple barriers to employment, such as a history of substance abuse, a history of job cycling (not maintaining steady employment), and either a felony conviction or previous incarceration. One phase of the program consists of subsidized employment, which involves the D.C. government paying the wages of participants while they work at worksites. During this phase, worksites were responsible for entering participants’ work hours into an electronic system used by Project Empowerment. In turn, the D.C. government would then have payments corresponding with those hours issued to accounts associated with participants, usually in the form of pre-paid bank debit cards. In 2011, Barnes Thomas pleaded guilty, in federal court in the District of Maryland, to theft involving a federal government program in connection with a scheme to use federal funds received by her school employer to buy technology for herself, her family, and friends. She was sentenced to 27 months in prison for that offense. In August 2013, following her release from prison, Barnes Thomas participated in the Project Empowerment Program. She ultimately was hired by the program as a Program Support Assistant in February 2014. From May 2015 through April 2018, she stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the program by reviving 16 former Project Empowerment participants’ profiles and modifying entries in a database to falsely show them as working for a non-profit organization, which was not true. She also used the name of a former employee from the non‑profit organization to enter and approve time in the database showing individuals as working when they were not. In addition, she ordered or caused to be ordered replacement and new prepaid debit cards on behalf of the former Project Empowerment participants whose profiles she fraudulently revived. As a result of her conduct, she caused the D.C. government to request that Wells Fargo Bank load funds onto those prepaid debit cards, which she controlled. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, and Inspector in Charge Wood commended the work of those who investigated the case from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Criminal Investigations Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the efforts of individuals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and David Gorman, Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, and Amanda Rohde, and former Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Aisha Keys.


title: Mexican National Illegally Residing in Lexington Sentenced to 372 Months for Role in Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Mexican national, illegally residing in Lexington, Luis Lara-Garcia, 25, was sentenced on Tuesday to 372 months in federal prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms of cocaine, one count of distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possession of firearm by an alien, one count of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, and one count of illegal re-entry into the United States. According to his plea agreement, Lara-Garcia admitted to knowingly and voluntarily participating in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in the Eastern District of Kentucky. After the controlled substances were distributed, Lara-Garcia and other conspirators would collect the proceeds of the drug sales, count and package the money, and then conduct financial transactions with the money, by delivering the packages to couriers for the larger drug trafficking organization. Lara-Garcia also admitted that he is an alien, a native and citizen of Mexico, and has no legal status in the United States. During the investigation, DEA agents seized 7 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of cocaine, 6 firearms and approximately $650,000 in cash drug proceeds. In all, eleven defendants were charged in the drug or money laundering conspiracies. Seven pled guilty, including Demarkus Nemetz, who was sentenced, in July 2023, to 294 months in prison. Humberto Saucedo-Salgado, of Lexington, was sentenced to 97 months and Eduardo Hernandez Alfaro, also of Lexington, was sentenced to 78 months. Three defendants proceeded to trial, in April 2023, and were found guilty of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds and promotional money laundering. Tawsif Mohamed Tajwar was sentenced, in July 2023, to 90 months in prison. Two remaining defendants, who were convicted at trial, are pending sentencing. Under federal law, Lara-Garcia must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Lara-Garcia was also ordered to pay a money judgement of $400,000 and to forfeit approximately $650,000 and four firearms. Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. -END-


title: 22-Year-Old Man Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Victim

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kason Cline, 22, of Walthill, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 15, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for one count of sexual abuse of an incapable victim. Cline was sentenced to 54 months in prison and will serve 5 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was initiated in July of 2022 by the Omaha Nation Law Enforcement Services after receiving a call from Twelve Clans Unity Hospital in Winnebago, Nebraska regarding a patient who wished to report a sexual assault. The Omaha Nation Tribal Police responded and spoke with the victim who relayed she had been drinking with Cline on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation, when she passed out and fell asleep in Cline’s bed. When she woke up, Cline was sexually assaulting her. Because the victim was asleep at the time the sexual act occurred, she was unable to consent or decline participation in the conduct. A search warrant was executed at Cline’s residence to recover evidentiary items related to the assault. Cline was interviewed and ultimately admitted to the sexual assault. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Dwayne Jones, 34, of Macomb, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 15, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jones on Interstate 77 near Ripley. Officers searched the vehicle and found one bottle of pills in the glove compartment and a second bottle of pills in the trunk. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the nearly 1,000 pills found inside the two bottles contained a total of approximately 106 grams of fentanyl. The pills were mislabeled as Percocet rather than fentanyl. Jones admitted that he possessed the pills, knew they contained a controlled substance, and planned to distribute them. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-137. ###


title: Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter And Federal Firearm Crime

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kiah John Pritchett, age 38, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pritchett was charged with unlawfully killing the victim without malice on July 4, 2021, and with unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. The crimes occurred in Cherokee, County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, took the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pritchett was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Patrick Flanigan represented the United States.


title: Erwin Man Sentenced To 262 Months Imprisonment For Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 14, 2023, Joshua Dwayne Mabery, 47, of Erwin, Tennessee, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following a three-day trial, ending on March 30, 2023, Mabery was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C.§§ 846 and 841(a)(1); and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C.§ 841(a)(1). Upon his release from prison, Mabery will be on supervised release for 10 years. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Mabery, who had recently been released from prison related to a federal conviction in 2012 for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, began distributing methamphetamine in the fall of 2020 in northeast Tennessee. In February 2021, he and a co-conspirator were arrested in Washington County, Tennessee, as they returned from Knoxville with over a half-kilogram of crystal methamphetamine they had just purchased from another co-conspirator. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson City Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys J. Gregory Bowman and B. Todd Martin represented the United States. This case was a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. ###


title: Common Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes During Times of Disaster and Emergency

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – As the devastation of our communities on Maui and Hawaii Island continues to unfold, local and national organizations have created ways for volunteers to assist as well as to provide donations of food, money and other resources. While such efforts provide critical aid, we know that during periods of tremendous need like this, criminals do not hesitate to take advantage of the challenging times to commit fraud and other crimes. For instance, we frequently have seen bad actors do the following during emergencies: Use fake charities to solicit donations by either falsely using the names of well-known charities or reasonably presenting as charities that can assist in a disaster; Impersonate government officials promising disaster assistance if victims provide money or personal information to the impersonator, including information like dates of birth, social security numbers, and bank account information; Impersonate insurance provider representatives requesting money and personal information; Solicit victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery services such as cleanup, rebuild options, and products to make homes more resistant to future disasters such as wildfires; Moreover, victims are frequently further victimized by property theft of businesses and residences abandoned during the disaster. To avoid becoming a victim of these types of crimes, here are a few suggestions: Only make donations to known charities. Research the charity by visiting recognized charity information/rating websites such as the www.Give.org , CharityNavigator.org , and CharityWatch.org ; Do not make a donation in response to an e-mail, instant message, phone call, text, etc. Contact the charity directly through its website or public telephone number; Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages, because they may contain computer viruses; Never assume that charity solicitations posted on the internet and social media are legitimate; Avoid cash donations to charities - use a credit card or pay with a check; Never transmit donations to a named individual; Avoid being victimized by impersonators of government officials, insurance companies, investment companies, and other such actors by terminating phone call solicitations or other efforts to engage (e.g., email, texts). Instead, directly call the government agency, insurance company, and/or investment company using a well-advertised/posted phone number and/or e-mail address. Individuals who have been targeted by fraudsters or been the victim of disaster-related fraud are encouraged to contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . The NCDF is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies that serves as a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.


title: Jury convicts Columbus man of committing six robberies

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a Columbus man for committing six robberies in Columbus in September and October 2020. Ronald Lee Jacobs, 46, was convicted of six counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict was announced Monday afternoon following a trial that began on Aug. 7 before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. According to court documents and trial testimony, Jacobs committed 6 robberies, including: Hampton Inn on South Hamilton Road on Sept. 5, 2020, Wing Snob on North High Street on Sept. 12, 2020, United Dairy Farmers on North High Street on Sept. 24, 2020, Shell Gas Station on South Hamilton Road on Sept. 30, 2020, Wing Snob on North High Street on Oct. 8, 2020, and Walgreens on East Livingston Avenue on Oct. 12, 2020. During the robberies, Jacobs typically wore either an inside-out gray sweatshirt or a dark sweatshirt, dark pants and used a blue bandana. Jacobs was employed at a glue factory and, during multiple robberies, had visible glue splatters on his clothing. He called off work for one robbery and left during his shift to commit another one of the robberies. In jail calls, Jacobs discussed the firearms he used and said he committed the robberies because he was “broke” and needed to pay child support. Jacobs was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in November 2020. In March 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jacobs and that indictment was superseded in September 2021. Jacobs’ six robbery counts carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by at least seven years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: LUZERNE COUNTY TAX PREPARER PLEADS GUILTY TO AIDING & ASSISTING IN THE FILING OF FALSE TAX RETURNS CLAIMING OVER EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF FALSE EDUCATION CREDITS

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Leidi M. Paulino, age 46, owner of LP Multiservices, a tax preparation business located in Freeland, PA, pleaded guilty on Monday, August 14, 2023, before United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, to aiding and assisting clients in the preparation and filing of false tax returns. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the criminal Information to which Paulino pleaded guilty alleges that during 2019 and 2020, Paulino assisted clients in preparing and filing tax returns that were materially false in that they sought certain education tax credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit, to which the clients – the vast majority of whom were not even college students – were not entitled. Pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement with the United States, Paulino acknowledged that the monetary loss attributable to her conduct was between $550,000 and $1.5 million dollars, and she agreed to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $888,377. These charges stem from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 27 Months for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Kenji Ingram, 45, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May 2023, Ingram pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. In August 2020, Ingram was found in possession of a Charter Arms Bulldog Pug .44 special caliber revolver and five rounds of ammunition as he sat on a bench in the South Bay shopping mall area. At the time, Ingram was on probation in connection with a state felony assault conviction, as well as on pretrial release and electronic monitoring in connection with state drug and firearm charges. Due to his prior felony convictions, Ingram is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Kunal Pasricha of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Owner of Home Health Care Company to Plead Guilty to Tax Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Certified Nurse Assistant who owns and operates a home health care company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to underreporting his income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Patrick S. Kityo, 43, of Newtonville, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of aiding the preparation of a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging documents, Kityo owned and operated a home health care company named Every Step Home Care Inc. (Every Step). It is alleged that, during the years 2016 and 2017, Every Step’s total gross receipts were at least $2 million. Kityo, however, allegedly failed to report all of Every Step’s gross receipts to his tax preparer. Instead, it is alleged that Kityo only reported those gross receipts that Kityo deposited into Every Step’s business bank account and did not report those he received via checks written to Kityo personally. As a result, Kityo allegedly caused his tax preparer to underreport nearly $2 million in gross receipts and Kityo allegedly failed to pay at least $306,603 in personal income taxes. The charge of aiding the preparation of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: تصدر وزارة العدل خطة الوصول إلى اللغة لتوسيع نطاق الوصول إلى موارد وبرامج الوزارة

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: أصدرت وزارة العدل اليوم خطة محدثة للوصول إلى اللغة على صعيد الوزارة للمساعدة في ضمان وصول جميع الأفراد، بغض النظر عن اللغة المستخدمة، إلى برامج وأنشطة وخدمات الوزارة وأن يكونوا قادرين على المشاركة فيها بشكل كامل. توفر خطة الوصول إلى اللغة إرشادات لمكاتب الوزارة لمساعدتهم على تعزيز تخطيط الوصول إلى اللغة، والذي يتضمن فهم احتياجات المجتمعات ذات الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية وتحسين خدمات الترجمة والترجمة الشفوية الفورية وتعزيز ضمان جودة تلك الخدمات وتوسيع نطاق الأدوات المتاحة لخدمة الجمهور. قال وزير العدل ميريك بي. جارلاند: "يجب ألا تقف حواجز اللغة في طريق الوصول إلى الخدمات الحكومية". "تعد خطة الوصول إلى اللغة المحدثة هذه خطوة مهمة نحو ضمان تمكّن الجميع من الإبلاغ عن الجرائم والوصول إلى الموارد المهمة وطلب المساعدة من وزارة العدل عندما يحتاجون إليها." قالت نائبة وزير العدل ليزا أو موناكو: "يعزز الوصول الواسع للغة مهمة وزارة العدل في المزيد من دعم سيادة القانون والحفاظ على أمن بلدنا وحماية الحقوق المدنية. أنا فخورة بالعمل الذي تقوم به الوزارة لتحديث وتبسيط وتحسين مواردنا وسياساتنا اللغوية لخدمة جميع الأمريكيين بشكل أفضل، بما في ذلك الأفراد الذين يواجهون حواجز لغوية." قالت المساعدة المشاركة لوزير العدل فانيتا جوبتا: "يستحق كل شخص في هذا البلد وصولا فعالا إلى الخدمات والبرامج الحكومية. تعكس هذه السياسات المحدثة التزام وزارة العدل بإزالة الحواجز اللغوية التي تمنع العديد من المجتمعات من فهم حقوقها أو الإبلاغ عن الجرائم أو الوصول الكامل والمتساوي إلى موارد الوزارة." تم إصدار خطة الوصول إلى اللغة المحدثة وفقا لإصدار وزير العدل جارلاند في نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني 2022 لمذكرة لرؤساء الوكالات الفيدرالية ورؤساء مكاتب الحقوق المدنية والمستشارين العامين فيما يتعلق بتعزيز التزام الحكومة الفيدرالية للوصول إلى اللغة ، والتي وجهت قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل للعمل مع الوكالات الفيدرالية لتحسين الجهود لضمان وصول هادف للّغة ومراجعة وتحديث خطط وسياسات الوصول إلى اللغة وفقا لذلك. كما أنه يصادف الذكرى السنوية الثالثة والعشرين للأمر التنفيذي رقم 13166، تحسين الوصول إلى الخدمات للأشخاص ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (16 أغسطس/آب 2000) ، الأمر الذي يلزم الوكالات الفيدرالية تطوير وتنفيذ أنظمة تمكن الأشخاص ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية من الوصول إلى خدماتهم بشكل هادف. قاد مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة عملية تطوير الخطة المحدثة للإدارة بالعمل مع الفريق العامل المعني بإتاحة اللغات ومع شعبة الحقوق المدنية التابعين للوزارة. هذا العمل هو جزء من مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة ويمثل القيادة الأوسع لمجموعة العمل لجهود الوزارة لتوسيع موارد الوصول إلى اللغة وتحسين الوعي بقضايا الوصول إلى اللغة وتوفير التدريب والمساعدة الفنية للمكاتب الأخرى داخل وزارة العدل وعبر الحكومة الفيدرالية. قالت راشيل روسي، مديرة مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة: "الوصول إلى العدالة يعني الوصول إلى اللغة. من خلال السياسات المحدثة في خطة الوصول إلى اللغة هذه، نجدد الالتزام بتوسيع نطاق الوصول إلى اللغة كمكون مركزي لجميع برامج وأنشطة الوزارة." كذلك، قدم قسم الحقوق المدنية، وفقا لمذكرة وزير العدل جارلاند ومسؤولية القسم بضمان الامتثال المنتظم والمنسق على مستوى الحكومة التزاما للأمر التنفيذي 13166 والباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964، مساعدة فنية متعمقة، كما شارك قسم الحدود المدنية مع جهات خارجية من أصحاب المصلحة لمساعدة الوزارة والوكالات الفيدرالية الأخرى في تحديث ومراجعة خطط الوصول إلى اللغة الخاصة بهم. جمع القسم أكثر من 35 وكالة فيدرالية معا لجلسات شارك فيها الخبراء والموظفون الفيدراليون لتحديد الاستخدام الفعال للموظفين المؤهلين ثنائيي اللغة وكيفية بناء محتوى رقمي متعدد اللغات والاحتياجات المميزة للوصول إلى اللغة للأشخاص الذين يتحدثون لغات بلادهم الأصلية أو الذين لديهم إعاقة. اليوم، يضيف القسم أيضا دليلا جديدا لدعم جهود الوكالة لجمع بيانات اللغة ونشر محتوى متعدد اللغات إلى كتالوج موارد الوصول إلى اللغة على www.LEP.gov . قالت مساعدة وزير العدل كريستين كلارك التي تترأس قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل: "تؤكد خطة الوصول إلى اللغة المنقحة هذه التزام الوزارة المستمر بالوصول إلى اللغة في برامجنا وأنشطتنا. نتطلع إلى نشر جميع خطط الوصول إلى اللغة المنقحة للوكالات على الموقع www.LEP.gov للمساعدة في ضمان مقدرة جميع أصحاب المصلحة على كيفية الحصول على وصول فعّال للغة عند التعامل مع الحكومة الفيدرالية." ستتم ترجمة الخطة المحدثة إلى عدد من اللغات وستكون متاحة على الموقع الإلكتروني للوزارة باستخدام أداة اختيار اللغة التي أطلقتها


title: Justice Department Releases Language Access Plan to Expand Access to Department Resources and Programs

body_text: The Justice Department today released an updated Department-wide Language Access Plan to help ensure that all individuals, regardless of language used, have access to and are able to fully participate in the Department’s programs, activities, and services. The Language Access Plan provides guidance to Department offices to help them bolster language access planning, which includes understanding the needs of communities with limited English proficiency, improving translation and interpretation services, promoting quality assurance of those services, and expanding the range of tools available to serve the public. “Language barriers should not stand in the way of access to government services,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This updated Language Access Plan is an important step toward ensuring that everyone can report crimes, access important resources, and seek help from the Justice Department when they need it.” “Expansive language access furthers the Justice Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “I am proud of the work the Department is doing to modernize, streamline, and improve our language resources and policies to better serve all Americans, including individuals who face language barriers.” “Every person in this country deserves meaningful access to government services and programs,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “These updated policies reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to removing the language barriers that prevent many communities from understanding their rights, reporting crimes, or otherwise having full and equal access to the Department’s resources.” The updated Language Access Plan is issued pursuant to Attorney General Garland’s November 2022 Memorandum for Heads of Federal Agencies, Heads of Civil Rights Offices, and General Counsels Regarding Strengthening the Federal Government’s Commitment to Language Access , which directed the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to work with federal agencies to improve efforts to ensure meaningful language access and to revise and update their language access plans and policies accordingly. It also marks the 23rd anniversary of Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (Aug. 16, 2000) , which requires federal agencies to develop and implement systems enabling people with limited English proficiency to meaningfully access their services. The Office for Access to Justice led development of the Department’s updated plan, working with the Department’s Language Access Working Group and the Civil Rights Division. This work is part of the Office of Access to Justice (ATJ) and the Working Group’s broader leadership of Department efforts to expand language access resources, improve awareness of language access issues, and provide training and technical assistance to other offices within DOJ and across the federal government. “Access to justice means language access,” said ATJ Director Rachel Rossi. “Through the updated policies in this Language Access Plan, we recommit to expanded language access as a central component of all Department programs and activities.” The Civil Rights Division, in accordance with Attorney General Garland’s memorandum and its responsibility to ensure consistent and coordinated government-wide compliance with Executive Order 13166 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, also provided in-depth technical assistance and engaged with external stakeholders to assist the Department and other federal agencies update and revise their language access plans. The division brought over 35 federal agencies together for sessions that engaged experts and federal staff to identify effective use of qualified bilingual employees, how to build multilingual digital content, and the unique language access needs of people who speak Indigenous languages or have a disability. Today, the division also adds a new guide to support agency efforts to collect language data and post multilingual content to its catalogue of language access resources on www.LEP.gov . “This revised Language Access Plan underscores the Department’s continued commitment to language access in our own programs and activities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We look forward to publishing all revised agency language access plans on www.LEP.gov to help ensure that all stakeholders know how to obtain meaningful language access when engaging with the federal government.” The updated plan will be translated into a number of languages and will be available on the Department’s website using the Department’s recently launched language selector tool. Remote video URL


title: El Departamento de Justicia lanza un Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje para ampliar el acceso a los recursos y programas del Departamento

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia lanzó hoy un Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje actualizado para todo el Departamento que ayuda a garantizar que todas las personas, independientemente del idioma que hablen, tengan acceso y puedan participar plenamente en los programas, actividades y servicios del Departamento. El Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje brinda orientación a las oficinas del Departamento para ayudarlas a reforzar la planificación del acceso al lenguaje, lo que incluye comprender las necesidades de las comunidades con dominio limitado del inglés, mejorar los servicios de traducción e interpretación, promover el control de calidad de esos servicios y ampliar la variedad de herramientas disponibles para servir al público. “Las barreras del lenguaje no deben obstaculizar el acceso a los servicios del gobierno”, expresó el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland. “Este Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje actualizado es un paso importante para garantizar que todas las personas puedan denunciar delitos, acceder a recursos importantes y buscar ayuda del Departamento de Justicia cuando la necesiten”. “El acceso expansivo al lenguaje promueve la misión del Departamento de Justicia de defender el estado de derecho, mantener a nuestro país seguro y proteger los derechos civiles”, señaló la Fiscal General Adjunta Lisa O. Mónaco. “Me siento orgullosa del trabajo que está haciendo el Departamento para modernizar, optimizar y mejorar nuestras políticas y recursos lingüísticos para servir mejor a todos los estadounidenses, incluidas las personas que enfrentan barreras por el lenguaje”. “Cada persona en este país merece un acceso significativo a los servicios y programas gubernamentales”, dijo la Fiscal General Adjunta Vanita Gupta. “Estas políticas actualizadas reflejan el compromiso del Departamento de Justicia para eliminar las barreras del lenguaje que impiden que muchas comunidades comprendan sus derechos, denuncien delitos o tengan acceso total y equitativo a los recursos del Departamento”. El Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje actualizado se emite de conformidad con el Memorándum para líderes de agencias federales, directores de oficinas de derechos civiles y consejeros generales sobre el fortalecimiento del compromiso del gobierno federal con el acceso lingüístico de noviembre de 2022 del Fiscal General Garland, el cual ordenó a la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia que trabaje con las agencias federales para mejorar los esfuerzos para garantizar un acceso lingüístico significativo y revisar y actualizar en consecuencia sus planes y políticas de acceso al lenguaje. También marca el 23 o aniversario de la Orden Ejecutiva 13166, Mejorar el acceso a los servicios para personas con dominio limitado del inglés (16 de agosto de 2000) , que requiere que las agencias federales desarrollen e implementen sistemas que permitan a las personas con dominio limitado del inglés acceder de manera significativa a sus servicios. La Oficina de Acceso a la Justicia dirigió el desarrollo del Plan actualizado del Departamento, en colaboración con el Grupo de Trabajo de Acceso al Lenguaje del Departamento y la División de Derechos Civiles. Este trabajo es parte del liderazgo más amplio de la Oficina de Acceso a la Justicia (ATJ por sus siglas en inglés) y del Grupo de Trabajo de los esfuerzos del Departamento para ampliar los recursos de acceso al lenguaje, mejorar la concienciación sobre los problemas de acceso al lenguaje y brindar capacitación y asistencia técnica a otras oficinas dentro del DOJ y en todo el gobierno federal. “El acceso a la justicia significa acceso al lenguaje”, dijo la directora de la ATJ, Rachel Rossi. “A través de las políticas actualizadas en este Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje, volvemos a comprometernos a expandir el acceso al lenguaje como un componente central de todos los programas y actividades del Departamento”. La División de Derechos Civiles, de conformidad con el memorándum del Fiscal General Garland y su responsabilidad de garantizar el cumplimiento constante y coordinado de todo el gobierno con la Orden Ejecutiva 13166 y el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, también brindó asistencia técnica exhaustiva y se comprometió con partes interesadas externas para ayudar al Departamento y otras agencias federales a actualizar y revisar sus planes de acceso lingüístico. La división reunió a más de 35 agencias federales en sesiones que involucraron a expertos y personal federal para identificar el uso efectivo de empleados bilingües calificados, cómo crear contenido digital multilingüe y las necesidades únicas de acceso al idioma de las personas que hablan idiomas indígenas o tienen una discapacidad. Hoy, la división también agrega una nueva guía para apoyar los esfuerzos de la agencia para recopilar datos de idiomas y publicar contenido multilingüe en su catálogo de recursos de acceso lingüístico en www.LEP.gov . “Este Plan de Acceso al Lenguaje revisado subraya el compromiso continuo del Departamento con el acceso lingüístico en nuestros propios programas y actividades”, señaló la Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Esperamos publicar todos los planes revisados de acceso al lenguaje de la agencia en www.LEP.gov para ayudar a garantizar que todas las partes interesadas sepan cómo obtener un acceso significativo al idioma cuando interactúan con el gobierno federal”. El Plan actualizado se traducirá a varios idiomas y estará disponible en el sitio web del Departamento utilizando la herramienta de selección de idioma lanzada recientemente por el Departamento.


title: 법무부 자원 및 프로그램 접근 확대에 관한 언어 접근 계획 발표

body_text: 워싱턴 – 법무부는 오늘 모든 사람이 그들이 사용하는 언어와 관계없이 부서의 프로그램, 활동 및 서비스에 접근하고 완전히 참여할 수 있도록 하기 위해 부서 차원의 업데이트된 언어 접근 계획 을 발표했습니다. 언어 접근 계획은 영어 능력이 제한적인 지역 사회의 요구 사항을 이해하고, 번역 및 통역 서비스를 개선하며 또한 그러한 서비스의 질적 보증을 촉진하고 대중이 사용 가능한 도구의 범위 확대 등을 포함하는 언어 접근 계획을 모든 부서들이 강화할 수 있는 지침을 제공합니다. “언어 장벽이 정부 서비스 이용에 방해가 되어서는 안 됩니다. 이 업데이트된 언어 접근 계획은 모든 사람들이 범죄를 신고하고, 중요한 자원에 접근하며, 필요할 때 법무부의 도움을 요청할 수 있도록 하는 중요한 단계입니다,” 라고 메릭 비. 갈랜드 법무장관은 말했습니다. “확대된 언어 접근은 법치주의를 수호하며, 국가의 안전을 유지하고, 또한 민권을 보호하려는 법무부의 사명을 더욱 강화합니다. 법무부가 언어 장벽을 격고있는 개인을 포함한 모든 미국인에게 더 나은 서비스를 제공하기 위해 우리의 언어 자원 및 정책을 현대화하고, 간소화 하고,개선하기 위해 진행하고 있는 작업이 자랑스럽습니다,”라고 리사 오. 모나코 법무차관을 말했습니다. “미국에 있는 모든 사람은 정부가 제공하는 서비스 및 프로그램에 유의미한 접근을 할 권리가 있습니다. 이 업데이트된 정책은 많은 지역 사회가 그들 자신의 권리를 이해하고, 범죄를 신고하며 또한 법무부 자원에 완전하고 동등한 접근을 할 수 없도록 하는 언어 장벽을 제거하려는 법무부의 의지를 반영합니다,”라고 바니타 굽타 법무 부차관은 말했습니다. 업데이트된 언어 접근 계획은 법무부 민권부가 다른 연방 기관과 협력하여 유의미한 언어 접근을 보장하고 그에 따른 언어 접근 계획 및 정책을 수정 및 업데이트하는 노력을 개선하도록 지시한 갈랜드 법무장관의 2022년 11월자 연방 기관장 , 민권부장, 법률 고문을 위한 언어 접근에 관한 연방 정부의 의지 강화에 관한 통지문 에 따라 발표되었습니다. 그것은 또한 연방 기관이 제한된 영어 구사 능력을 가진 사람들이 그들의 서비스에 유의미한 접근을 할 수 있도록 하는 시스템을 개발하고 시행할 것을 요구하는 행정명령 13166, 영어 능력이 제한된 사람을 위한 서비스 접근 개선에 관한 명령 (2000년 8월 16일) 의 23주년 기념이기도 합니다. 사법제도 접근 관리국이 부서의 언어 접근 실무 그룹 및 민권부과 협력하여 부서의 업데이트된 계획의 개발을 주도했습니다. 이 작업은 사법제도 접근 관리국 (ATJ)과 실무 그룹의 폭넓은 지도력의 일환으로, 언어 접근 자원을 확대하고, 언어 접근 문제에 대한 인식을 개선하며 DOJ 내 및 연방 정부 전반에 걸친 다른 부서에 해당 교육 및 기술 지원을 제공합니다. “사법제도 접근이란 곧 언어 접근을 뜻합니다. 언어 접근 계획의 업데이트된 정책을 통해, 부서의 모든 프로그램 및 활동의 중심 구성 요소로서 언어 접근을 확대할 것을 재확인합니다,”라고 레이첼 로시 ATJ 국장은 말했습니다. 민권부는 또한 갈랜드 법무장관의 통지문 및 행정명령 13166 그리고 1964년 민권법 타이틀 VI에 대한 정부 차원에서의 일관되고 조율된 준수를 보증하는 책임에 따라 외부 이해관계자와 협력하여 법무부 및 기타 연방 기관이 그들의 언어 접근 계획을 업데이트하고 수정할 수 있도록 심도 있는 기술적 지원을 제공했습니다. 민권부는 자격을 갖춘 이중언어 직원의 효과적인 사용, 다국어 언어 디지털 콘덴츠 구축 방법, 토착어를 사용하거나 장애가 있는 사람의 고유한 언어 접속 요구 사항 등을 파악하기 위해 전문가와 연방 직원이 참여한 모임에 35개 이상의 연방 기관의 참가를 유도했습니다. 현재, 이 부서는 또한 언어 데이터를 수집하고 다국어 콘텐츠를 www.LEP.gov 의 언어 접근 자원 카탈로그에 게시하려는 기관의 노력을 지원하기 위한 새로운 가이드 를 추가했습니다. “이 수정된 언어 접속 계획은 우리 자체 프로그램 및 활동에 있어서의 언어 접속에 대한 법무부의 지속적인 의지를 강조합니다. 모든 이해 관계자가 연방 정부와 업무를 할 때 유의미한 언어 접근 방법을 확실히 알 수 있도록 수정된 기관 언어 접속 계획을 www.LEP.gov 에 게시하기를 기대합니다,”라고 크리스틴 클라크 법무부 민사부 차관보는 말했습니다. 이 업데이트된 계획은 여러 언어로 번역되며 법무부의 최근 출시된 언어 선택 도구를 사용하여 법무부 웹사이트에서 보실 수 있습니다.


title: Ang Kagawaran ng Katarungan ay Naglabas ng Language Access Plan upang Palawakin ang Pag-access sa mga Mapagkukunan at Programa ng Kagawaran

body_text: Ang Kagawaran ng Katarungan ay naglabas ngayon ng isang na-update na Language Access Plan sa buong Kagawaran upang makatulong na matiyak na ang lahat ng mga indibidwal, maging anuman ang wikang ginamit, ay mayroong access at ganap na makalahok sa mga programa, aktibidad, at serbisyo ng Kagawaran. Ang Language Access Plan ay nagbibigay ng gabay sa mga tanggapan ng Kagawaran upang tulungan silang palakasin ang pagpaplano ng pag-access sa wika, na kinabibilangan ng pag-unawa sa mga pangangailangan ng mga komunidad na may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles, pagpapabuti ng mga serbisyo ng pagsasalin at interpretasyon, pagtataguyod ng kalidad ng kasiguruhan ng mga serbisyong iyon, at pagpapalawak ng hanay ng mga magagamit na kagamitan upang maglingkod sa publiko. “Ang mga hadlang sa wika ay hindi dapat humadlang sa pag-access sa mga serbisyo ng gobyerno,” sabi ni Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Itong na-update na Language Access Plan ay isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa pagseguro na ang lahat ay makakapag-ulat ng mga krimen, maka-access ng mahahalagang mapagkukunan, at humingi ng tulong mula sa Kagawaran ng Katarungan kapag kailangan nila ito.” “Ang malawak na pag-access sa wika ay nagpapataas sa misyon ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan na itaguyod ang panuntunan ng batas, panatilihing ligtas ang ating bansa, at protektahan ang mga karapatang sibil,” sabi ni Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Aking pinagmamalaki ang gawain ng Kagawaran para gawing moderno, i-streamline, at pahusayin ang ating mga mapagkukunan at patakaran sa wika upang higit na mapagserbisyohan ang lahat ng mga Amerikano, kabilang ang mga indibidwal na nahaharap sa mga hadlang sa wika.” “Ang bawat tao sa bansang ito ay nararapat maka-access ng makabuluhang mga serbisyo at programa ng gobyerno,” sabi ni Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Ang mga na-update na patakarang ito ay sumasalamin sa pangako ng Kagawaran ng Katarungang na alisin ang mga hadlang sa wika na pumipigil sa maraming mga komunidad na maunawaan ang kanilang mga karapatan, mag-ulat ng mga krimen, o kung hindi man ay magkaroon ng buo at pantay na pag-access sa mga mapagkukunan ng Kagawaran.” Ang na-update na Language Access Plan ay iginawad alinsunod sa memorandum ni Attorney General Garland noong Nobyembre 2022 na Memorandum para sa mga Pinuno ng Ahensyang Pederal, Mga Pinuno ng mga Tanggapan ng Karapatang Sibil, at Pangkalahatang Payo Tungkol sa Pagpapalakas sa Pangako ng Pamahalaang Pederal sa Pag-access sa Wika na nag-utos sa Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan na makipagtulungan sa mga ahensyang pederal upang mapabuti ang mga pagsisikap na tiyakin ang makabuluhang pag-access sa wika at rebisahin at i-update ang kanilang mga plano at patakaran sa pag-access sa wika nang naaayon. Minarkahan din nito ang ika-23 anibersaryo ng Kautusang Tagapagpaganap 13166, Pagpapabuti ng Pag-access sa Mga Serbisyo para sa mga Taong may Limitadong Kahusayan sa Ingles (Ago. 16, 2000) , na nag-uutos sa mga ahensyang pederal na bumuo at magpatupad ng mga sistema na nagbibigay-daan sa mga taong may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles na makabuluhang ma-access ang kanilang mga serbisyo. Pinangunahan ng Tanggapan para sa Pag-access sa Katarungan ang pagbuo ng na-update na Plano ng Kagawaran, nakikipag-ugnayan kasama ang Grupong Kumikilos sa Pag-access sa Wika ng Kagawaran at ang Dibisyon ng mga Karapatang Sibil. Ang gawaing ito ay bahagi ng Tanggapan ng Pag-access sa Katarungan (Office of Access to Justice ATJ) at ang mas malawak na pamumuno ng Grupong Kumikilos ng Kagawaran sa mga pagsisikap na palawakin ang mga mapagkukunan ng pag-access sa wika, pagbutihin ang kamalayan sa mga isyu sa pag-access sa wika, at magbigay ng pagsasanay at tulong teknikal sa ibang mga tanggapan sa loob ng DOJ at sa buong pamahalaang pederal. “Ang pag-access sa katarungan ay nangangahulugan ng pag-access sa wika,” sabi ni ATJ Director Rachel Rossi. “Sa pamamagitan ng na-update na mga patakaran sa Language Access Plan na ito, muli kaming nangangako sa pinalawak na pag-access sa wika bilang isang pangunahing bahagi ng lahat ng mga programa at aktibidad ng Kagawaran.” Ang Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil, alinsunod sa memorandum ng Attorney General Garland at ang responsibilidad nitong tiyakin ang pare-pareho at koordinadong pagsunod ng buong pamahalaan sa Kautusang Tagapagpaganap 13166 at ang Titulo VI ng Mga Batas sa Karapatang Sibil ng 1964, nagbigay din ng malalim na tulong teknikal at nakipag-ugnayan sa mga panlabas na stakeholder upang tulungan ang Kagawaran at iba pang ahensyang pederal na i-update at baguhin ang kanilang mga plano sa pag-access sa wika. Pinagsama-sama ng dibisyon ang mahigit 35 na mga ahensyang pederal para sa mga sesyon na hinihikayat ang mga eksperto at kawaning pederal upang matukoy ang epektibong paggamit ng mga kwalipikadong bilingguwal na empleyado, kung paano bumuo ng multilingguwal na digital na nilalaman, at ang natatanging pangangailangan sa pag-access sa wika ng mga taong nagsasalita ng mga katutubong wika o may kapansanan. Ngayon, ang dibisyon ay nagdaragdag din ng isang bagong gabay upang suportahan ang mga pagsisikap ng ahensya na mangolekta ng data ng wika at mag-post ng multilingguwal na nilalaman sa katalogo nito ng mga mapagkukunan ng pag-access sa wika sa www.LEP.gov . “Itong nirebisang Plano sa Pag-access sa Wika ay binibigyang-diin ang patuloy na pangako ng Kagawaran sa pag-access ng wika sa sarili naming mga programa at aktibidad,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan. “Inaasahan naming mailathala ang lahat ng binagong plano sa pag-access sa wika ng ahensya sa www.LEP.gov upang makatulong na matiyak na alam ng lahat ng mga stakeholder kung paano makakuha ng makabuluhang pag-access sa wika kapag nakikipag-ugnayan sa pamahalaang pederal.” Ang na-update na Plano ay isasalin sa ilang mga wika at magagamit sa website ng Kagawaran gamit ang kamakailang inilunsad na kagamitan sa nagpili ng wika ng Kagawaran.


title: Bộ Tư Pháp Công Bố Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ để  Mở Rộng Sử Dụng Các Tài Nguyên và Chương Trình của Bộ

body_text: Hôm nay, Bộ Tư Pháp công bố Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ cập nhật khắp Bộ để bảo đảm tất cả mọi cá nhân, bất kể ngôn ngữ sử dụng, đều sử dụng và có thể tham gia hoàn toàn vào các chương trình, hoạt động và dịch vụ của Bộ. Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ sẽ hướng dẫn cho các phòng ban tăng cường cách hoạch định tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, bao gồm hiểu rõ các nhu cầu của cộng đồng nói tiếng Anh hạn chế, cải tiến các dịch vụ thông ngôn và thông dịch, thúc đẩy bảo đảm phẩm chất cho các dịch vụ này và mở rộng các công cụ có sẵn để phục vụ công chúng. “Rào cản ngôn ngữ không được cản trở việc sử dụng các dịch vụ chánh phủ,” Bộ Trưởng Tư Pháp Merrick B. Garland nói. “Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ cập nhật này là một bước quan trọng để bảo đảm mọi người có thể báo cáo tội phạm, sử dụng các tài nguyên quan trọng, và được Bộ Tư Pháp giúp đỡ khi cần thiết.” “Tiếp cận nhiều ngôn ngữ đẩy mạnh sứ mệnh nhiệm vụ duy trì pháp quyền, giữ an toàn cho quốc gia và bảo vệ dân quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp,” Thứ Trưởng Bộ Tư Pháp Lisa O. Monaco cho biết. “Tôi tự hào về việc Bộ đang thực hiện để hiện đại hóa, sắp xếp, và cải tiến tài nguyên ngôn ngữ và chánh sách để phục vụ tốt hơn cho tất cả những người Mỹ, bao gồm những người đối mặt với rào cản ngôn ngữ.” “Mỗi người trong quốc gia này xứng đáng sử dụng các dịch vụ và chương trình của chánh phủ,” Phó Bộ Trưởng Tư Pháp Vanita Gupta nói. “Các chánh sách cập nhật này phản ánh cam kết của Bộ Tư Pháp là gỡ bỏ rào cản ngôn ngữ làm cho nhiều cộng đồng không hiểu rõ được quyền lợi, báo cáo tội phạm, hay có thể sử dụng đầy đủ và công bằng các tài nguyên của bộ.” Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ cập nhật được ban hành theo Bản Ghi Nhớ dành cho Người Đứng Đầu Cơ Quan Liên Bang, Người Đứng Đầu Văn Phòng Dân Quyền, và Tổng Cố Vấn về Củng Cố Cam Kết của Chánh Phủ Liên Bang về Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ tháng Mười Một, 2022 của Bộ Trưởng Garland, hướng dẫn Phân Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp hợp tác với các cơ quan liên bang để cải tiến nỗ lực bảo đảm truy cập ngôn ngữ, duyệt lại và cập nhật các chương trình và chánh sách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho phù hợp. Chương trình này cũng đánh dấu kỷ niệm lần thứ 23 của Sắc Lệnh 13166, Cải Tiến Sử Dụng Dịch Vụ cho Người Nói Anh Ngữ Hạn Chế (16 tháng Tám, 2000) , đòi hỏi các cơ quan liên bang phải lập và thực hiện hệ thống giúp người nói Anh ngữ hạn chế sử dụng một cách có ý nghĩa các dịch vụ của cơ quan. Văn Phòng Tiếp Cận Công Lý dẫn đầu việc lập Chương Trình cập nhật của Bộ, hợp tác với Nhóm Công Tác Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ của Bộ và Phân Ban Dân Quyền. Công việc này là một phần của Văn Phòng Tiếp Cận Công Lý (Office of Access to Justice, hay ATJ) và lãnh đạo khác của Nhóm Công Tác về nỗ lực của Bộ nhằm mở rộng tài nguyên tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, cải tiến nhận thức về vấn đề tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, huấn luyện và trợ giúp kỹ thuật cho các phòng ban trong Bộ Tư Pháp và khắp chánh phủ liên bang. “Tiếp cận công lý nghĩa là tiếp cận ngôn ngữ,” Giám Đốc ATJ Rachel Rossi nói. “Thông qua các chánh sách cập nhật trong Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ này, chúng tôi cam kết mở rộng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ như là thành phần trung tâm của tất cả các chương trình và hoạt động của Bộ.” Phân Ban Dân Quyền, theo theo bản ghi nhớ của Bộ Trưởng Garland và trách nhiệm bảo đảm tuân theo nhất quán và phối hợp toàn chính phủ đối với Sắc Lệnh 13166 và Tựa Đề VI của Luật Dân Quyền 1964, cũng hỗ trợ kỹ thuật chuyên sâu và tham gia với những người quan tâm bên ngoài để giúp cho Bộ và những cơ quan liên bang khác cập nhật và duyệt lại các chương trình tiếp cận ngôn ngữ. Phân ban đã tập hợp hơn 35 cơ quan liên bang trong các buổi họp có sự tham gia của chuyên gia và nhân viên liên bang để xác định việc sử dụng hữu hiệu các nhân viên song ngữ chuyên môn, cách lập nội dung đa ngôn ngữ bằng kỹ thuật số, và nhu cầu tiếp cận ngôn ngữ duy nhất của người nói ngôn ngữ bản xứ hay bị tàn tật. Hôm nay, phân ban cũng thêm một hướng dẫn mới để hỗ trợ nỗ lực thu thập dữ liệu và đăng nội dung nhiều ngôn ngữ vào cẩm nang giúp đỡ truy cập ngôn ngữ nơi trang mạng www.LEP.gov . “Chương Trình Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ duyệt lại này nhấn mạnh cam kết tiếp tục của Bộ về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ trong các chương trình và hoạt động riêng của chúng tôi,” Phụ Tá Bộ Trưởng Kristen Clarke thuộc Phân Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cho biết. “Chúng tôi rất mong được công bố tất cả các chương trình tiếp cận ngôn ngữ duyệt lại trên www.LEP.gov để bảo đảm tất cả những người quan tâm biết cách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ khi tham gia với chánh phủ liên bang.” Chương trình cập nhật sẽ được dịch sang nhiều ngôn ngữ và có sẵn trên mạng lưới của Bộ, sử dụng công cụ lựa chọn ngôn ngữ được giới thiệu gần đây của Bộ.


title: 司法部发布语言无障碍计划，扩大司法部资源和项目的使用范围。

body_text: 华盛顿特区——司法部今天发布了更新的全部门 语言无障碍计划 (Language Access Plan) ，以帮助确保所有个人，无论使用何种语言，都可以使用并充分参与司法部的各种项目、活动和服务。 语言无障碍计划将为司法部各个部门提供专业指导，以增强司法部对英语能力有限社区的理解和需求，改善笔译和口译服务，促进这些服务的质量保证，并扩大为公众服务的工具范围。 司法部长梅里克·加兰 (Merrick B. Garland) 表示,“语言障碍不应成为人们无法获得政府服务的原因。 这项更新后的语言无障碍计划旨在确保每个人都可以举报犯罪、获取重要资源以及在需要时向司法部寻求帮助的重要一步。” “加强我们的语言服务有助于进一步履行司法部维护法治、维护国家安全和保护公民权利的使命。”司法部副部长丽莎.摩纳哥 (Lisa O. Monaco) 表示，“司法部正在努力实现语言资源和政策的现代化、简化和改进，以更好地服务于所有美国人，包括面临语言障碍的个人，对此我深感自豪。” 副司法部长瓦尼塔·古普塔 (Vanita Gupta) 表示, “在这个国家，每个人都有权享受有意义的政府服务和计划。这些更新的政策反映了司法部消除语言障碍的承诺。这些语言障碍可能阻挡了许多社区了解自己的权利或报告犯罪行为，如果这些语言障碍减少，这些社区可以充分且平等地获取司法部的资源”。 本次更新的语言无障碍计划和政策呼应了司法部长梅里克·加兰于2022 年 11 月题为《 致联邦机构负责人、民权办公室负责人和总法律顾问的关于加强联邦政府对语言获取承诺的备忘录 》，并因此指示司法部的民权分部与其他联邦机构合作，共同改善和确保语言资源的有效扩展。今年也是行政令第13166号《 改善英语能力有限人士获得服务的机会 (2000年8月6日) 》成立的23周年，该行政令要求联邦机构开发和实施各种系统，使英语能力有限者也能够有意义地获得服务。 此次更新由司法救助办公室牵头（Office for Access to Justice），与语言无障部门和民权司合作，制定了该部的最新计划。这项工作是司法救助办公室（ATJ）和工作组更广泛地领导司法部努力扩大语言无障碍资源、提高对语言无障碍问题的认识，以及向司法部内其他办公室和整个联邦政府提供培训和技术援助的一部分。这项工作是司法救助 (ATJ) 的一部分，该工作组更广泛地领导司法部扩大语言获取资源、提高对语言使用问题的认识以及向司法部内其他办公室和整个联邦政府提供培训和技术援助的一部分。 “诉诸司法意味着语言无障碍，” 司法救助办公室主任雷切尔-罗西（Rachel Rossi）表示。“通过本《语言无障碍计划》中的最新政策，我们再次承诺将扩大语言无障碍作为司法部所有计划和活动的核心组成部分"。 为响应司法部长梅里克·加兰备忘录中提出的计划，民权司除了负责确保各机构能否就行 政命令13166号 和1964年《民权法》第六章及其实施条例规定下有关提供实质性语言协助的职责，还提供了深入的技术援助，并与外部利益相关者合作，以协助司法部和其他联邦机构更新和修订其语言资源访问计划。民权司召集了35多个联邦机构，并邀请专家和联邦工作人员参与，以确定如何有效利用合格的双语工作人员、如何构建多语种数字内容，以及讲土著语言或有残疾的个人对语言资源获取的独特需求。如今，民权司还增加了一份 新指南 ，以支持各机构收集语言数据并在其网站 www.LEP.gov 的语言资源访问资源目录中上发布多语种内容。 司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀-克拉克（Kristen Clarke）表示， “更新后的《语言无障碍计划》强调了司法部在自身计划和活动中对语言使用的持续承诺。我们非常期待在 www.LEP.gov 上发布修订后的机构语言无障碍计划，以帮助确保所有利益相关者了解如何在与联邦政府合作时获得有意义的语言无障碍服务。” 更新后的计划将被翻译成多种语言，并将使用该部门最近推出的语言选择工具在该部门的网站上提供。


title: 司法部發布語言無障礙計劃，擴大司法部資源和項目的使用範圍。

body_text: 華盛頓特區—司法部今天發布了更新的全部門 語言無障礙計劃 (Language Access Plan) ，以幫助確保所有個人，無論使用何種語言，都可以使用並充分參與司法部的各種項目、活動和服務。語言無障礙計劃將為司法部各個部門提供專業指導，以增強司法部對英語能力有限社區的理解和需求，改善筆譯和口譯服務，促進這些服務的質量保證，並擴大為公眾服務的工具範圍。 司法部長梅里克·加蘭(Merrick B. Garland) 表示,“語言障礙不應成為人們無法獲得政府服務的原因。 這項更新後的語言無障礙計劃旨在確保每個人都可以舉報犯罪、獲取重要資源以及在需要時向司法部尋求幫助的重要一步。“ “加強我們的語言服務有助於進一步履行司法部維護法治、維護國家安全和保護公民權利的使命。“司法部副部長麗莎.摩納哥(Lisa O. Monaco) 表示，“司法部正在努力實現語言資源和政策的現代化、簡化和改進，以更好地服務於所有美國人，包括面臨語言障礙的個人，對此我深感自豪。” 副司法部長瓦尼塔·古普塔(Vanita Gupta) 表示, “在這個國家，每個人都有權享受有意義的政府服務和計劃。這些更新的政策反映了司法部消除語言障礙的承諾。這些語言障礙可能阻擋了許多社區了解自己的權利或報告犯罪行為，如果這些語言障礙減少，這些社區可以充分且平等地獲取司法部的資源“。 本次更新的語言無障礙計劃和政策呼應了司法部長梅里克·加蘭於2022年11月題為《 致聯邦機構負責人、民權辦公室負責人和總法律顧問的關於加強聯邦政府對語言獲取承諾的備忘錄 》，並因此指示司法部的民權分部與其他聯邦機構合作，共同改善和確保語言資源的有效擴展。今年也是行政令第13166號《 改善英語能力有限人士獲得服務的機會(2000年8月6日) 》成立的23週年，該行政令要求聯邦機構開發和實施各種系統，使英語能力有限者也能夠有意義地獲得服務。 此次更新由司法救助辦公室牽頭（Office for Access to Justice），與語言無障部門和民權司合作，制定了該部的最新計劃。這項工作是司法救助辦公室（ATJ）和工作組更廣泛地領導司法部努力擴大語言無障礙資源、提高對語言無障礙問題的認識，以及向司法部內其他辦公室和整個聯邦政府提供培訓和技術援助的一部分。這項工作是司法救助(ATJ) 的一部分，該工作組更廣泛地領導司法部擴大語言獲取資源、提高對語言使用問題的認識以及向司法部內其他辦公室和整個聯邦政府提供培訓和技術援助的一部分。 “訴諸司法意味著語言無障礙，“ 司法救助辦公室主任雷切爾-羅西（Rachel Rossi）表示。 “通過本《語言無障礙計劃》中的最新政策，我們再次承諾將擴大語言無障礙作為司法部所有計劃和活動的核心組成部分”。 為響應司法部長梅里克·加蘭備忘錄中提出的計劃，民權司除了負責確保各機構能否就行 政命令13166號 和1964年《民權法》第六章及其實施條例規定下有關提供實質性語言協助的職責，還提供了深入的技術援助，並與外部利益相關者合作，以協助司法部和其他聯邦機構更新和修訂其語言資源訪問計劃。民權司召集了35多個聯邦機構，並邀請專家和聯邦工作人員參與，以確定如何有效利用合格的雙語工作人員、如何構建多語種數字內容，以及講土著語言或有殘疾的個人對語言資源獲取的獨特需求。如今，民權司還增加了一份 新指南 ，以支持各機構收集語言數據並在其網站 www.LEP.gov 的語言資源訪問資源目錄中上發布多語種內容。 司法部民權司助理司法部長克里斯汀-克拉克（Kristen Clarke）表示， “更新後的《語言無障礙計劃》強調了司法部在自身計劃和活動中對語言使用的持續承諾。我們非常期待在 www.LEP.gov 上發布修訂後的機構語言無障礙計劃，以幫助確保所有利益相關者了解如何在與聯邦政府合作時獲得有意義的語言無障礙服務。“ 更新後的計劃將被翻譯成多種語言，並將使用該部門最近推出的語言選擇工具在該部門的網站上提供。


title: NCDOC Officer Pleads Guilty in COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Sean Tracy Dillard, 55, pled guilty today pursuant to a criminal information to theft of government funds for fraudulently submitting North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) loan applications for emergency rental assistance. As part of his fraud scheme, the defendant, a correctional officer with the North Carolina Department of Corrections (NCDOC), submitted fictitious tenant lease agreements for multiple properties in Hertford County as part of his NC HOPE loan applications. He faces up to 10 years in prison. On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of $5 billion in Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) programs as flexible federal funding to states and localities earmarked to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) administers the Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) program as a source of flexible federal funding for economic and community development, as well as to direct long-term recovery funding to states and localities in response to disasters and emergencies. The State of North Carolina’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency (“NCORR”), a division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, utilized federal funds made available in the CARES Act to assist North Carolina renters stay in their homes during COVID-19 by preventing evictions and the loss of utility services. The NC HOPE program, utilized an initial $51.5 million allocation of CDBG funds from the CARES Act to provide housing and utility assistance. The State of North Carolina also received CRF funds from the CARES Act, of which $66 million was allocated to pay administrative costs associated with the NC HOPE program. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. accepted the plea. Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan later this year. The FBI is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER . ###


title: Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Service Providers for the Unhoused Community

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, federal prosecutors, and other staff from the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) met with representatives from organizations that serve Albuquerque’s unhoused community on July 18 at the Barrett House to discuss violent crime. Cory Lee, Executive Director of the Barrett House, Hannah Albee, Deputy Director of the Barrett House, Arias Foster, Director of Programs for the Barrett House, Kennedy Haverland, a Clinician from the New Mexico Dream Center and Max Kauffman from Disability Rights New Mexico presented statements. This listening session focused on community-based solutions and the relationship between law enforcement and the unhoused community. This was the second of a series of listening sessions to be held throughout Albuquerque this summer. United States Attorney Uballez opened the session by explaining that the Attorney General directed United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on addressing violent crime through intervention and outreach efforts. Participants described the link between trauma and violence and the need for more access to resources and truly affordable housing. Others described some victims and witnesses inherent distrust of law enforcement and how that handicaps the prosecution process. All participants agreed that the Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) program recently implemented by the City of Albuquerque had improved the city’s approach to public safety. Cory Lee described how the violence of taking away someone’s identification, existence and belongings can cause trauma and how it disproportionately effects someone living on the street, especially when they do not have a community to protect them. Arias Foster agreed with Lee, adding “once they are housed… they are bringing a lot of the violence they were experiencing before when they were on the streets to their housing. They don’t know how to work through [it].” Foster described how law enforcement is often not supportive or engaging when they or their clients seek help and expressed that they would like to build a better relationship with law enforcement so that they could better support victims of and witnesses to violence. Max Kauffman shared his observations about the link between violence and adverse childhood experiences, especially for children in the foster care system who do not receive services or special education, and how that contributes to violent behaviors. “Think about how we are going to long term help this community, not just now but looking forward. I do think it starts at the childhood level because those adverse experiences have a big influence on people.” Kauffman added, “I think if we can get them services through school, have behavior interventions is place, and provide them with the services they need to get a diploma and vocational training, that would have a huge impact in the long term.” All participants stressed the importance of mandatory trauma-informed care training for both law enforcement and prosecutors to break down barriers in communication between them and victims and witnesses. This was the second in a series of listening sessions USA Uballez will convene in the coming months as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. USA Uballez previously met with representatives from organizations that serve Albuquerque’s International District and plans to meet with community leaders from the Westgate community, social justice advocates, addiction and treatment service providers, and families impacted by violent crime. These sessions are an opportunity for the USA, federal prosecutors, and USAO staff to recognize the vital role that these leaders, providers and advocates play in our community. PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. In New Mexico, the United States Attorney’s Office pursues a community violence intervention approach. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based intervention, prevention, and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented. Tessa DuBerry Tessa DuBerry Tessa DuBerry # # # 23-179


title: Hillsdale County Man Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison For Sexual Exploitation Of Children

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Tye Stiger, 35, from Jonesville, Michigan, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually exploiting four girls between approximately 2007 and 2022. After being caught, Stiger fled to the Philippines before being arrested and returned to the United States to face criminal prosecution. When Stiger is released from prison, he will spend 10 years on supervised release. “The sexual exploitation of our children will not be tolerated by my office,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “While we can never erase the trauma these young girls experienced at the hands of Mr. Stiger, today’s sentence shows that we are committed to protecting our most vulnerable and holding offenders accountable.” In February 2022, after two women reported that Stiger groomed and molested them years earlier, police executed a search warrant at Stiger’s home and seized his cell phones and computers. Investigators found voluminous child pornography on the electronics. There was a series of videos from between 2007 and 2009, in which Stiger set up a hidden video camera in a bathroom to record young girls changing their clothes. There were also nude pictures of young girls that Stiger took in 2022. After the search, Stiger flew to Asia with no return trip scheduled. In August 2022, investigators found and arrested Stiger in the Philippines, where he was working at a children’s ministry. “I commend the victims in this case for their bravery in coming forward to expose the crimes committed by this now convicted felon,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar . “HSI will continue to work with our partners across the country and around the world to ensure that justice is served for those who would prey on children in our communities.” This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials. This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. ###


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced on Federal Gun Possession Charge

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced an East St. Louis man to five years in federal prison after he admitted to possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Devonte T. Franklin, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 fine and $100 in special assessments. “This case serves as proof of police officers working courageously to deter the prevalence of gun violence and remove those offenders from St. Clair County,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group continues to get illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals who repeatedly break the law,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The collaborative effort between ISP, local law enforcement agencies, the public, and the justice system is helping create safer communities.” According to court documents, during the early hours of June 8, 2022, Franklin was riding in a car wanted in relation to a robbery when it was stopped by officers with the Washington Park Police Department. When asked to exit the vehicle, Franklin grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled away from law enforcement. After a brief struggle, Franklin was taken into custody for resisting arrest, and officers located two loaded firearms in his waistband. One of Franklin’s guns had a handle wrapped in electrical tape. A third gun was also located inside the vehicle. Franklin was charged for possessing a loaded .38 revolver and a loaded .380 semi-automatic firearm. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was on parole for a firearm and had spent time in both state and federal prison for convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm. The Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) and the Washington Park Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case.


title: California Man Admits Selling Guns and Methamphetamine over Internet

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A California man today admitted conspiring to unlawfully sell firearms and methamphetamine via the internet, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Angelo Chavez, 23, of Manteca, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count each of conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Starting in August 2020, undercover law enforcement agents began communicating with Chavez and several conspirators via a social media platform, where Chavez and his conspirators advertised for sale various narcotics and firearms. From August 2020 and December 2021, undercover law enforcement agents purchased 13 firearms from Chavez and his conspirators, including six AR-15 firearms, two of which were shipped with auto sear switches which enable the firearms to function as fully automatic machine guns. Undercover agents also purchased methamphetamine from Chavez and his conspirators. Chavez and his conspirators were paid mostly in cryptocurrency and mailed the drugs and guns from addresses in California to New Jersey. The conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 21, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division in Newark. chavez.information.pdf


title: Former Special Agent In Charge Of The New York FBI Counterintelligence Division Pleads Guilty to Conspiring To Violate U.S. Sanctions On Russia

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that CHARLES MCGONIGAL, a former Special Agent in Charge (“SAC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Counterintelligence Division in New York, pled guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and to commit money laundering in connection with his 2021 agreement to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch. MCGONIGAL pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “After his tenure as a high-level FBI official who supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, Charles McGonigal has now admitted that he agreed to evade U.S. sanctions by providing services to one of those oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska. This Office will continue to hold to account those who violate U.S. sanctions for their own financial benefit.” Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen said: “Charles McGonigal, by his own admission, betrayed his oath and actively concealed his illicit work at the bidding of a sanctioned Russian oligarch. Today’s plea shows the Department of Justice’s resolve to pursue and dismantle the illegal networks that Russian oligarchs use to try to escape the reach of our sanctions and evade our laws.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Economic sanctions are a critical component of our national security policy. They must be fully and fairly applied to effectively limit the resources of those who threaten to harm the United States and our global allies. Sanctions evasion by fraudulent means is a serious criminal offense. By entering a guilty plea today, former FBI official Charles McGonigal has accepted responsibility for his actions. The FBI is committed to rigorously investigating reported sanctions violations and relentlessly pursue anyone engaged in such activity.” According to publicly filed court documents and statements made in court proceedings: In 2014, the President issued Executive Order 13660, which declared a national emergency with respect to the situation in Ukraine. To address this national emergency, the President blocked all property of individuals determined by the U.S. Treasury to be responsible for or complicit in actions or policies that threatened the security, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine, or who materially assist, sponsor, or provide support to individuals or entities engaging in such activities. Executive Order 13660 and regulations issued pursuant to it prohibit making or receiving any funds, goods, or services by, to, from, or for the benefit of any person designated by the U.S. Treasury. On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated Oleg Deripaska as a Specially Designated National in connection with its finding that the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation with respect to Ukraine constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. According to the U.S. Treasury, Deripaska was sanctioned for having acted or purported to act on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation and for operating in the energy sector of the Russian Federation economy. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia affirmed the sanctions against Deripaska. It found, among other things, that OFAC’s determination that Deripaska acted as an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin was supported by the evidence. As an FBI official, MCGONIGAL had helped investigate Deripaska and other Russian oligarchs. In 2018, while serving as SAC, MCGONIGAL received a then-classified list of Russian oligarchs with close ties to the Kremlin who would be considered for sanctions. In 2021, MCGONIGAL conspired to provide services to Deripaska, in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed on Deripaska in 2018. Specifically, following his negotiations with an agent of Deripaska, MCGONIGAL agreed to and did investigate a rival Russian oligarch in return for concealed payments from Deripaska. As part of their negotiations with Deripaska’s agent, MCGONIGAL and the agent attempted to conceal Deripaska’s involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payment from Deripaska. * * * MCGONIGAL, 55, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the IEEPA and to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MCGONIGAL is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rearden on December 14, 2023. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division and the valuable assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the New York City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hagan Scotten, Rebecca T. Dell, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Christina A. Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Paralegal Specialist Christopher de Grandpre. U.S. vs McGonigal Information


title: Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Eric Castañeda, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced today that Rafael Columbie was sentenced to 10 years in prison. A federal jury convicted Columbie, 54, of Albuquerque, on December 1, 2022, on one count each of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams and more of heroin. The case against Columbie and his co-conspirators was part of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration into a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Through the investigation, Columbie was identified as a drug transporter for Jesus Lopez. On July 18, 2018, Columbie was traveling east on Interstate 40 when a New Mexico State Police Officer stopped Columbie for speeding. During a consensual search of the vehicle, officers found over 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 200 grams of heroin in bundles within a Coca-Cola soda box behind the driver seat. Columbie was the only defendant who refused to enter a guilty plea. Eight other defendants pled guilty to various drug trafficking charges in 2022. Abel Gallegos, aka “Gato,” 41, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to distribution of 500 grams and more of cocaine, aiding and abetting, and distribution of 50 grams and more of methamphetamine on August 29, 2022, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Saul Gallegos, aka “Tulin,” 37, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to distribution of 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting on April 20, 2022 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Martha Reyes-Villalobos, 40, of Chihuahua, Mexico, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine on May 3, 2022, and was sentenced to time served. Ivan Cordova, 41, or Albuquerque, pled guilty to use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense on August 1, 2022, and was sentenced to time served. Baudel Palacios-Prieto, 46, and Zachary Fogler, 37, both of Albuquerque, pled guilty to one count of use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense each on August 8, 2022. Palacios-Prieto was sentenced to time served and Fogler was given three years of probation. Jesus M. Lopez, 41, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to distribution of 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense, and two counts of aiding and abetting on May 5, 2022. Lopez’s sentencing is currently scheduled for August 29, 2023. Adrian Palacios, 37, of Albuquerque, pled guilty to conspiracy on August 11, 2022. Palacios’ sentencing is currently scheduled for September 19, 2023. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Eicker and David B. Hirsch are prosecuting the case. # # # 23-180


title: Fargo Man Pleads Guilty to Second Degree Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Shilo Aaron Oldrock, 30, and an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, pled guilty in federal court to second degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. Oldrock will remain in custody pending sentencing which has not been scheduled. According to court documents, on January 29, 2021, Oldrock and John Doe 1 attacked and killed John Doe 2. Later, on October 10, 2021, Oldrock attacked and killed John Doe 1 before decapitating his head with an axe and throwing it in a woodstove inside John Doe 1’s residence. Oldrock did so because he believed John Doe would harm him in order to cover up John Doe 2’s murder. Oldrock also believed that John Doe 1 had killed Oldrock’s grandmother. At sentencing, Oldrock faces up to 35 years in prison. John Doe 2’s family reported him missing and he was added to the FBI’s List of Native Americans Verified as Missing Throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. The List is the first of its kind in the nation and was created in an effort to improve the reporting of missing persons throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Partners involved in the project include the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, New Mexico’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) Task Force, New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, New Mexico Department of Public Safety, New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs, Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Albuquerque Office of Equity and Inclusion. The FBI also receives information and support from the Navajo Nation, Native American pueblos, and local law enforcement. The list is updated monthly and can be found at fbi.gov/mmip. The FBI is seeking public assistance and information on the cases. If you have information concerning any of the cases, please contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the Gallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-181


title: New York Investment Firm CEO Guilty of Defrauding 50+ Investors  in Multi-Million Dollar Pre-IPO Scam

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – The CEO of a New York-based venture capital firm pleaded guilty in a wire fraud conspiracy case impacting more than 50 investors. George Iakovou, 30, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Aug. 8 before U.S. District Judge Clay Land. If convicted, Iakovou faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. “George Iakovou defrauded more than 50 people from around the country of millions of dollars, using these stolen funds to buy luxury items and travel in private jets,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This jet-setting con artist will now be held accountable, thanks to the hard work of the Secret Service, working in conjunction with our office.” “George Iakovou is another example of how fraudsters are getting more sophisticated with their schemes to steal money,” said Resident Agent in Charge Clint Bush with the U.S. Secret Service’s Albany, Georgia, Resident Office. “Iakovou created a fictious capital firm for the sole purpose of defrauding American citizens. Iakovou then utilized the stolen funds to live a lavish lifestyle, without regard to the victims. Iakovou’s greed will have an everlasting effect on the victims he defrauded. The United States Secret Service will continue to investigate, arrest and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit this and other types of financial fraud in our community and around the nation. “ According to court documents, in July 2021, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) began investigating a pre-IPO (initial public offering) scheme orchestrated by Iakovou, the CEO of Vika Ventures LLC, a boutique venture capital firm headquartered in New York which purported to specialize in pre-IPO investments in various early and late-stage private companies. Iakovou advertised that Vika had access to buy pre-IPO shares in private companies such as Palantir, Airbnb, SpaceX and Stripe. He claimed that once these private companies went public and the mandatory six-month lockout period expired, Vika would distribute the purchased shares to the investors. In fact, Iakovou had neither access to pre-IPO shares in the advertised companies nor owned the shares at the time of the solicitations. While Iakovou did take the victim-investors’ money, he did not purchase or acquire any of the promised shares. Iakovou established fake email domains, posed as representatives from private equity brokerage firms and created fake bank statements among other tricks to carry out his fraud scheme. USSS identified more than 50 victim-investors from across the country who provided capital to Vika between Jan. 2020 and Dec. 2021, including two victims in the Middle District of Georgia. A review of bank records for Vika’s investor account showed that identified victim-investors paid Vika approximately $5,958,505 for the purchase of pre-IPO shares of select private companies, but none received their promised shares. Iakovou rerouted the money to several accounts, including personal bank accounts, and used the money for private jet charters, cars, home furnishings, artwork, luxury clothing and accessories. For example, Iakovou spent $135,528 on a 2021 Corvette Stingray and more than $500,000 on luxury watches, including $231,799 on a single Patek Philippe timepiece. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought a related civil action against Iakovou. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Winner Residents Charged with Sex Trafficking of Children and Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a man and woman from Winner, South Dakota, with two counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child. The man was also indicted for two counts of Production of Child Pornography. Richard Alan Kucera, age 65, and Ivy Rose Heron, age 36, were indicted in August of 2023. Kucera appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 10, 2023, and Heron appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 4, 2023. Both pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The Indictment alleges that in 2020 and 2021, Kucera and Heron intentionally recruited and enticed two juvenile females to engage in commercial sex acts. Both Kucera and Heron financially benefited from their participation in the illegal venture. The Indictment also alleges that Kucera persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the same two minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The charges are merely accusations and Kucera and Heron are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper 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 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. Kucera was released on bond pending trial. Heron was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for October 3, 2023.