title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with San Luis Obispo County, California, to Resolve Claims that Conditions in the County Jail Violate Federal Laws

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that the department has reached an agreement with San Luis Obispo County, California, resolving the department’s findings that the conditions of confinement at the San Luis Obispo County Jail (the jail) violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement recognizes and outlines the significant strides the county has made in some areas since the findings were issued. “We are encouraged by the improvements the San Luis Obispo County Jail has made since we announced our investigation, but there is still more that must be done to achieve constitutional compliance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This agreement includes strong remedial provisions that, if fully implemented, should improve suicide prevention, reduce excessive force and reduce the use of unnecessary isolation.” “Safeguarding civil rights is core to American values,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “We are pleased that — with the cooperation of San Luis Obispo County — we have achieved a comprehensive agreement that will protect the safety and civil rights of people incarcerated at the county’s jail. Under this agreement, the county must implement reforms in suicide prevention, restrictive housing, use of force and quality assurance. My office is committed to protecting the civil rights of everyone in our district.” Under the agreement, the jail will, among other things: Take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide; Stop housing people with serious mental illness in isolation absent specific and significant protections; Require any use of force by staff comply with constitutional standards; and Implement a quality assurance program to identify and correct systemic deficiencies. The agreement also requires the appointment of a lead expert to assess the county’s compliance with the agreement and provide technical assistance and recommendations to facilitate compliance. The lead expert will issue public reports every six months on the county’s compliance with the agreement. The Justice Department initiated its investigation of the San Luis Obispo Jail in October 2018 under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the ADA. The department provided San Luis Obispo County written notice in August 2021 of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found. The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize unconstitutional conditions and violations of federal law in correctional and juvenile justice facilities. It opened new investigations into prisons and jails in Tennessee , California , South Carolina , and juvenile justice facilities across Kentucky . The division also issued findings in its investigations of Mississippi prisons , Texas juvenile justice system’s facilities , the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, South Carolina , and the Georgia Department of Corrections . The division entered into agreements, including consent decrees, regarding the Fulton County, Georgia, Jail , the Cumberland County, New Jersey, Jail , the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, the Broad River Road Complex in South Carolina, the Manson Youth Institution in Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Department of Correction . The division is also litigating matters related to the constitutionality of conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men and the incarceration of people beyond their release dates in Louisiana prisons . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint asserting civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form ( English ) ( Spanish ) by email to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov .


title: Honduran National Charged with Reentry of a Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EVIN ENRIQUE FUNEZ CRUZ (FUNEZ CRUZ”) , age 22, a native of Honduras, was charged in a bill of information on January 15, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1). According to court documents, FUNEZ CRUZ , a Honduran national, was apprehended in St. Tammany Parish on or around January 6, 2025. He had been previously deported to Honduras on June 21, 2024. If convicted, FUNEZ CRUZ faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.


title: Attempted Attack on the White House with a Rented Box Truck Results in 8-Year Sentence for Missouri Man

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96 months in federal prison for an attempted attack on the White House with a rented truck on May 22, 2023, an attack that aimed to overthrow the democratically elected government of the United States in order to replace it with a dictatorship fueled by Nazi ideology. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge William McCool of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division, Chief Jessica M. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Kandula pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024, to a charge of willful injury or depredation of property of the United States before U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. Kandula is an Indian national who was born in Chandanagar, India. At the time of the incident, he was a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. with a green card. In addition to the prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Kandula to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Kandula flew on a commercial flight from St. Louis, Missouri, to Washington D.C. on the afternoon of May 22, 2023, connecting through another airport on a one-way airline ticket. Kandula arrived at Dulles International Airport about 5:20 p.m., and rented a truck at 6:30 p.m. He stopped for food and gas, and then drove to Washington, D.C., where he crashed into the barriers protecting White House and President’s Park at 9:35 p.m. at the intersection of H Street, Northwest and 16th Street, Northwest. Kandula drove onto the sidewalk, sending pedestrians running from the scene. After striking the barriers, the truck backed up in reverse, then lurched forward, striking the metal barriers a second time. The second impact disabled the truck which began smoking from the engine compartment and leaking fluids. Kandula next exited the vehicle and went to the back of the truck. From a backpack he removed a flag, a three-by-five foot red-and-white banner with a Nazi Swastika in the center, and brandished it. U.S. Park Police and the U.S. Secret Service officers arrested Kandula at the scene and took him into custody. According to the plea agreement, at the time Kandula crashed the truck into the White House perimeter, he was attempting to gain access to the White House to seize political power. Kandula’s intent was to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fueled by ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States. Kandula admitted to investigators that he would have arranged for the killing of the U.S. President and others if necessary to achieve his objective. His actions were calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion. Kandula’s actions caused $4,322 in damage to the National Park Service. This amount included costs for repairing the metal bollard barriers to their original condition and ensuring structural soundness, oil and chemical removal, spill cleanup, and disposal of fluids from the crashed U-Haul. The damaged property was property of a department or agency of the United States, specifically the National Park Service, an agency of the United States federal government, within the U.S. Department of the Interior. Kandula planned the attack for several weeks. Prior to renting the truck and crashing it on White House grounds, he made several attempts to gain access to vehicles or armed security guards. For example, on April 22, 2023, Kandula requested 25 armed guards and an armored convoy from a security company located in Virginia. On May 4, 2023, Kandula attempted to contact several other companies in an attempt to rent a large commercial tractor-trailer truck, a dump truck, or another large truck. Kandula was unsuccessful in arraigning for security guards or a tractor-trailer truck or dump truck. Kandula had attempted to arrange for the services of these security guards and the use of large vehicles in order to carry out his offense against the U.S. Government. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Park Police, and the MPD. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar. ## 23cr222


title: Missouri Woman Arrested and Indicted for Arson

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

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment today charging a St. Peters, Missouri woman, with arson. According to court documents, on or about January 2, 2025, Danielle Bertothy, 36, maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire, a building and other real and personal property used in interstate and foreign commerce and in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce, to wit: a commercial building consisting of a retail store, a restaurant, a bar, and a hotel located at Road 3301 KM 2.9 Combate Beach, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. “This defendant will be held accountable for her dangerous actions that caused significant damage and put many lives at risk,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state and local law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws and bring to justice criminals who engage in violent crimes.” “This arrest shows the commitment of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the fight against violent as well destructive criminal behavior, regardless of where it manifests - on the mainland or the U.S. Territories,” said Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Miami Field Division. Bertothy is charged with the use of fire to destroy any building affecting interstate commerce (arson) 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance on Friday, January 17, before a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) are investigating the case. Special thanks to the Puerto Rico Department of Justice District Attorney’s Office in Mayagüez and the PRPB-Explosives Unit in Mayagüez for their unwavering collaboration during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Jonathan Gottfried, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Division, Jeannette Collazo, Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Division, and Corinne Cordero-Romo are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Five Members of the Hoover Criminal Gang Sentenced for Racketeering and Firearms Crimes

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Jackson, TN - A leader in the Hoover Criminal Gang was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for ordering fellow gang members to murder a suspected rival gang member. Markell Young, 33 , was the last of five defendants, all from Gibson County, to be sentenced in this case. Young, Octavius Ferguson, 27 , and Jordan Powell, 25 , were convicted after trial, while Bakari Lenon, 25 , and Monterio Ross, 29 , pleaded guilty. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, all defendants were members of the Hoover Criminal Gang subset known as the 83rd or Eight Tray. The gang was engaged in racketeering activities including murder, robberies, and trafficking of marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base. “These defendants were members of the violent Hoover Criminal Gang who were responsible for murdering a suspected rival gang member to further the aims of the gang,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gang violence traumatizes communities and makes our streets less safe. The Criminal Division is committed to vigorously prosecuting those who engage in gun violence and other violent criminal activity.” “This case serves as notice to all that engage in organized criminal activity that we will use every available resource to bring you to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee. “The citizens of this district deserve a safe and secure community, one not riddled with gun violence, and this is a great example of the diligent and collaborative work of law enforcement to protect those rights to safety.” “This case is an outstanding example of what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we dismantle gang networks that spread violence and fear,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The sentences imposed demonstrate the commitment of the FBI and our partners to thwarting gang violence and reinforcing the severe consequences awaiting those who threaten the safety of our communities.” “The individuals who wreak havoc in the communities that we serve are a huge concern,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “The ATF works collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, day and night, to swiftly remove individuals who traffic narcotics, participate in organized crime and show total disregard for human life from the streets. The ATF’s primary mission is to combat violent crime in our communities, and we will work tirelessly to keep the communities that we serve, safe.” The evidence showed that, on Jan. 31, 2017, the defendants murdered a suspected member of the rival Gangster Disciples gang in Humboldt. On that date, Young ordered Ferguson, Powell, Lenon, and Ross to commit the murder, which they carried out by going to the victim’s home and indiscriminately shooting several firearms through the open front door, killing the victim. Based on their participation on this killing, all of the shooters were promoted to higher ranks within the Hoover Criminal Gang. In addition to Young’s conviction at trial for aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during and in relation to murder in aid of racketeering, Ferguson and Powell were convicted at trial of murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during and in relation to murder, and causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Both Ferguson and Powell were sentenced to life in prison. Lenon and Ross pleaded guilty to causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to murder in aid of racketeering and were both sentenced to 30 years in prison. The FBI and ATF investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by state and local law enforcement partners. Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Parham for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates. Topic VIOLENT CRIME Components Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Criminal Division Criminal - Violent Crime and Racketeering Section Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) USAO - Tennessee, Western


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with San Luis Obispo County to Resolve Claims that Jail Conditions Violate Federal Laws

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department announced today that the department has reached an agreement with San Luis Obispo County, resolving the department’s findings that the conditions of confinement at the San Luis Obispo County Jail violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement recognizes and outlines the significant strides the county has made in some areas since the findings were issued. “Safeguarding civil rights is core to American values,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We are pleased that — with the cooperation of San Luis Obispo County — we have achieved a comprehensive agreement that will protect the safety and civil rights of people incarcerated at the county’s jail. Under this agreement, the county must implement reforms in suicide prevention, restrictive housing, use of force and quality assurance. My office is committed to protecting the civil rights of everyone in our district.” “We are encouraged by the improvements the San Luis Obispo County Jail has made since we announced our investigation, but there is still more that must be done to achieve constitutional compliance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This agreement includes strong remedial provisions that, if fully implemented, should improve suicide prevention, reduce excessive force, and reduce the use of unnecessary isolation.” Under the agreement, the Jail will, among other things: Take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide; Stop housing people with serious mental illness in isolation absent specific and significant protections; Require any use of force by staff comply with constitutional standards; and Implement a quality assurance program to identify and correct systemic deficiencies. The agreement also requires the appointment of a lead expert to assess the county’s compliance with the agreement and provide technical assistance and recommendations to facilitate compliance. The lead expert will issue public reports every six months on the county’s compliance with the agreement. The Justice Department initiated its investigation of the San Luis Obispo Jail in October 2018 under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) and the ADA. The department provided San Luis Obispo County written notice in August 2021 of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Barragan of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section conducted this investigation in coordination with the Special Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize unconstitutional conditions and violations of federal law in correctional and juvenile justice facilities. It opened new investigations into prisons and jails in Tennessee , California , South Carolina , and juvenile justice facilities across Kentucky . The division also issued findings in its investigations of Mississippi prisons , Texas juvenile justice system’s facilities , and the Georgia Department of Corrections . The division entered into agreements, including consent decrees, regarding the Fulton County, Georgia, Jail , the Cumberland County, New Jersey, Jail , the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, the Broad River Road Complex in South Carolina, the Manson Youth Institution in Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Department of Correction . The division is also litigating matters related to the constitutionality of conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men and the incarceration of people beyond their release dates in Louisiana prisons . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint asserting civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form ( English ) ( Spanish ) by email to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov .


title: Placer County Man Sentenced to 12 Years and 7 Months in Prison for Sexual Offense Against a Minor

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ryan Davidek, 40, of Lincoln, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 12 years and seven months years in prison for interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Davidek was ordered to pay $13,270 in restitution to the victim and serve a lifetime of supervised release. According to court documents, in 2016, Davidek began a sexual relationship with a middle-school child who he had met online. Over the course of several years, Davidek booked hotel rooms and traveled across state lines, as well as transported the victim from another state to the Eastern District of California, to commit criminal sexual conduct. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assisted by the Sacramento Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and other local law enforcement departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Klein and Christina McCall are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Tractor-Trailer Driver in Deadly 2022 Smuggling Event Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – The driver of the tractor-trailer used to smuggle at least 64 undocumented individuals resulting in the deaths of 47 adults and six children in 2022 entered a plea of guilty today to multiple counts arising from the fatal incident. According to court documents, Homero Zamorano Jr., 48, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, causing serious bodily injury, and placing lives in jeopardy; one count of transportation of aliens resulting in death; and one count of transportation of aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. Zamorano is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2025 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. HSI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, ATF, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio Fire Department, Marshall Police Department, and Palestine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs and Sarah Spears for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. These charges resulted in coordination with Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Four Members of Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution

body_text: Memphis, TN – Four men from Mexico and California have been convicted for their role in trafficking multiple kilograms of cocaine between California and the Western District of Tennessee. On January 14, 2025, Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced the fourth defendant. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney, announced the sentencings today. According to information presented in court, in September 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI") Border Enforcement Task Force investigators learned of a drug trafficking organization operating in West Tennessee. They determined that José Iban-Arcos, 52 , and Edwin Mayorga, 42 , were obtaining kilogram quantities of cocaine. Both Iban-Arcos and Mayorga had previously been convicted for narcotics trafficking in the Western District of Tennessee. Investigators also found that José Hernandez-Gonzalez , 29 , was distributing cocaine on behalf of the organization and that Jesús Serrano-Mayorquin , 43 , transported cocaine from California to the Western District of Tennessee. Agents seized over 25 kilograms of cocaine and several firearms during the investigation; this included more than 45 pounds of cocaine which was seized during a traffic stop. The defendants were indicted in June 2023. Each defendant subsequently pled guilty and was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. or U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker. José Iban-Arcos of Aguascalientes, Mexico, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and illegal re-entry into the United States. He was sentenced to 144 months of incarceration to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Edwin Mayorga of Long Beach, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 66 months of incarceration to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Jesús Serrano-Mayorquin , of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by 3 years supervised release. José Hernandez-Gonzalez , of Tamaulipas, Mexico, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 18 months of home detention to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. “This investigation and the resulting sentences highlight the exceptional work of HSI Nashville and the vital law enforcement partnerships that are essential to protecting our communities,” said HSI Nashville Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Colin Jackson. “We remain dedicated to dismantling drug trafficking networks that endanger lives through the illegal distribution of narcotics, ensuring those responsible face the full force of the law.” “This case is a perfect example of the impact and effectiveness of law enforcement working together at the local, state, and federal levels to combat drug trafficking and the violent offenders engaged in this activity,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “Countless lives have been saved as result of these outstanding efforts!” This case was investigated by HSI, in collaboration with the Bartlett Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, and K-9 Officer Athena. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Allen and Bryce H. Phillips, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Former Construction Company Employee Indicted for Embezzlement

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment today against Kami Elois Power, 54, of Gardnerville, Nevada, charging her with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, from November 2019 to May 2023, Power worked as an office assistant at a family-owned construction company in South Lake Tahoe. During her employment, Power embezzled more than $1.4 million dollars from the company. She disguised more than $700,000 of these fraudulent transfers as payments made to vendors that the company worked with — under fake profiles she created in the names of real companies, as well as fake companies that resembled her own initials, such as “KEP Inc. Sale” and KPI.” She disguised additional fraudulent transfers as payments for payroll or reimbursements. Power also used the company’s credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases and paid down the balance of her own personal credit cards with the company’s money. Power used the stolen money to purchase property, luxury cars, ATVs, and a horse. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot C. Wong and Whitnee Goins are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Power faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Canadian Gun Smuggler Sentenced

body_text: Austin, Texas – A Canadian national was sentenced today to 82 months in prison and given a $30,000.00 fine for illegally purchasing handguns with the intent to smuggle them into Canada. According to court documents, Harsimran Dhaliwal, 31, a Canadian citizen, was operating a gun smuggling operation to smuggle handguns, which are illegal in Canada, across the border and distribute them to criminals. In 2022, Dhaliwal made arrangements with a straw purchaser to obtain numerous handguns in and around the Austin area. Dhaliwal then smuggled the handguns back to Canada. At least two of those weapons have been recovered in Canada and linked to crimes committed there. “The international smuggling of firearms is dangerous and harmful and our office will vigorously prosecute persons who illegally obtain, transport, and distribute guns” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke prosecuted the case.


title: As Carjackings Decline in D.C., Defendants Face 57-Count Indictment for Spree of Armed Carjackings and Shootings

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Deangelo Wooten, 27, Jaleel Fowler, 26, and other co-conspirators were indicted today on a 57-count indictment filed in Superior Court, charging them as members of a conspiracy that have robbed, carjacked, and shot numerous individuals in the District of Columbia between December 2023 and March 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The indictment returned today charges Wooten and Fowler with conspiracy, multiple carjackings and armed robberies, multiple assaults with intent to kill, obstruction of justice, and other related charges stemming from a course of violent conduct committed throughout the city in late 2023 and early 2024. The indictment details how the Defendants would use firearms to steal cars and rob individuals of their belongings during the commission of numerous offenses. The indictment charges three separate carjackings committed upon rideshare driver victims in December 2023 and January 2024, in addition to four separate shootings committed in the District from December 2023 through February 2024. In December 2024, the District of Columbia had 28 carjackings. The last month that had fewer carjackings was May of 2021. The District has had 10 carjackings as of January 16, 2025. “Despite the massive reduction in carjacking incidents, this Office remains vigilant in aggressively pursuing and prosecuting those committing these crimes because one carjacking is too many,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “As this indictment reflects, we will hold accountable those committing these crimes by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting these carjacking incidents.” This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Sara Matar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Kidnapper Who Abducted 6-Year-Old to Peru Pleads Guilty

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edwin Alonso Cuadros Bravo, 54, formerly residing in Sacramento, pleaded guilty to interstate and international kidnapping conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, in November 2021, Cuadros Bravo and his wife and co‑defendant Yulisa Alexsandra Guevara Wintong abducted their six-year-old grandchild from Sacramento and took the victim to Peru. Despite pleading from the mother, Cuadros Bravo and Guevara Wintong did not return the victim to the United States. In December 2022, the victim was returned to Sacramento as a result of government intervention. Cuadros Bravo was detained following his first appearance and he remains in custody. Guevara Wintong has not yet appeared to answer the charges against her. The charges are only allegations; she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría is prosecuting the case. Cuadros Bravo is scheduled for sentencing on April 21, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Cuadros Bravo faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Justice Department Issues Findings Report Regarding Louisiana State Police

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today its findings that the Louisiana State Police (LSP) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the Justice Department finds that LSP uses excessive force, including unjustified uses of Tasers, escalation of minor incidents and use of force on people who did not pose a threat. The report acknowledges LSP’s ongoing reforms. Among other improvements, LSP has revised its use-of-force policy, created a Force Investigation Unit for serious uses of force and updated training. More is needed to remedy the violations the report identifies. The department is committed to working collaboratively with the state and LSP to continue to fortify these reforms. The Justice Department opened this investigation on June 9, 2022, under 34 U.S.C. § 12601. Information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Former Fresno County Resident Charged with Managing a $10 Million Nationwide Real Estate Fraud Scheme from Prison

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Seth Adam Depiano, 43, formerly of Clovis, made an initial appearance for an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Depiano was sentenced in 2018 to more than 12 years in prison for running a $24 million fraud scheme in the Eastern District of California (Case No. 1:17-cr-172 DAD). In 2021 and 2022, while serving that sentence in federal prisons in the states of Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Florida, Depiano managed a complex real estate fraud scheme utilizing a group of co-conspirators located across the United States. Using contraband phones and computers and acting under the fictitious identities “Marcus Lazaro” and “Steven Baron Sr.,” Depiano posed as a real estate broker who represented clients who wanted to sell property. In reality, Depiano was not a real estate broker, did not have clients, and instead marketed and sold properties he did not own and did not have the authority to sell. Depiano utilized co-conspirators to meet with potential investors, to conduct financial transactions, and conduct other activities on his behalf. In total, Depiano and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $10 million from victims in California, Nevada and elsewhere. Once Depiano and his co-conspirators had received the victim funds, they laundered the money through Las Vegas casinos and other businesses. They also formed shell companies to purchase and hold real estate using victim funds, and wired victim funds overseas. Once Depiano and his co-conspirators had received the victim funds, they laundered the money through Las Vegas casinos, using international wire transfers and shell companies, purchased properties, and invested in legitimate businesses. This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case. Depiano is in custody. His next court date is July 16, 2025, at 1:00 pm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto. Co-Defendants Zahria Barber, 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Paola Quintero Beltran were also charged in the scheme. Barber and Beltran’s next court dates are July 16, 2025, before Judge Oberto. If convicted, Depiano faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison wire fraud and mail fraud. Depiano faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years consecutive for aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Fresno County Men Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A six-count indictment was unsealed today, charging Fresno resident Austin Lloyd Kerns, 53, and Clovis resident Lakota Tehya Wakley, 21, with conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Kerns is also charged with fentanyl distribution and illegally possessing ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, from November 2024 until his arrest in December 2024, Kerns conspired with Wakley and others to sell fentanyl pills to customers in Fresno County. On Nov. 23 and 24, 2024, Kerns personally and repeatedly sold fentanyl to a victim that Wakley referred to Kerns for a fee. This victim died soon after of a fentanyl overdose. Upon arresting Kerns at his residence on Dec. 9, 2024, law enforcement seized around 1,000 fentanyl pills, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and handgun parts. This case is the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (FORT), a multi-agency team composed of Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fresno and Clovis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Kerns and Wakley face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: Two Idaho Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Separate Sex Crimes Involving Minor Children

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in two separate cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 19.5 years and 6.5 years in federal prison, respectively, for sex crimes against minor children. Today, Daniel Wade Lowry, 34, of Notus, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child. According to court records, in September 2023, law enforcement became aware that Lowry was a member of an online group dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material. Pursuant to a federal search warrant, law enforcement seized cellphones belonging to Lowry. Investigators located images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the cellphones, including sexually explicit images that Lowry had produced of a 5-year-old child. Investigators also determined that Lowry had posted the images of the victim in the online group. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Lowry serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay restitution to the victims. Lowry will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. In a separate case, Sean Sterling, 28, of Nampa, was sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. According to court records, the investigation began when law enforcement received CyberTip reports from Discord and Twitter. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement determined that Discord and Twitter accounts, later identified as belonging to Sterling, had been used to distribute child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement obtained search warrants for the contents of Sterling’s online accounts and located and images and videos of child sexual abuse material, along with messages that Sterling had sent discussing his sexual interest in children. Law enforcement apprehended Sterling in Las Vegas, Nevada, and seized his cellphone and computer. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement examined his devices and found additional images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Judge Brailsford also ordered Sterling to be placed on supervised release for 15 years after the end of his prison term and to pay restitution to the victims in the files he possessed. Sterling will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. “The production and endless distribution of child sexual abuse material can haunt victims for life,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We are steadfast in our commitment to seek justice for child victims and hold child predators accountable for their egregious conduct. Our law enforcement partners share the same mission and together we will do everything possible to protect Idaho’s children.” “There is no greater betrayal than stealing the innocence of a child, and these sentences are the result of the necessary investigative work to prevent the revictimization of the children in these images,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “It will always be a challenge to find child predators in the many places they may lurk online. HSI will always be committed to working with our partners in every aspect of law enforcement, along with using our private sector partnerships to prevent online crimes committed against children.” Both cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Boise with assistance from the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Boone Police Department in North Carolina, the Idaho State Police, and the Parma Police Department also assisted with the Lowry investigation. HSI partnered on the Sterling investigation with investigators from the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, with additional assistance from HSI Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar prosecuted these cases. These cases were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Orlando Torres Angulo, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 12 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distributing methamphetamine, and use of a cellphone in aid of racketeering, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, in February 2021, Torres Angulo conspired with other individuals in both Mexico and California to distribute methamphetamine in pound quantities. Torres Angulo arranged for the delivery of 4 pounds of methamphetamine to a customer, who was in fact an undercover officer in Fresno. Torres Angulo later delivered another 2 pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover officer in Roseville. While discussing this deal, Torres Angulo told the undercover officer that he would set aside 15 pounds of methamphetamine if the undercover officer came to his place in Tulare. Torres Angulo then helped coordinate a third deal for 10 pounds of methamphetamine in Terra Bella. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime 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. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Cares Act Fraud, Money Laundering and False Tax Filing

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CLIFTON C. JAMES (“JAMES”) , age 50, of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 15, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo to making false statements, theft of government funds, and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). He also pled guilty to false tax filing with the Internal Revenue Service. On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. According to the charging documents, or about April 30, 2020, JAMES , on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain a $86,800 PPP loan. On or about July 13, 2020, JAMES stole $149,900 from the SBA by using a false application in the name of Crescent City Tax Services, LLC. JAMES then committed money laundering by using these ill-gotten funds to buy an automobile from a dealership in California. Lastly, JAMES filed a false document with the Internal Revenue Service wherein he claimed to have earned $1.00 in a 2019 tax return. At his sentencing on April 23, 2025, JAMES faces up to five years in prison for each individual charge of making false statements and for filing the false tax document. He also faces up to ten years in prison for each individual charge of money laundering and the theft of government funds. Each charge, individually, also carries a penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (a member of the PRAC) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Aneth Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Navajo Woman

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Randy Lansing, 41, of Aneth, Utah, was sentenced today to a term of life in prison for murdering a woman he was dating in front of her two young daughters. The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Nuffer, comes after Lansing was found guilty by a federal jury for murder in the second degree while within Indian Country. According to court documents, evidence presented at trial, and statements made at Lansing’s sentencing hearing, Lansing murdered Tammy Clark, on April 23, 2022. Clark was a 30-year-old mother of three, who Lansing severely beat and drowned in front of her two young daughters. During trial, the evidence established that on the day of the murder, Lansing drove Ms. Clark, her two young daughters and a second woman to McElmo Creek. At the creek, Lansing violently beat and forcibly drowned Ms. Clark, causing her grievous injuries that included a broken nose, extensive facial swelling, many brain hemorrhages, lacerations to her right cheek, left ear, and inside her mouth, a fractured hyoid (neck) bone, four broken ribs, and extensive blunt force trauma to her torso and extremities. According to statements and evidence presented at trial, Lansing also threatened Ms. Clark’s young daughter. He later drove Ms. Clark’s beaten body to Aneth in the back of his SUV, where he left the vehicle as his mother contacted neighbors for help. Several neighbors, including an EMT, called San Juan County Dispatch for an ambulance and attempted life saving measures until the ambulance arrived and transported Ms. Clark to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. “Mr. Lansing subjected Ms. Clark to an unthinkable level of brutality before her death, all witnessed by her young daughters,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “He has a history of violence against women, which escalated to the heinous murder of this young mother. While no prison sentence can ever make up for the life stolen from Ms. Clark’s family, it is our hope her children can continue to heal and move forward after being profoundly impacted by the gravity of Lansing’s crime.” “Randy Lansing’s horrific actions will forever have a profound impact on the victim’s family, especially her two young children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Kelly of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our tribal and other law enforcement partners to seek justice and support victims of such heinous crimes.” The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency and Navajo Nation Police Department, Criminal Investigations. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tad May and Tanner Zumwalt prosecuted the case.


title: United States Attorney Hairston resigns effective January 18

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston announced that she has resigned her position as head of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC) and will retire from federal service effective January 18, 2025. “Serving this district as United States Attorney and as an Assistant United States Attorney has been the honor of my life,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “The late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ I have done my best to do what is right during my time as a prosecutor, and with the help of dedicated professionals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, I believe we have made our communities safer, more just, and more equitable.” Ms. Hairston joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the MDNC in 1990. During her 34 years with the Department of Justice, Ms. Hairston served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Lead Task Force Attorney in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section in the MDNC. She also served as the Professional Responsibility Officer, Ethics Advisor, and Criminal Discovery Coordinator for the district. From April 1994 until June 1996, Ms. Hairston served as Chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Ms. Hairston was named First Assistant United States Attorney for the MDNC in April 2014, a position she held until November 2021. Ms. Hairston served as Acting United States Attorney for the MDNC from January 14, 2017, until January 3, 2018, and from March 1, 2021, until she was sworn in as United States Attorney on November 23, 2021. Ms. Hairston served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee from March 2022 until June 2023. Ms. Hairston is a 2002 recipient of the Director’s Award from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys for superior performance as an Assistant United States Attorney. In 2015, she received the Peter S. Gilchrist III Award from the North Carolina Bar Association which is given to a prosecutor who exemplifies the highest ideals of the profession. In 2018, she was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers. Ms. Hairston is a 1981 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a 1987 graduate of the North Carolina Central University School of Law. She began her legal career in 1987 as an Assistant District Attorney in the Thirteenth (now Fifteenth) Prosecutorial District of North Carolina. Selected highlights of the U.S. Attorney’s Office accomplishments during Hairston’s tenure include: Expanding Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the federal Department of Justice’s premier data-driven, comprehensive anti-gun-violence program, to systematically address rising juvenile crime across the MDNC through community engagement, targeted prevention, intervention and reentry, strategic enforcement, and improved accountability between partners. Planning and hosting over 25 re-entry simulations, all designed to share best practices, aid assimilation, and reduce recidivism among inmates returning to society after serving their sentences. Hosting with the NC Department of Adult Correction a reentry simulation “train the trainer” seminar to share best practices and lessons learned with other groups holding simulations. Further integrating the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and police departments in Durham, Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem into the strategic enforcement component of PSN to help solve gun crime incidents and get violent criminals off the street. Encouraging and supporting the implementation of the evidence-based Violent Impact Player or “VIP” case screening model in Greensboro and Winston-Salem where law enforcement, probation and prosecutors use objective information to identify VIPs and focus “best efforts” of partnering agencies on the most dangerous “shooters.” VIP has contributed to a reduction in homicides of over 40% in Greensboro and 34% in Winston-Salem from 2023 to 2024, and significant reductions in overall violent crime. In 2024, Remy St Felix and 12 other defendants received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in an international conspiracy to break into U.S. citizens’ homes, violently kidnap and assault them, and steal Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency. In 2024, Marian Hudak was convicted at trial of violating the civil rights of Black and Hispanic citizens by willfully intimidating the victims and interfering with their enjoyment of federally protected activities through both threats of force and actual force. In 2022, Antonio Nathaniel Davenport, Jr., and Derrick Lamont Dixon, Jr., received life sentences for the RICO murder of nine-year-old Z’yon Person in Durham in 2019. In 2023, Steven Tyler Smith received a 50-year sentence for producing child pornography and Joshua Timothy Taylor received a 60-year sentence for engaging in sex with a minor and producing child pornography. Emphasized the prosecution of the most dangerous offenders who exploit children, resulting in the sentencing of 72 defendants with an average sentence of nearly 15 years (179.125 months) and median sentence of 10 years. Protected taxpayers and victim rights by collecting more than $25 million in criminal debts and more than $12 million in federal civil debts from 2021 through 2024. Partnering with the Civil Rights Division in DOJ’s Combatting Redlining Initiative, leading to a $13.5 million settlement with a national bank to resolve Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act claims. Partnering with the Environmental and Natural Resources Division on Clean Air Act litigation resulting in a $10 million consent decree to resolve claims that a local company sold and installed emissions defeat devices. In conjunction with the Civil Rights Division, working with the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections to resolve Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act allegations, leading to religious policy changes across the North Carolina prison system that expand the rights of minority faith groups to gather for religious services. Recovering more than $10 million for the federal fisc in False Claims Act cases, including allegations of improper kickbacks and medically unnecessary testing. Fighting the opioid crisis through both civil Controlled Substances Act enforcement against pharmacies and physicians and expanding access to treatment through enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, including outreach to county jails and medical providers regarding their legal obligations. Hosting three United Against Hate outreach events, to empower local communities with information about how to recognize and report hate crimes. Resolving fifteen Americans with Disabilities Act cases, including resolutions that require policy changes to ensure that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing have access to effective communication during medical care. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Galyon will serve as acting U.S. Attorney upon Ms. Hairston’s departure. ###


title: Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to More Than 25 Years Combined in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: EL DORADO – An Arkansas man and woman were sentenced to a combined total of 308 months in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking and related crimes. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place in the United States District Court in El Dorado. According to court records, on August 24, 2023, Willis Devin Johnson , age 36, of Mountain Home, and Sarah Lavon Paxton , age 37, of Mountain Home, were located in a vehicle at a local car wash in Bearden, Arkansas. Agents with the El Dorado Police Department, CAD, and the 13 th Judicial Drug Task Force had received information that Johnson was attempting to sell several ounces of methamphetamine. Johnson and Paxton were taken into custody and a search of the vehicle revealed three vacuum sealed bags containing 1,400 grams of methamphetamine. On August 22, 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to Possession of More than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Paxton plead guilty on September 11, 2024, to Possession of More than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute For those crimes, Johnson was sentenced on January 15, 2025, to 188 months, in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Paxton was sentenced on January 14, 2025, to 120 months, in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement. The El Dorado Police Department, CAD, and the 13 th Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case for the United States. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .


title: Conway Man and Woman Sentenced to More Than 30 Years Combined for Online Enticement of Minors

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE - On January 15, 2025, Benjamin Coney , age 30, and Emily Grace Brinley , age 26, both of Conway, Arkansas, were sentenced to a combined 378 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of Online Enticement of a Minor in violation of federal law. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, in November of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, began an undercover investigation targeting online predators seeking minors for sexual activity. Between November 19, 2023, to November 27, 2023, a male and female couple, later identified as Coney and Brinley, messaged an undercover FBI officer posing as the mother of two young girls. In messages sent by the couple, they detailed their intended abuse of the two young girls and arranged to drive from Conway to Bentonville to engage in the sexual acts. When the couple arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location, they were met by law enforcement officers and immediately taken into custody. Among the items located in their vehicle were sexual aides and lubricant. Coney and Brinley were indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in May of 2024. Benjamin Coney entered a plea of guilty in September of 2023 and was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment to be followed by 25 years of supervision. Emily Grace Brinley entered a plea of guilty in July of 2023 and was sentenced to 168 months to be followed by 15 years of supervision. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov .


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld to Resolve Allegations of Discriminatory Policy Against Hosting Arabs

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL - The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with AWH Orlando Property LLC, the owner of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld in Florida (DoubleTree), to resolve allegations that the DoubleTree discriminated against people of Arab descent in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title II). Title II prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin in places of public accommodation, including hotels. The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida alleges that the DoubleTree adopted and implemented a discriminatory policy against hosting guests of Arab descent by unilaterally canceling a conference that was to be held by the Arab America Foundation, a non-profit educational and cultural organization, in November 2023, a week before the conference was scheduled to begin. “No one may be denied the right to use hotel facilities because of their national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all people to be free from discrimination in hotels and other public accommodations around the country.” “The right to enjoy and have equal access to places of public accommodation is essential in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District will continue to hold places of public accommodation accountable to ensure that the civil rights of all people are protected.” The lawsuit alleges that the DoubleTree’s decision to cancel the Arab America Foundation’s conference was not predicated on any legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons. Although the hotel claimed that the cancelation was because of security concerns, the hotel faced no security threats or risks associated with the conference. Indeed, as alleged in the department’s complaint, contrary to representations that the DoubleTree made to the Arab America Foundation, the DoubleTree had not received any calls or other communications raising a safety or security threat to the conference or to the hotel. Rather, the decision to cancel was based on the national origin of the Arab America Foundation’s members and the conference attendees. The complaint therefore alleges that the DoubleTree discriminated on the basis of national origin and denied people of Arab descent the full and equal enjoyment of access to the services, accommodations, and privileges at the hotel. The settlement, in the form of a consent decree that must still be approved by the court, requires the DoubleTree to: Issue a statement to the Arab America Foundation that all guests and groups are welcome to the hotel, including Arab and Arab American guests and groups; Retain a qualified compliance officer to oversee compliance with the consent decree for two years; Notify employees and executives of the DoubleTree’s obligations under Title II and the consent decree, including DoubleTree’s commitment to ensuring equal access to the hotel, regardless of race, color, religion or national origin; Establish a written anti-discrimination policy, which includes a system of accepting, investigating and responding to guest complaints of discrimination; Conduct outreach to Arab or Arab American groups to share promotional materials about the hotel and indicate that it is open to all members of the public; Provide training to employees and executives on Title II and the DoubleTree’s obligations under the consent decree; and Make regular reports to the department to demonstrate its compliance with the consent decree. Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals may report discrimination in places of public accommodation that violates Title II by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online .


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 17 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a one-year child. According to public court documents, Kenneth Leroy Quinn, 23, also known as “Coach K,” distributed several pills containing fentanyl on April 29, 2023. Quinn’s customer used some of the pills and brought the remaining pills home. The customer’s one-year-old son ingested the fentanyl mixture and died of acute fentanyl toxicity. Law enforcement began an investigation into Quinn and purchased marijuana from Quinn six times. In November 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Quinn’s Des Moines residence and located four firearms, more than five pounds of marijuana, nearly an ounce of methamphetamine, and three-quarters of an ounce of cocaine. After completing his term of imprisonment, Quinn will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Quinn was also ordered to pay $1847 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Des Moines Police Department. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Fentanyl deaths for youth ages 15 to 24 more than doubled between 2018 and 2022. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about the dangers of fentanyl and the One Pill Can Kill program.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Richard Dean Putnam, 62, was found in possession of more than 85 grams of methamphetamine and 200 grams of marijuana at his Council Bluffs residence in March 2024. Putnam also possessed nearly $10,000, two pellet guns, and two rounds of ammunition. Putnam had previously been convicted of felony drug offenses and domestic abuse assault charges in the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County, both which prohibit him from possessing firearms and ammunition. After completing his term of imprisonment, Putnam will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Council Bluffs Police Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Machinegun

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun. According to court documents, Ti’Biasz Tithese Houston, 20, was arrested in November 2023 after Mobile police responded to a shots-fired call in a residential neighborhood. Officers located Houston near the scene of the shots-fired incident in a parked SUV. After detaining Houston and others, police conducted a probable-cause search of the SUV, locating marijuana and several loaded pistols equipped with extended magazines. One of the firearms, seized near where Houston was seated in the SUV, was a Glock .40 caliber pistol equipped with a fully loaded 30-round extended magazine and an illegal machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” which rendered the pistol a fully automatic weapon. Agents seized and obtained a warrant to search Houston’s cell phone, which contained evidence of his illegal possession and sale of Glock switches. The phone contained dozens of pictures and videos of Houston illegally possessing pistols equipped with Glock switches, including the pistol that police seized from him in November 2023. The phone also contained numerous text messages that Houston exchanged with other people about selling Glock switches for profit. In addition to the 27-month prison sentence, Senior United States District Judge William H. Steele ordered Houston to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment, and mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Houston to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Eleven Time Felon Found Guilty of Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An eleven‑time felon who fired a pistol during an argument was convicted by a jury on January 15, 2025, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Kenneth Moore, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The verdict was returned following less than three hours of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that on August 4, 2023, around 4:00 a.m., Moore got into an argument with an individual on the porch of a residence in Dubuque. During the argument, two individuals attempted to push Moore away from the argument and de‑escalate the situation. As they were pushing Moore away, Moore fired a pistol towards the residence. The bullet nearly hit two people, went through the front wall of the residence, and lodged in the back living room wall. Moore then fled the scene. Twelve days later, on August 16, 2023, officers arrested Moore and searched the car he was driving, where they recovered the pistol Moore fired on August 4. Moore was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of eleven felony convictions. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moore remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Moore faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24‑CR‑01009‑CJW. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Dubuque Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who possessed and sold fentanyl pills was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. Anthony Frank Ernst, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 9, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, in April 2023, Ernst distributed pills that contained fentanyl to an individual who, in turn, distributed pills to another person. That person took the pills, which caused the person to suffer an overdose. A few days later, officers stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in. Ernst was in possession of more than 240 fentanyl pills. On June 7, 2023, Ernst sold marijuana and fentanyl to a confidential informant who was working with law enforcement, and, in the early morning on June 9, 2023, officers again stopped a car that Ernst was a passenger in. Ernst was in possession of controlled substances, including fentanyl. Ernst was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ernst was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Ernst is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was also investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Lacrosse, Wisconsin, Drug Task Force, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-1019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Doctor Jailed for HIPAA Violations

body_text: An Iowa emergency room doctor and medical resident, who violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) by viewing the medical records of multiple women who were not his patients, was sentenced today to a month in jail. Dr. Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Roman, age 31, from Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, received the term of incarceration after a June 28, 2024, guilty plea to one count of wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information relating to an individual under false pretenses. At his plea and sentencing hearings, Dr. Hernandez-Roman admitted that, between 2020 and 2022, he knowingly and without authorization obtained the protected health information of multiple women at hospitals in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Dr. Hernandez-Roman was working as a resident doctor in Iowa emergency rooms at the time, including at “Hospital-1” in Cedar Rapids and “Hospital-2” in Iowa City. In January 2022, Dr. Hernandez-Roman viewed the medical records of “K.F.” at Hospital-1 in Cedar Rapids without her knowledge or consent. K.F. was never Dr. Hernandez Roman’s patient and was not a patient in Hospital-1’s emergency department at the time. When K.F. discovered what Dr. Hernandez-Roman had done, Dr. Hernandez-Roman asked K.F. to tell Hospital-1, falsely, that K.F. had given Dr. Hernandez-Roman permission to look at her medical records. Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted to accessing K.F.’s medical records at Hospital-2 in March 2021, as well as the medical records of “M.C.” at Hospital-2 in October 2020. After receiving an anonymous complaint about Dr. Hernandez-Roman being romantically involved with patients, accessing their medical records, and threatening them, Hospital-2 discovered that Dr. Hernandez-Roman had illegally accessed K.F. and M.C.’s records. The records included M.C.’s health records when she was a minor and her adult psychological records. Dr. Hernandez Roman also admitted that, in January 2022, he sent a photograph of one of Hospital-1’s patients in Cedar Rapids to another individual via SnapChat. The photograph showed the patient in a hospital setting, wearing a gown, with the patient’s rectum clearly hanging out of the body. Dr. Hernandez Roman had no legitimate medical purpose for taking this photograph or, further, for sending it via SnapChat to the individual. Finally, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted that, in June 2023, he mailed a letter to the Iowa Board of Medicine in which he admitted accessing the confidential medical records of K.F. and M.C. and also to sharing the photograph of the prolapsed rectum. In his plea agreement, Dr. Hernandez Roman admitted he falsely wrote in the letter that he had sent the photograph of the prolapsed rectum to his mother to remind her of the importance of fiber intake. Dr. Hernandez-Roman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dr. Hernandez Roman was sentenced to a month of imprisonment and fined $1,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Dr. Hernandez-Roman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-34. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Dublin Man Sentenced To 18 Months In Federal Prison For Damaging Former Employer’s Computers

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Dublin resident Vamsikrishna Naganathanahalli was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for damaging computers belonging to his former employer. The Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge, handed down the sentence. Naganathanahalli, 49, pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2024, to three counts of knowingly causing the transmission of a program, information, code, or command, and as a result of such conduct, intentionally causing damage without authorization, to a protected computer. According to his plea agreement, defendant worked for MedAmerica, Inc., part of the Vituity group of companies, from October 2018 to June 2022. Vituity, based in Emeryville, Calif., included physician partners and other healthcare professional employees who worked as contractors in hospital emergency rooms, outpatient clinics, telehealth providers, and other clinical settings. The company also employed non-clinical healthcare personnel who worked with healthcare providers in various facilities. Vituity used the Oracle Human Capital Management (“HCM”) platform to organize core human resources data for its approximately 7,000 employees. The HCM platform contained records for current and past Vituity employees, including their Social Security numbers, salaries, and addresses. Naganathanahalli worked for Vituity as a Senior HCM Architect. Defendant admitted that, on May 28, 2022, the day after being told that his employment at Vituity was being terminated, he used his access to a privileged HCM service account to change the password for another employee’s privileged Vituity HCM account without authorization. On or about Sept. 6, 2022, after his employment had ended, he used that privileged HCM account to change the HCM password for a Vituity contractor. That same day, he used the contractor’s account to load files containing “dummy” or “masked” data, which replaced real data, to the Vituity HCM live production environment. As Naganathanahalli admitted, the generic masked data overwrote the real data for approximately 90 percent of Vituity employees, current and former. Defendant’s conduct caused a loss to Vituity of at least $400,930. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also ordered Naganathanahalli to pay $400,930 in restitution and a $300 special assessment and sentenced him to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving his sentence on July 20, 2025. United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle J. Kane and Nikhil Bhagat are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Antlers Resident Sentenced For Sexual Exploitation Of A Child

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clyde Park Crews III, age 34, of Antlers, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. On September 4, 2024, Crews pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, between December 2022 and May 2023, Crews induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce and transmit images of that conduct on the internet. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com , through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Crews will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.


title: Cherokee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Felony Arson Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sheena Grasshopper, age 41, of Cherokee County, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Attempted Arson of a Dwelling in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on July 31, 2023, Grasshopper willfully and maliciously attempted to set fire to and burn a building and place the life of a person in jeopardy. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Grasshopper will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Flanigan and Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Felony Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Colby Eric Dean Ballard, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department. On March 21, 2024, Ballard pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on April 4, 2023, Ballard assaulted the victim, strangling the victim and causing injuries to the victim’s face, head, wrist, and stomach. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ballard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 96 Months In Prison For Possession Of A Firearm

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Corey L. Thomas, Jr., age 39, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 15, 2025, to 42 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Thomas’s vehicle was stopped on July 13, 2021, by a Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Detective after Thomas briefly met with a drug trafficker being investigated in an unrelated investigation. Thomas was found to be in possession of drug proceeds and a .380 Ruger handgun with an obliterated serial number. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. # # #